February 16, 2022

The Emory Wheel Since 1919

Emory University’s Independent Student Newspaper

Volume 103, Issue 3

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

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Community fights racist names at Emory, in Atlanta

USC deputy dean Gareth James named Goizueta Business School dean

By Madi Olivier Asst. News Editor

that continue to hold places of prestige on Emory’s campus.

In 2019, University President Gregory Fenves appointed the University Committee of Naming Honors to

Emory University selected University of Southern California Marshall School of Business deputy dean Gareth James as the next dean of the Goizueta Business School, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Ravi V. Bellamkonda announced in a Feb. 14 email to the Emory community. James will assume the position on July 1.

James will replace Interim Dean Karen Sedatole, who has held the position since May 30, 2020 after former Dean Erika James became the Dean of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

“I know I speak for the entire Goizueta community when I say we couldn’t be more thrilled with the appointment of Gareth James as the next Dean of Goizueta Business School,” Sedatole said in a Feb. 14 email to the Wheel.

See GROUP, Page 4

See JAMES, Page 3

Natalie Sandlow/Contributing (left) sand Courtesy of Emory University (right)

Emory University’s Yerkes National Primate Center (left) is named after eugenicist Robert Yerkes. The original Emory Law School (right), which is now part of the Michael C. Carlos Museum, was named after Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, a slave owner and Union leader. The law school still awards professorships under Lamar’s name.

By Eva Roytburg and Ashley Zhu Asst. News Editor and Politics Desk On Emory University’s Atlanta campus lies the 25-acre Yerkes National

Working group completes phase 1 of twin memorials project

By Kelly Zhuang Oxford Politics Desk Emory University will launch the second phase of its Twin Memorials Project on Feb. 17, which seeks to construct parallel memorials on the Oxford and Atlanta campuses, recognizing enslaved persons who built parts of the University.

During this phase, Baskervill, a design firm from Richmond, Virginia that Emory hired to work on the Twin Memorials, will conceptualize memorial ideas based on community feedback provided during phase one.

The firm is currently working with the College of William & Mary (Va.) to construct a “Memorial to the Enslaved” and has completed similar projects in the past, such as the Richmond Slave Trail and Reconciliation Plaza. The working group will re-invite the community to reflect on Baskervill’s ideas starting Feb. 17.

Construction on the monuments is expected to begin this summer, according to project co-chairs Oxford College Dean Douglas Hicks and Candler School of Theology Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling Gregory Ellison II. The third and final phase of the project is tentatively set to launch in the second half of April, in which the committee will present the final plans to University President

See TWIN, Page 3

Primate Research Center. The thriving center of biomedical and behavioral research has existed since 1930 and is a research hub home to approximately 1,000 nonhuman primates.

It’s also named after one of the most prominent eugenicists of the 20th

century.

Robert Yerkes spent decades conducting racist research advocating for the sterilization, isolation and murder of those who weren’t socially “useful.” And his name is just one of several with legacies marred by racism

Black Greek life offers solidarity, support to members

By Ashley Zhu Politics Desk “Following its inception in the 1700s, Greek Life has been an essential part of campuses nationwide. The tradition, however, is tainted with racism and exclusivity, among many of the other issues that have been brought to the forefront in recent years.

Greek Letter organizations included racial bans in their constitutions well into the 1960s, and even as more Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) were admitted into educational institutions, historically white fraternities and sororities continued to exclude them.

It wasn’t until 1930 when a group of sixteen students at Howard University founded a new brand of fraternities and sororities: the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NHPC), the governing body of traditionally African American fraternities and sororities.

With the goal of assisting universities across the nation understand the histories and unique priorities of its Black students, the NPHC has supported the efforts of civil rights movements in the 1960s and has continued to provide service and stewardship to their communities.

“We’re trying to voice a message and educate people,” said President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (DST) Amala Ozumba (22C), speaking on the core values of her chapter. “We also want it to be a space where students and faculty can share their own experiences and educate each other.”

Emory is home to six of the nine historically Black sororities and fraternities that comprise the NPHC. The first Black Greek life organizations at Emory — Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc

Natalie Sandlow/Staff

Alpha Phi Alpha is one of Emory University’s traditionally African American fraternities.

(APA) — were chartered in the 1970s, NPHC adviser Kriskumar Singh told the Wheel.

DST is one of Emory University’s Black sororities and fraternities that have left their mark on the Emory community through signature events like Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.’s (PBS) Black History Month Instagram campaign, which showcased a range of influential men each day of February, as well as ongoing recruitment and community service.

Emory NPHC’s community is small, Singh noted. For example, Zeta Beta Phi is composed of only two members. However, he said that has allowed Black sororities and fraternities to foster connections by creating spaces on campus that allow students to find peers with similar

LUTALICA Grappling With Our Identities And Who We A&E Portraits Of Power

Are: “Choon Pan, Tumbling Trishos And Waves”

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and

Legacy ...

interests.

Many prominent figures nationwide today, from Vice President Kamala Harris, who is a member of AKA at Howard University (D.C.), to athlete Colin Kaepernick, who is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. at University of Nevada, are alumni of NPHC organizations.

Whenever these individuals find success, members of their organization rejoice, Singh noted.

see someone who shares similar values as you winning on screen, on the field or an election, can often feel like a win for us.”

Singh added that he encourages students to transition into a graduate or alumni chapter upon graduating Emory: “No matter if you relocate to another state or a different city in Georgia, or possibly another country, you can meet sisters and brothers of your organization.”

Scholarship and service with Zeta Phi Beta

“Even if you’re not a member of that person’s organization, the sense of belonging created by being in the NPHC makes you feel as if you’ve also won,” Singh wrote. “Representation is more important than folks understand, and to

NPHC Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations and President of the sorority Zeta Phi Beta(ZFB) Joe’l Brock (22C) spoke about her sorority’s focus on

EMORY LIFE Ramen

SPORTS Swim & Dive

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Lovers Must Try Jin Ya Win 23rd Straight UAA amen B ar ...

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Black Greek life members share community building, service sentiments

Continued from Page 1

scholarship and service.

Zeta Phi Beta’s main initiative is “Zeta’s Helping Other People Excel” (through Mind, Body and Spirit),” which creates fundraisers like their annual step show, a form of percussive dance where members perform various stepping techniques.

ZFB, alongside other multicultural organizations, also partners with March of Dimes, an organization dedicated to maternal health and babies. They raise money and collect Pampers, baby supplies, cans and other goods.

“Service is always at the forefront for the wider community and also for the Emory community. We’re just making sure we can provide any need that’s lacking for students,” Brock said.

ZFB is also constitutionally bound to the PBS Fraternity, and is the only Black Greek organization to do so, Brock said. According to their constitution, ZFB is “organized as the sister Greek Letter Sorority to Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.”

“In the past, before COVID, we used to have cookouts together,” Brock said. “It was called Sigma and Zeta Soul Food Sunday, where members got together, cooked plates of food, and sold that to raise money for their chapter and various charities.”

The PBS fraternity also helped ZFB with their signature HalloZeen step show, where they also competed alongside the sisters to show their support and camaraderie.

“To know that I can call on any of them, and that they are considered my brothers is really important to me,” Brock added.

“That family feeling that you get from these two organizations has probably been my favorite part.”

Sisterhood within Alpha Kappa

Alpha NPHC Parliamentarian and AKA President Krysten Nedd (22C) emphasized her chapter’s focus on women’s health and education.

For instance, the sorority has heart health and breast cancer awareness events. It also educates Black high schoolers by offering college admissions and applications assistance. AKA has fundraised for historically Black colleges and universities, often showcasing Black artwork and businesses.

Fellow sorority members have conversations about financial fitness to help women by “elevating them and investing in themselves.”

“We have a global impact target, which focuses on fundraising and getting the word out there about different communities who may be going through financial, economic or environmental struggles,” Nedd said.

Nedd said that her favorite part about her sorority is her bonds with members of her class as well as the newer members.

“It’s just great to see how much they’ve grown as leaders on our campus and just as women in general,” she said.

Alpha Phi Alpha and the Black and Gold Pageant APA President Matthew Nails (22C), along with Chapter Historian Eddy Cabrera Jr. (22C), spearheaded the charge for the annual Miss Black and Gold scholarship pageant this year, which raised money to grant scholarships for four to five Black women at Emory.

According to Nails, the pageant this past fall was the first in-person

occurrence since the pandemic, during which AKA’s Amna Sadig (23C) was crowned as Miss Black and Gold. Past winners include DST’s Kiarra Harris (19Ox, 22C), who won the pageant in Spring 2021.

The pageant aimed to recognize Black women’s impacts within the community and give them space within male-dominated realms. Despite that fraternities are traditionally male-dominated, the women in the pageant are treated as “extended family members” of the organization, Nails said.

APA has also advocated for voter registration, working hands-on with different voter registration locations and creating a Linktree website dedicated to voter registration that Nails said received thousands of views.

Additionally, in March 2021, Nails and NHPC Vice President of Finance Kyle Truevillain (22C) participated in two activist social media campaigns on the Emory NHPC Instagram which highlighted historical Black sorority and fraternity members, such as Cicely Tyson and Alexa Canady.

Nails said that his favorite part about the fraternity is the different perspectives he gained from his brothers.

“Each and every one of them cares so much about our community and inspires the other to strive even further than what they thought they would,” Nails added.

Delta Sigma Theta’s Five-Point Programmatic Thrust Ozumba, the president of Delta Sigma Theta, said she takes pride in DST’s firm dedication to public service.

Delta Sip, an annual event to introduce DST to new students on campus, allows

Natalie Sandlow/Staff

Alpha Kappa Alpha is a historically Black sorority. students to connect to resources and network, according to Singh. In 2019, the theme was “20/20 Vision: Focusing On Your Mission,” where they hosted a motivational speaker and provided a space for students, faculty, and staff to become acquainted with their chapter.

“The point of the program is to help first-years and Oxford continuees have a smooth transition to Emory College, by providing resources and tools for success on campus,” Ozumba said.

Most of DST’s events center around empowering Black women and raise awareness on racial justice issues, Ozumba said. This included a program that brought awareness to sexual assault on college campuses and promoted Emory resources for assault survivors, as well as a series of Instagram posts that sharing facts about how mortality disproportionately affect Black women.

As an international sorority, they hosted a convention last fall that brought together their sisters from countries like South Africa and the Bahamas, where they celebrated their sisterhood and created a space for people to feel comfortable voicing their own opinions.

“It’s one thing to be sisters by paper, but it’s another thing to genuinely care for others,” Ozumba said. “Even after Emory, I still want to be very active within the organization and give back to the community.”

NPHC will host two recruitment events in February, including “Pop-Out Wednesday” on Feb. 16 and a NPHC Convocation on Feb. 19, for students to engage with and learn about each organization.

on the Atlanta campus, one with the undergraduate, graduate and professional school community, and one with the Campus Life staff on Feb. 18. Additionally, the University will hold a virtual meeting open to all communities on Feb. 24.

During phase three, Baskervill will engage in virtual workshops with community members from both campuses to discuss the design of the project. After the workshops, the group will introduce more design concepts to the community.

The group hopes to introduce a concept to Fenves in early summer, Hicks said, allowing the actual construction process to begin. A construction completion date is not known.

Aside from building the physical memorials, Ellison said the group hopes to establish educational programs. One such program would involve trips for students on both campuses to see the memorials on the

other campus and learn their histories during freshman orientation.

“If you only saw one of the memorials, you would miss a significant part of the story,” Ellison explained.

“In that regard, the name Twin Memorials emerged.”

Other goals of the Twin Memorials Working Group include developing plans for continued memorialization of Emory’s enslaved laborers through annual events and programming, and collaborating with stakeholders to develop initiatives that underscore Emory’s past.

“Our goal is not only to focus on the history of the dehumanization of enslaved persons in building Emory,” Hicks said. “Look forward to the future as an educational community to be the most inclusive and equitable place we can be in the present and the future.”

— Contact Ashley Zhu at ashley.zhu@emory.edu

James will assume role July 1 Twin Memorials project enters phase 2 Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

“Professor James is a true scholar, but he is also a proven leader with the vision and energy to elevate Goizueta to be the distinctive leading business school that we all aspire for it to be.”

While at the Marshall School of Business, James led University of Southern California’s COVID-19 response as the interim dean from 2019-20 before he served as the deputy dean. Along with acting as deputy dean, he also served as the vice dean of faculty, the E. Morgan Stanley Chair in Business Administration and a professor of data sciences and operations.

James’ work, which primarily focuses on functional data analysis and high dimensional statistics, has been published in several books, journals and conference proceedings. His work has been cited around 20,000 times, according to the announcement, and he has won several prestigious awards, including the 2021 Provost’s Mentoring Award and the Evan C. Thompson Faculty Teaching and Learning Innovation Award.

He is also an elected Fellow of the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics.

James’ selection followed a search led by Dean Vikas P. Sukhatme of the School of Medicine. He was chosen from an “extraordinarily strong pool of candi-

Gregory Fenves.

Fenves established the Task Force on Untold Stories and Disenfranchised Populations in October 2020 to reckon with Emory’s harmful history against communities of color.

A year later, Fenves announced the establishment of the Twin Memorials Working Group in response to the task force’s recommendations that April to develop memorials that interconnected the Oxford and Atlanta campuses’ histories. Fenves invited Hicks and Ellison to lead the Twin Memorials group with Oxford Associate Professor of English and American Studies Molly McGehee.

In the first phase of the project, the Twin Memorials Working Group hosted four conversations with Emory community members. Two of these took place on Feb. 3: one with Oxford’s staff and another with descendants of enslaved individuals in Covington, Georgia, just adjacent to the town of Oxford where the University was founded in 1836. There were two other meetings with Oxford students and faculty, including administrators and professors, on Feb. 4.

Ellison stressed the importance of holding these meetings and getting feedback from the community.

“People are largely unaware of this history,” Ellison said. “The first part of the meeting is to discern how this information is settling on you as you learn about this history, and the ways in which many of the presidents and the trustee members of the earliest days of Emory were slave owners.”

The University will hold two Oxford meetings on Feb. 17, one with students and one with descendents of enslaved individuals.

There will also be two meetings

W

Courtesy of the University of Southern California

University of Southern California Marshall School of Business deputy dean Gareth James will become dean of the Goizueta Business School. dates,” the email stated.

Per the announcement, James said the University and Goizueta have “impressive ambitions” and anticipates strengthening the business school’s standing.

“I’m looking forward to working with President Fenves, Provost Bellamkonda and our faculty, staff and students to transform that ambition into a reality,” James said. “I’m also excited to be at a school whose very name represents an important legacy for both Emory and the Atlanta region.”

— Contact Madi Olivier at madi.olivier@emory.edu

Have a tip for News?

Email Matthew Chupack at mhchupa@emory.edu

— Contact Kelly Zhuang at kelly.zhuang@emory.edu

The Emory Wheel Volume 103, Issue 3 ©2022 The Emory Wheel Alumni Memorial University Center, Room 401 630 Means Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30322 Business (404) 727-6178 Editors-in-Chief Isaiah Poritz isaiah.poritz@emory.edu 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 printed every Wednesday 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.

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Group demands to remove honorary Yerkes, Lamar names from campus

Continued from Page 1 review contested honorary names. The committee submitted a report to Fenves in May 2021 recommending to remove the names of L.Q.C. Lamar, Robert Yerkes, Atticus Haygood, George Foster Pierce and Augustus Longstreet from all honors.

Fenves only acted on Longstreet, renaming Longstreet-Means Residence Hall to Eagle Hall and Longstreet Professor of English to Emory College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of English.

A group of alumni, faculty and students — dubbed the Emory Community Members for Historical Accountability — have advocated for name changes to the Research Center and the L.Q.C Lamar professorships.

The group said it sent multiple letters since May to Fenves requesting to remove controversial names.

Several group members, including Professor of Law George Shepherd who published an article and emailed Emory officials advocating for the removal, told the Wheel that Fenves has not responded to their requests.

Assistant Vice President of Emory Communications and Marketing Laura Diamond wrote in a Feb. 11 email to the Wheel that Emory is “actively evaluating the recommendations of the University Committee on Naming Honors, consulting with experts and considering the perspectives of Emory students, faculty, staff, leadership, and alumni.” She said Fenves will update the community by the end of the semester.

Aside from the Yerkes center, the group took issue with two professorships in Emory’s School of Law named after Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar (1845C). Lamar was a slave-owner and a leading figure in Mississippi’s secession from the Union during the Civil War. Currey Hitchens (09L), a leader of the group, said Fenves’ decision to remove Longstreet’s name and not others was “baffling” because names in professorship titles like Lamar’s could easily change.

“There’s a lot that goes into an actual change of this sort, including consulting with experts and considering perspectives of students, faculty, staff, leadership and alumni,” said Professor of Law Fred Smith Jr., who chairs the naming committee. “[Fenves] just reached that conclusion more quickly than he reached other conclusions, but he’s still actively evaluating the recommendations.”

Jason Esteves (10L), another member of the group, said such a response “will not suffice” until the administration decides to remove other names.

“Lamar was a slave owner, he was leading secession,” Esteves said. “It’s still unclear why we wouldn’t apply the rule across the board versus picking and choosing who to honor as a University.”

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Eugenicist Robert Yerkes (Left) promoted racist and antisemitic ideas and Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar (1845C) (R ight) was a Confederate slave owner. economic waste.

He wrote in Symposium on Recent Advances in Psychology, published by the American Philosophical Society, that if a person’s “being held no promise of complete, serviceable biological development … it would seem socially defensible that his life should be ended gently.”

His writings greatly influenced the U.S. eugenics movement, which involved forcibly sterilizing 64,000 people.

In 1956, Emory agreed to assume ownership of the primate research center Yerkes started, just 15 years after he published his support for the killing of the disabled.

Director of Yerkes National Primate Research Center Paul Johnson wrote to the Wheel that he appreciated the committee’s report and took the concerns seriously, but it was “difficult to give a precise timeline at this time.”

The historical accountability group wrote in a July 7 letter to Fenves that Lamar championed white supremacy through means such as negotiating the Compromise of 1877, allowing white southerners to restrict Reconstruction in the South.

Lamar also supported the Dawes Act, which allowed the U.S. government to seize 100 million acres of Native American land.

Though the University removed Lamar’s namesake from the official Emory law school name, group members cited these as reasons not to support him.

“He was a traitor against our nation, he was fighting to continue to enslave Black peoples because he believed that there were less than others,” Hitchens said. “He fought for that even after the Civil War.” Continuing to honor Yerkes and Lamar is embarrassing to Emory’s

legacy and antithetical to the University’s values, Shepherd said.

“We just need to think carefully about who Emory wants to honor,” Shepherd said. “Does it want to honor racist, antisemitic people?”

Esteves said there were ways to recognize history without honoring men who contributed to historical atrocities.

“You can honor them by studying their history and studying their accomplishments, and by doing that, inherently recognizing what they’ve done right,” Esteves said. “To have the distinction of having a program or a building named after them, that is amongst the highest of honors, and that should be bestowed on people who represent the values of that institution.”

“We just need to think carefully about who Emory wants to honor and does it want to honor racist, antisemitic people?”

— Professor of Law George Shepherd

The Atlanta perspective: Confederate emblems and Atlanta’s ‘city personality’ Emory’s attempt to reckon with its Confederate past comes after the broader Atlanta community sought to rename streets and take down monuments glorifying the Confederacy.

Professor of Practice at Georgia State University Douglas Blackmon lived

only a block away from the Confederate monument during the neo-Nazi attacks in 2017.

“We have a history that is deeply rooted in terrible things that were intent on destroying American democracy,” Blackmon said. “These were traitors against our country of today, in order to preserve the cruel system that moral people all over the world already knew was wrong.”

The tragic events in Charlottesville reinvigorated discussions about keeping relics of Confederacy through names, prompting the Atlanta City Council to form Atlanta’s Confederate Monuments Advisory Committee. That committee developed “recommendations for moving forward with city-owned Confederate-related monuments and street names.”

However, the committee only existed for six weeks as a short assignment at the end of former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s second term.

The construction of Confederate monuments and street dedications, Blackmon said, occurred during the height of post-war grief and the beginnings of what became a largescale white supremacist campaign.

For instance, in the 19th century, Confederate Avenue was constructed in southeast Atlanta and led directly to an area associated with old Confederate soldiers’ homes. That street became United Avenue in 2019 after the monument advisory committee recommended a name change.

The committee also recommended that Atlanta form criteria to determine if a street name should be changed. That criteria has yet to be changed.

People have turned a more “critical eye” to monuments that weren’t clearly tied to the Confederacy in recent years, Associate Professor of Political Science Andra Gillespie said.

“This is an opportunity to learn more about our history, and learn more about the flaws and the blind spots of people who lived before us,” she added.

President of the Atlanta History Center Sheffield Hale began working on Confederate monument issues in 2016 after a white supremacist killed nine churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina in June 2015.

Hale became a member of the Confederate Monuments Advisory Committee in 2017 to engage the city residents in meaningful conversations.

Some controversial monuments are protected by state law and are not under the committee’s purview.

“It’s really hard to have a conversation

when there’s not truly an option,” said Claire Haley, the Atlanta History Center’s vice president of public relations. “Even if they go through a thoughtful process and determine that it’s not appropriate for the community, they can’t do anything about it.”

Blackmon said the state law did not always seem to be enforced, noting that the state did not take action after a monument was removed in Oakland Cemetery.

Hale helped evaluate the Peace Monument in Piedmont Park, erected in 1911 as a reconciliation effort between the North and South that excluded Black people amid the restrictive Jim Crow era.

“We should preserve certain monuments because they are markers of important things that happened,” Hale said. “On the other hand, none of the African Americans had a vote at that time about whether it should be there or not.”

Hale said that when the committee suggested it be removed, Georgia law halted any further action. The best they could do was install panels contextualizing the history behind the structure.

Blackmon said some opposition to the committee stemmed from the inconvenience of renaming businesses.

During committee hearings, however, Blackmon said that many opposers supported the “lost cause” mythology and made arguments that taking down monuments would erase history.

“Many people internalize it as an attack on their identity as white people,” Hale said. “We’re not trying to say anything disparaging about their ancestors, we’re just trying to deal with this monument and what it means today.”

Such opposition, Blackmon said, supports the fact that Atlanta is still surrounded with endless reminders of the city’s role in preserving slavery.

Blackmon said Atlanta has developed a sensibility that urges people to ignore what the monuments actually mean, because it’s so unpleasant. However, he said the current conversation is an opportunity to “awaken” people.

“You could easily arrive in Atlanta and see all these street names and say that it’s a bastion of white supremacy,” Blackmon said. “But that’s not what Atlanta is, and we shouldn’t encourage people to somehow be OK with this depiction of our city.”

— Contact Eva Roytburg at eva.roytburg@emory.edu and Ashley Zhu at ashley.zhu@emory.edu

Contending with Yerkes’ and Lamar’s legacies In 1941, as the Nazis murdered millions of Jewish people, Yerkes wrote in the Journal of Consulting Psychology that the U.S. should follow Nazi Germany in its “human engineering” efforts.

“Nazis have achieved something without parallel in human history,” the article read. “What has happened in Germany is the logical sequel to psychological and personnel services in our own army in 1917-1918.”

That same year, Yerkes advocated for the “elimination of the biologically unfit” and argued that providing resources for disabled people was an unnecessary

Courtesy of City of Atlanta

The Confederates Monuments Advisory Committee recommended a name change for Confederate Avenue in Southeast Atlanta, which is now known as United Avenue.

The Emory Wheel

Lutalica

W��������, F������� 16 2022 | Opinion Editor: Sophia Ling (sophia.ling@emory.edu) | Asst. Opinion Editors: Sophia Peyser (speyser@emory.edu) & Chaya Tong (ctong9@emory.edu) “When you were born they put you in a little box and slapped a label on it. But if we begin to notice these categories no longer fit us, maybe it’ll mean that we’ve finally arrived—just unpacking the boxes, making ourselves at home.” - Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows medias res - so let me try again.

status, political leaning, socioeconomic

two, to make ourselves sound more normal

out there?

starts with my visit back to my high school and seeing my former junior year English

To understand the origin of this series

We spend our lives being sorted into categories, labeled with values that we put

status, sexuality, religious beliefs - or even the simpler things: hobbies, interests, where

and less confusing than we actually are.

A Google search of "lutalica" comes up

But I’m glad they did. I’m thankful that people took those moments and memories

teacher, Ms. Gellin. She mentioned an

on ourselves, by others, by the existing

you're from, the type of phone you own...

empty: it's made-up. I think it's only fitting

lurking behind their mental walls and pulled

article about Asian parents and cutting fruit, and all I can remember is driving home to

social order...whoever created that. But as much as we are being sorted, we are also

But as much as we may want our identity to stay the same, it doesn't. We add onto it,

to use a "fake" word to express the ever searching, in medias res feeling I keep

them into the light.

Most of all, I’m thankful to be the first

write the first op-ed of this series: reminiscing about this universal, yet

being unsorted, recast, searching for the meaning behind this all-encompassing

take away, sometimes take it away and bring it back. These transition points can cause

coming back to.

I asked people to write about these

pairs of eyes on everyone’s pieces – I’m honored.

somehow so personal, love language. Yes,

word: identity. It answers who, what, where,

existential crises, cognitive dissonance that

grappling moments, to sit with their

If you've read one, or two pieces: thank

perhaps the story in it of itself is a little bit clichÈ, but it allowed me to embark on a

when we're from -- but it's messy, incoherent, in medias res.

makes us think: who am I? Or perhaps, simply thinking about the word "identity"

discomfort and to be honest and reveal it to the world. Their stories, like mine, are

you for reading who we were, who we are, and who we might be. Thank you for taking

much more profound idea: identity.

Identity is contradictory, fluid yet

brings up formative stories, painful or not,

deeply personal and profoundly...them.

the time to reflect on our words and to know

For the longest time, I wanted to create my own project before leaving my position

stationery, malleable yet unyielding, complicated yet beautiful. Our experiences,

that without which we would not be ourselves. But sometimes those parts of our

Perhaps every single person, before sending it to me, or even watching me as I

that even if we are strangers, you know one of the most vulnerable parts of someone

as the Opinion editor. My first explanation of this series was messy, incoherent, in

memories, external and internal factors mold this identity. Whether it be social

past aren't the versions we choose to share we dumb it down, take away a few details or

edit their pieces, were thinking to themselves: do I really want to put myself

else.

Sophia Ling, Opinion Editor

Cutting fruit: a gesture, a language and a promise Sophia Ling Amid the pandemic, my dad traveled halfway across the world with a suitcase filled with Chinese snacks just for me. When school first started, my parents stuffed a box full of food they thought I might enjoy and share with my friends. The box flew from Guangdong to Hong Kong, back to both cities again before arriving in New York and finally Atlanta. I didn’t receive this package until three months later, the day before I was supposed to fly home for winter break.

At home, my dad cooks for me every night. I see him rummaging through the fridge, muttering about what to make me next. He asks me questions at least five times a day wanting to know if I’ve figured out what I need to bring back to college.

“I just got home,” I’ll tell him. “We have time.” But he’ll still worry, so he places all my food and belongings neatly in a pile next to my suitcase in case I forget.

To be frank, I had a hard time figuring out where this piece should go. Eventually, I realized that food is more than just a vehicle for cultural, social and political change: it’s a language. It’s one of love, tenderness and inexplicable emotions; but they only exist in the material world to be

acted upon, not written down into words.

For Asian parents, cutting fruit is the universal love language. It supersedes any sort of verbal expressions of affection and words of encouragement. Most children from Asian households understand the most basic expectation: get good grades. In my family, it was expected that I prioritize academics and academiccentric extracurriculars over sports and other non-academic clubs like calligraphy. All in all, everything was second to the “A” inked on my transcript.

As cold and fanatical as it might sound, I still know that a bowl of apple and pear slices or washed grapes and blueberries are a symbol of home and my mom and grandma’s unspoken expression of love.

In China, my grandma frequently stayed with me when my parents were out of town. When I came home after school, she would leap off the couch, grab a handful of fruit and ask me if I wanted any to eat. Though I would often decline her requests, more focused on finishing my homework than eating, I would always hear a soft knock on my door less than 10 minutes later. My grandma would walk in with a large array of sliced apples and pears, topped with strawberries (with no stem, of course), blueberries and

orange wedges. Once she handed the plate to me, she would close the door and leave. The nice gesture makes the array of fruits sweeter than usual.

It’s a reminder to me that though I felt my grandma criticized me for inane things, like looking both ways when I crossed the road, she loved me. And of course, never wanted me to do my homework on an empty stomach.

During high school, I frequently stayed up long past midnight finishing my Calculus WebAssign, writing hail mary essays for English and rehearsing my independent study presentation. Like clockwork, I would hear my mom’s footsteps coming up the stairs every night around 9 p.m., the occasional reprimand of my cat if he tried to get in her way and the door squeaking open as she walked into my room. She would set a plate of cut fruit next to me, briefly rest her hand on my shoulder and leave.

Though my mom stopped cutting fruit for me (for which I fully blame my dentist), it’s a post-meal tradition not to eat dessert, but to share fruit and continue our dinner conversations. So, for 20 minutes of the day, my mom and I cede our time to each other. We engage in productive small talk, an oxymoron in it of itself, but it’s everything unspoken that counts.

It’s about my mom grabbing two

tangerines and always giving the first one to me; my mom eating the watermelon cubes closer to the rind and leaving me the middle; her fork pushing the sweeter pear slices toward me, and exchanging plums when she sees my face tense up from the sourness.

Now, when I see the metal bowls of uncut fruit in the dining hall at Emory, these three scenes are vividly imprinted in my mind. I’ve read a lot of stories of cutting fruit as a symbol of love, all seemingly inspired by Yi Jun Loh’s short essay, “A Bowl of Cut Fruits is How Asian Moms Say: I Love You.” But as relatable and touching as they might be, I’m not exactly here to jump on the fruitloving essay trend.

The Asian American family dynamic is complicated and nuanced, outfitted with two drastically different cultural norms that try to fit together as a whole. Growing up and trying to reconcile these two identities has been nothing short of difficult, and trying to see things from both perspectives only leaves me at a crossroad. Asian parents, unlike their Western counterparts, are not known for their outward displays of hugs and kisses. But as I went through elementary school and high school in the U.S., hearing parents say “I love you” as they dropped their children off, I felt

resentful that my parents never did that. I yearned for those three words perhaps because I thought they were the “right” way to be loved, but perhaps also to affirm to myself that I was more than a reflection of my parent’s wishes. But I didn’t necessarily need or want to hear them say “I love you.”

Instead, I had other ways of recognizing my parents’ love. In most Asian families, fruit is a sacred promise. It should be a constant reminder that expressing love comes in many different forms, and to not hold our immigrant parents to Western standards. “Why can’t my parents say they love me?” can be loosely translated into “why can’t my parents be more accustomed to Western values,” or more bluntly, “why can’t my parents be more white?” Because they’re not. But that doesn’t mean they love us any less.

Now as a college student, I wish I understood their labors of love the way I do now. Even amid the scolding and demanding, they remind me first to eat, then to get a little more sleep and finally to make sure I’m dressing in enough layers.

If you’re also afraid to tell your parents you love them, maybe cut them some fruit instead.

Sophia Ling (24C) is from Carmel, Indiana.

The Emory Wheel Volume 103 | Number 3

ISAIAH PORITZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ANJALI HUYNH EXECUTIVE EDITOR BRAMMHI BALARAJAN MANAGING EDITOR JESSICA SOLOMON MANAGING EDITOR SARU GARG MANAGING EDITOR CAILEN CHINN CHIEF OF DIGITAL OPERATIONS PHYLLIS GUO Copy Chief

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Editor

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The Emory Wheel welcomes letters and op-ed submissions from the Emory community. Letters should be limited to 300 words and op-eds should be at least 500. 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’s Editorial Board or Emory University. Send emails to emorywheelexec@gmail.com or postal mail to The Emory Wheel, Drawer W, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322.

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The Emory Wheel

Wednesday, February 16,

6

Choon paan, tumbling trishos and waves Brammhi Balarajan Every morning at the crack of dawn, I wait for the all-too-familiar sign of a trisho slumbering down the street, filled with homemade, mouth-watering bread. The tune of Beethoven’s Fur Elise juxtaposes the sound of hurried footsteps. I don’t care if I just got off a 12-hour flight or if I spent the whole night watching old Disney movies. All I can think about is whether I’ll get a sugar bun or a fish bun, or go for the traditional loaf of bread that always makes me feel at home.

Anyone who knows me can testify that I abhor waking up early. But there is one thing I’ll gladly wake up at 5 a.m. for: the “choon paan” man in Sri Lanka.

This tradition is native to Sri Lanka, and it’s one of my favorite memories from my childhood. This, and only this, rests untainted in my mind in the aftermath of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Many people in the U.S. don’t know much about South Asian history, let alone about Sri Lanka. Even among my South Asian friends, it’s rare to find someone who knows anything about Sri Lanka beyond its mere existence.

The Eurocentric narrative espoused about Sri Lanka often reduces the decades-long Sri Lankan Civil War to tensions between the Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic groups. However, this ignores the reality of the roots of British imperialism. After British independence, Sinhalese largely regained power in Sri Lanka and continuously disempowered Tamils. For instance, the government enacted the Sinhala Only Act in 1956, which made Sinhala the official language and created systemic barriers to Tamils accessing services and education. Some Tamils advocated for the creation of Tamil Eelam, a separate state for Tamils to

thrive. Among them was the Liberation been involved in protests raising Tigers of Tamil Eelam, also known as awareness for the war crimes in Sri the Tamil Tigers. Decades of grueling Lanka throughout her life. violence between the Tamil Tigers and But how many people who raved the Sri Lankan military account for the over Ramakrishan’s appearance in the deaths of over 40,000 civilians. Along Netflix comedy series “Never Have I the way, innocent Tamils largely paid Ever” — particularly South Asian the price. people — know her story? The mainBut this snapshot of history fails to stream narrative frames “Never Have I embody the immense pain my family experienced, nor does it adequately cover the lasting impact on Tamil individuals.

Still, many Tamil families are left without the knowledge of what happened to family members and friends during the A trisho, on the streets of Colombo, Sri Lanka. war. My family is lucky — or perhaps unlucky — to know the Ever” as a beacon for Indian represengrueling close calls and deaths of tation, excluding the South Asian friends and relatives. Yet too often, the diaspora. She’s used as a prop for South closer you are to the margins, the more Asian representation, yet carelessly your story is left untold. reduced to a single story.

Take actress Maitreyi RamakrishIn her TED Talk, Chimamanda nan, for instance. She identifies as Ngozi Adichie talks about how the idea Tamil-Canadian, coming from a family of a single story can define us. She that fled the war in Sri Lanka and recalls writing stories as a child with sought refuge in Canada. Like many characters that were blue-eyed and other Tamil refugees, Ramakrishanan drank ginger ale, or how her college does not identify as Sri Lankan because roommate was shocked to learn that that means claiming a country that she could speak English. Likewise, systematically oppressed and displaced brownness is clumped into a monolith Tamil people; a country that denied through the narratives we tell. When Tamil people their humanity. Despite storytellers define communities by the not learning much about Sri Lankan limited characteristics we know, we politics and history until age 10, she’s confine ourselves. We mark people as a

single story. I don’t know whether I consider myself Sri Lankan, or what it even means to be Sri Lankan. But I’m not a single story. I’m not a prop, a token or a beacon for diversity.

So instead, I take it upon myself to make sure everyone knows my identity.

My friends joke about how I make not being Indian a part of my personality. I write it as my clue for Secret Santa gifts and make it the title of group chat names. And it’s true, in a way. I get so tired of people who’ve known me for years mistakenly calling me Indian or joking that BRAMMHI BALARAJAN / EMORY WHEEL I’m basically Indian.

There’s no one way to be brown, and maybe the South Asian community as a whole needs more introspection. Because right now, we’re too embroiled in hierarchical and exclusive standards to create the solidarity and community we need.

I recall years ago, when my family and I went on a trip to see elephants in Sri Lanka. My parents had carefully instructed me to never voice that we are Tamil. When a tour guide turned to me and spoke in Sinhala, fear gripped my heart. I was suddenly a writer who had lost the ability to find the correct words. My parents laughed it off, saying I only knew English, and the tour guide looked at me with judgment.

Just another American girl who’d lost connection to her culture. At that moment, I knew the truth. I was a Tamil girl who didn’t know Tamil.

A year ago, I asked my only Tamil Sri Lankan friend in the U.S. — one of the only Tamil Sri Lankans my age that I know — whether she considered herself Sri Lankan. “Yes, of course. I’m not Indian.”

Months later, she told me she’d changed her mind. “I don’t know if I can call myself Sri Lankan. Not after everything the government did.”

I thought her answer would give me clarity on whether I could call myself Sri Lankan. I still remember the hallowed words, more of a dejected surrender than a declaration. Sri Lanka didn’t feel like ours. But when the South Asian diaspora at large shuns us, ignores us and overwrites our identity, what was left to claim?

Sometimes I feel like I’m begging, reaching for something that will never exist. An identity or community I can call my own. But I’m left constantly trying to fit into the next closest thing.

The Indian Cultural Association, a raas-garba dance team. Some try to understand, but can never really understand my experience. Others never learned my identity or cared to ask.

I don’t have very much that I can call mine, but there’s a few things. When I hear the twinkling bells of the paan choon man coming around the corner.

When I skate through the sand, the faint wind echoing my name, I am a brown girl in Sri Lanka. And when the bolstering heat eases, when I dance in the waves, when I take my first bite into a fresh loaf of bread, just for a minute, I am home.

Brammhi Balarajan (23C) is from Las Vegas.

Verbalizing the intangible: remembering Joan Didion Sophia Peyser In 2004, the late journalist and author Joan Didion wrote: “As I walked I kept my eyes on the window, half blinded by its brilliance but determined to keep my gaze fixed until I caught the moment in which the window as approached seems to explode with light, fill the entire field of vision with blue.” The window, as described in Didion’s memoir “The Year of Magical Thinking,” is incandescent, beautiful and blue. It dominates the nave of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Amsterdam Avenue. in New York. St. Johns’ Rose Window is the fourth largest in the world. Those who grew up underneath it know all too well the magical air it casts over the church, the feeling of minute insignificance it invokes in all who walk beneath it. We know the feeling of being watched by the life-size crucifix suspended behind the altar. We know the feeling of walking down the center aisle as the setting sun shines through the Rose Window and everything erupts in blue — a marvelous, iridescent light that stains the columns and statues and bodies and makes you feel so alive.

Look down, and your hands, your legs and the stone floor, they’re all indigo.

Didion, who died on Dec. 23, and St. John’s have history through weddings

and funerals. Just as I have, Didion has entered the cathedral and walked down the light-stained aisle, until she reached the high altar, great choir and the seven chapels that lay behind it.

She has stepped into the Stuyvesant Baptistry, a quiet and forlorn chapel filled with Latin inscriptions and ghosts, and approached the marble vaults that make up the columbarium.

Here, she said goodbye to her mother first. Her husband and daughter followed. When she was alive, she placed leis on the brass rods of the vaults holding their remains. For Didion, St. John’s represented the rituals of mourning: chanting in Latin, dressing up, dipping bread into wine, saying “peace be with you” and then being okay.

The cathedral and I are also intertwined. I spent every Sunday of my childhood inside its big brass doors. It’s where I dressed up in a fluffy white Easter dress and paraded around during the peace. It’s where I sat for hours, tucked in a wooden pew, desperately trying to believe in the rituals and the stories. Believing means living for something, thinking that there’s somebody up there who is vouching for you and ensuring that nothing will really go wrong. Even though it would be so comforting to believe in God — I did all the rituals

and said all the prayers — I came to realize that I couldn’t.

It happened one Sunday, as I sat in a stiff chair and the priest rattled off a long list of sick and dying people to pray for. I suddenly realized that terrible things happen to undeserving people daily, and God lets it happen.

Genocides, illnesses and tragedies — they all go uninterrupted by God. Either God is real and cruel, or God is not real and everything preached inside the church is utterly mythical. Despite the parables and religious rules I’d been taught as a child, one thing was clear to me: I would no longer take solace in religion, and I wouldn’t be coming back to this church for a while.

I don’t believe in God, Jesus or the creation story. Yet, I believe in the supernatural sense that overtakes you as you stand, dwarfed by the massive columns underneath the mighty Rose Window, feeling so insignificantly human. I believe in Joan Didion, and the magical ability some writers possess to put every thought you’ve ever had, and been unable to verbalize, into words.

I have moved away from St. John’s, both physically and metaphorically.

“The Year of Magical Thinking” is gone, lent away to a friend who will inevitably forget to return it and let it collect dust on her bookshelf. Didion is dead. But

her words and their impact are immortal. Because of her, I want to rediscover St. John’s. I haven’t entered the space in years, out of a desperation to remove myself from a religious world I cannot belong in due to a lack of belief and embarrassment. How could I — a rational, free-thinking human — ever believe in something so futile? How could I be simple enough to find comfort in meaningless rituals? Didion echoed this thought as she reflected on mourning her husband. “I did St. John the Divine, I did the chant in Latin, I did the Catholic priest and the Episcopal priest,” she wrote, “And it still didn’t bring him back.”

Similarly, no words will restore St. John’s to its former glory in my mind.

When I look at it now, from the cafe across the street on 111th and Amsterdam, I don’t see a mighty house of God. Instead, I see an incomplete collection of stones and mortar, shaped into arches and buttresses. But reading Didion, her words remind me that St. John’s is a place independent of my own confusing religious history. It’s a building where blue light streams in twice a day — at sunrise and sunset — and makes you consider if God is real, because how can anything man made be so beautiful? Real humans spent over a century building that space, laying down each stone and chiseling

each sculpture, and yet it has a godly beauty to it. The church connects me with a writer I admire so much. I know her beyond the words she’s carefully written, edited and printed on a page, because I know how it feels to mourn inside St. John’s. I know the heartsinking feeling of seeing a name you know inside the columbarium. It’s where friends and family and idols are entombed. I know what it’s like to sit on the pew and say the prayers and sing the hymns and feel absolutely no satisfaction, guidance or fulfillment.

And I know that window.

When I finally muster up the strength to revisit the cathedral, I will find Didion’s own name in the columbarium and my religious past hanging in the air. I’ll realize that she will never write again because she really is dead and gone and in a box, and I will become suddenly aware that the only person who is capable of writing about Joan Didion’s death is Joan Didion. So I will once again turn to her words to bring to fruition my most nebulous thoughts. I will once again watch as blue stains the pillars, and I will thank her — for teaching me that rituals are not a promise, and that writing cures all heartache.

Sophia Peyser (25C) is from Manhattan, New York.

The Emory Wheel

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

7

Ni de aqui, ni de allá (Not from here nor there) Dani Parra del Riego When people ask me where I’m from, I have a split second to decide what answer they get. For the sake of oversimplification, I’ll often say I’m from Miami and leave it. If I’m feeling particularly conversational, I might mention how my mom is Colombian and my dad is Peruvian but also half Palestinian and how I was born in Miami despite growing up in Guatemala. Not unlike Improv, my identities have always felt a sort of “Yes, and…” situation, one where I feel that no matter how many facts I state, I will never be able to identify a place or circumstance fully indicative of who I am.

My four last names only capture a fraction of my heritage and experiences, but my fair complexion and blonde dyed hair mean I don’t look “Latina” enough to both Americans and my family. While I never distance myself from the privilege the color of my skin offers me, it is alienating to not be perceived as “Hispanic” enough to both those who know my background and those who do not. In Miami, when I went places where Spanish was the default, people automatically spoke to me in English while speaking to my other Hispanic friends in Spanish.

Though no one could change the fact

that Spanish was my first language, moments like that stopped me in my tracks. It often left me thinking about how no matter how connected to my identity I felt, I would never be able to exist without being questioned.

My Colombian family lovingly teases me by calling me “gringa,” or American, and though they say it with a playful grin on their faces, the word is a bitter reminder of my lack of belonging. Though I hate to admit it, there are often jokes and cultural references to politics or pop culture in their conversations to which I am a complete stranger, having grown up so far away from them. Even to this day, I still meet close family members who I had no idea existed. Beyond our bloodline, we have seemingly nothing in common: The awkward silence after being introduced is yet another reminder of our disconnect. The dichotomy of them somehow being a part of me and not being anything to me is a strange reality, and one I don’t think I’ll ever escape.

Oddly enough, I have grown closer to cultures and countries to which I have no connection to through my experiences. Growing up in Guatemala made “sones,” folk music from the broader Central American and Carib-

I moved 12 times before the ripe old age of 20. My entire adult personality— what I act like, how I present myself to others and how I view change—is shaped by this fact. For every move where I have been a self-aware being, I can tell you exactly how my persona evolved and what I was thinking when I did it. Each choice was a mini-crisis. I didn’t know exactly who I was going to become or what piece of my past self might be lost in the process, but I took the chance that she might be something closer to who I really wanted to be. Let’s start from scratch. Without those choices, the recipe for “Ali Pie” would be a dash of Dad’s sarcasm, a pinch of my mom’s empathy, a couple spoonfuls of Grandmama’s artistic inclination and a generous splash of my grandfather’s introvertness…hmmm. To quote Buzzfeed’s Cassandra, “where’s the flavor?” I was 10 when we moved to Germany. I told myself that I was no longer going to be controlling, or as my classmates in fourth grade had so bluntly put it: “bossy.” I have anxiety, Sara. Get over it. “Bossy” in fourth grade turns into “assertive” by the time you hit 18, so I’m pretty glad I realized that being meek wasn’t for me. Relocating to France a few years later, I decided that I was going to be outgoing, rather than the introvert I had been since kindergarten. I wanted to be the kind of popular that I saw in “High School Musical” and “Mean Girls.” It sort of worked; as it turns out, smiles are effective even when you don’t speak the language. I was lucky enough to make a handful of friends that met me halfway; anyone who passed us in the halls was graced with a multilingual masterpiece that was gibberish to

never ended, every party had its own special food and every greeting was accompanied by a warmth like no other. Their generosity, tenacity and kindness impacted me more than anything else during my time there, and I attribute a large part of my identity to them. Though I don’t identify as Guatemalan or Venezuelan by any means, it becomes difficult to properly honor the role these identities have played in my life when I explain where I’m from.

It almost feels as if I leave a part of who I am behind, with no way to reclaim it in a way true to myself and the communities that I called home.

In Miami, I shared my identity as a third-culture kid with a majority of my peers, a validating environment I took for granted. Though coming to Emory was not the first time I’d grappled with the issue of my identity, the reality of living in a place where being Hispanic was not the norm hit me like a brick. Language was the most noticeable difference — when meeting new people, I found Miami slang and Spanish syntax slipping into my English conversations. There’s no way to

If I’m feeling particularly con-

versational, I might mention how my mom is Colombian and

my dad is Peruvian but also half Palestinian and how I was born in Miami despite growing up in Guatemala.

Where’s the flavor?

Ali Barlow

bean region, feel as nostalgic as any other childhood memory. The music filled the air at school assemblies, parties and even supermarkets; this was an inextricable part of my upbringing. I still sometimes crave the “pupusas” and “dobladas,” variations of tortilla dough with cheese inside, from the block where I used to live.

And, since we moved for my mom’s job

everyone but the four of us. I started high school in Canada, and envisioned my future self as athletic, friendly and academic. I don’t know exactly what I thought deciding I could be athletic would do — Ms. Girl had never played a sport in her life and it showed. I spent the first two years learning how to play soccer, volleyball and rugby; the last two years were actually getting off the bench during games.

If you meet me now, I am assertive and outgoing-ish and I can sort of kick a soccer ball in the right direction. But even as I sit here writing this, I am realizing how much of my personality is based on the lucky fact that I had 12 chances to reinvent myself and then grow into the shoes I wanted to fill. My 12 mini-crises gave me the opportunity to fine-tune myself and to figure out what was giving me spice, what felt right deep down and what made me feel like I wasn’t faking it. There is so much trial-and-error in being a human.

Who I am today is not who I will be in one year or a decade from now or when I’m 95 and cranky. The wonderful thing about having a self-aware brain is that we can decide to evolve ourselves at any time. I no longer need to hop countries to tweak something in myself and you don’t need it either. In each of our basic recipes is the courage to think about what we want and to chase after it, consequences be damned. So go change! Evolve into someone closer to who you want to be and dream big while you’re at it. The worst thing that can happen is that you’ll realize it’s not working and you revert back to your old self. Life is just one big Google Doc and all of the former edits are stored safely in your memory just in case you need them.

Ali Barlow (24C) is from Newport, Vermont.

to a country where we had no family, her mostly Venezuelan coworkers who were also in pursuit of a better life became our chosen family. They were always there for every special occasion; each birthday was marked by a traditional birthday song that seemingly

describe how strange it was to feel that even topics of conversation change, and there’s no way to understand this shift until you live it. Throughout my time here, I’ve felt my thought processes become more methodical and “American,” whereas before I lived in the abstraction offered by the Hispanic view of the world. Spanish, for example, uses complex metaphors sentences riddled with elaborate descriptions of whatever story is being told. English tells it like it is. Spanish is spoken fast with no space in between our words, similar to our speakers’ fondness for little personal space. Words in English are spoken sharply and distinctly, similar to the individualism of the U.S. in comparison.

Though I cannot change my roots, my perception of my identity in relation to my ethnic background will always be in flux. I have come to understand that the labels, whether self-identified or placed by others, are reductive and not all-encompassing.

Through the multiple identity crises, I’ve come to terms with the fact that not everyone will fully understand my background when they first meet me, and that’s OK. Now, when my family lovingly teases me about being “American,” I’ve learned to laugh with them.

Dani Parra del Riego Valencia (25C) is from Miami, Florida.

Buzzed: How shaving my head made me let go Ada Demling I am not a spontaneous person. I hate surprises, dread last-minute plans and show up 30 minutes early to a manicure to pick out a nail color. But at my brother’s graduation party, I somehow found myself sitting on top of our picnic table with a razor to my head.

Much to the eyerolls of our parents, my brother had been growing out his hair for months, his voluminous orange waves memorialized in all his prom and graduation photos. But now that there was no need to look nice for the pictures that would hang above the fireplace, he decided after graduation that it was time to cut it all off.

I refused to admit to my brother that I would miss him — it pains me to write it even now — but I was sad that he was moving out. We hadn’t always gotten along and even though he was only moving two hours away to Boston, I felt the need to facilitate some sibling bonding. I didn’t want him to only think back on the times when I overslept and made us late for school, or all the petty arguments about who was smarter, funnier, the better child. I wanted to create a new memory to send him off with so he’d maybe miss me, too. My brilliant idea? To shave my head alongside him.

I’ve never really liked my hair. Its bright orange color has been both the butt of many jokes and the subject of most of the compliments I receive.

Strangers have stopped me to tell me that my hair resembles their ex-wife’s or estranged daughter’s. Any time I get a haircut all the hairdressers swarm around and make me swear to never dye my natural color. Although the compliments were well-meaning, I

started to feel like it was the only special thing about me. I spent long nights during the summer before middle school with my head in a bowl of scorching blue raspberry Kool-Aid, willing my hair to color like WikiHow said it would. The result was a horrid bluish-grayish tint that lingered for

only decent thing about me. The only reason anyone ever bothered to notice me. I had messed up.

While I never grew to like my buzzcut, I started to respect it when my showers took less than 5 minutes and I spent no time doing my hair in the morning. It was perfect for humid

ALI BARLOW / EMORY WHEEL

years. The struggle didn’t end with color: blunt and chin-length, long and layered, I never found a style that I thought suited me. If I hated my hair, what was the harm in getting rid of it all?

I approached my brother and unveiled my plan. He found it hilarious and couldn’t believe I was capable of spontaneity, which only made me more committed. We got started right away, opting for a #4 guard on the razor, which would buzz my hair to about a half an inch. As my brother set up the extension cord to reach the picnic table, I began to feel excited. My struggles with my hair would be gone! Gone were the days of worrying about flyaways and ponytail bumps. This would be liberating. But as I closed my eyes and blindly ran the clippers over my scalp, I was immediately filled with regret.

What was I doing? My hair was the

Massachusetts summers and my hair no longer fell in my eyes while doing schoolwork. Sometimes, I even felt pretty. But growing it out required patience and confidence I was only just developing. I religiously watched hair growth timelapses on YouTube, tried home remedies for faster hair growth and hid my spiky orange tufts under bandanas and hats.

My brother’s a junior in college now.

I don’t know that he particularly remembers or cares about his high school graduation party, but I still think back on it fondly. I’m still not spontaneous, hate surprises and my hair now falls just below my chin. My friends tease me about eating enough Reese’s Pieces to make my hair orange and now, I smile.

Ada Demling (25C) is from Amherst, Massachusetts.

The Emory Wheel

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

8

Embrace your traumas for the empathic person who emerges Demetrios Mammas I remember vividly two of the worst events of my life. Both irrevocably shaped how I perceived myself and interacted with the world. I became riddled with self doubt and the irking sensation that life wasn’t worth living.

In earnest, I wish to underscore that nearly everyone endures trauma, disappointment, rejection, bullying and so forth, but the more empathetic and rounded person emerges at the end.

The first memory involved a picturesque summer day on Delray Beach, Florida: a light breeze to ease the spirits, no clouds dotting the skies above and the jovial sound of splashing from nearby pools. A wistfully unaware third grader, I approached the day with the typical energetic and optimistic attitude anyone my age would, embracing the idea nothing could befall me.

Today, my father would be teaching me how to ride a bike. He took a particular sense of pride in getting me to understand the tricks to balance without a guide and understanding the freedom that came from riding a bike, a notion which surely came from him riding through the streets of New York in his youth. To that end, he set the stage with copious Tour de France viewings, demonstrations and odds-and-ends equipment to help out.

But no matter what my father or I tried, whether it be training-wheels or guiding me as I rode, I couldn’t seem to get a grasp for it. By midday, after several repeated failures, my father’s patience ran thin. Honestly, I could not have cared less of my inability to ride a bike. I’d never been athletic, so it didn’t matter to me.

Yet, to this day, I can still see his face bereft of empathy, supplanted with disappointment gazing down at me on the sidewalk. I can still hear the aggrieved hate in his voice when he said, “You are an utter fucking failure and disgrace. If you can’t even ride a bike, what good are you going to do in the world when all you will do is just fail and disappoint everyone around you.”

The lesson was over for the day, and I just sat crying on the sidewalk.

In my mind, my father’s words remain the most perverse and horrific thing any parent could say. Those words emphasized a parent who had blatantly lost their faith in their child.

My second formative experience came from everyone’s favorite period of life — middle school. But instead of a singular day of reckoning, my middle school woes lasted an utterly excruciating two years. Every bus ride home, I was relentlessly bullied by a gaggle of kids, while others looked on and were reluctant to act. Sometimes their criticisms were over my dress — where

I favored jorts and polo shirts rather than in the vogue style of Nike hoodies and sweatpants. Other times it involved the faint mustache appearing on my face.

Periodically, my bullies took a dig at my Greek ethnicity, whether it be on the names of cuisine or more discernible characteristics like my bushy eyebrows. Occasionally, they also questioned my sexuality. To them, my unwillingness to divulge personal details indicated that I was gay. But,

I’m human like everyone else, and to be fair, everyone else is probably messed up in their own ways. perhaps, the moment closest to breaking me was when I was peacefully reading the news but got accosted and spat at by the ringleader for being a weirdo with no friends. Bluntly living life day-in and out was a hell on Earth.

Only by an intervention by a close friend did it finally stop before I did anything drastic to myself. Even then, the punishment for them was soft, and their sudden silence dubious.

Whether I liked it or not, these events came to define my life. Perhaps,

for me, answering who I am includes acknowledging events like these, events which I have struggled to get beyond and strained without success to forget forever. First, it meant being honest about my perpetual sense of inadequacy and self-doubt stemming from incessant expectations and ridicules from my father. The nagging sensation that I simply wasn’t good enough permeated every single test score or the emerging sinking pit in my stomach every time I felt I failed the expectations of my loved ones. More broadly, it meant acknowledging that despite all my effort to prove otherwise, sometimes there will be times I can’t handle everything life throws my way.

Though most importantly, answering who I am involves casting off a faulty version of myself. I’d propped up as an idealistic piecemeal front to appease everyone I met, which led to nothing but an excruciating depression that weighed down my normal bubbly self. For too long in my life, I pretended to be something I wasn’t, refusing to accept my ethnic heritage at the behest of not being bullied, skirting around familial difficulties not to profess my father’s absence, and feeling embarrassed at my lack of interpersonal skills and otherwise. Simply, the loneliness from being a walking imposter led me to a dark place, adrift in the wind like a leaf,

not really sure of the direction to take anymore.

Credit where it’s due, I couldn’t have gotten there by myself. My friends and family are most responsible for shaping who I am today. Within my family, I fondly think of my mom’s moral support softly echoing with a warm aura, my aunt’s intuition to find thoughtful places to go and one uncle’s hilarious jokes and the other’s ringing inspiration. Among my friends, I appreciate the Fishers, the Lilys, the Bens and all the others who’ve helped me wrestle with life’s troubles, whether over a game of MarioKart, cooking pasta in their dorm or sharing a simple cup of tea. Each has done me a service I can never repay by helping and empowering me to be my most authentic self, faults and all.

Essentially answering who I am involves recognizing my traumas, embracing my character flaws and accepting them as events on my life journey and facets of experience; thus, it means accepting myself for who I am, personality quirks and oddities all. At the end of the day, I know who I am because of them. I’m not damaged goods, I’m just Demetrios. I’m human like everyone else, and to be fair, everyone else is probably messed up in their own ways.

Demetrios Mammas (23C) is from Atlanta, Georgia.

My journey in Islam and learning more about religion Sara Khan Growing up, I distinctly remember that I rarely saw a face in my neighborhood that looked like mine. When Christmas came around every year, I would see beautiful trees adorned with unique ornaments from our neighbors’ windows. Large presents lined their floors, and iridescent lights glowed from within their living rooms.

Our house was always the only one on the block without an ounce of decoration during the holiday season.

As the neighborhood celebrated, my parents and I sat mindlessly throughout the day. Sometimes when I was young, we played a CD of nasheeds, songs performed according to Islamic tradition, to pass the time. I sat on the floor; despite not understanding anything, I sang along.

Homogeneity characterized my childhood. Among a sea of white and Christian students, there were only a handful of other students that looked like me in my classes. I made my first Muslim friend when I was six. She was one of four other Muslims in that school, and the only one remotely close to my age. Back then, neither one of us really knew what it meant to be Muslim, but just knowing that we shared something was enough for me.

Two years later, I moved to a different school, and I didn’t make another Muslim friend until I was 14.

My parents wanted me to assimilate more than anything else. As immigrants, their priority was making sure that I didn’t experience the ostracism they did when they first arrived in the U.S. When it came down to enrolling me in a Sunday school, they decided that playing sports or learning an instrument, activities that other kids

around me pursued, were probably more valuable ways to use my time.

Aside from a very occasional trip to the masjid, place of worship for Muslims, or being forced to pray with my grandmother or a family member, I had no concept of what it meant to be a Muslim. According to my family’s beliefs, I ate zabiha meat, slaughtered in accordance with Islamic guidelines, but didn’t completely know how to pray and read the Quran. I didn’t know much about Islamic history or various traditions either, and I successfully got away with being a Muslim who didn’t actually know anything about Islam.

My extended family was always religious.

While they pushed my parents to enroll me in Sunday school from an early age like their own children, my parents assured them that if I wanted, I could enroll myself in Islamic school much later in life and faithfully adhere to the Five Pillars of Islam.

After years of spending time around my grandmother, aunts, uncles or cousins, I started to become curious about Islam and wanted to learn more about the religion. At dinner tables, I’d hear pieces of conversations, stories about the power of prayer; others who had gotten into medical school, been hired for their dream job, beat cancer or even something as simple as receiving a nice decoration for their house. I watched my grandmother read the

Quran every morning without fail, providing structure to her day and allowing her to feel confident in herself despite suffering from chronic illness.

Faith in a higher power gave her the reassurance that everything was going to be alright, and that fascinated me.

When I was 11, I remember finding a tiny booklet at the masjid about how to perform salah, the five daily prayers required of a Muslim. With the help of my family members and the internet, I embarked on a journey to learning more about Islam. Don’t get me wrong.

From glances at my clothes to jokes about how much I knew about Islam made me question whether I’d ever feel welcomed as a Muslim.

It took a long time to get it right. I would learn over the years that I had tiny bits of my prayer wrong because I was self-taught, but I picked up the pieces and improved.

When I entered 9th grade, my school was more diverse, and I wasn’t the only Muslim in the room anymore.

I began to form close relationships with some of my Muslim peers, and to my surprise, learned that our experiences growing up weren’t as different as I

anticipated. Inspired by their experiences, I asked my parents to enroll me in online Islamic school, so I could overcome the last obstacle left in my journey to becoming a better Muslim.

After discussing the matter with my parents and assuring them that I would take the process seriously, I began the lessons and worked through the material twice a week.

Learning Arabic was very difficult at first. Even though Islamic school teachers don’t teach you how to understand the words of the Quran, familiarizing myself with a new alphabet and a language that read right to left was a challenge in itself. However, I continued to learn more about Islam and began to feel closer to the religion as I invested myself more in the process. Another challenge that I faced was the embarrassment I experienced as I learned material Muslim children cover as elementary school students. When other Muslims in my high school would discuss things I didn’t understand, I sat idly, pretending that I knew what they were talking about.

Coming into college, I knew that I wanted to be a part of the Muslim Student Association. Joining the organization meant entering a robust community composed of hundreds of devout Muslims. While others around me discussed Islamic values and traditions, I stood clueless, slowly starting to feel as though I didn’t actually know anything about the religion.

I also faced judgment from other Muslims around me for the first time.

From glances at my clothes to jokes about how much I knew about Islam made me question whether I’d ever feel welcomed as a Muslim. As I began to voice my frustrations to my family,

their reinforcement in my journey allowed me to ignore the negative voices around me and continue to grow.

As I went about my first year of college combating homesickness, isolation and anxiety, I found myself feeling completely overwhelmed. But I continued to pray, knowing that this practice would ground me and allow me to overcome any challenges I was facing.

In my first year of college, I became the most spiritual perhaps in my entire life. If I didn’t pray one day, I didn’t feel secure. Knowing that I had Islam to help me adjust to college, I matured as a person and started to become more comfortable with the feelings and experiences that moving away from home had given me over the past year.

In spite of all this growth, I have not opened up to anyone outside of my family and two or three close friends about going to Islamic school later in life. I’m still finding my path in Islam, learning who to trust and both what qualities I aspire to have as a young Muslim but also what qualities I admire in other Muslims around me.

It’s been a difficult journey learning to fill gaps in my knowledge and become closer to a faith I was loosely raised in. In spite of that, Islam has helped me achieve goals that seemed impossible, mature incredibly over the past few years and learn to become more kind and grateful for what I’ve been given in life. I know religion hasn’t had the same effect on everyone, but I hope my journey inspires you to reconnect with your faith, become more spiritual or consider grounding yourself in a religion that aligns with your values. It’s never too late.

Sara Khan (23C) is from Fairfax, Virginia.

The Emory Wheel

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

9

The multidimensional identity of an international student Sara Perez For most of my life, identity was a concrete, one-dimensional concept, a mere list of facts about myself. My name is Sara. I am a sophomore. I am Hispanic. If someone asks who I am, this is likely how I would respond because it's easier than explaining the truth: I don't know who I am or if I ever will.

When I came to terms with not knowing who I was, I started understanding myself and others better. The most effective way of understanding others — or trying to do so — is to realize it is impossible to be categorized and defined by one group or label. Even the most common labels can contradict each other, such as being labeled lazy and driven simultaneously.

During my senior year of high school, it was my duty to tell colleges who I was and why I would be an excellent fit for that school. I realized I couldn't put into words what I didn't know myself until that moment. For a

moment, I forgot about why I was pursuing debate, unsuccessfully practicing sports and learning how to code at 16. Staring at tens of blank documents, I made little progress on my application essays. In an attempt to reassure me, my college counselor said I had to figure out who I was to create a convincing case, get accepted and thrive as a college student outside of my country. I was always expected to study in an American school system because of the non-existent job opportunities in Nicaragua. Although my counselor meant no harm, this ended up being one of the worst pieces of advice I've received.

I presented a version of myself I thought colleges would like — an overachieving student with near-perfect grades involved in hundreds of extracurriculars. I thought I had to be the president of an nth number of clubs while remaining a high-achieving student to earn an education abroad.

Don't get me wrong, my commitments and dedication to my studies still are a big part of who I am, but they don't

define me. I’m more than the president of a club or honor roll student.

After coming to college, I was in a new country and a new school with little to no idea of how to blend in. I couldn’t relate to the Fourth of July enthusiasm, going home for fall break or celebrating Thanksgiving. I scrolled mindlessly through the Class of 2024 Facebook page and noticed most students were from the U.S. while I was moving 3,000 miles away from home, carrying my own traditions and customs. I felt alone, convinced I was the only one feeling this way even after years of preparing to study abroad.

Not too long after, I bonded with other international students and friends who understood what I felt as I chaotically tried to explain it. I shared childhood experiences with other Latinx students, the value of family and household roles with my friends from India and growing up in a strict household with my friend from Jordan.

This sense of understanding brought me a refreshing sense of belonging: it’s okay not to know what I was doing or

who I was. This realization gave me a new perspective on what makes me a mosaic of what and who surrounds me, defining identity as a multidimensional concept.

Sometimes it’s easier to look for the best in people other than myself, which is why I tend to mirror the positive traits and values of those close to me – whether it be the kindness my friends show me or the wisdom of my family.

But I also adapt to my environment. I lean more towards my Latina side when visiting home as I play more music in Spanish, eat Nicaraguan dishes and follow a more conservative lifestyle.

My student sense of self at Emory is different; I get to express my liberal ideas, meet people from across the world and gain an unmatched sense of independence. We are multidimensional beings. Changes in identity will continue for most of our lives as we constantly evolve and change, giving us the chance to surround ourselves with positive and vibrant energy.

At a certain point, you might

question if you are the only one clueless in the entanglements of life. But you are not alone. Finding your true self and purpose is a very complex and personal journey. It’s simple and easy to respond with our name and age, where we are from and what we do when we’re asked about who we are.

Instead, I encourage you to courageously respond, “I don't know” or “I'm in the process of figuring it out if that's the case for you.” I’ve recently been asked countless times to talk more about myself and who I am during interviews, nearing the end of my sophomore year. I’ve started to be more honest and direct when explaining I’m still in the process of understanding who I am. Rather than an option for the easier path, I’ve set this challenge for myself. Give yourself the time and energy to evolve. It is up to you, and only you, how much you choose to share with the world in the search for identity.

Sara Perez (24C) is from Managua, Nicaragua.

Black History Month is problematic Aisha Tunkara

ALI BARLOW/EMORY WHEEL

Editor’s Final Note: This project started with a magnum opus, the so-called professed, greatest moment of my editorship at the Wheel. Yes, I wanted it to be my last hurrah, even though I wasn’t going anywhere. But the more I think about it, the more it’s laughable to be, the fact that my finale is the exhibition of the unfinished.

Whether it’s struggling through being an international student or understanding cutting fruit as a love language or waiting for the trisho to jingle down the street, all of these stories are part of our identity and an exploration of who we are. Each step brings us closer to who we are in that moment and perhaps a later reflection of how we can define ourselves.

All this is to say is that I invite

you to read these pieces, and maybe to spend the walk to the dining hall or back to your dorm thinking about what might be part of your story.

Though we weren’t able to fit everyone’s piece in print due to limited space, I invite you to read the rest of the pieces online. The following is a list of people who contributed: Catherine Anzieue Ali Barlow Brammhi Balarajan Ada Demling Rhea Gupta Sara Khan Sophia Ling Demetrios Mammas Dani Parra del Riego Sara Perez Sophia Peyser Maya Rezak Martinna Roldan

The great February. Quite distinct from the rest of the months. 28 days!

These short 28 days are usually known as Black History Month. This joke circles around my community of Black friends every year. But although this joke is quite prominent, there is something we should pinpoint and genuinely focus on when recognizing Black history. Black History Month does very little for the Black community and many major corporations use this month as a way to commodify Black people and their struggle.

Black History Month was introduced in 1915 by Carter G. Woodson, also known as the “Father of Black History.”

This initial stepping stone later led to being officially recognized in 1976 by former President Gerald Ford to celebrate Black history on a nationwide scale.

However, when I think about how Black history is being celebrated, I often think about how many people are introduced to the month through the education system. Maya Ashe (23Ox) recollects her childhood memories about initially knowing what Black History Month was from school. “I remember when I was younger I told my mom that it was cool we had a whole month to ourselves and then she said ‘That is because white people have the rest of the year.’ It really puts a lot into perspective for me,” said Ashe.

I vividly remember being first introduced to Black History Month in elementary school. I was so fascinated knowing that I was learning about people who look like me such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Madame C.J. Walker. I remember every year in one of my history classes watching “Our Friend Martin,'' which gives an animated overview of Martin Luther King Jr.'s rise to being such a stepping stone in the civil rights era.

However, this movie was played to me almost every year I was in elementary school. And it somehow got frustrating.

Why was Martin Luther King Jr. the only person being shown? Weren’t there

other important Black people?

While I didn't understand it back then, today, I now know the reason for the constant appearance of Martin Luther King Jr. during Black History Month. He was the most palatable for white people. White people, especially in school systems, have set up the curriculum during Black History Month so that no one radical like Claudia Jones, C.L.R. James and Kwame Ture would be exposed.

Instead, it would be the same three Black people, which does not give a fair representation of Black people. In a sense, we are hidden, and white people pick and choose the Black people we will learn about, with no regard for the opinions of Black people. In layman’s terms, they hide history.

For so long, Black people have only wanted freedom from the chains of colonialism, and each time we long for that freedom and expression, we do not get it whatsoever. In fact, we get the opposite of what we wanted.

Black History Month was initially a month created to recognize Black people from various backgrounds and shed light on Black issues, but it has been commodified. It has been turned into this month of “fixing” all the problems that America and white people have done to Black people. It is practically a way of shutting up Black people and letting them be noticed for one month. So many corporations such as Bath & Body Works not only thrive off of Black History Month but ignore the message at hand. Just recently, Bath & Body Works has faced backlash for the recent Black History month collection they released. Instead of making a genuine effort to help the Black community, Bath & Body Works threw tribal print and positive words on products to show their supposed allyship.

Even more appalling, their attempt at support was merely a watermelonscented candle spotlighting the Black History Month collection display. Yet, I am not even surprised at the performative activism covered in racist tactics.

We need to recognize Black people. Not only the Black people from the past but

also the Black people now. There are so many issues obliterating Black communities and instead of receiving performative activism, we actually need change.

This starts from introducing more Black people instead of the same three in school. This starts from eradicating the school-to-prison pipeline. This starts from decreasing the rates Black people are killed by police officers — Black Americans are 3.23 times more likely than white Americans to be killed by police. In order to heal the racist tensions crippling our society today, we need to work to end these systemic problems rather than profiting from the commodification of Black humanity.

I believe Black History Month is problematic. Living in a predominantly Black community for the majority of my life, I have seen firsthand how little Black History Month has done for the Black community. What have these major corporations done to support Black communities instead of sticking the Black History Month logo on products? Nothing, whatsoever. Black History Month is just filled with performative acts from the government and corporations.

However, this should not stop us from teaching people about Black history. We can make Black History Month meaningful by not solely centering it around Black trauma. We should celebrate Black futures, support Blackowned businesses, volunteer in Black communities, donate to Black charities and amplify Black voices. “The decades of Black trauma are important to learn about so that we know why we are where we are today, and how the nation has used and abused Black bodies,.” said Makalee Cooper (23Ox).

Together as a community, we can use this month to not only recognize Black historical leaders but also help Black communities. Black History Month should not be the only time when Black people are recognized — we deserve recognition all year.

Aisha Tunkara (25C) is from Atlanta, Georgia.

&

The Emory Wheel

Arts Entertainment Wednesday, February 16, 2022 | Arts & Entertainment Editors: Jackson Schneider (jdschn3@emory.edu) & Eythen Anthony (eaantho@emory.edu)

‘Instamodels’: More than just a pretty face

By Andrew Bui Contributing Writer

Courtesy of The High Museum

Portraits of power and legacy: The Obama portraits at the High Museum

By Zimra Chickering Staff Writer Michelle and Barack Obama are undeniably two of the most influential figures of the 21st century, shaping American conversations surrounding politics, race and social justice in our national ideology.

Their official White House portraits as president and first lady, which perfectly capture that same remarkable impact and trailblazer status, are on tour around the nation.

The tour began in Chicago and will end in Houston, and the portraits are on display in Atlanta’s High Museum of Art until March 20.

There was something undeniably contemporary about this exhibition, thanks to the modern digital-age following of both the artistic portraits and the political figures they represent.

As the entrance to the Atlanta exhibition described, the Obamas were not only the first African American family in the White House, they were also the first to connect with the public during the social media age.

Their roles as beacons of hope and harbingers of modernity aligned with their introduction of contemporary Black artists like Glenn Ligon and Alma Thomas into the White House collection. It is no surprise then, that the Obamas selected two of the most groundbreaking contemporary Black artists of the decade to paint their portraits: Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley.

Sherald, who painted the former first lady, is an iconic American realist painter known for her portraiture, which is based not only on likeness but on the symbolic impact of her sitter.

Wiley, who painted Barack Obama’s portrait, is an esteemed portrait painter known for his highly naturalistic renderings of Black subjects. In using elements of European portraiture, Wiley asks the viewer to question the absence of Black figures in the art historical canon.

I was lucky enough to catch the Obama Portraits at the premier showing at the Art Institute Chicago and then again in Atlanta at the High Museum.

Both Chicago and Atlanta are not only important centers of Black culture in America, but they are also two cities that are quite special to the Obamas and their portrait artists.

The exhibition in Chicago, held in the city where Michelle and Barack Obama met, celebrated this important connection by way of a big map at the

entrance to the exhibition that marked locations in the city significant to the Obamas. Similarly, the exhibition in Atlanta emphasized that Sherald was born in Columbus, Georgia and attended college in Atlanta.

While I was not able to see these portraits in any other cities, I am sure each location aimed to highlight their stake in and connection to these iconic figures, taking pride in the accomplishments to which these locations may have given root.

The paintings themselves are symbolically sensational and visually magical. Michelle Obama’s portrait reads like a dreamscape, giving rise to a grounded and graceful leader.

In that same magnificent sense, Barack Obama’s portrait reads like a luscious, magical realist narrative that reveals a composed and quietly powerful figure.

These portraits appear deceptively simple at first glance, but give way to layers of artistic and psychological technique that are beyond literary description.

Michelle Obama’s face balances “strength with vulnerability, authority with humility,” as noted by the gallery label writers, while her undeniable vigor and brilliance shine from within.

She is portrayed with Sherald’s quintessential gray-scaled skin tone, a unifying characteristic in all of Sherald’s works intended to emphasize and critique conceptions of racial difference.

Sherald is very intentional in carefully selecting the specific background color of her portraits; in this instance it is described as an “ethereal blue,” emphasizing the former first lady’s timeless influence on the world.

While Michelle Obama takes on the status of an elegant and empowering symbol in her portrait, it is interesting to note that Barack Obama’s portrait deals with his status differently.

His portrait pose was captured in a moment of relaxation during his photo shoot with Wiley, yet he sits on a stately carved chair with enlarged, authoritative hands crossed on his lap.

He is simultaneously a compelling, confident commander and an accessible, approachable man.

The verdant background is eyecatching to say the least, but it is the details within the greenery that bring the background, quite literally, to life.

The flowers painted by Wiley represent Kenya, Hawaii and Chicago, tracking Obama’s presence on the Earth. These flower symbols at large align with ideas of “blooming possibility and gentle masculinity,” which the

gallery text felt were important attributes of Obama’s presidency. This is a new approach to power, incomparable to the likes of George Washington’s Lansdowne portrait, which relies on neoclassical references of democratic dominance alone.

In terms of the exhibition quality, I was intrigued to see that the Chicago exhibit displayed both portraits next to each other, on an elevated white platform, whereas the Atlanta exhibition displayed each on darkly painted walls in separate rooms and placed lower to the ground, almost at eyelevel with the viewer.

The latter exhibition design removed a certain royal or stately status that was strongly felt in Chicago, instead emphasizing a sense of proximity and accessibility.

Interestingly, I cannot tell you which of these choices was arbitrarily “better,” as the Obamas undeniably embody both the extraordinary and the relatable, but it was quite a notable difference.

The separation of the portraits in Atlanta also lets the style and background of the two artists shine individually, allowing viewers to embrace the richness of these idiosyncratic portraits separately.

In this differentiated exhibition style, it is critical to note that Michelle Obama’s portrait was displayed first, with it being the first room in the galleries that one enters. Unfortunately, this may have caused some visitors to rush past in order to spend more time in the second room with Barack Obama’s portrait instead, but I also felt that it let her importance and impact stand independently of her husband.

As Wiley so eloquently explained, these portraits are “ ... dealing not only with the idea of power in a portrait but the literal power in a portrait.”

It is nearly impossible to capture the brilliance of this type of portraiture through any words or photographs, so I encourage everyone to try to experience these portraits for themselves at the High Museum of Art before they leave Mar. 20, 2022.

The Obama Portraits exhibition uses only two paintings to address a myriad of concepts relating to power and personhood, extending beyond the frames of those two images and into the people, lives and ideas they represent.

— Contact Zimra Chickering at zimra.chickering@emory.edu

“Easy come, easy go,” said 1990s supermodel Naomi Campbell, when asked about Instagirls on “The Meredith Vieira Show” in 2015. Instagirls, or better known as “Instamodels,” established their modeling careers by amassing online followers. Many adopted the same opinion as Campbell: Instamodels could become overnight sensations with merely a post but would lose their popularity just as fast. Past supermodels built their careers over years on the catwalk. Despite early criticism for not earning their stripes, Instamodels still must hustle to book fashion shows and editorials.

Several years after this initial backlash, Instamodels now dominate the fashion industry. Changing as fast as fashion itself, the job description of a model has expanded to require a social media presence. Consequently, being a model is more difficult today because 24/7 engagement means constant scrutiny by internet trolls.

Instamodels, however, are professionals at their jobs. Instamodels should be valued beyond their physical features as they have the power to influence, empower and inspire change in fashion and in their followers.

Before discussing Instamodels and their success, it is worthwhile to recognize the harmful effects Instagram has on young people, especially teen girls. According to Facebook’s own research on Instagram, “Thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies,

Instagram made them feel worse.”

Despite its good intentions to connect people, Instagram inadvertently facilitates social comparisons. Instamodels, though, understand that social media enables them to be the representation that the fashion industry lacks and desperately needs. Teen girls can see themselves in these Instamodels, feeling both seen and beautiful. For instance, Adut Akech and Anok Yai champion dark-skinned African women, speaking up against colorism that influences fashion imagery.

Akech and Yai deliberately wear their hair natural for fashion shows, which gives their young followers a chance to see people who look like them on the runway.

Successful Instamodels put forth an online persona that resonates with their followers. In the early 2010s, Cara Delevingne posted comical candids on Instagram, not typical of a high-fashion model at the peak of her career. One of the first Instamodels, Delevingne prioritized her personality over her appearance on social media.

This authenticity attracted the public.

Delevingne became known for more than just her signature eyebrows; she was the goofy girl everyone loved.

Before Instagram, a model would sell clothes on the catwalk and at social gatherings. In the age of social media, Instamodels must consistently share content to keep their followers engaged. They are always on duty to serve and market looks wherever there are cameras, including those from the phones of passersby. Kendall

See SOCIAL, Page 11

HA-TIEN NGUYEN/Contributing

Hotel Fiction’s dreams become fact

By Halle Gordon Contributing Writer

Long and Jessica Thompson, finds it challenging to categorize their music into any one genre. It is an Anticipating listeners filled the effortless mix of indie-pop, with the Aisle 5 concert venue in Little Five prominent use of the keyboard and Points on a cold upbeat, daydreamy Saturday night. The lyrics, and hints of quaint and intimate alternative rock with “There is nothing Thompson’s heavy room was consumed by fluorescent lights like playing in a use of the drums and and the music of the electric guitar. Hotel city that feels like Fiction songs convey opening band Dinner Time, whose sound what it feels like to home to us.” is a perfect blend of be young and lost: Mac DeMarco and However tumultuous - Jade Long, it may seem, there is Pool House. When Hotel Fiction a beauty within this their set ended, the crowd audibly grew Songwriter uncertainty. The audiin excitement as the ence screamed along duo Hotel Fiction took to each song, filled the stage and began their first con- with nostalgia, bliss and longing, as if cert since returning home to Atlanta. every person could relate to the shared “There is nothing like playing in a city heartbreak the duo portrayed in their that feels like home to us,” lead singer lyrics. and songwriter Jade Long shouted as The artists played popular songs she took the stage. from their debut album “Soft Focus”: Hotel Fiction, which consists of

See INDIE, Page 11

11

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Social media models do more than meets the eye Continued from Page 10 Jenner, the world’s highest-paid model as named by Forbes in 2018, is a master marketer through her social media. With 206 million Instagram followers as of late 2021, Jenner can single-handedly start a fashion trend.

After being worn by Jenner in an Instagram post, the Hockney dress from the London-based brand House of Sunny sold out twice and went on pre-order for its third drop. Inspired by the painter David Hockney, this cult slip dress features a back cutout with a lily pad pattern. Jenner also goes live on Instagram for product endorsements and paid sponsorships, effortlessly advertising for designers with a click of a button. Her online presence alone influences millions.

The impact of Instamodels extends far beyond their social media accounts.

Instagram accounts such as @thehadidcloset (32.9 thousand followers), @ closetof bellahadid (41.8 thousand), and @haileyrbiebercloset (153 thousand) find and share links to model-off-duty wardrobes, which include essentials like cropped tees and oversized dress shirts to appear effortlessly chic on the go. Whether searching for sexy tomboy looks, classy ensembles or relaxed fits, people can now easily access the clothes that the Hadid sisters and Hailey Bieber wear on a regular basis. Instamodels can sell clothing simply by having their photos taken on the street without the exorbitant costs of photoshoots.

Being beautiful is no longer enough to be a successful model. Successful Instamodels must be socially aware as well as active on their digital platforms. Karlie Kloss recognized this social responsibility and embraced it, her posts reflecting different political views than her in-laws, the Kushner family. In 2015, she severed her lucrative contract with Victoria’s Secret because she said the lingerie giant did not reflect her feminist values.

A former angel for its annual fashion show, Kloss hung up her wings to provide opportunities for her younger followers. That same year, Kloss launched Kode With Klossy, a

program partnered with Teach For America that empowers young women and non-binary individuals to pursue their passion for technology. Kode with Klossy hosts free summer coding camps across the nation and awards 2,000 scholarships to its scholars.

Kloss actively shapes and supports the next generation of coders to be more diverse and capable than ever before.

Instamodels also champion diversity and body inclusivity through authentic representation. As an Atlanta native, I am proud to be from the same city as Precious Lee, the first African American curvy model to walk the Versace runway and the only one featured in the label’s spring 2021 campaign. A trailblazer at heart, Lee exudes a contagious confidence that rubs off on those who follow her modeling career.

Hunter Schafer, who plays Jules in the HBO drama series “Euphoria,” began her career as a model who continues to share the beauty of the transgender community through her character. HoYeon Jung, who plays Kang Sae-byeok in the Netflix original series “Squid Game,” also started out as a model before her breakout role. Her handsome face graces screens across the world, and she proves that having the “look” in the fashion industry can go beyond the Eurocentric features that have prevailed in the past.

After the supernova personalities of the 1990s supermodels, the fashion industry did not want future models to outshine the clothes they advertised, so some designers reduced models to “walking hangers.” More than a trend, Instamodels do not receive enough credit for their contribution to the recent expansion in beauty standards.

They also use their digital platforms to direct their followers to social issues that deserve recognition and support.

From “supermodels” to “Instamodels,” the job of being a model has changed, yet underappreciation for models has remained the same. These strong women are more than just a pretty face: They are role models.

Instamodels champion diversity and body inclusivity through authentic representation.

— Contact Andrew Bui at andrew.bui@emory.edu

A&E

The Emory Wheel

Indie duo Hotel Fiction delivers stellar performance Continued from Page 10 “Astronaut Kids,” “Out of my Head” and “Think Twice,” as well as unreleased songs such as “Man on the Moon,” which left the crowd excited for the future of Hotel Fiction.

They ended the night with a cover of “All These Things That I’ve Done” by The Killers, which did immense justice to the original song.

The audience danced with one another, screaming and chanting, “If you can’t hold on, hold on,” as the night came to an end.

Hotel Fiction began as the dream of college-aged Long and Thompson.

The two were introduced through mutual friends and described the formation of their duo as puzzle pieces beautifully and seamlessly falling into place.

After a month of writing demos and planning to release music, a college friend asked them to perform their first show.

They wrote the majority of their debut album in anticipation of the performance. “It was the most magical night and overall experience. We met our producer, Tommy Trautwein, there, and then we knew that we could do this for real,” Long stated, as their dreams shifted towards their reality.

Long dedicates a lot of her journey to people she met along the way.

Not only Thompson, but her friends and family supported her through the transition from an eager college student to an upcoming artist.

She referred to her song “Steady” as a descriptor of this period of time, which states, “All I need is some company, someone that can keep this boat steady.” “It is all about friends, and it is all about needing someone,” Long said.

It was difficult for Long to reply when asked about the most prized line she had written. “All of them are special on their own; they all share such a special experience,” Long said.

In the end, she chose the bridge of the band’s most well-known song, “Astronaut Kid,” a song that resonates with many other college students, including myself. The upbeat tune is about learning to love the current version of yourself, rather than saving your love until after you have achieved every aspiration. “You do not need to be better than the person you are at this moment. As long as you have the

people you love, I do not need to be an astronaut in space. I am happy to be here,” said Long.

The duo hopes for their career to continue to grow in the future. Along with releasing new music, their next step is filming their first music video.

“I have so many ideas in my head that I am excited about. I am so ready for this next step,” Long said.

In all, I am immensely grateful to have met and seen Hotel Fiction.

Not only was their show captivating, with great energy and acoustics, but their interactions with their fans

were also one of my favorite qualities.

Both them and their opener Dinner Time stayed until the very end of the night and were willing and excited to answer mine or other concert-goers’ questions.

Much like Hotel Fiction themselves, the concert was filled with heart and joy.

I look forward to seeing what’s to come of two girls with a dream and an astronomical amount of talent.

— Contact Halle Gordon at halle.gordon@emory.edu

Need a break? Here’s some upcoming concerts coming to ATL

By Noor Aldayeh Contributing Writer Ever since the end of last year, concerts have started to come back after many months of quarantine – and many artists are making their rounds to Atlanta. As an avid concert lover and attendee myself, I have been keeping my eyes peeled for these gigs, and compiling a list of need-to-go-to’s.

Spring semester tends to get a bit hectic. With all of the assignments, tests, quizzes, work and club meetings, it would be good to find some time to do something just for yourself. For all of those live music and adventure lovers out there, here are some upcoming Atlanta concerts in the next month. This list likely doesn’t cover every artist that will be in the ATL area, but hopefully it makes you aware of some to bookmark for your-

self. Happy listening!

Feb. 18 – Lunar Vacation • Venue: The Masquerade • Doors: 7 p.m.

• Genre: Indie / Alternative Feb. 18 – Summer Walker • Venue: Coca-Cola Roxy Theater • Doors: 8 p.m.

• Genre: R&B Feb. 19 – Mitski • Venue: The Eastern • Doors: 8 p.m.

• Genre: Indie / Alternative Feb. 22 – Earl Sweatshirt, Action Brownson, Alchemist • Venue: Tabernacle • Doors: 8 p.m.

• Genre: Alternative Hip Hop Feb. 23 – Kid Bloom & Little Image • Venue: Buckhead Theater • Doors: 7 p.m.

• Genre: Indie / Alternative

Feb 23 – Lucy Dacus • Venue: Georgia Theater • Doors: 8 p.m.

• Genre: Indie Rock / Indie Folk Feb. 24 – Amine • Venue: Tabernacle • Doors: 8 p.m.

• Genre: Alternative Hip Hop / R&B Feb. 28 – Marina • Venue: Coca-Cola Roxy Theater • Doors: 8 p.m.

• Genre: Pop March 2 – alt-J and Portugal.

The Man • Venue: State Farm Arena • Doors: 6 p.m.

• Genre: Indie / Alternative March 3 – The Backseat Lovers • Venue: Georgia Theater • Doors: 8 p.m.

• Genre: Alternative / Rock

March 3 – half•alive • Venue: Terminal West • Doors: 8 p.m.

• Genre: Indie / Alternative March 5 – Conan Gray • Venue: Coca-Cola Roxy Theater • Doors: 8 p.m.

• Genre: Indie Pop March 5 – SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE • Venue: Aisle 5 • Doors: 9 p.m.

• Genre: Rock March 7 – girl in red • Venue: The Eastern • Doors: 8 p.m.

• Genre: Pop March 8 – Aries • Venue: Center Stage Theater • Doors: 8 p.m.

• Genre: Hip Hop / Rap March 8 – Goth Babe • Venue: Terminal West • Doors: 8 p.m.

• Genre: Indie / Alternative March 14 – Glassjaw • Venue: The Masquerade - Heaven • Doors: 7 p.m.

• Genre: Post Hardcore / Metal March 15 – Touché Amoré • Venue: The Masquerade - Hell • Doors: p.m.

• Genre: Post Hardcore / Rock March 17 – Fugees • Venue: State Farm Arena • Doors: 8 p.m.

• Genre: Hip Hop / R&B Whether it be by yourself or with a group of friends, be safe and have fun at these shows! Remember to continue to stay masked and exercise caution in general. Catch you there.

— Contact Noor Aldayeh at noor.sarah.aldayeh@emory.edu

The Emory Wheel

Emory Life

Wednesday, February 16, 2022 | Emory Life Editor: Kaitlin Mottley (kmottle@emory.edu)| Asst. Editors: Oli Turner (oli.turner@emory.edu) and Xavier Stevens (xsteven@emory.edu)

Students, faculty honored as community leaders with MLK service awards

By Xavier Stevens Asst. Emory Life Editor In January, Audric Donald (23N) accepted one of his first awards in his life at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Awards hosted by the Rollins School of Public Health.

In his acceptance speech, Donald celebrated his achievement with a quote from King: “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

Donald said that the quote holds two important messages for him.

“I’m still a student, I’m still learning, but the small things I do can trickle up and make a great impact in the community that I’m serving,” Donald said. “Everybody had to start from somewhere. Small things build up into great achievements.”

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Awards reflected Donald’s sentiment through other award recipients and the event’s mission.

In 1993, Dr. Joyce Essien and Dr. Ray Greenberg, then dean of the Rollins School of Public Health, planned an award ceremony to honor the legacy of King and encourage social justice in the community.

“We didn’t have [an event] that recognizes Emory out in the real world and the work that was going on to make Atlanta a better place,” Greenberg said. “We thought that this would be something that we, as the School of Public Health, should embrace.”

Now, in the 30th year of the event, many in the University community have embraced Eissen and Greenberg’s mission. The Goizueta Business School, Emory School of Medicine and Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing have joined as sponsors.

The 2022 awards started with a message from King: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

The first award went to Dr. Guido Silvestri, a professor at the Emory University School of Medicine, who in June 2020 started a discussion group

called “Conversation on Racism” following the murder of George Floyd.

The discussion group continues to meet once a week with increasing participants and guest speakers to facilitate healing and education in the workplace.

Neena Smith-Bankhead, director of the Emory University COMPASS Initiative, received the second award for her personal service outside of her work in the Emory community.

With the organizations SisterLove and THRIVE SS, based in Clayton County, Smith-Bankhead helps to provide HIV treatment to local residents. She also works with Clayton State University (Ga.) to offer opportunities for mentorship and internships for marginalized students.

“It’s an honor to be acknowledged for work that I don’t do for the honor,” Smith-Bankhead said. “I enjoy volunteering, and I enjoy learning. That learning happens in a way that commits back and supports other people.”

In 2020, Smith-Bankhead volunteered for Sen. Jon Ossoff’s (D-Ga.) campaign to inform those who may not know how to vote or access absentee ballots.

“It was something where it was bigger than just the vote,” SmithBankhead said. “It was about people gaining knowledge and understanding.”

Although her first time volunteering on a political campaign, SmithBankhead plans to volunteer next election cycle to continue her work of education.

The next award went to Dr. DeJuan White for his work for at Grady Memorial Hospital and the Emory School of Medicine, where he educates students, medical students, residents, staff and faculty in racial equity through unconscious bias training and discussion groups.

White started his initiative in the spring of 2020 after talking with his colleagues of marginalized backgrounds.

The goal of the discussion groups, White said, was to create a more supportive environment among the disparity of minority representation at both educational and clinical levels. “[I] try to move things from a safe space to a brave space for people to be

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Rowland Scherman

The 2022 Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Awards featured a message of motivation for the attendees from Dr. King: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

open to talk about various ideas and opinions,” White said. “We know that silence can continue to foster inequity.”

White grew up in Jacksonville, Florida where he attended Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School.

There, he learned about how King helped minority populations.

“I’m not sure exactly what I said during the award ceremony because I was so overwhelmed with joy, passion and adoration for Dr. King,” White said, “and to have my name associated with some of his work was just truly humbling.”

Shub Agrawal accepted an award for The Churchwell Diversity and Inclusion Collective, a group in the Emory Internal Medicine Residency Program that promotes diversity and inclusion in their work.

The group took its name from Dr. Andre Churchwell, a former Emory doctor who spearheaded diversity and inclusion initiatives in medi-

cal school diversity and education.

In the workplace, the group educates their own residents on diversity and inclusion and recruit underrepresented minority students.

During national and state elections, the group also helped patients register to vote and access ballots.

As a member of the nursing school, Donald was the only student to accept an award this year.

He switched his focus to nursing during the pandemic, a decision inspired by his own community, he said. Donald and his family attend St. John’s Baptist Church in Hopkins, South Carolina, where the elderly community has suffered greatly from COVID-19.

After choosing nursing, Donald has flourished in his environment.

He started honors research with the Faith Village Research Lab to combat dementia in elderly patients

through faith-based reminders.

Donald is also a member of the Georgia Black Nurses Association and works to increase Black student representation in nursing.

In his clinicals, he said, he feels stimulated and curious.

“As a nurse, you see the most vulnerable side of people, and I feel the responsibility to be an advocate for that patient,” Donald said. “[Clinicals] are a great experience for me because it taught me to never lose sight of the humanity in patients.”

With his award, he received $250 to donate to a non-profit of his choice.

Donald chose to give back to the community that built him up: his church.

— Contact Xavier Stevens at xsteven@emory.edu

All Black Emory spotlights Black History Month, strives to foster open dialogue within community

By Nico Mestre Contributing Writer As the calendar turned to February, so did the commencement of Black History Month.

For this Black History Month, All Black Emory (ABE) is using their Instagram platform to highlight Black health and wellness, as well as educating their followers on important Black figures in Atlanta.

ABE, one of several Black student organizations on campus, focuses on open dialogue with its members and the Emory University community.

The student organization is partnered with Emory’s Barkley Forum for Debate, Deliberation and Dialogue, which empowers young students to use their voice.

“We want to create a safe space for the Black community on campus and make sure their voices are amplified,” ABE Marketing Director Jada Oriaha (24C) said.

Last semester, ABE hosted several town halls in which members asked questions which sparked discussions about the Black community at Emory. Cookies from a local Blackowned bakery were also provided.

For Black history month, ABE’s Instagram posted a series of informational posts on civil rights activists from Atlanta and information about racial disparities in the medical system.

Coming up, the ABE will be hosting a series of podcasts in conversation with leaders and organizations of Atlanta’s Black community to highlight different perspectives and stories.​​​​​​ The Emory Black Student Union (EBSU) is another impactful Black student organization on campus.

The student organizations differ in that the ABE is based around discussing the Black experience at Emory whereas the EBSU is focused on event planning and programming on campus. Oriaha emphasizes that EBSU and ABE, along with several other Black student organizations, can exist together.

“Both are important; we can never have too much community on campus,” Oriaha said.

“There are different college experiences for Black and nonBlack students,” Kennedy Baskin (22C), the ABE creative director, said. “Non-Black students should understand these differences.”

Oriaha recalled anticipating a lack of community at Emory which she felt

in her high school in Houston which was a predominantly white institution (PWI.) Participating in ABE at Emory helped her find the community she longed for in high school.

“There is a fear for Black students that they will feel isolated in a PWI college,” Oriaha said. “[In ABE], we talk about the Black community and if we feel like a Black community on campus because some people say they don’t feel that.”

The ABE provides many Black students with the opportunity to cultivate conversation and find community.

The student organization shows that there is a large array of experiences and perspectives of Black students at Emory and that the community is not a monolith.

That said, Baskin highlights that the spirit of perseverance bonds most of the Black students at Emory.

“Black students are still thriving even though we have additional obstacles,” Baskin said. “All of us are exceptional, and we have to be.

We don’t have an option to not be.”

— Contact Nico Mestre at nico.mestre@emory.edu

Courtesy of Jada Oriahi

All Black Emory leaders, Jada Oriaha, Kennedy Baskin, and Ronald Poole (left to right), presenting a Town Hall poster.

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Wednesday, February 16, 2022

EMORY LIFE

The Emory Wheel

Emory film student gains recognition for stop motion filmmaking

By Sophie Reiss Contributing Writer While most of us have been trapped in our homes on and off for close to two years of the pandemic, Kheyal Roy-Meighoo (23C), a double major in history and film & media, found an escape in film-making.

She had always been passionate about the arts but never explored stop motion filmmaking until the pandemic.

“I turned to film as an escape, but also as a form of expression,” Roy-Meighoo said.

Her YouTube channel displays an array of fantastical stop motion films.

A girl made of felt tames a monster to save her stuffed bunny. A boy, weary from studying, finds a portal on the side of his house into a fantastical shadow world. A pet chameleon explores the world beyond its cage. Roy-Meighoo has quickly mastered the art of creating dream-like stop motion films and works meticulously on each set.

She spends months preparing sets

Courtesy of K heyal Roy-Meighoo

Kheyal Roy-Meighoo (23C) with the puppet she made for the short film “My Bunny’s Story.”

and storylines, creating characters out Roy-Meighoo’s growth as a film stuof clay, felt, wire, string — any materi- dent, from Roy-Meighoo’s first intro als available to her. Her characters are to film class. Schreiber was immebrought to life after weeks of filming diately struck by her talent and pasand editing her stop motion films. sion — especially how much work she “I think there’s something that’s did independently outside of class. really magical about being a kid,” Roy“She has such a unique vision,” Meighoo said. “You see everything Schreiber said. “She really has someas having its own spirit. And so I thing to bring to the world. Her wintry to bring that idea of childhood ning this [WIFTA] scholarship is an playfulness and imagination into my indication that she’s a rising star.” films. Whether I’m playing with shadBeing announced as a recipient for ows in one film or tiny stuffed ani- the WIFTA scholarship helped valimals in the next, I’m trying to give date Roy-Meighoo’s decision to pursue everything a life, and trying to see a career in stop motion animation. what stories I can tease out of them.”

“The reason why I was hesitant R o y-Me i g ho o’s to pursue a career visions and hard in film is that the work have hardly aren’t often “I try to bring that idea arts gone unnoticed. seen as a viable She received the of childhood playfulness career option,” RoyWomen in Film and Meighoo said. “You and imagination into Television Atlanta my films. Whether I’m think about women, (WIFTA) 2021 and then women Scholarship on Dec. playing with shadows in of color in stop 9, 2021. WIFTA’s one film or tiny stuffed motion, and it’s a mission is to improve animals in the next, I’m head scratcher. And women’s represo I never really had sentation in film. trying to give everything that confidence, but a life.” this is what I’m most The current stapassionate about.” tistics for female This scholarship film producers — Kheyal Roy-Meighoo wasn’t the first time are disheartening, Roy-Meighoo’s stop especially in animation. A 2019 University of Southern motion work has been recognized. Her California study found that only 37% film “My Bunny’s Story,” which she coof animation producers were women. created with friend and fellow Emory When looking at women of color pro- film student Isaac Gazmarian (23C), ducers like Roy-Meighoo, that num- was entered in the 2021 Nationwide ber drops dramatically to just 5%. Campus Movie Fest. Their film tells The issue of representation in the story of a girl who falls asleep filmmaking is something Michele and enters a dream world where she Schreiber, department chair of saves her pet bunny. It won six awards, Emory’s Department of Film and including a Golden Tripod Award.

Roy-Meighoo prepared the Media, is well-aware of. Only a fraction of women who go into film school characters and the set beforeend up making a feature film. For hand, and then she co-directed and Schreiber, Roy-Meighoo winning the filmed the entire movie over the scholarship signifies a major step course of a week with Gazmarian. towards her future career in film.

“I’ve never co-directed with someone Schreiber has been able to track else,” Gazmarian said. “She was really

Courtesy of K heyal Roy-Meighoo

Isaac Gazmarian (23C) and Kheyal Roy-Meighoo working together on the set of their award-winning short film, “My Bunny’s Story.” good at listening to any of my ideas. other social issues aren’t important.

She’s also an extremely organized per- But I think it’s also important to have son. I don’t know how she does it all.” a film that just presents the character.

Roy-Meighoo and Gazmarian are There’s no need to rationalize why this character’s story working on their is important. It’s really next stop motion subtle, but powerful.” film together, With outstanding which will tell the “[Kheyal] has such recognition for her story of a man a unique vision. She films, Roy-Meighoo who falls in love with his male really has something to is now applying for bring to the world.” internships in filmcoworker.

This type of represenmaking, looking ahead to growing her tation is some— Michele Schreiber future projects. She thing that has hopes to inspire felbeen very important for the two low creatives to make filmmakers in the the leap as she did stories they create. They refer and explore a career in the arts. to it as “silent representation.”

“If that’s what gives you the most This concept started for Roy- joy, making art and making it for Meighoo with “My Bunny’s Story.” other people to enjoy, that’s what you When creating the puppet of the should do,” Roy-Meighoo said. “I can’t main character, she accidental- say that it’s going to be easy, but it’s ly ordered brown felt for the skin. going to be worth it if you make it.”

“As I was making [the puppet], I wondered how many brown puppets — Contact Sophie Reiss at had been made,” Roy-Meighoo said. sophie.reiss@emory.edu “ I’m not saying that other stories that focus on race and ethnicities and

Legacy Bakers brings biscotti, community to Emory Farmers Market

By Oli Turner Asst. Emory Life Editor

ing fixture on campus ever since. business model. It’s in the name, Legacy Bakers, and in The couple sells their slogan, “A Taste biscotti, loaf cakes, of Generations Past.” cakes, You might feel as though you pound “I have one variety Their cream cheese already know Ann and Fred Harri cream cheese buthere called Cherry butter pastry recipe when you meet them for the first ter pastries, pan time. You’ll get a similar feeling cookie squares Vanilla, and it was an goes back six generawhen you take your first bite of their and soft granola tions, Fred Harri said. inspiration from ice biscotti—like you knew what the triangles.

After A nn Harri’s cream.” cookie was supposed to taste like all the Harris marEastern European along, and they made it perfectly. ried nearly a half paternal grandpar— Ann Harri ents emigrated to Ann and Fred Harri have been sell- century ago, their the United States in ing homemade baked goods at the friends and famEmory Farmers Market since October ily urged them to sell the baked 1893. Her heritage is the source of 2014. Their small business, Legacy goods they both grew up making. the biscotti, which she said is tradiBakers, has become a Tuesday mornFamily is baked into the couple’s tional in Eastern Europe, not just Italy.

Since the couple started Legacy Bakers 11 years ago out of their home in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Ann Harri has developed 108 varieties of biscotti and 60 varieties of pound cake.

“All the biscotti recipes are self created,” she said, “so anything that we bake is what I’ve written the recipe for ... For instance, I have one variety here called Cherry Vanilla, and it was an inspiration from ice cream.”

The Harris oldest son’s culinary arts degree has earned him a role in the flavor development process.

“When I create something, we bake it, and we let him see what he thinks about it,” Ann Harri said.

“On the second try, we’re selling it.”

Their most popular item is the Peppermint Dark Chocolate Chip Biscotti, dubbed “Christmas in a bag” by the couple’s daughter-inlaw, though they sell it year-round.

Legacy Bakers’ baked goods have Oli Turner/A sst. Emory Life Editor become a tradition for farmers marAnn Harri has developed over 180 biscotti and 60 pound cake ket regulars in the Emory community, varieties since starting Legacy Bakers with her husband 11 even after their customers move away. years ago. All flavors are her own recipe.

“I still have students who email

Oli Turner/A sst. Emory Life Editor

Ann and Fred Harri have been married for nearly half a century and brought Legacy Bakers to Emory eight years ago. me or text me and say, ‘Can you mail me some stuff? Because I can’t do without it,’ and we ship it to them and everything,” Fred Harri said.

For Valentine’s Day each year, Legacy Bakers gives a free personal-sized cake to customers with any purchase. This year, the heartshaped cakes are cran-raspberry chocolate chip flavored, sealed with a red ribbon, and taste like love.

Fred Harri sends out an email newsletter each Thursday to update customers on Legacy Bakers’ offerings each week. On Tuesday mornings, the Harris make the drive to the Emory Farmers Market, waking up earlier than they usually need to when they sell at Snellville, Braselton and Monroe farmers markets.

“We love coming here,” Fred Harri said. “We love the staff and the students. It’s just a fantastic market.”

After the Emory Farmers Market reopened in March 2021, customers thanked Legacy Bakers

Oli Turner/A sst. Emory Life Editor

On the Tuesday before Valentine’s Day, Legacy Bakers’ customers received a personal-sized cake with any purchase. for returning to the market.

“I stand here, behind here, and say, ‘You’re thanking me? We thank you.

You’re the reason why we do this, and you’re thanking us?’” Fred Harri said.

— Contact Oli Turner at oli.turner@emory.edu

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EMORY LIFE

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

The Emory Wheel

MIRANDA’S BOOKSHELF

“Crying in H Mart” captures love, loss through culinary connection

By Miranda Wilson Contributing Writer

Japanese Breakfast. However, Zauner’s success with music takes a backseat to her narration of her mother’s battle “Love was an action, an instinct, with illness, and rather than a persona response roused by unplanned al memoir, “Crying in H Mart” could moments and small gestures, an be surmised as a dedicated eulogy—a inconvenience in heartbreaking, mouthsomeone else’s favor.” watering story about Leaving readers grief, loss, and love.

“Love was an with teary-eyes and The title references action, an instinct, a Korean-American rumbling-stomachs, Michelle Zauner’s a response roused supermarket chain, “Crying in H Mart” where Zauner recounts by unplanned portrays hunger as various nostalgic moments and an abstract emomemories of grocery small gestures, shopping with her tion and grief as a physical sensation. an inconvenience mother and munching on various food court The 2021 memin someone else’s delicacies. It is one of oir explores Zauner’s favor.” the many culinary setmother’s death from cancer, delving into the tings she describes complexity of mother— Michelle Zauner throughout the book daughter relationships as she attempts to and biracial identity. reckon with her mothZauner, a Korean-American author, er’s passing and her own identity. is the lead vocalist for the band The food descriptions are deliciously written, with careful odes to madefrom-scratch kimchi, cold radish soup, and samgyupsal (grilled pork belly). In a bittersweet parallel, Zauner reflects on her appreciation for her mother’s parenting, while also gaining a new appreciation for the labor that goes into making the dishes she enjoys eating.

The books’ titular short story “Crying in H Mart” can be found in The New Yorker if you are interested in a small taste of the memoir.

If you have lost a loved one, you will find solace in Zauner’s words, and the end of the memoir will urge you to give your parents a call to say, “I love you.” At the very least, you might feel inspired to journey to an Atlanta H Mart or try some Korean BBQ. Courtesy of michellezauner.com

Michelle Zauner’s 2021 memoir is her debut book that received critical acclaim from several major publications.

— Contact Miranda Wilson at miranda.wilson@emory.edu

The Emory Wheel The Emory Life section is seeking new writers to cover campus features and profiles!

Contact Emory Life Asst. Editor Xavier Stevens (xsteven@emory.edu) to get involved.

K rithika Shrinivas/contributor

Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen is a specialty at Jinya Ramen Bar featuring a rich vegetable broth topped with soft tofu, green onion and spinach.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Emory ramen lovers must try Jinya Ramen Bar

By Krithika Shrinivas Contributing Writer

twice before leaving Atlanta due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was eager to order the spicy garlic edamame, Nestled in a lively strip mall which is what made Jinya memorable 20 minutes away from Emory to me. The edamame was unlike any I University by car, Jinya Ramen Bar have ever had at a restaurant before: in Buckhead saves Atlanta resi- soft, succulent and covered in a spice dents quite a bit of money by serv- rub of red chili powder, salt and garing authentic Japanese foods that are nished with pieces of garlic. However, difficult to find outside Japan itself. I was disappointed to hear from my I visited Jinya on February 5th and server that this was taken off the found that they had a wide variety menu and highly urge them to reconof delicious appetizsider placing it back on.

This disappointers to choose from, including mini tacos ment did not last long, I went to Japan with a Japanese touch though, as the amazing and small plates of main courses made up three years ago cooked vegetables or for it. I went to Japan and had yet to find three years ago and meats. The restaurant is vegetarian and ramen as authentic, had yet to find ramen vegan friendly, which well-balanced and as authentic, welland flavormade it easy for me to flavorful until I had balanced make my selection as ful until I had the good the good fortune a vegetarian myself. fortune of stumbling Upon entry, cusof stumbling upon upon Jinya Ramen Bar. I ordered the Spicy tomers are greeted Jinya Ramen Bar. Creamy Vegan Ramen, by trendy hanging a wonderful option for lights and wall decor that create a sleek, modern vibe. vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

There are long wooden tables sur- The vegetable broth was rich and rounded by a neat row of bar chairs. creamy with splotches of chili and I sat opposite the kitchen in order garlic oil that added flavor without to watch the food be prepared. Behind making the texture overwhelmingstacks of red and black ramen bowls, ly oily. The broth was topped with the chefs work quickly and methodi- soft tofu, onion, green onion and cally to whip up ramen bowls, sal- spinach, and garnished with crispy ads and Japanese curry. The lovely onion, garlic chips and sesame seeds.

Jinya also added a wide variety aroma of spices, broth, noodles and vegetables lingers in the air, adding of toppings to the menu so customto the homey feel of the restaurant. ers could customize their ramen as I ordered the caramelized cau- they saw fit, and I decided to add liflower, which had a warmth to it a soft boiled egg to mine. The noothat reminded me of home cooked dles themselves were thick and food. The cauliflower had the per- absorbed the flavor of the rich broth. fect balance between tenderness It was evident that they were preand crispiness, was lightly roast- pared fresh, and the whole meal in ed and salted and was topped with general was hearty and felt comfortpine nuts and a delicious lime sauce. ing in the face of the cold weather.

The restaurant accommodates its Along with the comforting food, customers’ preferences for spice, lay- the bustling atmosphere of the ing out an assortment of different restaurant with its lively chathot sauces at every table. Adding a ter quickly uplifted my spirits. The bit of chili sauce to this dish helped ramen bar itself is medium sized, me bring out its zestiness and but the large number of customers appealed to the spice-lover inside me. helps to foster a cozier atmosphere.

Having gone to this restaurant A popular franchise, the Buckhead

Jinya location opened in 2017, joining the Sandy Springs, Duluth, Alpharetta and Buford locations along with franchises across the country. For being in business for just a few years, the location is always packed with happy customers. In fact, the weekend that I went, there was a thirty-minute wait time to enjoy this culinary experience.

While the food here is delectable, and the atmosphere is capable of brightening anyone’s mood, the wonderful service cannot be ignored. The servers are polite and friendly, open to offering suggestions and receptive to accommodating customers’ dietary needs.

Overall, I had a very pleasant din-

K rithika Shrinivas/Contributor

The caramelized cauliflower had the perfect balance of tenderness and crispiness topped with pine nuts and lime sauce.

ing experience with Jinya Ramen Bar in Buckhead. The ramen is unparalleled, the ambience is spirited and inviting, the service is top notch and the pricing of the food is very affordable considering the location.

Whether you’re a ramen enthusiast or are just looking for a hearty, comforting meal on a chilly weekend night, I would recommend checking out Jinya Ramen Bar in Buckhead.

You will not be disappointed.

— Contact Krithika Shrinivas at krithika.shrinivas@emory.edu

A pril L awyer/Staff Illustrator

Braves and Bulldogs overcome odds to bring hardware to Georgia

By Mia Han Staff Writer Georgia, historically a state of disappointing and underachieving sports teams, has been home to two championship teams in 2021. The Atlanta Braves stunned the Houston Astros in the World Series after an emphatic 7-0 victory in Game 6, and just a few months later the University of Georgia Bulldogs took home the collegiate national football championship for the first time since 1980 with a 33-18 upset over the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. To say that Georgia fans were elated is an understatement.

The World Series win was the Braves’ fourth title in franchise history and only the second since their move to Atlanta. The long drought wasn’t the only reason behind the unexpectedness of their victory. During the regular season, the Braves won the least regular season games of any playoff team, being the only one to tally fewer than 90 victories. To make matters even worse, injuries and subpar efforts led Braves fans to lower their expectations early on in the season. Ronald Acuña Jr., undoubtedly the team’s best player, tore his ACL in early July, and underperformance by big-time players such as Joc Pederson, Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler contributed to the team’s poor record and fans’ waning enthusiasm. With the cards seemingly stacked against them, the Braves earned the World Series and showed that nothing is impossible.

Although it took six games for the Braves to prevail, the final game was a total sweep. Freddie Freeman, Dansby Swanson and Soler were clutch players during this game, hitting homers

that ultimately led to the Braves’ first World Series title since 1995.

The city made sure to bask in the glory and honor of the long-awaited achievement. Legendary celebrations in Atlanta commenced the night after Game 6 and continued well into the following morning. The reactions of fans and the festivities demonstrated the pride and loyalty the city felt for its baseball team.

In an interview with Fox Sports immediately after the Game 6, Freeman, the 2020 National League MVP, expressed his and excitement after this life-changing accomplishment.

“This is everything you work for,” Freeman said. “We’ve been doing this since February and we’ve had so many ups and downs this year and for us to be world champions … that is awesome to hear.”

Just when things couldn’t get any better, the University of Georgia dethroned the Crimson Tide, the reigning College Football Playoff champions, in January. Going into the game, the Bulldogs were confident that they could compete with the titans after playing them earlier in the season, but how much confidence could they really have with the weight of a national championship resting on the shoulders of walk-on quarterback Stetson Bennett? Georgia had an arsenal of weapons to rely on, boasting the top-ranked recruiting class coming into this season that included Kelee Ringo, a highly-sought after five-star defensive back, and several other talented youngsters. The coaching staff’s savvy game strategy was also a major part of their win, as Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart made defense their

Echols named Rookie of the Year

Natalie Sandlow/Contributing Senior Sean Byman (left) and Echols embrace after finishing the 200m buttefly final on Feb 12. Byman finished in fourth place and Echols came in second.

Continued from Back Page Swimmer of the Year title, as she also broke UAA records in five events: 50-yard freestyle (22.97), 100-yard butterfly (54.20), 200-yard freestyle relay (1:31.74), 400-yard medley relay (3:40.63) and 200-yard medley relay (1:40.37).

Leone, the current UAA Athlete of the Week, strived to score as many possible points for her team, while also having fun.

“I didn’t have any expectations about the times I would swim,” Leone said. “I just wanted to get out there and race and try to get my hand to the wall first.”

Outside of the pool, Head Coach Jon Howell, along with his staff Cindy Fontana, John Petroff and Bob Hackett, were named Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year, sharing the award with the University of Chicago (Ill.).

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

SPORTS

The Emory Wheel

winning mechanism.

Given that Alabama had beaten Georgia 41-24 in the SEC title game just a month prior, there was a huge amount of buildup for both teams when they met to determine who would be crowned the season’s champion.

The game was tight until 54 seconds remained, when Alabama quarterback Bryce Young threw an interception that landed in the hands of Ringo, whose 79-yard run into the endzone clinched the title for the Bulldogs.

Smart ran alongside, screaming at Ringo as the cornerback ran for his life to what would be the winning touchdown. Emotions ran high, with Bennett breaking into tears as Ringo crossed the touchdown line.

People flocked to Athens for the celebrations and parade that followed.

A total of 92,000 fans in the stadium plus thousands more outside chanted Smart’s name in unison as he entered Sanford Stadium to bask in the glory of being a national champion. The legendary celebration that occurred post-victory was deemed one of the largest and most memorable in the history of Athens.

Overall, Georgia cleaned up during the 2021-2022 sports season. Both the Bulldogs and Braves had endured prolonged droughts of disappointment before this year’s championships, and the state went all out in demonstrating its pride and vitality with memorable celebrations. This year’s outcomes have set the bar high for Georgia sports, and fans across the state are eager to see what next season has in store.

SWOOP’S SCOOP

15

Sport

Opponent

Time

Wednesday Feb. 16

W Basketball

@ Piedmont

6 p.m.

Thursday Feb. 17

Softball

Friday Feb. 18

Swim & Dive Track & Field Baseball M Tennis Softball M Basketball W Basketball

Saturday Feb. 19

Swim & Dive Baseball W Tennis

@ Royal Open vs. Claremont-M-S vs. Kennesaw State

All Day 1 p.m.

2 p.m.

Sunday Feb. 20

W Tennis M Basketball Baseball W Basketball

vs. Brenau vs. Carnegie Mellon vs. Claremont-M-S vs. Carnegie Mellon

10 a.m.

12 p.m.

1 p.m.

2 p.m.

Tuesday Feb. 22

Baseball

@ LaGrange

6 p.m.

@ Agnes Scott

6 p.m.

All Day @ Royal Open All Day @ USC Indoor Open 2 p.m. vs. Claremont-M-S vs. Tennessee Wesleyan 2 p.m.

3 p.m. vs. Agnes Scott 5:30 p.m. vs. Case Western 7:30 p.m. vs. Case Western

— Contact Mia Han at mia.han@emory.edu

*Home Games in Bold

Basketball beats WashU, falls to Chicago Continued from Back Page their 81 points were scored by senior forward Anna Arato — who tied her career-high in points with 22 — and junior guard Claire Brock. Senior forward Tori Huggins was one point shy of a double-double with 10 rebounds and nine points.

The team entered halftime with a six-point lead and extended it to 15 by the final buzzer. Emory forced WashU to commit 20 turnovers and capitalized by turning in 22 points from turnovers with help from junior guard Mariane Auza, who had six steals. Emory’s 12 three-pointers compared to WashU’s four also helped Emory separate the score. This was the squad’s first road win at WashU in 32 attempts.

In their final game of the weekend, though, the team fell short 67-57 to Chicago. The Maroons had an early eight-point lead at the end of the first quarter, but Brock’s 11 second quarter points, where she went a perfect three-for-three from three, had Emory just three points back of the lead at halftime.

Emory briefly led in the third quarter, but Chicago went on a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter to go up by 12.

Emory’s six fourth-quarter points would not be anywhere near enough to come back from. Brock finished with 16 points and Arato finished with 14 points, but Emory only had 12 bench points while Chicago had 43. Remarkably, Chicago kept Emory

off the free-throw line as they only shot two free throws all game while Chicago made 14 of their 16.

The women’s team is currently 7-4 in conference play sitting in second place with three conference games to play. New York University is in first place at 10-1.

The women’s team next plays their final non-conference game on Feb. 16 at Piedmont College (Ga.) while the men next play on Feb. 18 at home against Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) at 7:30 p.m.

— Contact Michael Mariam at mmariam@emory.edu

W

“It was exhausting, but they did a great job, and this is a stepping stone towards the nationals, so I feel like this meet sets us up for a great arch,” Howell said.

“I think we have two really good teams, and it has been a while since we have competed at this level, so they really rose to the occasion.”

The Eagles will advance to the NCAA Championships in March. But given the team’s strong presence at past national competitions, the Eagles will make the trip to Indiana and hopefully capture the 11th consecutive NCAA Championship for the women’s team.

“We’ve never got to actually compete at this meet because of COVID-19 and all these setbacks,” Goudie said.

Be cool like Joe. Write for Sports.

— Contact Martinna Roldan at martinna.roldan@emory.edu Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/The White House

Contact Jenna Daly at jenna.daly@emory.edu or Claire Fenton at claire.fenton@emory.edu

The Emory Wheel

Sports

Wednesday, February 16, 2022 | Sports Editor: Michael Mariam (mmariam@emory.edu) | Asst. Sports Editors: Jenna Daly (jennadaly09@emory.edu) and Claire Fenton (claire.fenton@emory.edu)

BASKETBALL

Men’s basketball looks to

clinch UAA title this week

By Michael Mariam Sports Editor Emory University’s men’s and women’s basketball teams traveled to St. Louis and Chicago this past weekend to take on Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) Bears (Mo.) and the University of Chicago (Ill.) Maroons.

Both squads took down WashU, but suffered losses to Chicago on their senior day.

Natalie Sandlow/Contributing

Freshman Jeff Echols competes in the 200m butterfly final in the UAA Championships on Feb. 12.

Swim & Dive captures 23rd consecutive UAA championship

By Martinna Roldan Contributing Writer

Emory University hosted the 2022 University Athletic Association (UAA) Swimming and Diving Championships at the Woodruff Physical Education Center. The meet commenced on Feb. 9 and concluded with the Emory swimming and diving teams crowned as UAA champions on Feb. 12.

With the return of spectators, the Madeline Jude Brown Aquatic Center at the Woodruff Physical Education Center was replete with swimmers, fans and coaches from all eight competing schools led by the nationally second-ranked Emory women’s team and first-ranked Emory men’s team.

Emory has dominated the UAA conference since 1999, and this year was no exception.

The Eagles led the four-day meet

with 1,807 points for the men’s team and 2,128 points for the women’s team, marking their 29th overall victory. The Eagles also brought home a total of 56 All-UAA performances, 10 UAA records and 23 event titles.

The Eagles’ also stood out individually. First-year Jeff Echols was named Men’s Freshman Rookie of the Year, the second Eagle to win the award since 2017. He was accompanied on the award platform by junior Lucas Bumgarner, who won the Men’s Diver of the Year for the third time in a row as he finished first in the 3-meter and 1-meter final.

“I felt really good out there,” Bumgarner, UAA Athlete of the Week, said. “Honestly, having my teammates all on deck, my family and all the Emory parents on the stands definitely helps to be successful as well as just trusting my coach, trusting my train-

ing and all the work that we have been putting in over the last few months.”

Sophomore Nicholas Goudie also kept up the Eagle’s winning streak for the rest of the meet, setting the 50-yard freestyle and 400-yard medley relay UAA record, accompanied by junior Ryan Soh, sophomore Jake Meyer and senior Hwa Min Sim. “I wanted to match some times that I had swam in December and kind of just set myself up with a couple of swims that I could be confident with, and going to the National meet in March, feeling good about my stroke and about my swimming,” Goudie said.

Sophomore Megan Jungers was named the Women’s Sophomore Rookie of the Year and senior Taylor Leone was named the Women’s

See ECHOLS, Page 15

Men’s basketball The men’s team extended their winning streak to eight in the first weekend game with a 67-57 victory over a top 10 Division III WashU team. The Eagles started off hot on a 6-0 run but would eventually take a one-point deficit into halftime. The team was down early in the second half but went on a 10-0 run to give the Eagles a four-point lead and would then never sequester their lead.

Senior guard Matthew Schner was just shy of a double-double as he led the team with 20 points and nine rebounds, and first-year forward Logan Shanahan and senior guard Nick Stuck both added three three-pointers.

The team then traveled to Chicago to face the Maroons, a team they beat earlier this season by 15 points. Riding an eight-game win streak, the Eagles shot over 50% from both the field and three-point range in the first half, including three from behind the arc by guard Romin Williams, to go into halftime with a seven-point cushion.

In the second half, Emory struggled on defense, allowing Chicago to shoot 72% from three and allow a seasonhigh 52 points in one half. After find-

ing themselves down by nine with just over two minutes to play, Schner scored six points in less than two minutes to cut the deficit to three and make it a one-possession game.

However, Chicago hit both of their free throws to solidify their victory and end the Eagles’ streak. While Schner put up 20 points in the second half for Emory, it wasn’t enough as Emory fell short 84-79. Schner finished with 31 total points, tying a career-high.

Schner also played 40 minutes in both games this weekend. Head coach Jason Zimmerman credited his stamina to his past experiences with the team winning UAA championships.

“He does a lot to take care of his body throughout the year, throughout offseason,” Zimmerman said. “He’s a veteran. He’s been through the UAA and has been through all the battles that we’ve played.”

Schner and the Eagles will look to rest up ahead of their final three games of the season, all at home. The team is well aware of what is at stake. A win in their next game clinches the UAA championship and Zimmerman believes the team understands what it takes.

“Every game helps you get closer to earn the right to play for championship,” Zimmerman said. “We can play for a championship on Friday night, and it’s exciting for our guys. It’s something that we look forward to doing.

But it’s also a step in our process.”

Women’s basketball The women’s basketball team defeated WashU 81-66 in their first of two weekend games. Forty-eight of

See BASKETBALL, Page 15

TRACK & FIELD

How an ex-baseball player became the best javelin thrower in the UAA

By Grace reyer Staff Writer

Since he was five years old, senior Chris Jernigan (22C) has played baseball. In 2017, he committed to play varsity baseball for Emory University.

However, Jernigan’s course with Emory Athletics was not at all what he had expected.

Jernigan was aware that it was typical for the baseball team to cut some players because of limitations on how many members can be on the roster. He did not think he would end up being cut, but he was called into the coach’s office one day in October of his freshman year and was let go.

“I was pretty devastated,” Jernigan said. “Obviously, baseball was what I did my entire life. It was what I put my whole heart and soul into. After having all of that just disappear so suddenly, it threw me into a real state of just confusion.”

For some time, Jernigan felt lost and a void in his life appeared after losing the sport that he had played practically his whole life. The biggest challenge Jernigan faced was that he felt a loss of his identity.

“I attributed so much of my selfidentity to who I was as a baseball player,” Jernigan said. “So when I had

Courtesy of INFLCR

Jernigan posing for a media day photo. that taken away—it sounds dramatic, perhaps—but I had a full-on identity crisis.”

He decided to search for other things to try to fill this void, including attending club meetings and trying to join the Emory club crew team. Yet none of this filled the hole that baseball left in Jernigan’s life.

“I was still pretty miserable,” Jernigan said. “I met good people for those clubs, but I just wasn’t finding anything that I felt like I enjoyed.”

Jernigan even contemplated transferring because he could not find the happiness he was looking for at Emory after being cut.

But before Jernigan could say farewell to Emory, one of his friends text-

ed him saying that the Emory track & field throwing coach was looking for javelin throwers. One month after getting cut from the baseball team, Jernigan had a meeting with the coach and was offered a tryout. The only problem? Jernigan had never touched a javelin before. But the coach still decided to give him a chance.

“Admittedly, the first two months weren’t pretty,” Jernigan said. “It took many weeks before I could even get it to stick in the ground. And it was a pretty long, arduous process.”

He described feeling self-conscious at times during his learning stages, worried that he might lose another sport he just got started with. On top of the struggles of learning a completely

new sport, Jernigan missed baseball.

Eventually, he started getting better at javelin throwing and gained more confidence, which lessened his longing for baseball. Jernigan was able to stay motivated when starting javelin throwing because of how accepting his teammates and coaches were and the bonds he formed with them.

“I’m incredibly grateful for those relationships with my teammates and my coaches,” Jernigan said. “It may sound cliche, but it’s true that it wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for them.”

Emory track & field head coach Linh Nguyen spoke of how impressed he was with Jernigan’s journey.

“Watching him over the last couple years, learning to do a lot of self-guided stuff, and then just get so much better has been pretty cool,” Nguyen said.

Javelin has done more than just fill the void in Jernigan’s life. It also gave him a healthier relationship with sports by teaching him that his identity does not need to be tied to one thing.

“At the end of the day, I know that the person I am, that my identity, isn’t tied up in how far my mark is that week or how my practices have been going,” Jernigan said. “I would say that javelin and track have given me that ability to separate the athlete from the

individual.”

However, Jernigan’s javelin throwing career has been nothing short of remarkable. At the end of his junior outdoor season, he finished with the second furthest mark in the UAA. This is especially impressive considering Jernigan only started throwing javelin his freshman year of college.

Nguyen said Jernigan’s success is a product of “a dedicated guy who works hard.”

“He’s studied the sport,” Nguyen said. “He’s tried to learn as much as you can about it, and make himself a better thrower.”

Although being cut from the baseball team was very difficult for Jernigan, it taught him that he could persevere and use the support of his new teammates and coaches to find a new calling. With a new chapter of his life under his belt and a comeback story for the ages, Jernigan is extremely thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the team.

“I’ve learned that you can still care about a sport, you can still be dedicated to it, without tying your mental and emotional well-being to how you’re performing,” Jernigan said.

— Contact Grace Reyer at grace.reyer@emory.edu