January 18, 2023

The Emory Wheel

DeSantis appoints Emory professor to New College of Florida Board of Trustees

By ashlEy Zhu Asst. News Editor

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — known for his role as a “leading figure” in the conservative movement and his opposition to critical race theory, the idea that race is a culturally invented category used to oppress people of color — appointed six members to the New College of Florida Board of Trustees on Jan. 6, sparking debate among Emory University students.

Among the six new Board of Trustees members — all of whom are conservative-leaning — DeSantis appointed Professor Emeritus of English Mark Bauerlein, who taught at Emory from 1989 to 2018. Apart from Emory, Bauerlein is a senior editor for the First Things magazine, a journal centered around religious and public life.

Bauerlein has also published books such as “Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future” and is involved in consulting and education-related work. He released his most recent book, “The Dumbest Generation Grows Up: From Stupefied Youth to Dangerous Adults” in February 2022.

Bauerlein has also worked with Florida educators for about three years, helping them draft the new Florida English language arts standards, which guide curriculum from kindergarten to 12th grade.

“They asked if I would like to serve as a trustee to see about what might be right for this liberal arts college and the state system,” Bauerlein said.

As a member of the Board of

Trustees, Bauerlein said he is tasked with consulting with faculty, administrators and the dean to investigate how to increase yearly applications or improve graduation and retention rates.

“Are there ways in which we might examine the learning outcomes of the curriculum that we offer?” Bauerlein said. “Are students leaving New College and hitting the job market or hitting graduate schools running? Let's get some data on that. Let's look at admissions policies, things like that.

The Board of Trustees’ first meeting will be held on Jan. 31, according to Bauerlein.

Biased or balanced?

During his second inaugural address on Jan. 3, DeSantis criticized “woke ideology” and stated that higher institutions should focus on “academic excellence and the pursuit of truth” rather than the “imposition of trendy ideology.”

During his first term, DeSantis signed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, commonly known as the “Don’t Say Gay” act, into law on March 28, 2022 to prohibit classroom discussion on sexual orientation and identity in kindergarten through third grade. He also signed the Stop W.O.K.E. Act — which stands for “wrong to our kids and employees” — and bans teaching certain race-related concepts, into law on April 22, 2022.

The decision to appoint the six conservative-leaning Board of

See BAUERLEIN, Page 3

AEPi returns to campus after over three-year suspension

By aMElia dasari Contributing Writer

Emory University will establish a new Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) chapter this semester after the fraternity was suspended in March 2019 for violating the University’s anti-hazing policy.

AEPi’s return comes about four years after former AEPi President Joel Sharpe (20B) was arrested in January 2019 for cocaine possession. The following month, Residence Life staff responded to an incident involving alcohol and possible hazing at the AEPi house, prompting the AEPi national headquarters to place the chapter on “cease and desist,” which is an interim measure suspending all organizational activities while a chapter is undergoing an investigation.

Former AEPi International President Jonathan Pierce, who now helps AEPi International with external and media communications, wrote in an email to the Wheel that the fraternity is “excited” to return to Emory. He added that AEPi is looking forward to organizing a chapter committed to their mission of “developing the future leaders of the Jewish community” based on values of brotherhood, philanthropy and social action.

“Since 1920, Alpha Epsilon Pi has provided a distinct Jewish fraternal experience to Emory students,” Pierce wrote. “Many of our Epsilon chapter alumni have gone on to become leaders in their communities, professions and on Emory’s campus.”

Director of Sorority and Fraternity Life Nicole Jackson said she has the same expectations for AEPi as she

Biden honors Martin Luther King Jr. with remarks in Atlanta

By Eric JonEs and MEghan guptE Senior Staff Writer and Contributing Writer

U.S. President Joe Biden visited Atlanta on Jan. 15 and spoke to a packed house at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King served as a pastor from 1960 to 1968. Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), who is the senior pastor at Ebenezer, led the 9 a.m. service.

Warnock introduced other guests in attendance, including Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, former Atlanta Mayor and United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is the current senior adviser to Biden, and King’s oldest sister, Christine King Farris.

After Warnock’s sermon, the Secret Service cleared the church for re-entry. Biden then delivered his sermon at 11 a.m., focusing on how King’s unwavering faith in God gave him the strength to fight for justice during the civil rights movement.

Biden noted that he was the first sitting president to give a sermon during a Sunday church service at Ebenezer, saying that he felt “humbled” at the opportunity. Ebenezer was established 137 years ago, and the president earned a laugh from the

audience when joking that he looks the same age as the church.

“I’ve spoken before parliaments, kings, queens, leaders of the world,” Biden said. “I’ve been doing this for a A&E The BeauTy of animaTion

has for the rest of the fraternity chapters on campus.

“We hope to see chapters living out their organizational values, while creating a sense of belonging through brotherhood/sister, and keeping leadership development, service and academic achievement at the forefront of what they do,” Jackson wrote in an email to the Wheel.

Jackson also noted that the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life is looking forward to working with AEPi to fulfill their mission to develop, support and empower students to be responsible and engaged community members.

Rahul Bendre (20Ox, 23B) said that while AEPi will begin recruitment this week alongside the rest of Emory’s fraternities, the chapter will not have a house on campus this semester. AEPi’s former residence on 17 Eagle Row now houses Kappa Sigma.

“Chapters have their guidelines of how and when they can recruit,”

Bendre said. “Basically open their houses up and meet first year students. I don’t know how it looks from the perspective of unhoused chapters. I would assume they might have to rent out a space on campus like an [Emory Student Center] multipurpose room.”

“We meet with chapter presidents once a week, and AEPi never had a representative show up,” Bendre said.

Hannah Howell, Coordinator of Sorority and Fraternity Life, confirmed that AEPi has not yet elected a president for their chapter.

News Editor Eva Roytburg (22Ox, 25C) participated in sorority recruitment and Assistant News Editor Spencer Friedland (26C) is participating in fraternity recruitment. Neither contributed to writing or editing this article.

— Contact Amelia Dasari at amelia.dasari@emory.edu

Anderson leads discussion of ‘I, Too,’ explores effects of Jan. 6 insurrection

By Eric JonEs Senior Staff Wrter

In honor of Emory University’s King Week and National Racial Healing Day, Charles Howard Candler Professor of African American Studies Carol Anderson led a discussion about her documentary “I, Too,” on Jan. 17 at Harland Cinema in the Alumni Memorial University Center.

Interim Dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences Carla Freeman introduced Anderson as one of the most renowned scholars of African American history in the United States. Anderson is known for her award-winning books that address how racial inequality affects the creation of U.S. policy.

“I, Too” premiered on Sept. 8, 2022. The film argues that the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol insurrection was not an isolated event, but rather a continuation of white supremacist violence that has plagued the nation’s history.

The documentary touches on

EMORY

efforts to disenfranchise the Black vote, including the Wilmington, N.C. insurrection of 1898, during which white supremacists conducted the only successful coup in U.S. history against Black elected officials and the 1920 Ocoee, Fla. massacre when a mob of white people murdered leading members of the Black community.

The film shows that these events did not occur in isolation and that white supremacy was a pattern throughout the past two centuries that continues today, as depicted in its correlation to the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

After the film screening, Anderson led the discussion with WABE radio host and journalist Rose Scott. Anderson mentioned how the U.S. is in a critical moment in deciding the fate of democracy.

“Right now we are in a battle for democracy, because we have massive competing visions,” Anderson

Emory University’s Independent Student Newspaper

Meghan gupte/Contributing Writer

U.S. President Joe Biden gives a sermon at the Ebinezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

Courtesy of eMory university

Alpha Epsilon Pi's old house sits at 17 Eagle Row.

Americans must 'choose love over hate,' Biden says

Bauerlein criticizes DEI for giving students 'bad ideas'

Continued from Page 1

Trustees members sparked debate in the Class of 2024 GroupMe chat on Jan. 7. Some students described the decision as “biased” and “discriminatory,” while others claimed it was fair to balance out the predominantly left-leaning mindset of most U.S. colleges.

Aqua Chen (24C), who participated in the discussion, expressed concern about the involvement of politics in higher education.

Though Chen admitted that her views are “far left,” she said that she doesn’t believe “liberal” and “conservative” should be the only two sides of the issue.

es, calling the work performed under DEI “pedagogical malpractice.”

“I urge, and I’ve written this, that all DEI initiatives be eliminated from higher education, that DEI offices be absolutely closed, shut down,” Bauerlein said. “They lead students to develop bad ideas.”

long time, but this is intimidating.”

Biden shifted focus toward King’s life and impact, describing King as a “nonviolent warrior for justice” who “followed the word and the way of His Lord and His Savior.” He also paid tribute to King’s late wife Coretta Scott King, remarking that “this is her day as well” for her commitment to her husband’s legacy.

Biden then discussed how King’s legacy can be applied to the United States today.

“We’re at what we call ‘an inflection point,’ one of those points in world history where what happens in the last few years and what will happen in the next six or eight years, they’re going to determine what the world looks like the next 30 to 40 years,” Biden said. “The world is changing. There is much at stake. … This is the time of choosing.”

While reflecting on King’s values, Biden explained that people must practice these ideas to build a better society, earning a standing ovation from the crowd.

“Are we a people who will choose democracy over autocracy?” Biden said. “We have to choose a community over chaos. Are we the people who are going to choose love over hate? These are the vital questions of our time and the reason why I’m here as your president. I believe Dr. King’s life and legacy show us the way we should pay attention.”

Biden asserted that democracy is at stake both in the United States and around the world.

“Progress is never easy, but redeeming the soul of the country is absolutely essential,” Biden said. “I doubt whether any of us would have thought, even in Dr. King’s time,

that the — literally, the institutional structures of this country — might collapse, like we’re seeing in Brazil, we’re seeing in other parts of the world.”

King’s dream of ending segregation was spiritual, Biden explained. He noted that the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which King led, aimed to “redeem the soul of America.” This soul, Biden said, “is embodied in the sacred proposition that we’re all created equal in the image of God,” which is “enshrined” in the Declaration of Independence and King’s 1963 speech, “I Have a Dream.”

Biden continued discussing “I Have a Dream,” remarking that King wished for all people in the United States to be treated with dignity and respect.

As the crowd stood up in applause, Biden encouraged U.S. residents to continue to “make that dream a reality, because it’s not there yet.”

The sermon took a more personal turn as Biden explained that King was one of his only political heroes, noting that he chose to commemorate King in the Oval Office.

“As I sit at my desk and look at the fireplace, just to the left is the bust of Dr. King,” Biden said. “It’s there in that spot on purpose because he was my inspiration as a kid. He does know where we should go.”

King also motivated Biden’s decision to run for office.

“I ran for three reasons,” Biden said. “I wanted to restore the soul of America. I wanted to rebuild this country from the bottom up and the middle out and I wanted to unite it.”

Biden closed with an optimistic sentiment for the crowd as the choir began to perform the popular gospel song and civil rights movement anthem “We Shall Overcome.”

“Both of them are basically just grifters who use common people’s concerns and take them to make money, make power, without actually contributing anything,” Chen said. “People think that just because we balance it between liberal and conservative, that suddenly makes it neutral and fair. That is anything but neutral.”

Chen added that mixing politics and education “constricts our minds” by involving our “specialized American mind of politics.”

Eileena Mathews (26C), who was also involved in the debate, said her views were much more neutral than some of the other people in the group chat.

“It’s important to talk about the impact of government on education, but at the same time, it’s a school of like 700 students, and still, largely, academia is majorly liberal,” Mathews said. “The issue of him adding conservative board members wasn’t, in the grand scheme of things, as big of a deal as some of the people were making it seem.”

Bauerlein, who has read manuscripts for Harvard University (Mass.), Yale University (Conn.), Duke University (N.C.) and other University presses, said that making evaluations without considering political criteria keeps peer review honest and liberal, “in the old sense of the word.”

According to Bauerlein, when academia incorporates DEI, the peer review process becomes dishonest.

“When you start saying, ‘Oh, we need to publish more writers who are not white men,’ the process has been corrupted,” Bauerlein said. “Right off the bat, standards go down. Peer review becomes politicized. This is the beginning of the fall of a discipline, and I’ve seen it happen many, many times.”

Bauerlein said that, if a theory arises from sound premises and good argumentation and evidence, “it would be fine.”

“Dr. Martin Luther King was born into a nation where segregation was a tragic fact of life,” Biden said. “He had every reason to believe, as others of the generation did, that history had already been written, that the division would be America’s destiny, but he rejected that outcome.”

The Emory Wheel

Volume 104, Issue 1

© 2023 The Emory Wheel

Alumni Memorial University Center, Room 401 630 Means Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30322

Business (404) 727-6178

Editor-in-Chief Brammhi Balarajan bbalara@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 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.

“I often think of the question that Dr. King asked us all those years ago,” Biden said. “He said, ‘Where do we go from here?’ … My message to the nation on this day is we go forward, we go together, when we choose democracy over autocracy, a beloved community over chaos, when we choose believers and the dreams, to be doers, to be unafraid, always keeping the faith.”

— Contact Eric Jones at eric.jones@emory.edu and Meghan Gupte at meghan.gupte@emory.edu

According to the U.S. News and World Report, the New College of Florida is ranked No. 5 out of 18 positions in the top public liberal arts colleges category. Less than 700 students attend the school. Given the small size of the college, Mathews said that the response should have been proportionate to the impact of the Board of Trustees appointments — relatively small, considering that the decision wasn’t affecting Emory students.

Bauerlein’s beliefs concerning DEI

Bauerlein said he strongly opposes implementing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in colleg-

However, if it turns into “politicized partisanship,” the Board of Trustees would step in, as it would be contrary to the mission of the college.

Whether or not the Board of Trustees plans to eliminate critical race theory — an academic concept that DeSantis has expressed extreme disapproval of — from the college is a tricky question, according to Bauerlein.

“We don’t want to shut out ideas,” Bauerlein said. “We want to keep the classroom open and liberal, in the old sense of the word, as reasonable ideas offered in a scholarly manner should be allowed in places, and students should be taught to take positions in properly academic ways.”

Contact Ashley Zhu at ashley.zhu@emory.edu

—

Courtesy of WikiMedia CoMMons

Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech on Aug. 28, 1963.

"Are we a people who will choose democracy over autocracy? We have to choose a community over chaos. Are we the people who are going to choose love over hate?"

— Joe Biden, U.S. president

Mark Bauerlein, professor emeritus of English, was appointed to the New College of Florida Board of Trustees. Courtesy of eMory university

Friends, family commemorate Alex Vallejo as spreading ‘immeasurable joy’

By Madi oliviEr News Editor

Alexander “Alex” Vallejo, who was a senior at Emory University and is remembered by friends and family as a caring person who never ran out of topics to discuss, died on Sept. 16, 2022 at 22 years old. He is survived by his parents, Cathleen and Vicente Vallejo, and his brother, Andre Vallejo (20C).

Alex was born on Jan. 3, 2000 in Sao Paulo before moving to Frisco, Texas. In 2007, his family moved to Marietta, Ga., where Alex spent the majority of his life.

According to Vicente Vallejo, people had no choice but to like Alex, even when he wasn’t trying to win them over. Cathleen Vallejo agreed, noting that Alex had a “natural charisma.”.

“The world is a darker place without him,” Alex’s childhood friend Addison Bandoly said. “He brought happiness to everyone.”

Even as a kid, Alex had an unshakeable curiosity. Cathleen Vallejo said that Alex loved playing with toy trains, Legos and puzzles, and could often be found running around outside. He branched out near the end of elementary school, teaching himself how to do more niche hobbies like yo-yoing and origami.

Alex’s curiosity followed him into the classroom — he proved his intelligence early on, especially in math, according to his childhood friend Will O’Reilly, who is now studying mathematics at Georgia Southern University.

“Honestly, if it wasn't for him rubbing off on me on that a little bit, then I probably wouldn't be where I am today with my math courses and all that because he set the example,” O’Reilly said.

Soccer was also a constant in Alex’s childhood. He started kicking a ball around at three years old and never seemed to stop — he was on a team by age five and quickly became a skilled player.

O’Reilly — who was Alex’s neighbor and first friend in Georgia, according to Cathleen Vallejo — noted that soccer was the foundation of their 17-yearlong friendship. Some of his favorite memories with Alex include getting a group of friends together to play soccer.

“He was the one that introduced soccer, and now soccer is my world,” O’Reilly said.

Andre Vallejo often played soccer with Alex, and the pair played on their high school’s varsity soccer team together when Alex was a freshman and Andre was a junior. Andre described Alex as a “skillful” player who excelled at passing and dribbling.

Kevin Irani (20C) was a senior in high school and the soccer team manager when he met Alex, who was a sophomore at the time. One day, Irani showed up to an exhibition match fully dressed in a soccer uniform, ready to take the field alongside Alex.

“Alex's reaction was hilarious,” Irani wrote in an email to the Wheel. “In the last two minutes of the game, the coach actually put me in and seeing Alex's radiant smile as I, who can't play soccer at all, waddled onto a field

of much more elite athletes was something I won't forget.”

That same year, Irani traveled with Alex, Andre Vallejo and three friends to Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla.

Irani recalled fond memories of goofing around with Alex during the trip, such as laughing at Alex and his best friend, Neal Seymour, for falling asleep on a playground overnight and buying hundreds of water balloons to tie to random vacationers’ doorknobs.

At home, Alex and Andre Vallejo bonded over a shared love for video games. Cathleen Vallejo added that her sons, who are 19 months apart, were always there for each other.

“We were very close — we never bickered or fought, or argued with each other,” Andre Vallejo said. “I know a lot of siblings will roughhouse and be mean to each other. We weren't like that at all.”

When Andre Vallejo left for college, he said Alex quickly became a gym rat, working out two to four hours per day, five to six days a week. Seymour said that within a few months, Alex — who was always skinny and seemingly lived off of nothing but Publix chicken tenders, Sour Patch Kids and QuikTrip slushies — was “shredded.”

“He loved the science behind things,” Seymour said. “He just enjoyed doing research about what certain things do to your bodies. What chemicals do you put in your body that make certain outcomes? How can you maximize your gym time?”

Alex was also fond of photography and wanted to be a model, eventually booking a few gigs, Cathleen Vallejo said. He would do anything for the perfect shot, even if it meant jumping fences to have a photoshoot in an abandoned prison yard.

As Alex got older, Cathleen said he developed a “passion for fashion,” especially shoes — he had almost too many pairs to count. Before he died, Alex told his dad his shoes were a necessity.

“He said, 'Well, because I go to a lot of places, physically and mentally,’” Vicente Vallejo said, paraphrasing his son. “‘I do a lot of walking, physical walking and mental and spiritual walking. So I like to match my walking, physical and otherwise, to my shoes.’”

This continued in college, where he met Merissa Coleman (20Ox, 22C). Walking, Coleman said, eventually became their thing. They were both human health majors and grew close in a class with their mutual friend, Talya Kovalsky (23C).

“When you don't actually need something to really do together, it's just bouncing back and forth about the most random things ever, that's … a hallmark of a friendship that's not just circumstantial,” Coleman said.

Kovalsky was absent during the second day of class, but Alex spotted Coleman across the lecture hall. Although they had only spoken once before, Coleman said he excitedly ran through the seats to sit down near her and launch into discussion about a concert he recently attended.

“That's when I realized that he was just a really genuinely nice guy, to be

so enthusiastic to see me when I only talked to him once before,” Coleman said. “That was just how he was. Once he knew you, knew your face, he was ready to just chat about all sorts of things.”

Alex loved to talk about everything under the sun, from electronic dance music to academic debate, his friend Samantha Bernstein (23B) said. If Alex wanted to debate a topic she didn’t know about, Bernstein said he would show her YouTube videos before prompting her to share her opinion again.

“He was that type of person that was just very passionate about a lot of things,” Kovalsky said. “So once he would start talking about something he could go on and on about it for so long.”

Alex adored his pearl white 2017 INFINITI Q60 and loved going on late night drives where there was nothing to do but listen to music so loud that the car shook, Seymour said. He and Alex bonded over their love for cars, so after Alex died, Seymour bought his INFINITI.

“I'm going to at least make the most of what opportunities I have left, so keep the car clean, looking pretty and drive it fast is all he'd want,” Seymour said.

Alex also had a sense of adventure and loved to find the best places to watch sunsets. He was obsessed with the way the pink, purple and blue hues mixed together, Seymour said, remembering that Alex’s favorite spot was on the very top of a hotel next to the SkyView Atlanta ferris wheel. To get there, Seymour said Alex sweet-talked random hotel guests into letting him in so he could go to the patio, where a fenced-off flight of stairs led to the very top roof for maintenance. When no one was looking, Alex and Seymour jumped the fence and climbed the stairs.

Once they got to the top, there were no walls separating them from the

concrete hundreds of feet below. It was beautiful, Seymour said.

“It would just be us,” Seymour said. “Legs would be dangling 30, 40 stories in the air.”

Bernstein, who is more introverted, said Alex would often push her to explore new places. She remembered that when Seymour was in town, Alex called her at 8 p.m. to ask her to join them at Topgolf. She declined, saying that she was tired and had a bad day. But Alex wouldn’t take no as an answer and showed up at Bernstein’s apartment later that night.

“He goes, 'When you have a bad day, the best thing you can do is be around people who bring you up,’” Bernstein said. “That was really the push I needed.”

Alex’s childhood friend Loren Tsang agreed, recalling one of his favorite memories with Alex — taking an impromptu road trip to see AJR in Nashville, and after the concert, they sat in the car, watching the Nashville skyline while eating McDonald’s chicken nuggets and discussing the harsh feelings of loneliness.

“It reminds me of how fun and also how real our friendship was,” Tsang said.

Alex’s love for others, Cathleen Vallejo said, was not limited to humans — animals also held a special place in Alex’s heart, with his family even requesting donations to the Atlanta Humane Society in lieu of flowers. He adored his family’s cats, Pandora and Phoenix, and often talked about wanting to get his own orange kitten named Cheeto.

“I actually found out about his passing just two days before my cat passed away,” Coleman said. “He loved cats so much, so I like to think that my cat is hanging out with him. He got an extra cat up in heaven.”

Alex’s desire to care for the world pushed him to major in human health with a minor in nutritional science. His parents said he was determined to

help future generations.

“It was just something inside him that drew him to caring so much about people in general,” Cathleen Vallejo said. “He truly wanted to make the world a better place for everyone.”

Alex took multiple classes with Assistant Professor of Human Health Christina Gavegnano, who noted in an email to the Wheel that although Alex was quiet in class, his presence was always felt.

“Although I never met his family, I hope they know that his time in my classroom, and the memories that his quiet but noticeable energy brought to my own teaching, will forever represent an indelible memory to my own first year of teaching,” Gavegnano wrote.

Alex was in the first class Gavegnano taught as a human health professor and always listened diligently, Gavegnano said, adding that when he raised his hand, he always had something impactful to share.

“He was a bright spot in my day, a constant in the classroom, always sitting in the front row,” Gavegnano wrote. “For these memories, and for his true care for our coursework and his own impact on others, I will always be grateful to Alex.”

Even when he did not feel good about exams, Bernstein said Alex would ace them every time, which she called “typical Alex.”

Alex is still going to receive his degree later this year, and Cathleen Vallejo said his family is “very, very happy and very proud” that he achieved his goal.

“I know that would have made Alex so, so happy and is making him happy,” Catheen said. “I believe that he can see what's happening.”

Vicente Vallejo explained that although his son was “very intelligent,” he still faced moments of failure, just like everyone else — but Alex, Vicente Vallejo said, never let it get to him.

“He strongly, strongly believed in second chances and hope in trying,” Vicente Vallejo said. “You happen to stumble, you just get up and try. The next time it might not work either, so you just try again. And when does that journey end? Never because … if you walk with hope in your heart, you will never walk alone.”

Cathleen Vallejo agreed, noting that Alex took the everyday challenges of growing up in stride.

“He had said to me once that he felt like he had finally managed to struggle and break through his cocoon and finally emerge as a beautiful, carefree butterfly, just ready to explore the world,” Cathleen Vallejo said.

And when he did begin making his way through the world, Irani said Alex “spread immeasurable joy” to the mundanity of life.

“My sweet boy, your beautiful soul surrounds us and fills our universe,” Cathleen Vallejo said. “We marvel at your presence in the breathtaking sunsets, the carefree butterflies and all the random acts of kindness you’ve inspired in us all. We miss you, we love you, we will see you again.”

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

Emory celebrates King Week with documentary screening

said. “There is one vision that believes that democracy is vital.

It is multiracial, multiethnic, multilingual, multicultural. And that there is enough for all of us.

Anderson further argued that the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection was a direct response to Black political power in the United States.

“It was in response to a different vision of what democracy

could be … when you really listen to what they were saying, when you hear new keywords say they stole the election in Atlanta, they stole the election in Detroit, they stole it in Philadelphia,” Anderson said. “Those are cities with sizable Black populations.”

Additionally, Anderson emphasized that soldiers constructed Confederate memorials and monuments as a way to remind people of

their bygone beliefs.

Anderson added that white supremacy continues to threaten democracy.

“What we're looking at is a consistent pattern of killing Black folk without consequence, and that killing erodes democracy,” Anderson said.

— Contact Eric Jones at eric.jones@emory.edu

Courtesy of Cathleen vallejo

Alex Vallejo poses during one of his many photoshoots.

eriC jones/senior staff Writer

Carol Anderson discusses her documentary, "I, Too."

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Chineseoverseasstudentsheld mourningeventsatEmoryforthe victimsoftheUrumqifireonboth AtlantaandOxfordcampusesand spreadoutblankA4paperstosignal protests.Studentsdesignedposters thatread:“libertyordeath,”“a healthysocietyshouldnothaveonly oneopinion,”“thegovernment shouldnotseizethepandemicasa chancetoexpanditsauthoritarian control.”Theseevents,apartfrom supportingdomesticChinesecitizens towinfreedomagainsttheauthoritarianChineseCommunistParty (CCP),areachanceforChinese studentsatEmorytoreflectontheir freedomthatistakenforgranted. Morethanjustanaccident,theevent, alongwithothertragediesthathave happenedinChinasincethezeroCOVIDpolicy,hasimportantcorrelationswiththefreedomofChinese citizens.

Aftertheinitialprotestsstartedin China,thefireofA4Revolutionhas spreadtooverseasChinesestudents. InA4Revolution,protestorshold blankA4papers(standardizedprintingpaper)tobothprotectthemselves fromthecensorshipofChinese CommunistParty(CCP)andsatirize CCP’sstrictbanonanyspeechthat potentiallyaffectstheirauthoritarian control.Therevolutionbrokeout afterafirebrokeoutinUrumqi,the capitalofXinjiangonNov.24.The firekilledatleast10duetothestrict COVID-19lockdown,whichpreventedthefirefightersfromputting outthefireintime.Thiselicitedthe public’sangertowardthezeroCOVIDpolicysince2020,causing proteststobreakoutacrossthe countryandamongoverseasChinese citizens.

IwasoneoftheluckyfewinChina tohavecarriedoutthe‘runphilosophy,’whichmeansrunningaway fromChinatoafreercountry.This hasbeenabuzzwordinChinasince theimplementationofthezeroCOVIDpolicy,andachievingitused tobemybiggestgoalinlife.WhenI successfullycametotheU.S.for

university,IthoughtIwasfinally “free”fromthezero-COVIDpolicy, thebrainwashingeducationofCCP’s politicsandideologyandthetotalitariangovernmentpolicies.Ihave graduallygrownmoreandmore distantfromtheunfortunatedomesticnews.However,whenIsawthat protestersinShanghaiwerearrested bythepoliceatthemourningevents, Iwasshaken.IfprotestersinChina wereusingtheirrestrictedfreedom tospeakupagainstCCP’szeroCOVIDpolicyandmoretotalitarian rules,thenwhatamIusingmy privilegedfreedomfor?

Lookingback,Irealizemyperceptionoffreedomhasnarroweddown againandagain.WhenIwaslittle,I thoughtfreedommeantexploring aroundtheworldwithoutrestrictions.However,whenIgrewupa little,Ifoundthatsongsinmy favoritemusical“LesMisérables” werebannedinmycountry.Iasked mymusicteacher,andshetoldme thattherewerecertainthingsonly Chinesecitizensarerestrictedfrom. “LesMisérablestalkstoomuch aboutrevolutions,”shesaid.“In China,youdon’ttalkaboutthese.” Thesewordsweretheconstant answerwhenIaskedwhyIcouldn’t travel,speak,watchorlistenwith freedom.Inmiddleschool,Ihadthe chancetoexchangeintheU.S.,and whendiscussingandresearching withmyclassmates,Igradually learnedabouttermsliketravel restrictions,censorshipandthe internetfirewallcreatedbytheCCP, andmydesireforfreedombecame justtoseeasmuchoftheworldas possiblewithinChina’srestrictions. Then,COVID-19hitandafterthree yearsofforcedlockdowns,stricter speechcontrolandprivacytracking, myonlydemandforfreedomwasto walkoutoftheapartmentandavoid beingsenttomobilecabinhospitals.

However,evenaftercomingtothe U.S.freedomisstillnotguaranteed. WhenItoldmyparentsaboutmy wishtovoiceChinesepeople’s opinionsoncampus,myparentstold metostop.“TheremightbeCCP spieswatchingoveryouractions,” myparentssaid.“Ifyouhavetodo

this,doitlow-key.”IntheU.S.,there arestillspiesfromCCPwhomonitor internationalChinesecitizensnotto speakagainstCCPpolicies.WhenI complainedtomyfriendaboutmy worriesforChinesedomesticprotestorsandmyhelplessangertoward theCCPtriggeredbythenewsin China,shesaidnothing.Afteralong silence,sheuttered,“Idonottalk aboutpolitics.”

WhenIinterviewedChinese studentsatEmoryfortheiropinions ontheA4Revolution,somenoted

dentswhosupportprotests.

“Ifeelsplit.IhavebeenromanticizingChinaassuchaniceplace sinceIcamehere.Imissthefood,the peopleandliterallyeverythingthere, butIhavealmostforgottenthatthe placewassodeprivedoffreedom, andthisstruckmyloveforChinaso hard,”YvetteWang(24Ox)said.

TheA4Revolutionisaprocessfor internationalChinesestudentsto reflectonthevagueideaoffreedom. Althoughwearerelativelysafefrom censorshipwhenwe’reintheU.S., ourfriendsandfamilyarenot.When peopleinmorecornersaroundthe worldaredeprivedoffreedom,our voicesmatter.

theywereagainsttheprotests becausetheyworriedabout“degrading”China’sinternationalimage.

“Ithinkit’sbestnottoexposeour country’sweaknesstotheworld,” LucyLiu(24Ox)said.“Knowing what’shappeningfordomestic Chinesemaymakeforeignerslook downuponus.”

Ontheotherhand,somestudents avoidconversationsthatarepotentiallyagainstCCP’spoliciescompletely,fearingCCP’smonitoring. Therefore,evenwhenfacingsuch traumaticeventshappeningin China,manyinternationalChinese studentsstillshunawayfromthe topicoffightingforfreedom.For manyofthem,CCP’scensorshiphas taughtthemtoshutupandbewary allthetime.

Suchaphenomenonworriesstu-

Itwasafteralltheseconversations thatIrealizedourdefinitionsfor freedomwereallromanticizedand superficial;therighttofreedom,far fromguaranteed,remainsavague conceptformanyChinese citizens.WhenChinese citizenstalkaboutdifferentvoicesandprotests,we automaticallystepback andcensorourselves beforecriticallyviewing governmentalpolicies.I remindmyselfofthechildhoodwishthathasbeen graduallydestroyedby CCP’sfreedom-restricting policies.Ihavealways subconsciouslyavoided analyzingwhymyfreedom wasdeprived.Whywould Ifearlookingatmyrightto freedom?Somehow,Ifeel vulnerablebecauseofthe extremelylimitedthingsI coulddotochangeandIfeel ostracizedbythedifferent politicalopinionsfromthegeneral trend.However,nowitistimeto reviewhowourconceptoffreedom hasgraduallydisintegrated.Isaw thatinShanghai,myhomecity,the policestarteddoingstop-and-checks onpeople’sphonesaftertheprotests, checkingifthereareoverseasapps suchasInstagramorpotentialantiCCPmessages.IrealizedifIdonot fightforthefreedomoftravelandthe freedomofspeechforChinesepeople,myparentsaregoingtobethe oneswhosuffer,andIwillneverbe abletoreturnhomebecauseoftravel restrictionsandcensorshiponinternationalstudents’mobileapps.Now Iamlivingatasafedistanceand learninginauniversitywithdiverse perspectives,it’stimetoponder aboutprotestingagainstunfair restrictionsonfreedom.

Atthemourningevent,students reflectedontheirresponsibilityto fightformorefreedom.

“Ifeelobligedtostandheretoday becausewearetooprivileged,” JackieZhou(24Ox)said.“Wehaveto useourprivilegeforsomething,for ourfriendsandfamilybackhome andformorepeoplewhosefreedom tospeechandtolife,isdeprived.”

Studentorganizersstillencouragedpeopleattheeventtowear masks.Themasksnotonlyprotected usfrompotentialspies,butalso remindedusthatweareneverfree fromtherestrictionsinChina,and wehavetokeepfightingforpersonal freedom.Standingsilentlytogether atthemourningevent,Chinese internationalstudentsfinallystarted tothinkaboutthefreedomthatwe shouldstillbefightingforinsteadof “running”awayfromit.

Certainly,Idonotexpectour voiceswillbeheardbytheCCP governmentnorwillitchangeits authoritariangoverningovernight, butIhopethatthroughreflection, internationalstudentswhohave morefreedomtoactcanmakethe voicesofproteststronger,prevent anothergenerationfrompassively receivingideologicaleducationby theCCPandspreadtheseedof conscience,disobedienceandcritical thinkingamongthosewhosefreedomaredeprived.

Afterdaysofmassiveproteststhat havenothappenedsincethe1989 TiananmenProtest,Chinaisslowly easingitszero-COVIDpolicy.While peoplearecelebrating,thefightsand thereflectiononpolicyandfreedom shouldnotbeforgotten.Ourworkis neverfinished,andtheprocessof reflectingonfreedomstillcontinues.

AmieeZhao(24Ox)isfromShanghai,China.

TheEmoryWheelwelcomeslettersandop-edsubmissionsfromtheEmorycommunity.Lettersshouldbelimitedto300 wordsandop-edsshouldbeatleast500.Thoseselectedmaybeshortenedtofitallottedspaceoreditedforgrammar,punctuationandlibelouscontent.SubmissionsreflecttheopinionsofindividualwritersandnotoftheWheel’sEditorialBoard orEmoryUniversity.Sendemailstoemorywheelexec@gmail.comorpostalmailtoTheEmoryWheel,DrawerW,Emory University,Atlanta,GA,30322.

Productivityiscapitalism’slatestepidemic

Collegestudentsoftenmeasurethe valueoftheirdayintermsoftheir productivity.Insomeways,thisis intuitive:weareatschooltolearn, progressandengageinacademicwork. Assessinghowmuchweareableto achieveeachdaymakessense.However,thereisadarksidetoproductivity,whichweoftenassociatewith “grinding”away,asifcollegewasa gametobemastered.Thisnotionof productivityleadsustotieourdaily livestoourabilitytoproducewithout reflectingonwhatitdoestooursense ofself.Whenweequateourworthwith ourwork,weignorethevaluesof learningandinquiry,andweforget abouttheimportanceofhealthandjoy.

DuringtheIndustrialRevolution, productivitywasacollectiveact. Companies,harnessingthepowerof theassemblylineandmoderntechnology,soughttoproduceasmuchas possibleintheshortestamountoftime. Doingsoinvolvedacollectiveeffortto maximizeefficiency,withemployeesin specializedroleswhoworkedtogether tomaximizeoutput.Settingasidethe issueofworkerexploitation—such jobsweremind-numbing,physically strenuousandundercompensated— productivitywasnotabouthowmuch asinglelaborercoulddo,butrather abouthowmuchthe“well-oiled machine”oftheassemblylinecould produce.

Inthe1940s,however,therhetoric ofproductivitychanged.Asmoreand

moreworkersshiftedintowhite-collar jobs,companiesbegantoplacethe burdenontheindividual.Ratherthan seeingtheworkplaceasacollectiveact ofproduction,employersmeasured howmuchanindividualcouldproduce, howfocusedtheywereandhowmuch timetheywereabletodevotetotheir work.Thisbegantoblurtheline betweenworkandpersonallife.When employeesfeltthattheywere beingcloselymonitored,they couldnoteasilyseparatetheir worklifefromtheirhomelife— thoughtheirworkinvolvedless physicallabor,companiesplaceda greaterburdenonworkers’mental healthwithnearconstantdeadlinesandtheexpectationtobein contactwithcoworkersandmanagersatalltimes.Nolongerdid peopleputdowntheirtoolsand leavetheirworkatwork—they carriedthestress,anxietyand dreadoftheevaluationoftheir laborbackhomewiththem.

Thisblurredlinehasbeen nearlyerasedtoday.Onlinework managementplatformslikeSlack andClickUpmakeworkersaccessibleandaccountableatallhoursofthe day.Insteadofreplacingemaillikethey wereintendedtodo,theycreateanew, digitalworkplaceinwhichtheproductivitymindsettranscendsthephysical boundsoftheoffice.Additionally,they bringattention-grabbing,socialmedialikecommunicationtoyourphone whichmakesitnearlyimpossibleto tearyourselfawayfromitsgrasp.

ofwork-lifebalance.Canvasnotificationscanflashonourscreensatany moment,remindingusoflooming assignmentsnomatterwhatweare doing.TheubiquityofLinkedIn,an achievement-centeredsocialmedia platform,remindsusthatevenwhen wedon’thaveanymoreschoolworkto do,thatweshouldalwaysbestriving formore—seekingopportunities,

Internalizedcapitalism—the ideathathardworkwill guaranteesuccess,andthat failureisasignthatoneisnot worthyofprosperity—has justifiedthenotionthatone needstolearnhowto“lovethe pain”thatishardwork.

applyingforinternshipsandgrowing ournetworks.

ratherthannecessities.

Whenastudentworkslessthan theyfeeltheyshould—doesn’twritea paperinadayordoesn’tstudyfora finallikethatonekidinclass—they seethisperceivedfailureasareflection oftheirvalueasanindividual.Internalizedcapitalism—theideathathard workwillguaranteesuccess,andthat failureisasignthatoneisnotworthy ofprosperity—hasjustifiedthe notionthatoneneedstolearnhow to“lovethepain”thatishard work.Ambition,driveandwork ethicareadmirablequalities.But whymustweperpetuatethe notionthatweneedtosufferin ordertosucceed?

Amidargumentsoverelectinganew SpeakeroftheHouselastweek, cameraspannedovertoRep.George Santos(R-N.Y.),whosat,alone,as discussionsunfolded.However,Santos wasnottrulybyhimself—hewas accompaniedbyheapsofvilelies detailinghispastexperience,education,qualificationsandreligiousaffiliation,justtonamethemostabhorrent. Thisinformationwasbrokenbyan investigationfromtheNewYorkTimes andfollowedupbynumerousnews outletscallingforaccountability towardSantos’election.

Santos’electionshouldserveasboth awarningandremindertoAmericans. Politiciansarewarnedtonotallow outrageousandharmfulliestothis extenttobeacceptableinourpolitical environment,withregards,inthiscase, toGOPleadership.Journalism’srolein breakingSantos’storyremindsusjust howimportantseekingthetruthisfor thesanctityofourelectionsandpoliticalatmosphere.Santosmusteither resignorberemovedbyaninternal Housevote.Residualembarrassment shouldalsospreadtoboththeDemocraticandRepublicanparties—journalistsinformedthepublicabout Santos’lies,nothisownsuspicious partynorhisopposingparty.

Currently,therehasnotbeenany sortofuproarfromtheRepublican HouseleadershipopposingSantos’ electionnorhiscurrentseat—astark contrasttohowthepublicclearlyfeels aboutSantos’election,asportrayedby majornewssources.Withoutsupport fromSpeakerKevinMcCarthy(R-Ca.) andotherHouseRepublicansinatwothirdsvote,thereisnomechanism asidefromvoluntaryresignationthat

Contemporarycollegestudents shareinthistechnologicaldestruction

Collegestudentsoftenworkthemselvestothepointofexhaustion.Take self-care,atermdescribingeventhe mostminuteactionstomaintainone’s well-being:ourobsessionwithproductivityhasgonesofarthatsmallactions toimproveourmentalandphysical health—likegoingonafifteenminute walkortakingabath—havebecome treatsthatwerewardourselveswith

Escapingthedominanceof productivitycultureiseasiersaid thandone.Manystudentsface externalpressurestosucceedand theyfeeltheycannotsimplyslow down.Forexample,formanyof theuniversitystudentswhoare childrenofimmigrants,collegeis animportantsteptowardsocial mobility.Firstandsecondgenerationimmigrantstudentsoftenface thepressureofachievingenough financialsuccesstoprovidefortheir parentsandfamilymembers.Additionally,likethemanyofficeworkerswho feeltheirworkconsumesthem,many immigrantstudentsfeeltheycannot turnofftheirproductiveenergy.Thus, theepidemicofproductivitydoesnot affectallstudentsequally;itforces marginalizedandunder-supported studentstoworkevenharder,often makingconstantproductionfeellikea necessity,notamindset

Fortunately,peoplearebeginningto standuptotheirexploitation.In2022, “quietquitting”emergedasatrend amongyoungermembersoftheworkforce.Recognizingthattheirworkis exhausting,timeconsumingandthat theirattemptstogoaboveandbeyond oftengounnoticed,peoplebegantodo “thebareminimum.”Some,however, discountthemovementforembracing lazinessandhopelesslyswimming againstthetideofthemeritocratic worldorder.KevinO’Leary,aconservativepunditironicallynicknamed “Mr.Wonderful”saidofquietquitting, “Thisislikeavirus.Thisisworsethan COVID.”Harmfulhyperboliccomparisonsaside,thetrendrepresentsan importantreconceptualizationofthe roleofworkinourlives,anddemonstratesthatwedonothavetoaccept beingoverworkedwithoutrecognition.

Whensuccesscontinuestobe definedbysalaryandstatus,college studentsblindthemselvestotheeffects ofproductivity.Itcreatesanintrinsic linkbetweenourworkandtherestof ourlivesanddistortshowweexperiencethejoysinlife;talkingwithfamily becomesa“studybreak,”andeating dinnerwithfriendsisshortenedbythe feelingthatweneedtogetbackto work.Collegeisn’teasy,andthe outsideworldpresentsanincredible numberofchallenges.Butwedon’t needtomakeitharderbytying ourselvestotheideathatweneedtodo themost.Sometimesdoingnothingis anactofrebellion.

CarsonKindred(25C)isfromMinneapolis,Minnesota.

couldremoveSantosfromoffice.

“Thevotersofhisdistricthave electedhim,”saidMcCarthyonthe topicofSantos’seatintheHouse.“He isseated.HeispartoftheRepublican conference.”

Duetotheslightmajorityof RepublicansintheHouse,McCarthy andtheotherHouseRepublicanscan’t risklosingSantos’vote—notevenfor thesakeofethicalandtruthfulelections.BynotcondemningSantos’lies, HouseRepublicansareblatantly tradingethicsforoneRepublicanvote; theRepublicangoalhereisamajority numberofvotes,notanysortofjustice forscammedvoters.AsGOPleadershipoverlooksSantos’liesinfavorof theirownpoliticalgainsshould—and alreadyhas—exposedtoAmericans howlittlecurrentHouseleadership caresaboutpoliticalaccountability.

ThoughSpeakerMcCarthyand otherHouseleadershiphaveremained unopposedtoSantos’position,other NewYorkHouseRepublicanshave vocalizedtheinjusticeofhiselection.

“Whenpublicservantsdeceiveand misleadthosetheyaretaskedwith serving,theyarenolongerfittowork forthepeople,”Rep.AnthonyD’Esposito(R-NY)tweeted.

Santos’fellowRepublicansfrom NewYorkhaveallalsosharedstatementsobjectingtoSantos’swearing-in andurginghimtoresign.These Republicanpoliticiansarealarmedthat Santoswouldthrowawaythatresponsibilitytohisconstituentsbylyingand cheatinginhiselection.Whileitis admirablethatthesepoliticiansare nowspeakingupabouttheirdisgust withSantos,itisimportanttoalso rememberthevitalroleofthemedia andjournalismintryingtokeeplying politicians—aswellasotherprominentfigures—accountablefortheir

wrongdoings.

TheonlyreasonthatSantoshas evenbeencalledintothespotlightis duetotheworkofNewYorkTimes investigativereportersGraceAshford andMichaelGoldwhobroughtup questionsandinconsistenciessurroundingSantos’ identityandqualifications. Thisreport,followedby manyothers,outedSantos forlyingabouthiscollege education,falselyidentifyingasJewish,lyingabout hispropertiesandinvestmentsandmuchmore. Lyingduringcampaignsis nothingnewinpolitics, however,Santos’casehas gottensomuchscreentime duetohissuccess.For example,asopposedto formerPresidentDonald Trump,voterswerenotawareof Santos’extremeembellishmentsuntil aftercastingtheirballotsonElection Day.Havingaknownfraudsitamong thecountry’sleaderswhilerepresentingpeopleheconned(withnoreal consequencesyetfromtheHouse leadership)hasrightfullyshakenthe U.S.toitscore.

IfSantoshadnotbeenexposedby thoseNewYorkTimesjournalists,he maynothavebeenfoundoutasaliar, cheatandpotentialcriminal.The DemocraticParty,thoughnowpursuinganethicscodebreachintheHouse, werenotabletoexposeSantosbefore ElectionDay.TheDemocrats’inability touncovertheliesinSantos’campaign reflectspoorlyonthemaswell—they shouldbeconcernedwiththeirinadequateinvestigationonSantos’background.NeitherSantos’fellowRepublicans—somewhoclaimtohavehad priorsuspicions—northeBrazilian

governmentwereabletodiscredithim beforehewaselectedeither.Brazilis nowreviewingcriminalactivitycreditedtoSantos.

Despitethepotentialforcriminal investigationsagainstSantos,itisupin

newssourcessuchastheWashington Post,journalistsareclearlyputtingin greatamountsofworktokeepSantos accountabletoAmericans.

theairwhetherornotanythingcanbe donetoremoveorchargehim.He’sa disgrace,sure,butthatwillunfortunatelynotkeephimoutofoffice.The purposefulignoranceofMcCarthyand muchoftheGOPisdisgusting.Voters needtoseethissituationasitis:the congressmanthatyouelectedlied.And now,otherrepresentativesareletting himgetawaywithit.

It’sthankstoreportersandhonest journalismthatSantosisfacingconsequencesforhisactions.Evenconservative-leaningnetworkssuchasFox Newshavepublishedarticlesandnews segmentsreportingonSantos’lies. DespitethepoliticalpreferencesFox Newsjournalistsandeditorsmayhave, theydidnothesitatetospreadthetruth aboutSantos—thatmuchcannotbe saidaboutGOPleadership.When typicallyright-leaningnetworkslike FoxNewsandtheNewYorkPostare standingside-by-sidewithleft-leaning

Santos’electionisawake-upcallfor ourcountry.Topoliticians,lyingisa quickwaytodisgraceyour positionandbetrayyourconstituents.Inthefuture,representativesdeservetobeactuallycondemnedfortheir wrongdoings.Tovoters,utilize yourresources—someliarsin politicsaremoreapparent thanSantos.Therewasnoway toknowthatSantoswaslying beforetheNewYorkTimes investigation.Americansmust continuetoinvesttheirtime andmoneyintothefieldof journalismasawhole;the governmentisfailingtokeep themselvesaccountable,which showcasesthatreliableandwellfundednewssourcesareintegraltothe sanctityofourdemocracyandsociety.

Finally,toGeorgeSantos,resign. Everyinchofyourqualificationsand identitywasalie.Yourconstituents deservetherepresentativethatyou contrived—theydonotdeserveyou andyourdespicablelies.

Santo’scampaignwilllikelynotbe thelastAmericansseeofstunningly boldlies.Withthe2024presidential electionrearingitsheadinthedistance,itiscrucialtolistenforlies, deceitandinjustice.Let’sensurenews mediaandjournalistscontinuetohave thetoolsandfundingtheyneedto breakstorieslikeSantos’.Ethical journalismprioritizesthetruthand well-informedvotersareresponsible forlistening,learningandusingit.

EllieFivas(24Ox)isfromCleveland, Tennessee.

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BY SAMUEL SHAFIRO LiveArtDesk

Inasummer2022advertisement forgrocerydeliveryappInstacart, singerLizzoislayinginabathtub. Shewishesforvariousitems,selects themintheappandwatchesthem appearinlarger-than-lifeform. First,sheselectscherries,whichrain downfrombranchesthathave appearedaboveher.Shenextselects icecreamandwatchesasadrawer fliesopentorevealamassivespoon withagiantscoopoficecream.She selectsabaguetteandherroomis transformedintoafrenchbakery storefront,allwhilesheremainsin herbathtub.Andsoon.

Thereisnothingaboutthis commercialthatstandsoutagainst othermodernadslikeMountain Dew’s“PuppyMonkeyBaby,”Mio’s “NoseJob”orSkittles’“Princess.”

But,whencomparedwith,say,TV commercialsofthe’40s,theLizzoad isunmistakablysurreal.Advertisements80yearsagomadearational argumentfortheuniquebenefitsof theirparticularproduct,while advertisementstodayembracethe worldoffeelingsandassociationsin allitszanyandsurrealforms.

Asimilarpatternofincreasingly surrealfilmographyisvisibleeverywherefrompoliticalcampaignsto socialmedia.However,thisconsumeristsurrealismthatsuffuses our21stcenturylifestylefeelsless potentthantheoriginalmovement. Ads,politicalcampaignsandthelike mayengagetheworldofdreams,but theydosoinordertopushsomething,togetinyourhead.

Tounderstandthegrowingpresenceofconsumeristsurrealism, considertheunconscious.Theories advancedbySigmundFreudinthe early20thcenturyintroducedthe conceptofanunconsciousasa

hiddenbutfundamentalpartofthe humanpsyche.Freud’sinsights quicklyexpandedbeyondtheir academicandpsychiatricorigins.In art,thesurrealistmovementwas formedwiththegoalofcreatingart thattargetstheunconscious.Pioneersofmodernadvertisinglike EdwardBernaysincorporatedpsychoanalyticinsightsintoadcampaigns.Becausesurrealismisthe artistictoolmoststronglyassociated withtheunconscious,advertisers

intervalsatrainpassesthroughtheir house.

Severaldetailsinthefilmdefy comprehension.Thecharacters brieflydisappeareverytimetheygo toopenthedoor.Thecuckooclock whichnotifiesthecouplewhenthe nexttrainiscomingfollowsitsown incomprehensiblelogic.Despiteall this,thepiecesoftheshortfall perfectlytogetherandwatchersmay findthemselvesinexplicablysheddingatearatitstragicend.

BY LIAM SHERMAN ContributingWriter

Asweconsumeartovera lifetime,ourunderstandingof books,movies,sculpture,paintings andmusicbecomesrigid.We’reso confidentinourobservationsof theseartforms,sosureinour personaltaste,thatwebeginto arriveatourowndefinitionsofnot onlywhatgoodartis,butwe committhecreatively-constricting sinofdefiningwhatgoodartought tobe.However,certainpiecesofart shakeupourfoundations,wrestle withournotionsandcompletely subvertanyandallformerexpectationsofthemediuminquestion.In termsoffilm,inmypersonalquest towatchallthegreats,Icanonly countononehandthefewthattruly shookmyunderstandingofwhata filmisandchangedmytautideasof whatafilmoughttobe.

tineofJeanneDielman(Delphine Seyrig).Awidowedstay-at-home motherwhodiligentlymaintainsher apartment,makesdinnerforher ungratefulson(JanDecorte)and prostitutesherselfformoneytofund thisunglamorouslifestyle.

BY ALEXANDRA KAUFFMAN CampusDesk

IfyouwanttoexploretheEmory artsscene,supportyourfellowpeers intheirartisticjourneys,orkilltime, andyou’renotsurehoworwhereto doanyofthesethings,fretnolonger! Starthere,withalistofsome upcomingarteventsonEmory campus.

EmoryCinematheque:“Camp Vibes,QueerFeelings”

Date:Jan.18-April17,7:30p.m. Location:GoodrichC.WhiteHall, room208 Cost:Free

Startyoursemesterwithan insightfullookintotheworldof queerfilmwithEmoryCinematheque’snewestweeklyfilmscreening series,curatedbyVisitingAssistant ProfessorBenKruger-Robbins. Thesefilmsvaryingenre,content andnotoriety,butallapproach

sinceBernayshaveembraceditto pursuetheircommercialgoals.The massivegrowthinzanybuttargeted advertisementsoverthecourseof the20thcenturyhasobscuredthe movingpowerofsurrealistfilms whentheyexploretheunconscious onitsownterms,withoutabusiness orpoliticalpurpose.

Asanantidote,Iprescribethe marvelousworldofanimatedshort films.Theseshortshaveanuncanny abilitytoinstantlytapintothe untamedcurrentsofthepsyche, unboundbyreason.Theydefy explanationandyetmakeperfect sense.

TakeforexampletheDutchfilm “HomeontheRails,”directedby PaulDriessen.Itfollowsahusband andwifewhosehouseliesdirectly atoprailroadtracks.Atregular

Forsomethingwithlessplotbut justasmuchintrigue,looknofurtherthanIvanMaximov’s“5/4.”The filmshowcasesamyriadofbeautifullysurrealcharacters,doodles cometolife,allsettothesmooth tunesofDaveBrubeck’s“TakeFive.”

Or,considerDonHertzfeldt’s shortfilm“TheMeaningofLife,”a laborofloveofwhichAtlantaJournal-ConstitutioncriticBobLongino describedas“reachingdeepto conjureupthoughtsaboutthenexus ofexistence.”Thefilmisweird, alien,random—inotherwords, surreal.But,thatdoesnotdamage itsbeauty;indeed,itisprecisely whatmakesthefilmsomoving.

Shortfilmsarealsoadeptintheir abilitytoinfuseotherformsofart withasurrealwhimsy.Forexample, theCanadianfilm“PasDeDeux,”

Location:AckermanHall Cost:Free

themesofgender,sexualityand queernesswithauniqueperspective.

Thefirstscreeningkicksofftheseries withculthorrorclassic“Whatever HappenedtoBabyJane?”(1962)on Jan.18followedby“Batman:The Movie”(1966)and“TheJokerisa Card”(1965)onJan.25.

AnEveningwithFredHersch andEsperanzaSpalding Date:Jan.19,8p.m.

Location:CherryLoganEmerson ConcertHall Cost:$55(GA)|$10(Emory students)

Grammy-nominatedjazzpianist FredHerschandGrammy-winning vocalistEsparanzaSpaldingwill performavarietyofjazzsongs, includingoriginalcompositionsby Hersch.

FamilyConcertSeries:Chinese NewYear Date:Jan.22,4-5p.m.

IncelebrationoftheLunarNew Year,theCarlosMuseumishostinga familyconcert,opentostudentsand non-studentsalike.

Theconcertwillfeatureperformancesofclassicalmusicfromthe ECMSAandChinesetraditional musicfromYaoLuonthebamboo fluteandguzheng.

FacultyConcert:ARARAT,the beginning Date:Jan.26,27and28,7:30p.m. Location:TheDonnaandMarvin SchwartzCenterforthePerforming Arts,DanceStudio Cost:$25(GA)|$10(Emory students)

Visceralandexistential, “ARARAT,thebeginning” approachesmattersoflife,changing circumstancesandhumanity throughdance.Promisinga“futuristicjourney”toviewers,thiswork invitesviewerstocontemplateand reflect.

DirectedbyChantalAkerman, hercolossalfilm“JeanneDielman, 23,quaiduCommerce,1080Bruxelles”(1975)joinsthepantheonof whatIliketodeemthe“lifechangers,”andI’mashamedtosay I’vebeenavoidingitmywholelife. Therearecertainfilmsthathave dauntingreputationsamong cinephiles:themonstrousruntime ofJacquesRivette’s“Out1”(1971) andthedepravedsubjectmatterof PierPaoloPasolini’s“Salò,orthe 120DaysofSodom”(1975)stand outastitansofcinematiccontroversy.Inthesameleague,Akerman’s“JeanneDielman”hasbeen fearedbymoviegoersfornotonlyits structure,longruntimeandsparse dialogue,butmostofallbecauseof itsreputationasbeing…excruciatinglyboring.Boring,notnecessarily asaninsult,butasanadjectiveto delineatethestorywhichrevolves aroundthedailymonotonousrou-

Whenascreeningofthefilm appearedatthePlazaTheatre,I couldn’trefusethechancetoseefor myselfhowJeanneDielmanconductedherdays:Ifoundherscheduletobeunbreakable.Thefilmcould killalow-attentionspanned,phoneaddictedviewerattenpaces.It beginswithwhatshouldbethemost interestingaspect—herjobasasex worker—butAkermanmakesit preciselyasbanalaswhenDielman foldslaundry.Therearenoexplanations,onlyinsinuations:Aman entersherapartment,theyboth enterthebedroom,theroomdarkens lettingusknowtimehaspassed,the twoleavethebedroom,theman finallygivesDielmancashandlets herknowhewillbebacknextweek. Wedon’tdwellonthistask,wedon’t dwellonanything;Akermandidacticallytakesustothekitchenwherewe spendthebulkofourtimewith Dielmanwhodiligentlyprepares dinnerforherunremarkableson.

ThesepainfulmealsarewhereI foundmyselfsympathizingmost withDielman.Preparingmealsfor anungratefulpatronwhonotonly refusestopolitelycomplimentthe hardworkingchef,butwon’teven raisetheirheadtomakeconversationisjustaboutoneofthemost debilitatingpartsofthehuman experience,atragicexperiencemade unavoidableforDielman.Andaswe begintomemorizeDielman’sdaily schedule,knoweverysinglepossible aspectofheradultlife,learnallthe potentialevents,everychore,every step,weknowallofitisunavoidable. Oneofthemostrevealingseg-

CookeNoontimeSerieswith ItamarZormanandLiza Stepanova Date:Jan.27,12p.m. Location:CherryLoganEmerson ConcertHall Cost:Free

NoclassesonFriday?Spendyour afternoonlisteningtobeautiful musicastheECMSAhostsawardwinningviolinistItamarZormanand esteemedpianistLizaStepanovaasa partoftheirCookeNoontimeconcert series.

StudentStudio:SlowDownand Sketch

Date:Jan.27,1-4p.m. Location:TheMichaelC.Carlos Museum Cost:Free

CarlosMuseum’smonthly“StudentStudio”offersEmorystudents timetopracticemindfulness,socializeandengagecreatively.Museum educatorMegWilliamswillgivea tourofthegalleries,thenstudents willbegivenachancetopractice observationaldrawingwithprovided materials.

Anne-SophieMutter&Mutter VirtuosiConcert

Date:Feb.2,8p.m. Location:EmersonConcertHall Cost:$90(GA)|$10(Emory Students)

Celebratethe20thanniversaryof theSchwartzCentre’sopeningwitha nightofbeautifulmusicperformed byAnne-SophieMutter,renowned violinist.

Musicincludes“TheFourSeasons”byVivaldiandthepremiereof UnsukChin’s“GranCadenza.”

DooleyNoted:FirstFriday Performance

Date:Feb.3,5:30-6:30p.m. Location:EmoryStudentCenter steps

Cost:Free

JoinDooleyNoted,thegenderinclusiveandservice-orientedEmory Acappellagroup,forashowcaseof musictalentatEmory’sFirstFriday event.

Eythen’sBlu-rayEmporium: Europeananimation

BY EYTHEN ANTHONY

Arts&EntertainmentEditor

Animage,adrawing,orapic, Inmotion,eithersloworquick. Canbeasourceofglee, Orchallengethee Tofindsometruthinaflick.

Animationhasamazedchildren andadultsalike,bringingviewers intobeautifully-craftedimaginative worldswhilealsotacklingdifficult themeslikedestinyandmortality. However,byconsideringonlyanimatedfilmsfromNorthAmericanor EastAsiancompanies,suchasPixar orStudioGhibli,it’seasytosimplify thecomplexitiesofthegenre.So, fromthedepthsofmycollection, hereareafewanimatedfilmsfrom Europethataresuretoinspire, shockorleaveyouinawe.

‘FantasticPlanet’(1973)

1973wasamonumentalyearfor cinema,fromhorrorclassicslike “TheExorcist”toaction-packed flickslike“LiveandLetDie.”This year’ssignificanceisfurtherevident whenconsideringthelineupforthe 1973CannesFilmFestival.The rosternotonlyincludesFrançois Truffaut’s“DayforNight”and AlejandroJodorowsky’s“TheHoly Mountain,”butalsothecriticallyacclaimed“FantasticPlanet,”which wontheSpecialJuryPrizeatthe festival.

ThisRenéLaloux-directed Frenchfilmexploresthelivesoftwo combatingspeciesontheplanet Ygam:Oms,whicharehuman-like beings,andDraags,whichareblue giantswithbright,redeyes.Thefilm focusesononeOmnamedTerr(Eric BauginandJeanValmont),who escapescapturefromtheDraags and,usingtheirknowledge,attempts toteachotherOmstostanda revolution.

WhiletheOmsandtheDraags possessdistinctstyles,withthe shadingoftheDraags’facesfurther addingtotheirintimidatingnature, theworldasawholeisfilledwith uniquedesigns.Fromtheornate architectureoftheDraags’homesto thehybridpredatorsofYgam,there israrelyashotinthefilmthat doesn’tcatchyoureye.

Furthermore,Terraissucha complicatedcharacter,onewhose motherwaskilledbyaDraagand treatedasapetbythedaughterof thatsameDraag.Hisdesirefor freedomandthesafetyofhisspecies translatesintodeeperdiscussionson powerimbalances,fuelingfurther engagementforviewersandcritics alike.

“FantasticPlanet”isabeautifully surreal,philosophicallookatpower structuresandtheroleofknowledge inestablishing,aswellasdeconstructing,them.

‘SonoftheWhiteMare’(1981)

Fairytalesandfolklorehave historicallybeenkeycomponentsto animation.Thismaybeduetothe factthatoralstorytellingsuchasthis wasoftendirectedtowardyounger audiences,butthesestorieshave inspiredsomeofthemostbeloved films,suchas“SnowWhiteandthe SevenDwarfs”(1937),“Tangled” (2010)and,mostrecently, “GuillermodelToro’sPinocchio” (2022).However,thereisanother

animatedfilmthatshouldbeconsideredaspartofthisanimatedfantasy pantheon:“SonoftheWhiteMare.”

BasedonHungarianfolktales, thefilmfollowsTreeshaker(György Cserhalmi),thesonoftheWhite Mare,aformerly-trappedgoddess.

attentionoftheviewer.Thisentertainmentisfurtherexemplifiedwith thecolorpaletteofthecharacters,as Almaiswearingalightyellow jumpsuitwithbrickredaccessories thatperfectlycontraststheearth tonesinthebackground.Plus,synth

Surrealistillustration frombrushtoscreen

directedbyNormanMcLaren,takes inspirationfromthedanceduet techniqueforwhichitisnamed.The videofeaturesoneactortechnologicallytransformedthroughasetof laggedloops,challengingtheboundariesbetweenliveactionandanimation.Theresultisadazzlingdisplay thatisinexplicablyaffecting.

Intheworldofvisualart,director AleksandrPetrov’sanimatedadaptationof“TheOldManAndTheSea” feelslikeanoilpaintingcometolife. Itwasmadeusingthemesmerizing paint-on-glasstechnique.

TheOscarnominatedJapanese animation“Mt.Head,”meanwhile,

hasitsrootsintheJapaneserakugo styleofstorytelling.Themusicand narrationarehaunting,thestoryis fantasticalandtheendingisexcellentlyabsurd.

Surrealistvideographyisall aroundusincommercialandtargetedforms,andthatoversaturation makesiteasytolosesightofits uniquevalue.Yetthenumerous animatedshortfilmsfromaroundthe worldisareminderofhowtransformativeanimationandallitssurreal characteristicscanbe.

—ContactSamuelShafiroat sam.shafiro@emory.edu.

Akermanfindsbeautyinbanality

Afterherdeath,Treeshakergoeson aquestwithhisbrothers, StonecrumblerandIronrubber,both alsovoicedbyCserhalmi,tothe Underworldtoretrievethethree castles,savethethreeprincessesand slaythethreedragons.

Narratively,thefilmmerges elementsofGermanicfolktales, suchastheimportanceofthenumberthree,withadventureelements morecommoninclassicquest stories,suchasTreeshakerconsistentlyperformingfeatsofstrength andshowinglittleweakness.

Beyondthat,thestrongestfeature of“SonoftheWhiteMare”isits colorpalette.Abulkofthefilm’s backgroundisblackordarkblue, allowingforcertainpartsofcharacterstopopout,fromthewhitefurof theMaretothefieryyellowhairof Treeshaker.Mixthatwiththeunique characterdesigns,mergingboth sharp,boxyvillainswithround, muscularheroes,andyou’releftwith avibrantfilmthatencapsulates classicstorytelling.

Ifyou’relookingforahero’s journeythat’safeastfortheeyes, thenIrecommend“SonoftheWhite Mare.”

‘DeltaSpaceMission’(1984)

Ihaveaspecialloveforandfear ofsciencefictionmoviesthatfocus onartificialintelligence.Partofthis lovecomesfrommySTEM-interestedyouthandpartofthisfear comesfromtheterrifyingreality we’reapproaching,butthenichehas alwaysfascinatedme.Ofcourse “2001:ASpaceOdyssey”(1968)and “ExMachina”(2014)standoutas well-knownexamples,butIsimilarly enjoylesser-knownfilmssuchasthe DisneyChanneloriginalmovie “SmartHouse”(1999)andtheanimatedfilm“DeltaSpaceMission.”

“DeltaSpaceMission,”whichis considered“Romania’sfirstanimatedfeature-film,”issetintheyear 3084andfollowsAlma(Mirela Gorea),analienjournalistwho’s coveringthelaunchoftheDelta spaceship.Whileexploringthe Delta,sheencountersasuper computerwhofallsinlovewiththe reporterandgoesextremelengthsto captureher.

While“FantasticPlanet”and “SonoftheWhiteMare”aremore thought-provokinganimations, “DeltaSpaceMission”issimplyafun film.Watchingthiscomputergoout ofitswaytotrackAlmaconsistently isabsurdandneverfailstokeepthe

makesupacorecomponentofthe score,whichisoneofthemost importantfeaturestomakinga delightfulsciencefictionadventure.

Energetic,bizarreandwithless thana70-minuteruntime,“Delta SpaceMission”istheperfectfilmfor yourdailydoseoffun.

‘WhentheWindBlows’(1986) Amongthemanyfearsthat developedafterWorldWarII,the threatofmutualassureddestruction hascontinuedtofester.Althoughwe nowpossessagreaterunderstanding oftherepercussionsofnuclear warfare,thisinsightonlyfuelsthe terror,acknowledgingtheinevitabilityofourowndemise.Andit’sthis horrorthatinspiredtheBritish animatedfilm“WhentheWind Blows.”

Releasedin1986,“Whenthe WindBlows”followsJim(John Mills)andHilda(PeggyAshcroft),a middle-agedcouplelivinginthe Englishcountryside,whoattemptto surviveafteranuclearmissileattack. Thefilmisbasedoffagraphicnovel byRaymondBriggsanddirectedby JimmyMurakami;theduoworked togetherfouryearsprioronthe animatedshort“TheSnowman” (1982).

Ithinkit’simportanttonotethis shortfilmwhentalkingabout“When theWindBlows,”firstlybecausethe incrediblydifferenttonesarefunny, andsecondly,becauseofthesimilaritiesincharacterdesign.Bothfeatureround-facedcharacterswith simplefacialfeatures,suchasthe lightpinkintheirrosycheeksthat emanateawarmthintheworld. Though,inthecaseof“Whenthe WindBlows,”thislightheartedness slowlydissipatesasthegreenfields ofSussexturnintoagray,desolate wastelandandthemiddle-aged couplebegintodevelopradiation poisoning.

Thefilmalsomergesvarious mediumssuchasnewsreels,3D sets/propsandevenpaperpuppets tohighlightthedangersofnuclear warfareandtherealitythatthereare nowinnersinwar.

Fromthecomplexcharactersto thehauntingsoundtrack,featuringa scoreproducedbyPinkFloydbassist RogerWatersandatitlesongby DavidBowie,“WhentheWind Blows”isanunderrated,yettimely, anti-warmasterpiece.

—ContactEythenAnthonyat eaantho@emory.edu

mentsofthefilmcomesafteran agonizingdinnerinwhichDielman studiouslyhelpshersonmemorize CharlesBaudelaire’schillingpoem “TheEnemy.”Thesonnetdealswith Baudelaire’spainfulchildhood,but thesimilaritiesbetweenBaudelaire’s andDielman’slivesareuncanny.It preaches,“Timeswallowsupourlife, Oruthlessrigor!/Andthedarkfoe thatnibblesourheart’sroot/Grows onourbloodthestrongerandthe bigger!”Baudelaire’senemy,his “darkfoe,”isunknown,butDielman’s “darkfoe”that“growsonherblood” isherownfleshandblood:asickly sallowthanklessteenager.

Ofcourse,makingdinnerisnotall that’sinthededicatedscheduletoher son.Shewakesupearly,polishesher son’sshoes,makeshiscoffee,prepareshisbreakfast,dresseshimfor school,giveshimmoney(hard earnedfromsex-work),makeshis bed,goestothemarkettoacquire foodforhisdinner,returnshometo prepareforaclient,bathesherself, preparesdinner,eatswithherson, cleansthekitchenandgoestosleep; onlytowakeuptostarttheaffaironce more.Tiringtoread?Imagine watchingit.

Therearenumerousotherminor activitiesthatarepepperedin throughouttheroutine,andwhen Dielmanhasnothingtodo,shesits. Akermanisnotshyaboutshowing thisoranyotheractivitytous.The camerawillfocusonDielmansitting forupwardsoftenminutesatatime, peelingpotatoesforthesamelength, andwhenshebeginstostirhercoffee, onlyGodknowshowlongAkerman willsubjectustotherepetitive mixing.But,onceyoulosetrackof timeandyourbrainadaptstothe scheduleandthisdistinctivecinematiclanguage,youbegintonotice howit'sallonthevergeofunraveling. Dielmanwillaccidentallydropthe shoepolishingbrush,abreakfrom theschedule,andaburstofdopamine firesoffinyourbrain.Whenshe overcooksthepotatoes,itbecomesa sweat-inducingcatastrophe.

Atsomepointduringthefilm,you cometorealizethisisnotfiction,this isthetraditionallifeofmillionsof womenconstrainedbyamaledominatedsocietyandforcedintoa routinetomaintainthelivesofmen. Akermandoesn’tjustshedalighton thesituation;likeAlexDeLarge,she strapsusdowntoachair,priesopen oureyelidsandexposesustothe horrorofmoderndaysuffering:the long-establishedconservativeroleof amotherwhodoeseverythingand nothing,allforherson.And,it’snot

justDielmanwhoissubjectedtothis fate.TheneighborwhoasksDielman towatchoverherbabybrieflydiscusseshersimilarschedule,andthe grocerwhoconvertedherlivingroom intoastoresitswithhercoffeecup implyingthat,whenthecustomers go,shetoojustsitsandstirs;Dielman isnotalone.

Youmightask:why?Whatmakes thismovieoneofthebest?Iwill admitthatwatchingthisathomeon aTVwouldbemiserable,butwatchingitinatheater,experiencingitwith others,makesitlife-changing.Reasonbeing:theperfectending.The endingproposesapurposeforallthe painfulcoffeesips,repetitivefolding oflaundry,tediousmeasuringof sugarcubesandmind-numbing mechanicalpeelingofpotatoes.Once you’veacceptedthescheduleasfate, thedrynessandthemonotonylulls theaudienceintoaspellallowing Akermantohituswithajaw-droppingbullettothehead.

Everyoneintheaudience—the sleepers,thedreamers,theguyonhis phone,thecuddlingcouple,the womanwhowenttogetarefillof popcornsixtimesandtherestofus, itmightaswellhavebeenthewhole world—weallsnappedtoattention. Headstiltedupandfrozeonwhat remainstobeoneofthemost powerfulendingscenesIhaveever seen.I’llleaveyoutofindoutwhat thatisforyourself.

AsafinalpointbeforeIstraytoo farandmakemyown“JeanneDielman”withthisarticle:bestfilmlists comeadimeadozen.Everylarge publicationseemstowanttogiveus theirtakeonwhere“CitizenKane” (1941)liesincomparisontoothers. Theonlyorganizationthatmakes peopleturntheirheadsisthelauded SightandSoundpollthatasks hundredsofrespectedfilmcritics everydecadetovotefortheesteemed “100GreatestFilmsofAllTime''list. 2022’sSightandSoundsawmany familiarfaces,butnooneexpected thenumberonepositiontobelongto Akerman’sfeministmasterpiece “JeanneDielman,23,quaiduCommerce,1080Bruxelles.”

Icanconfidentlysaythatregardlessofwhetheritwasplacedfirstor lastonthelist,amongFellini’s“8½” (1963),Kiarostami’s“Close-Up” (1990),Yang’s“YiYi”(2000),Lynch’s “BlueVelvet”(1986),andmany others,“JeanneDielman”hasaplace peelingpotatoeswiththebestof them.

—ContactLiamShermanat liam.sherman@emory.edu.

HA-TIEN NGUYEN /STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

Emory Life

Volunteer Emory hosts student service trips for MLK Day

By Xavier StevenS Emory Life Editor

On Monday, I stepped off an Emory University shuttle with twenty other students at a four-story brick building in downtown Atlanta. About two dozen people lined the sidewalk in an assortment of sleeping bags and wheelchairs. Some watched us walk into the Gateway Center, a homeless service center with housing and addiction programs for the 2,000 households experiencing homelessness in Atlanta.

Drew Benton, the Gateway Center’s Director of Community Engagement, gathered us in a small storage room where chairs were set up for a presentation, explaining that it was important for us to understand homelessness in Atlanta and the Gateway Center before our work began.

“Of the people we serve, 75% have mental health [issues], 75% have addiction and 75% of them have both,” Benton said. “And so [the Gateway Center] is a big deal. That’s the biggest thing that I would say that we really need to focus on as a society is how do we begin to address mental health in … a positive way where we’re not being abusive?”

In 2022, homelessness in Atlanta experienced a 37% drop from the 2020 count of 3,240 unhoused individuals. Although trending below the rates of most major cities, the drop could also be credited toward the difficulty to count homeless populations accurately due to the difficulty of tracking down encampments. Even for those finding homes, the Atlanta JournalConstitution found that 271 Atlantaarea complexes create dangerous living conditions for their tenants.

Volunteer Emory’s Day On event sent 211 students to volunteer at nine organizations across the Atlanta area on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Students could choose between volunteering at homeless services such as the Gateway Center, food pantries, thrift stores and nature preserves all dedicated to their local communities.

Volunteer Emory has held multiple days of service this year, but the day of service on MLK Day was the first to be fully registered.

MLK Day is also designated as a National Day of Service to commemorate King Jr. and his life commitment toward nonviolent social change in disadvantaged communities to create the “Beloved Community.” In King Jr.’s hometown, non-profit organizations partner with Hands on Atlanta to dedicate the entire month of January with events for thousands of volunteers to participate.

The morning of Jan. 16, I walked to the Emory Student Center at 11 a.m. for registration and lunch. Johannes Kleiner, Director of Civic and Community Engagement at Emory and Volunteer Emory, spoke to the crowd of students about the significance of the day.

“And, that work isn’t done—not by a long shot.”

The next to take the podium was an Emory alumni and non-profit leader in Georgia. Wande Okunoren-Meadows (02C) is the co-creator of the Hand, Heart, and Soul Project—an organization providing nutritious food to families and child care centers in Clayton County. She reflected that service can have an impact on both a community but also the volunteer.

“I offer you the opportunity to not only reflect on service in Dr. King’s legacy but his teachings: how can we strive to ensure that his work lives on in our own day to day?” Meadows said. “He said life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others. I hope we will all take this opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the day and continuously find ways to engage with our beloved community.”

In the storage room at the Gateway Center, Benton explained to us their complex role in helping the homeless in Atlanta. The center is a member of the City of Atlanta’s Continuum of Care—a group of service providers and government entities who combat homelessness. About 75% of Gateway Center’s programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), but the center also takes private donations to fully serve their community.

“There are a lot of factors that go into homelessness that a lot of people don’t know, and [there’s] such a stigma around people being homeless when it really could happen to anyone,” Herriman said. “The center is one of the organizations in Atlanta, which has a big population of homeless people, that works to provide resources to help people end chronic homelessness and find permanent housing.”

and gave me a slight nod.

We then attended to over a dozen trash bags filled with linens donated by a hotel. We used our best judgment to decide what to keep or throw away. It took us all by surprise when some sheets and pillow cases came with cigarette burns, blood stains and a dead cockroach.

Wande OkunorenMeadows (02C)

“At Emory—an institution that is located in Atlanta—we are called to learn more about Dr. King and take the complexity of all these causes that are still causes today as an inspiration to continue the work,” Kleiner said.

The building holds 11 different programs, ranging from daily services like showers and laundry to more permanent solutions such as mental health or addiction treatment. The all-men’s facility also has 382 beds with the living requirements of holding a government ID and pledging to join a program and maintain sobriety.

Zaria Herriman (23Ox), our Volunteer Emory project leader, coordinated with Benton for our visit. Herriman hoped to contribute to the Gateway Center’s work.

There are no days off at the Gateway Center, and Benton split up our group to help with the day-to-day tasks that keep them busy. My group’s first task was to clean the room we sat in. After stacking tables and chairs, we sorted through various boxes of donations. Benton was overjoyed to see disposable gloves in the pile.

“Nice! And they are mediums,” Benton said. “We definitely need those.”

With our new gloves, Benton sent us to wipe down their lobby of plastic chairs and tables. Some men who live in the Gateway Center passed by the elevator. They didn’t break stride, as we exchanged small greetings. A man whistled while carrying his groceries

After finishing our task, another volunteer pointed us toward used sleeping mats for when temperatures dip below freezing that needed to be wiped down. I passed the same room we started in, now with a group of high school volunteers, as Benton gave the same speech we heard a couple hours before.

We joined back together as a group after completing our tasks, and Benton thanked us for our time. Herriman asked the group how we felt about the experience. After a few seconds of silence, Mohamed Barmada (28G) raised his hand.

“It’s a lot more complicated than I thought,” he said.

— Contact Xavier Stevens at xsteven@emory.edu

Need an uber? Emory’s new rideshare website has you covered

By Chaya tong Emory Life Editor

Since he was young, Akhil Arularasu (24Ox) has looked for ways to simplify tasks—the fastest way possible to get from point A to point B. Instead of folding his clothes, he opts instead for a plastic clothes folding board to do it for him.

“My mom would call that lazy but I would say that’s efficient,” he said.

So, of course, he didn’t bother turn-

ing off his GroupMe notifications. It was entirely too much work for too little reward. That is, unless it’s the start and end of break when GroupMes are inundated with hundreds of students spamming them to look for someone—anyone—to split an Uber with to and from the airport. The messages, coming in bunches several times a day, overtook the chats. In fact, it was nearly impossible for students to find other people to rideshare with, let alone other important messages lost in the sea of Uber requests. Arularasu, an intended computer science major, figured there had to be a better way.

Using HTML and Python, Arularasu spent the last week of his winter break building the Emory-Ox Airport Rideshare Finder website. The site, which launched on Jan. 3, allows students to enter their rideshare information with the date and time of their ride, as well as their name and contact information. Using the “search” function, users can set their date and time preferences and see a list of students with rideshares in that time period. From there, students can use the contact information listed to find one another and split an Uber back to campus. Once a rideshare is full, users can use the update feature to add that information to the rideshare finder listing.

Though the turnaround time was

remarkably fast, building the website came with some technical complications, such as using Flask, a web framework for building web applications, to deploy the website first on a local server and then into a cloud server.

“It’s not easy to get a website running,” Arularasu said. “It’s even harder to get it running on the web. But I think, once I had the idea, I feel like everything else kind of just came to me.”

Once the initial version of the website was up and running, Arularasu turned to his friend, Alan Shnir (24Ox) to test run the site.

“I was more of just looking at the interface and seeing like, what would make sense for a simpleton like me?” Shnir said. “We were just thinking of simple things like … what is the most basic stuff that would help ease the process of somebody using a website?”

They added a column under the search function that displayed information on whether a rideshare was full as well as a tutorial video on how to use the website. Arularasu also added a section for suggestions.

“As with all programming, you’re not gonna get stuff done on the first try,” he explained. “The suggestion box is really powerful as far as helping me understand what the students of Emory University and Oxford College

want, and I encourage people to use that.”

A couple students put in a suggestion about sorting individuals based on the time their rideshare was scheduled for. Arularasu made the change, and now, the website lists rides in chronological order rather than the order people entered their information into the system.

Oxford SGA helped get the word out about the new rideshare finder by posting it on their Instagram. Oxford SGA Vice-Chair of Transportation and Technology Kush Patel (24Ox) said that this initiative will be a lasting tool for students.

“I believe that bringing awareness about the website will give students another resource to aid in transportation throughout their time at Emory,” Patel said.

What started as an Oxford initiative soon spread to Emory’s Atlanta campus. Ranking Member of the SGA Legislature Khegan Meyers (24B) saw the website and reached out to Arularasu to ask if he could create a version for the Atlanta campus. Arularasu created a new database under the same website for rideshares back to Emory’s Atlanta campus.

With its first run after winter break, the website has already seen over 100 students requesting a rideshare on the website and over 15,000 clicks,

according to analytics from the site’s backend. Arularasu said that many students have expressed their appreciation for the site.

“Special shout out to all the students at Oxford college for being so supportive,” Arularasu added. “I didn’t realize that so many students would actually use it, and it would actually be such a benefit to the Oxford, and maybe even the Emory, community in the future.”

In preparation for the next travel wave, spring break, he plans to make a few more updates to the site, such as wiping student data every few weeks for privacy concerns.

“His drive and innovation speaks to what is in the Emory student body,” Meyers said. “There’s a lot of really innovative, bright people that can really create something to improve the student body … and I’d love to see more things like this happen.”

The success of the website is perhaps most surprising to Arularasu himself as something as simple as ignoring GroupMe turned annoyance into initiative.

“That laziness of me not turning off my notifications on my phone, that kind of spurred me to want to do something,” Arularasu said. “I’m so glad that it really took off.”

Contact Chaya Tong at chaya.tong@emory.edu

Wednesday, January 18, 2023 | Emory Life Editors: Chaya Tong (ctong9@emory.edu) and Xavier Stevens (xsteven@emory.edu)

—

X avier StevenS/emory Life editor

Over 200 students volunteered their time on MLK Day to service projects throughout the Atlanta area.

CourteSy of a khiL a ruL ara Su

Akhil Arularasu (24Ox, 26C), spent his break making a rideshare app for Emory.

“I offer you the opportunity to not only reflect on service in Dr. King’s legacy but his teachings: how can we strive to ensure that his work lives on in our own day to day?”

—

By emma Kingwell Contributing Writer

Huge crowds huddled in groups of blue, pink, black and white on Emory University’s McDonough Field on the morning of Jan. 15. The hushed chatter of anticipation soon turned into shouts of excitement as the women opened their manila envelopes to reveal which sorority accepted them. This was bid day, the day when people who signed up for sorority recruitment discovered which chapter they matched with and “ran home” to the sorority lodges on Eagle Row with their new sisters.

This year, 310 women entered the recruitment process. which is less than in years prior to the pandemic. In 2015, 374 women received a bid while 127 did not.

This year’s recruitment cycle was the first in-person recruitment since the pandemic started. Planning the process required collaboration between many dedicated girls in a variety of chapters.

For Pi Beta Phi (Pi Phi) President Lauren Cobitz (21Ox, 23C), the ability to talk to potential recruits face-to-face was “really exciting.”

“It’s also a bit scary and daunting that we were going to have to basically try to redo everything that has been taught for like in-person recruitment in the past,” Cobitz said. “It was definitely just a change from online and getting used to all the … little specific things that have to be done for in-person, like we have to try to decorate the lodge.”

The planning started last semester, Cobitz said. Sorority sisters had to “make sure that everything is timed correctly” so that no lodge had an unfair advantage with potential new members (PNM).

Cobitz said that preparing for recruitment was “definitely … a learning curve,” but that it was “really a great way to build sisterhood.”

bers. At the end of the day, the PNMs ranked their sorority preferences and then got a schedule for the next day with the sororities that invited them back.

For Cobitz, joining a sorority has been a highlight of her Emory experience. She initially joined Pi Phi to find a community after graduating from the Oxford campus, but said she ended up finding more than just community.

she never realized.

When asked about what she looked for in a sorority, Garcia said that mutual respect mattered to her.

“I’ve seen the girls … be like, goofy together and … make jokes and stuff like that,” Garcia said. “There’s no judgment or anything.”

However, not all girls who began the recruitment process made it to bid day.

Ananya Singh (22Ox, 25C), decided to drop out of the process on the second day. Similar to Cobitz, Singh initially wanted to join a sorority to find community after coming from Oxford.

“It just felt like, before you even open your mouth, like you were being judged on … how you look and … how your hair was styled, like how you did your makeup and like what you wore,” Singh said. “I’d never really felt judged in that way. … It was definitely hard.”

Although Singh decided to not join Greek Life, she said doesn’t feel like

this will hinder her social experience at Emory.

“I do still want to meet new people, and I think that is possible, through like joining clubs,” Singh said. “I don’t really feel like I’m … missing out on anything.”

On bid day, the cumulative emotions of the recruitment process shone through as new sisterhood began. Bubbles floated through the air as the new sorority members hugged and danced to “I Kissed a Girl” and “Barbie Girl.” Purple, pink and blue balloons overflowed from an inflatable pool as the recruits posed for pictures with their new family.

Sarah Davis (22Ox, 24C) contributed reporting to this piece.

— Contact Emma Kingwell at emma.kingwell@emory.edu

The recruitment process lasted five days, and each day had a different agenda. On the first day, the PNMs went to all eight of the sorority lodges and had 20-25 minute conversation rounds with four to five sorority mem-

“There are a lot of leadership opportunities and a lot of ways that you can grow when you’re in a sorority,” Cobitz said. “I can really see how my confidence has grown throughout these positions, how much I have changed and grown as a person. I am a lot more understanding and patient and just an overall better leader.”

Charlize Garcia (26C), a new member of Delta Phi Epsilon, thought that joining a sorority could be an opportunity for her to discover a community

h

Members of Kappa Alpha Theta posed together after welcoming their new members home.

“On a Roll”

By Miranda Wilson

“There are a lot of leadership opportunities and a lot of ways that you can grow when you’re in a sorority.” —

Athletes“cash cows” to ownership

Continued from Back Page

Most American sports fans are used to drafting, but some players, including soccer star Alex Morgan, have called for the end of draft practices.

In the case of former National Football League (NFL) quarterback Colin Kapernick, the NFL ousted Kaepernick from the league for his protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, largely to save face from bad public relations and keep the money flowing. On the other hand, Nike launched both ad and shoe campaigns in support of Kaepernick which while they brought attention to his cause, were also calculated financial decisions.

In September 2022, the Boston Celtics were embroiled in a scandal after suspending head coach Ime Udoka for the remainder of the 20222023 season for having an alleged consensual workplace relationship with a junior staff member. Even though the relationship was tagged as consensual, news articles later revealed Udoka made unwanted comments to

her, and at its very core, the uneven power dynamic between them disqualifies their relationship from being consensual.

But Udoka’s career wasn’t stalled for long, as less than two months after his suspension, National Basketball Association insider Adrian “Woj” Wojnarowski reported that the Brooklyn Nets were finalizing a deal to hire Udoka as their head coach.

When I scrolled through Twitter and came across this particular ‘Woj bomb,’ I felt a stinging betrayal. To me, the Nets ownership, which claims to be progressive, decided to ignore fans, women and the belief in ethical workplace behaviors in favor of maximizing winning odds and therefore increasing financial success. After intense public backlash, the Nets did not hire Udoka.

So whether the sacrifice be human life, the fan experience, consensual relationships or player livelihood, sports is ultimately a business. Valued at well over $500 billion, the sports

Falcons to capitalize on offseason

Continued from Back Page

wrapping up their fifth consecutive losing season. Despite the losing season and failure to make the playoffs once again, there were plenty of bright spots for the team, especially with the young core of players acquired in recent years. Rookie WR Drake London, the team’s top 10 draft pick in 2022, finished third among rookies with 866 receiving yards. Fifth round pick, RB Tyler Allgeier, became the first rookie in team history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Rookie LB Arnold Ebiketie, the team’s secondround draft pick, finished with a pass rush win rate that was second among rookies.

The upcoming offseason is expected to be a busy one for the Falcons, in regards to movement within the coaching staff and acquiring players through free agency and the draft. Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees announced his retirement, so the team will have to find his replacement.

“We’ll miss Dean,” head coach Arthur Smith said at the end of the

season press conference.

When asked about the search for his replacement, Smith said “we’ll take our time,” adding that there is a “wide net” of candidates.

Additionally, the dead money formerly owed to players like Ryan and former superstar WR Julio Jones will be off the books, giving the Falcons approximately $80 million in salary cap space.

The Falcons will once again pick eighth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. General Manager Terry Fontenot, however, said that the team should focus on picking the best players available. Defensive talent is expected to be a high priority for the team, since the Falcons’ defense has been in the bottom half of the league in the past five seasons. While the Falcons have not performed well lately, the future is still bright for this young team, giving Atlanta fans plenty of reason to be excited for a potential playoff run in the near future.

— Contact Samir Cooper Ajy at samir.ajy@emory.edu

industry is one of the most lucrative institutions in the world, and while we may feel close personal connections to our teams or hope that our favorite leagues value their athletes as more than cash cows, fans, players and morality will always be a second priority.

Sports are about money and making ownership of these institutions increasingly lucrative. Although we may believe what’s happening on the court or field is for the fans and athletes, they often have little to do with decision making. Even though fans provide much of the revenue that makes sports profitable, ownership cares less about making fans happy and more about staying afloat financially.

And so although I believe sports have deep intrinsic cultural and emotional value, we as fans are just an afterthought in a game with many players.

— Contact Gabriella Lewis at gabriella.lewis@emory.edu

SWOOP’S SCOOP

Sport

Friday Jan. 20

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

Continued from Back Page

game-winning alley-oop from Brock, giving the Eagles the 68-66 victory.

The Eagles built on the excitement of Friday night’s win with a commanding performance against CWRU. Martin, sophomore forward Morgan Laudick and junior forward Paige Gross all contributed 10 or more points, and Brock tallied 23. The Eagles shot 47.7% from the field and ended up winning the game by 20 points, 78-58.

Men’s basketball falls to CMU for first time since 2014

The No. 18 men’s team looked to ride off their momentum from their win against No. 7 Rochester on Jan. 2. However, the Eagles’ play was disoriented from the opening tip against CMU. In the first half, the team went 0-13 from beyond the arc and shot 22.7% from the field. Emory and CMU both struggled with ball control –turning the ball over six and nine times, respectively – and missed open looks.

The Eagles and the Tartans began the game neck-in-neck, with good defense on both sides, but the Tartans eventually capitalized on Emory’s poor three-point shooting performance. After a couple of three-point misses by the Eagles, the Tartans began to break away and build a 30-21 lead. While Emory struggled to convert from the field, CMU remained consistent on offense, and the Eagles ended the half trailing 30-25.

The Tartans maintained a steady lead over the Eagles during the second half, extinguishing any sign of a hot start for Emory. In the final stretch, freshman guard Jair Knight scored a

Track & Field W Basketball M Basketball All Day 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.

@ Carolina Challenge @ New York University @ New York University

Saturday Jan. 21 Track & Field Swim & Dive @ Carolina Challenge @ West Florida/Delta State All Day 10 a.m.

Sunday Jan. 22 M Basketball W Basketball @ Brandeis University @ Brandeis University 12 p.m. 2 p.m.

Men take down No. 7 Rochester in overtime

from beyond the arc to set the tone early.

Coupled with a good defense and more efficient field goal percentage, the Eagles led by as much as 17 points in the first half. However, they were left scoreless for the last three minutes, while the Spartans went on a 7-0 run to end the half.

In the second half, Emory maintained their lead for the first 11 minutes. Eventually, the Spartans began to come back from their deficit by making three three-pointers within 2:32, cutting the lead to four points.

layup to bring the Eagles within four points. Junior guard Matteo Whelton entered the game and hit a tough corner three, cutting the Tartans’ lead to three with a score of 72-69.

Hoping CMU would succumb to pressure and send the game into overtime, the Eagles intentionally fouled them at every remaining possession in the final 1:45 minutes of the game. The Tartans maintained their composure and made all 10 free throws, effectively ending the game. Emory’s 78-71 loss marked their first defeat against CMU since 2014.

Head coach Jason Zimmerman noted that the team’s exceptional defense kept them afloat despite their shooting struggles.

“I’ve been really excited about our defense,” Zimmerman said. “When you don’t make shots, it becomes harder and harder to guard [opponents], and we’ve been able to stay consistent with our defensive effort which has kept us in games when we haven’t shot well.”

The Eagles returned to the WoodPEC on Jan. 15 with hopes of avenging the disappointing loss. They faced No. 19 CWRU, who beat CMU on Jan. 7 but lost to Rochester.

Zimmerman went with a different starting lineup against CWRU, giving Knight his first collegiate start. While Zimmerman changed the starters for this game, he emphasized that he is not “big on starts,” and instead focuses on entering each matchup with 15 players “ready for action.”

The Eagles took better shots in their second game, opening with a barrage of three pointers. Pearce, senior forward Mason Johnson and sophomore forward Logan Shanahan hit shots

With 9:34 remaining in the second half, the Spartans led for the first time in the game. They held a comfortable 70-65 lead until the Eagles began a run of their own and went on top 71-70. A jump shot from Pearce put them up 73-70 before an and-one play by the Spartans’ senior forward Cole Frilling tied the match. Pearce then launched a clutch step-back to give Emory the 75-73 lead. With seven seconds left, the Spartans’ graduate guard Mitch Pendergrast converted a go-ahead layup, tying the game 75-75. Neither team scored in the remaining time, and the game went into overtime.

The Eagles had momentum from the tip after sophomore forward Cale Martens scored two layups. But Emory got the edge in the overtime period from their consistency at the free-throw line — the Eagles went 9-12 on free throws to close out the game.

Emory eventually won 90-81, a victory which Zimmerman said came in part from sharpening their play and cleaning up the smaller details.

“We didn’t do anything new between games except we just focused on being a little bit more disciplined getting to our spots [on the floor],” Zimmerman said. “And a lot of times what happens with that is when you cut harder and you get to shots to get shot-prep ready . . . it leads to better shots, and we felt that was a big key for today.”

Both teams will travel this weekend to face New York University on Jan. 20 and Brandeis University (Mass.) on Jan. 22.

— Contact Clement Lee at clement.lee@emory.edu and Madeline Shapiro at madeline.shapiro@emory.edu

Natalie Sa N dlow/Staff

Sophomore forward Logan Shanahan attempts a layup against Carnegie Mellon University on Jan. 13. The Eagles lost the game 78-71.

Women’s basketball earns two important wins, men split UAA matchups

By Clement lee and madeline Shapiro Asst. Sports Editors

As Emory students returned from winter break, Emory’s basketball teams were hard at work preparing for University Athletic Association (UAA) conference play. The Emory University men’s and women’s basketball teams faced the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) (Pa.) Tartans on Jan. 13 and the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) (Ohio) Spartans on Jan. 15 in two pivotal UAA matchups at the Woodruff Physical Education Center (WoodPEC).

The women’s team registered two wins while the men’s team secured a win against the Spartans after falling to CMU.

The women’s team sought to bounce back from their loss in their conference debut against the No. 7 University of Rochester (N.Y.) Yellowjackets on Jan. 7. The Tartans capitalized on the Eagles’ slow start, leaving them trailing 18-15 at the end of the first quarter. A series of three-pointers from sophomore guard Daniella Aronsky swung the momentum Emory’s way and contributed to a 18-4 run in the second quarter that put the Eagles in front 35-30 by halftime.

Senior guard Claire Brock’s 22 points on the night helped the Eagles maintain the lead in a close second half in which the Tartans shot 42.6% from the field compared to Emory’s 30%. Strong defensive performanc-

es from senior guard Mariane Auza and sophomore forward Erin Martin led the Eagles to force 10 turnovers throughout the game, which they converted into 17 points.

Brock converted a three-point play with 3:13 left on the clock and Aronsky hit her fifth three-pointer of the night to put the Eagles up 66-62, but the Tartans successfully clawed their way back into the game at the freethrow line. CMU sophomore guard Megan Matsko’s jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining tied the score at 66 and looked likely to send the game to overtime.

However, the Eagles had one last chance to win off a sideline in-bounds play. Two CMU defenders rushed to block Brock’s three-point attempt, leaving Auza open to convert the

NCAAF

After losing season, Falcons seek refuge in younger players

By Samir Cooper ajy Contributing Writer

Entering the 2022 National Football League (NFL) season, expectations were understandably low for the Atlanta Falcons. In 2021, the Falcons finished with seven wins and ten losses and left the season with a lot of unknowns for the future.

During the offseason, wide receiver (WR) Calvin Ridley received a year-long suspension from the league after violating the league’s gambling policy. Shortly after, linebacker (LB) Foye Oluokun, who led the NFL in tackles, departed the Falcons in favor of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Atlanta also lost tight end (TE) Hayden Hurst, who signed with the Cincinnati Bengals and WR Russell Gage to the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After a failed pursuit of star quarterback (QB) Deshaun Watson in a potential trade from the Houston Texans, the team traded longtime franchise QB Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts for a third round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The team then signed 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota to be the team’s starting QB. Running back (RB) Cordarrelle Patterson, who broke out in 2021, was re-signed by the team as well.

Given all of these departures, some pundits predicted that the team would finish with the worst record in the league in 2022, setting themselves up for an early pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, the team finished the first half of the season with a surprising record of 4-4, including a heartbreaking loss at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to their archrival the New Orleans Saints after blowing a 16-point lead. Other notable games included strong

wins against the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, along with a thrilling overtime win against the Carolina Panthers.

Atlanta had a very realistic chance at winning the NFC South and making the playoffs for the first time since 2017 due to the favorite Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ underwhelming first half performance. The Falcons could have hosted their first home playoff game since the team’s Super Bowl run in 2016. However, unfavorable breaks late in games and injuries to key players derailed what started off as a promising season.

After a 4-4 start, the Falcons lost six of their nine final games, leading to a 7-10 finish. The team lost Pro Bowl TE Kyle Pitts to a knee injury in Week 11 against the Chicago Bears, veteran cornerback Casey Hayward in Week 6 against the 49ers, defensive tackle (DT) Ta’Quon Graham in Week 10 against the Panthers and left guard Elijah Wilkinson for several weeks with a knee injury.

The team also lost many onepossession games, which could have drastically altered the outlook of the season. In Weeks 1 and 15 against the Saints, the Falcons had opportunities to win late in the game but failed to capitalize. In Week 5 against the Buccaneers, a questionable roughing the passer penalty on All-Pro DT Grady Jarrett directly impacted the outcome of the game. In Week 9 against the Los Angeles Chargers and in Week 12 against the Washington Commanders, the Falcons failed to execute in several opportunities late in the game that could have changed the tides.

The Falcons won their final game of the season against the Buccaneers,

UGA football wins back-to-back titles

By Sophia arruda Contributing Writer

By GaBriella lewiS Managing Editor of Digital Operations

I have previously posed the question: who are sports for? The loyal fanbases? The dogged players? The coaching staff? The owners?

One could make a solid argument for any of these entities, because sports at its core is for the amalgamation of them all. However, it is easy to ignore the sinister side of sports economics as we bask in the glow of our favorite teams.

Last Monday, much of the state of Georgia was elated when the University of Georgia (UGA) football team took home their second consecutive College Football Playoff National Championship. The most recently available data from 2021 reports that UGA earned $169.1 million in revenue and a $46.3 million surplus.

It’s estimated that SEC football fans shell out between $1,212 to $4,232 each per season to support their teams, whether they attended the schools or not.

Although the top Division I universities, like those in the SEC, spend millions on their athletic programs, they still skirt a key cost: paying the actual players, which keeps profits high while they maintain a nonprofit status.

At the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament, FIFA earned a reported $7.5 billion in revenue after Qatar spent $200 million in public funds on their World Cup bid, hundreds of millions more than the runner-up nation.

FIFA still awarded Qatar the tournament despite its tiny size, anti-LGBTQ and woman policies and oppressively warm climate, resulting in an unprecedented migration to a winter timeline and thousands of workers dying while constructing the tournament’s facilities.

Even drafting players into the professional leagues is a money-making scheme. Although it’s founded on years of tradition, the draft strips players of their autonomy and gives teams control over where players live, the jersey they wear and their starting salary.

The University of Georgia (UGA) Bulldogs football team defeated Texas Christian University (TCU) 65-7 in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan. 9. The victory earned the Bulldogs a second consecutive National Championship. This matchup also marked TCU’s first appearance in a National Championship title game since 1938.

The Bulldogs came out the gate with a strong 10-0 lead over TCU with 6:51 left in the first quarter. TCU managed to score only a single touchdown before Georgia proceeded to score 55 consecutive points, leading them to the largest margin of victory and number of points scored in College Football Playoff title game history.

Stetson Bennett, the Georgia quarterback known as “the Mailman” by fans, reflected on the team’s talent after the game. “I’ve got good players around me. I’m not that bad at football either,” Bennett said.

Indeed, he is not. Bennett posted 304 passing yards, completed 18/25 passes and scored four touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns he ran into the endzone himself, including a 21-yard rush. In fact, Bennett’s performance was strong enough to secure

the victory by the third quarter and head coach Kirby Smart removed him from the game with 13:25 left to play in the game.

According to Smart, the Mailman always delivers.

“There is no next Stetson Bennett,” Smart said in a post-game press conference. “He was the exception. And he did unbelievable things…He’s got G.O.A.T. status in Athens, Georgia forever.”

Despite allowing TCU quarterback Max Duggan’s 60-yard throw to wide receiver Derius Davis to score early on, the infamous Georgia defense managed to squash the hopes of TCU’s offense. UGA defensive back Javon Bullard recovered a TCU fumble and intercepted Duggan twice, providing the Georgia offense with possession three times. Bullard said his motivation fuelled his standout performance.

“This place is special,” Bullard said after the game. “Just growing up as a kid from the state of Georgia, playing for the University of Georgia, it’s special.”

This stellar team effort resulted in back-to-back championships for the first time in Georgia football history. The Bulldogs are only the ninth team in college football history to win two consecutive national championships

and are the first to do so since the University of Alabama in 2011 and 2012.

It is no secret Georgia has the potential to make college football history next year, and the hopes of a third consecutive national championship next year are high for UGA football supporters far and wide. The team has no plans of ceasing to work hard.

“When entitlement creeps into your program, you’re in trouble,” Smart said.

The Bulldogs must be prepared to face high-level Southeastern Conference (SEC) and national competitors in the 2023 season. Each year brings a new set of challenges: Bennett’s eligibility is up, some players have declared for the NFL Draft and others have entered the transfer portal. Georgia will return key contributors such as tight end Brock Bowers, cornerback Kamari Lassiter and defensive back Daylen Everette. And, of course, the incoming recruiting class will bring a new pool of talent to the team.

For now, however, it is safe to say Georgia is relishing its back-to-back championship team.

— Contact Sophia Arruda at sophia.arruda@emory.edu

Wednesday, January 18, 2023 | Sports Editors: Jenna Daly (jenna.daly@emory.edu) and Claire Fenton (claire.fenton@emory.edu) NFL

Natalie Sa N dlow/Staff

Senior guard Mariane Auza drives to the net against Carnegie Mellon University on Jan. 13. Auza later scored the game-winning basket to give the Eagles their first UAA win of the season.

Buzzer-beater against CMU sends women’s basketball back to winning ways