February 5, 2020

The Emory Wheel 100 Years of

Emory University’s Independent Student Newspaper

Volume 101, Issue 3

RUN THE ROW

Fired Prof. Charged With Misuse of Research Funds

By Ninad Kulkarni Asst. News Editor Li Xiojiang, a former Emory professor at the School of Medicine’s Department of Human Genetics who was fired for his undisclosed ties to the Thousand Talents Program, was charged with “theft and bribery concerning programs receiving Federal funds” in November 2019, according to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

The criminal charge against Li was not publicly announced when it was filed, until Deputy Director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University (D.C.) Seamus Hughes discovered the complaint.

NBC news later reported the complaint on Feb. 4.

Li and his co-lab leader and wife Li Shishua were fired by Emory in May 2019 for failing to disclose grant money they received from academic institutions in China, the Wheel previously reported. The professors worked at Emory for 23 years and were well known for their research on Huntington’s disease.

The complaint states that Li

Printed Every Wednesday

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

violated a U.S. statute concerning misuse of federal grant funds in 2015, accusing Li of receiving salary from Emory that was partially funded by research grants while also working for the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

According to the complaint, Emory was notified in October 2018 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding Li’s applications that failed to comply with NIH policies regarding full disclosure of foreign financial interests.

Emory initiated a review of Li’s University email account in January 2019, which revealed his association with the Thousand Talents Program, a program the complaint classifies as “a talent recruitment program that encourages the transfer of original ideas and intellectual property from U.S. universities to China.”

The Thousand Talents Program was deemed a threat to national security by the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in November.

See FBI, Page 2

Jackson Schneider/A sst. Photo Editor

Newly initiated members of Emory fraternities participate in Run the Row, a biannual tradition in which the brothers run to their new fraternity houses, on Friday, Feb. 1.

Former AEPi Members to Form ZBT

By Calen MacDonald Senior Staff Writer

Former members of suspended fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) are involved in the “recolonization” of Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT), according to former AEPi President John Stark (21B).

Members who were not formally initiated into AEPi prior to the fraternity’s suspension can undergo forming a new fraternity, but those who were initiated prior to Spring 2019 are barred by AEPi national headquarters from joining another fraternity unless formally released, AEPi Media

Spokesman Jonathan Pierce wrote in an email to the Wheel. No former members have been officially released.

AEPi’s national headquarters suspended Emory’s AEPi chapter for two years in Spring 2019 following haz-

See AEPI, Page 4

Researchers Discover Potential Coronavirus Treatment

By Ayushi Agarwal Asst. Copy Editor Emory researchers have discovered a class of antiviral compounds that could possibly inhibit the spread of the deadly 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The potential drug, which has been effectively tested on mice, is awaiting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval before the team can begin human trials.

The project is a collaboration between members of the Emory Institute for Drug Development (EIDD) and departments from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (Tenn.) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The drug, which mimics nucleosides, deceives the virus into attaching and injecting its genetic information into a false host.

“Nucleosides and nucleotides are

the precursors to RNA and DNA,” Emory lead researcher and Professor of Pharmacology at the School of Medicine George Painter (72C, 77G) said. “The drug mimics one of those and fools the virus into using it to synthesize a new copy of its genome.

It introduces flaws in the genome that make the resulting virus non-virulent — not causing disease.”

Painter, who is also the CEO of Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory

and the director of the EIDD, said that the team began their research into coronavirus in 2013 with funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Antiviral Drug Discovery and Development Center.

According to Painter, the team signed a $16 million contract with NIAID to facilitate their research.

Soon after the outbreak, the team was approached by the same institute and

George Painter (72c, 77G), Professor of Pharmacology

Courtesy of Emory Photo/Video

See FDA, Page 3

Buttigieg Leads in Emory Donations Emory Endowment

By Niraj Naik and Nicole Sadek Editors-in-Chief Recently released Federal Election Commission (FEC) fourth-quarter filings reveal that members of the Emory community contributed more than $340,000 to political campaigns during the 2020 election cycle, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), a public campaign finance database.

Among the top donors are Film and Media Studies Department Chair Matthew Bernstein ($171,780), Associate Professor of Law Fred Smith ($11,750) and Law School Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Julie Seaman ($7,600).

This analysis includes only 2020 election cycle donors employed by Emory.

As a nonprofit organization, the

See SANDERS, Page 2

NEWS

Final Pres.

Search Committee Town Hall Reveals Tension ...

PAGE 2 P

Reaches $7.87 Billion

By Ninad Kulkarni Asst. News Editor

Emory University’s endowment grew to $7.87 billion in the 2019 fiscal year, an increase from $7.29 billion in the previous year, according to the NACUBO-TIAA Study of Endowments (NTSE). Emory’s endowment ranks No. 17 among the 774 participating institutions in the United States and Canada.

The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), in collaboration with the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), published the annual report of university endowments in the U.S. and Canada on Jan. 30.

Emory’s endowment is the largest of any participating university in

Georgia, with the Georgia Institute of Technology ranking second in the state and 50th nationally at $2.1 billion. The University of Georgia’s endowment ranked 85th nationally at $1.34 billion.

Senior Director of Research and Policy Analysis at NACUBO Ken Redd told the Wheel that while the number of participating schools has been inconsistent from year to year, the survey’s 95 percent repeat participation rate provides stability for the collected data.

Endowment spending among surveyed institutions totaled $22.5 billion, an 8 percent increase from 2018.

Institutions on average spent 49 percent of their endowments on student financial aid, according to the report.

Associate Director of Media

See NTSE, Page 4

EDITORIAL In A&E ‘Man Cave’ EMORY LIFE SPORTS Women’s Professor, Priest and Author Basketball Boasts Leagues Response to Heather Mac Facilitates Dialogue on Donald ...

PAGE 10 To Retire in Spring... PAGE 13 Best Bench...

Back Page PAGE 5 Climate Change ...

2

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

The Emory Wheel

Source: Center for Responsive Politics and Federal Election Commission. Right Chart is adjusted for inflation and 2020 donations are still in progress.

Sanders Collects Most Individual Campaign Contributions Continued from Page 1 University is prohibited from donating to political campaigns or committees.

Emory at Large Contributions from Emory employees generally outrank those of the University’s peer institutions, such as Vanderbilt University (Tenn.), Washington University in St. Louis and Rice University (Texas).

Unlike Emory, employees of these institutions typically did not contribute significantly to Senate or House races.

Duke University (N.C.) and Northwestern University (Ill.) rank comparably to Emory employees’ 2020 campaign donations with $355,753 and $310,822 in contributions, respectively.

According to the CRP, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg collected $24,945 in total contributions from Emory employees, the highest dollar amount in donations of all presidential candidates.

Contributions to candidates include direct donations; contributions made through ActBlue, a Democratic donation platform; and contributions made to political action committees, which were then disbursed to the candidate, the CRP said.

Although Buttigieg collected $5,741 more from Emory employees than the No. 2 candidate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), he ranked third in total number of direct contributions and contributions through ActBlue.

Buttigieg’s more left-leaning opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), received the highest total number of contributions from Emory donors with 474 individual contributions.

Warren came in close second with 378 contributions, and Buttigieg rounded out the group with 265. President Donald Trump received 58 donations from Emory employees.

“I try and tie 10 percent of my income [to charitable giving], and political candidates are more of a gamble than not-for-profits,” Department of Environmental Sciences Senior Lecturer John Wegner said. “So up until Obama, I was more giving to [charitable] causes and not to political causes.”

Since 2008, Wegner said he has become more inclined to donate politically, donating $1,150 in the 2020 election cycle alone.

Initially, he gave money to several presidential campaigns — including Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), and Sens.

Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Sanders — and plans to support Sanders throughout the rest of the election cycle.

He has also supported the congressional races of Reps.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

On the topic of Emory’s slant toward Democratic candidates, Wegner said he noticed an effect on the student body of the current political climate.

“Many of the students who are not Trump supporters tend to say things

in a way that could offend some of the other students in ... class,” he said. “I do sense that there’s some reticence on the part of some of the students to participate in class discussions because of their political leanings.”

Local candidates received a nod from Emory donors as well. Longtime U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who represents Emory’s congressional district, collected more than $50,000 from Emory faculty, the majority of which came from Bernstein.

“I think it's pretty clear from my giving what my wife and I value.”

— Matthew Bernstein, Film and Media Studies Department Chair Leading candidates for Georgia’s contentious 6th and 7th District congressional races amassed several thousands of dollars as well.

Although many contributors donate directly to their preferred candidates, other contributors donate to party committees. So far, the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) Services Corp has collected more than $80,000 from Emory employees, roughly $70,000 of which came from Bernstein.

“Giving to the DNC is something we decided to do recently because

Final Town Hall Foments Disagreement

By Thomas Kreutz Staff Writer The Emory Board of Trustees and Presidential Selection Committee member Susan Cahoon (68C) said that students should “appreciate” their involvement in the presidential selection process during a town hall on Jan. 30, the final event the Presidential Selection Committee held to gather student opinion.

“We are listening to you,” Cahoon said to an audience of 18 students.

“You are engaged in the [presidential selection process], even if you are not fully appreciating the extent to which you are.”

Cahoon’s comments came after Graduate Student Government Association Vice President of External Affairs Meghna Ravi (23G) asked why there are no students on the selection committee. Cahoon also spoke about the expediency of the selection process and major constituency groups such as non-faculty staff and alumni bodies lacking individual representation on the committee in her response to Ravi.

“Ultimately, the trustees of the University are solely charged with

judiciary responsibility ... to make the decisions, given all of circumstances, on the best way to do a particular thing,” Cahoon said. “It doesn’t mean anyone doesn’t value knowing what students think.”

In an interview with the Wheel, Ravi said that she took issue with the selection committee’s town halls and

“You are engaged in the [presidential selection process], even if you are not fully appreciating the extent to which you are.”

— Susan Cahoon (68C), Committee Member their format. The committee asked the same five questions to those in attendance at all three of their town halls and at the University Senate meeting on Jan. 28.

“A lot of the questions didn’t seem to

address the challenges the University faces but instead talked about the great things about Emory,” Ravi said. “You should give students the opportunity to say what they want as opposed to getting the information that you want to hear.”

Ultimately, Ravi said that she was confused by the Board’s inability to put a student on the committee and expressed concern with the sentiment behind Cahoon’s response.

“It is the bare minimum for us to have our voice heard,” Ravi said. “If the Board of Trustees wants [Emory] to be a top university, then accomplishing the bare minimum is not commendable, worthy of praise or something that [students] should be appreciative of.”

According to Cahoon, student opinions gathered from the three town halls and from the online survey will be used to build a prospectus given to potential candidates that encapsulates objectives and values of Emory.

There is currently no timeline for when the prospectus will be available to the public.

— Contact Thomas Kreutz at tommy.kreutz@emory.edu

they were gearing up, setting up an operation, preparing for 2018 and 2020 under Tom Perez,” Bernstein said about himself and his wife. “[Perez] came in with this philosophy [that] we have to have offices in every state and we really have to create a very strong ground game. And that was very compelling to us.”

Matthew Bernstein: Emory’s Biggest Donor Bernstein, a film professor and book author, joined Emory faculty in 1990 and has contributed more than $1.1 million to political campaigns since.

In this election cycle, he has donated over $170,000. Bernstein’s 2020 political contributions surpass the next-highest donor by $160,030.

“I think it’s pretty clear from my giving what my wife and I value,” Bernstein told the Wheel. “We’re liberal democrats and we’ve just kind of found the way that our national government and local government is running … does not seem to be true to American democracy.”

His political support has not come without drawbacks, however.

“As you can imagine, our phone rings off the hook from people all over the country who are running,” Bernstein said. “I don’t think two or three days go by without getting [a phone call]. We actually got caller ID on our phone line because of the Democratic Party years ago.”

Bernstein said that because of the

high volume of calls, he defers to party committees to decide which races merit donations.

“That’s where we’re saying we trust your judgement as to which candidates need the support,” he said. “It’s sort of like a mutual fund. Let the managers decide what to invest in.”

Bernstein also acknowledged the role that political donations play in his public perception as a professor, saying “I would prefer that students not perceive any kind of political bias in what I’m saying, but … there are other faculty I think who feel like it’s very appropriate and their responsibility to discuss.”

The Data This analysis contains donors employed by Emory University, Emory Medical School Healthcare, the Law School and other affiliates.

Because several donors gave donations through ActBlue, the Wheel further identified which candidates received the disclosed contributions. Though Emory does not comment on employees’ political donations, the University “encourages all members of the community to exercise their rights as citizens and to participate in the electoral process if they chose to do so,” the Office of the General Counsel states.

— Contact Niraj Naik and Nicole Sadek at niraj.naik@emory.edu and nicole.sadek@emory.edu

FBI Filed Charges Against Professor in Nov. 2019 compliance to funding disclosure requirements.

“Emory remains committed to the Federal authorities in recent months have increasingly scrutinized free exchange of ideas and research academic relationships between and to our vital collaborations American universities with researchers from and Chinese around the world,” Diamond wrote. universities and The professors “At the same g o v e r n m e n t worked at Emory time, Emory also programs. for 23 years and takes seriously its Last week, Charles were well known for obligation to be a good Lieber, chair of steward of federal the Department their research on of Chemistry and Huntington’s disease. research dollars, to ensure compliance Chemical Biology at with all funding Harvard University disclosure and other (Mass.), was charged requirements and to with lying to investigators about research funds he promote adherence to its own policies,” the statement reads. received from Chinese sponsors.

Li’s attorney Peter Zeidenberg A Feb. 4 email from Assistant Vice President of Reputation declined to comment.

Management Laura Diamond affirmed Emory’s commitment to research — Contact Ninad Kulkarni at independence while also ensuring nkulka7@emory.edu

Continued from Page 1

NEWS

The Emory Wheel

Crime Report Compiled By Phyllis Guo

On Jan. 23 at 4:04 p.m., Emory Police Department (EPD) responded to the Rich Building in reference to a report of theft. The complainant, an Emory student, said that he lost his cell phone in the building on Jan. 16 at approximately 8 p.m. when he went outside to leave and realized his phone was missing. He said that he searched the immediate area and could not locate his phone. The student told EPD that he has been tracking the phone’s location since Jan. 16, and he noted that its location was updated on Jan. 23 to LongstreetMeans Hall. The student said his phone is a BLU Android phone that is valued at $200. The case has been assigned to an investigator.

On Jan. 24 at 3:30 a.m., EPD responded to Emory University Hospital in reference to a report of suspected possession of marijuana.

An Emory Healthcare public safety officer informed EPD that the subject, a patient, arrived in the emergency room carrying a suspicious backpack. Upon searching the backpack, the public safety officer found a green leafy substance of less than one ounce, several knives, throwing stars and a multi-tool. EPD took the knives and throwing stars for safekeeping and the suspected marijuana to destroy. The case has been assigned to an investigator.

On Jan. 24 at 12:32 p.m., EPD responded to Cox Hall in reference to a report of forgery. At Bon Appetit’s accounting office, the complainant, Bon Appetit Manager Eric Davidson, said that a counterfeit $100 bill was found in the safe on Jan. 23 by an employee performing the weekly reconciliation of the safe’s funds. The complainant said that the bill was not recorded as having been in the safe on Jan. 16, but it was recorded in the safe on Jan. 23. The complainant also stated that his records do not indicate that such an amount was exchanged at any cash registers in the cafeteria. The case has been assigned to an investigator.

On Jan. 26 at 3:22 p.m., EPD responded to the Dobbs Common Table (DCT) at the Emory Student Center in reference to a report of

dispute. The complainant, Assistant General Manager Kevin Price, said that between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m., two temporary employees were involved in a verbal dispute in which one stated that she had a gun and was going to wait for the other at the MARTA bus stop to shoot her. The complainant said that he was made aware of the altercation by another employee. The EPD officer spoke with the victim, who stated that the initial argument began when the subject asked the victim to help her wash the cups. When the victim stated that she would help after she was done cleaning the silverware, the subject became irate and the two began to argue. The victim said that both she and the subject had started working at the dining hall on Jan. 17 and that they did not know each other. The victim also advised that she did not see a gun on scene.

The manager told EPD that the victim normally ends her shift between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., but that he would be keeping her until 6:30 p.m. tonight in case the subject was actually waiting for the victim at the bus stop. The manager also said that he would be contacting the contractor and requesting that the subject no longer be assigned to the DCT. The case has been assigned to an investigator.

On Jan. 28 at 10:28 a.m., EPD received a report of theft via telephone. The complainant, an Emory student, said that on Jan. 26 at approximately 8 p.m., he left his iPad in the men’s locker room on the basement floor of the Emory School of Medicine. He stated that he stored the iPad in a locker without securing it. The student stated that when he returned to the locker room the following morning at approximately 11 a.m., the iPad was missing. He stated that he tried to locate the iPad, but the iPad had been turned off and its location could not be detected. The student stated that the stolen item is a silver 7th Generation iPad with a black case and an attached Apple Pencil. The case has been assigned to an investigator.

— Contact Phyllis Guo at xguo68@emory.edu

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

News Roundup Compiled By Layla Wofsy

Oxford’s Campus Life Center Celebrates Grand Opening Students and faculty came together on Sunday to celebrate Oxford College’s much-anticipated Campus Life Center’s (CLC) grand opening, which featured local political leaders and University alumni.

According to Oxford College Dean of Campus Life Joseph Moon, the CLC formally opened on the first day of the Spring semester, but Sunday’s event served as a celebration to “ demonstrate how the various spaces could be used.”.

Oxford’s CLC will contain spaces for meetings, performances and events as well as planning, innovation and storage areas for various student organizations.

It also will have a campus bookstore, convenience store, cafe and flexible classroom areas.

Sterk, Lewin Named ‘Most Influential’ in State Magazine Outgoing University President Claire E. Sterk as well as President, CEO and Chair of Emory Healthcare Jonathan Lewin have been honored

by Georgia Trend Magazine as two of the “100 Most Influential Georgians” for the second year in a row.

The magazine highlighted Sterk’s achievements, which range from turning Emory into the largest employer in Atlanta to focusing on pressing public health issues such as the opioid crisis.

Lewin was also recognized for leading Emory Healthcare in the development of its new cancer care facility, Winship at Midtown.

The building is designed to “unify the treatment experience for patients by bringing doctors, staff and services together in one building,” the Wheel previously reported.

Interfraternity Council Amends Fraternity Rush Requirements The Emory Interfraternity Council

FDA Trial on Track to Begin Soon

Continued from Page 1

the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this time tasked with finding an effective treatment for the novel strain.

“We quickly saw that the potential drug was active against influenza and other respiratory diseases, including coronavirus,” Painter said. “When the outbreak came, the government approached us and asked if we would be willing to participate in the program to find a medical counter major to [the] coronavirus.”

Painter expects the potential drug to be approved for human trials by the end of this month, attributing the accelerated timeline to the lethality of the virus and the urgent public interest in finding an effective solution. The human trials should last “a matter of weeks,” according to Painter.

“Under standard conditions, [human trials] would be in April,” Painter said. “Under conditions where there’s an emergency and people’s lives are at risk, then government agencies are willing to consider risk versus benefit. … We are working very quickly to get the drug into people. … After it’s

been in people, the first trial, then we would be ready to start trying to treat people.”

Painter also mentioned that the specific strain of the virus that’s currently circulating, 2019-nCoV, is very similar but more severe compared to other types of coronaviruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and the Middle East respiratory syndrome.

“We quickly saw that the potential drug was active against influenza and other respiratory diseases.”

—George Painter (72C, 77G), Professor of Pharmacology Once approved by the FDA, the potential drug will be administered orally through a pill to facilitate selfadministration and increase the ease of availability of the drug.

Painter said they have data from in-vitro tests and mouse models with severe coronavirus infection, which they sourced from their collaborators.

“The virus from Wuhan is at the [Centers for Disease Control and

3

Prevention] and will be available to test against,” Painter said.

Painter says there are no known side effects currently, admittedly because there have not been human trials.

“We’ve done everything we know in animal models and preclinical studies to try to determine side effects or if they’re going to be there,” Painter said.

“So far, everything looks fine.”

Painter holds an optimistic view of the future, citing that countries dealing with the viral outbreak have responded appropriately to the gravity of the situation.

“Most governments have participated in quarantine, participated in trying to trace where people have been, to check for exposure, exchanging data,” Painter said. “All of those are signs that … emerging diseases are going to be better addressed by the world.”

On Jan. 31, Emory Communications sent out a University-wide email “temporarily suspending official and all previously authorized, universitysponsored travel to China for students, faculty, and staff.” The suspension does not apply to personal travel.

— Contact Ayushi Agarwal at aagar83@emory.edu

governing body voted to utilize a formal recruitment model that will allow chapters to “create their own recruitment experience,” according to a new Spring 2020 recruitment policy.

Specifically, chapters will be allowed to exert more flexibility in the types of event they can hold during recruitment, such as the ability to hold off-campus events after the first two nights of recruitment.

The recruitment period was also extended to two weeks from one week, to “provide chapters with more opportunity to get to know potential new members, as well as to give the potential new members more time to explore their options,” wrote Interim Director of Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life Scott Rausch in a Jan. 28 email to the Wheel.

Bob Mintzer to Be Featured at University Jazz Festival Renowned saxophonist Bob Mintzer will take the stage with the Gary Motley Trio to kick off the University’s 2020 Jazz Fest on Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. at the Emerson Concert Hall in the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts.

Mintzer is a 28-year member of the small jazz band Yellowjackets and is a professor of jazz studies at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.

In addition to the performance, there will be Jazz Fest classes and additional events running from Feb. 6 to Feb. 8 at the Schwartz Center.

Atlanta Pastor Announces Georgia Senate Bid Rev. Raphael G. Warnock, the senior pastor at Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic church, announced his candidacy on Jan. 30 for one of Georgia’s two U.S. Senate races, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Warnock was raised alongside 11 siblings in a public housing project in Savannah, Ga. He earned a Ph.D. from Morehouse College (Ga.), and in 2006 he became a senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist

Church.

Warnock’s platform is focused on social justice, with plans to launch a voter registration campaign.

He also promises to push back against high medical costs and to raise salaries for low-wage workers.

The seat Warnock is vying for is currently held by Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), who was appointed to the post on Dec. 4, 2019, by Gov. Brian Kemp after Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) retired.

Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee, endorsed Warnock’s senate bid on Twitter, describing the pastor as “a leader who sees all of us and serves all of us.”

Several other Senate Democrats, including Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), endorsed Warnock’s candidacy as well.

Delta, American and United to Suspend Flights Between U.S. and China On Jan. 31, three major airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines, announced a suspension of all flights between the U.S. and mainland China because of the coronavirus outbreak, The New York Times reported.

American announced that it would halt its flights immediately until March 27, while Delta and United’s suspension will begin on Feb. 6 and last until April 30 and March 28, respectively.

The three airlines said they were responding to a sharp drop in demand for the flights and a U.S. State Department travel advisory warning Americans not to travel to China during the viral outbreak, which was recently considered likely to become a pandemic.

Customers who are affected by the suspension can request a refund, rebook their flight or speak with an agent for other options, according to the Times.

— Contact Layla Wofsy at lwofsy@emory.edu

Have a tip for News?

W

Email Isaiah Poritz at iporitz@emory.edu

The Emory Wheel Volume 101, Issue 3 © 2020 The Emory Wheel Alumni Memorial University Center, Room 401 630 Means Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30322 Business (404) 727-6178 Editors-in-Chief Nicole Sadek and Niraj Naik nwsadek@emory.edu and nhnaik@emory.edu Founded in 1919, The Emory Wheel is the financially and editorially independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University in Atlanta. The Wheel is a member publication of Media Council, Emory’s organization of student publications. The Wheel reserves the rights to all content as it appears in these pages, and permission to reproduce material must be granted by the editor-in-chief.

The Wheel is printed every Wednesday during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions. A single copy of the Wheel is free of charge. To purchase additional copies, please call (404) 727-6178.

The statements and opinions expressed in the Wheel are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Wheel Editorial Board or of Emory University, its faculty, staff or administration.

The Wheel is also available online at www.emorywheel.com.

4

NEWS

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

The Emory Wheel

AEPi Nat'ls Bar Former Expert Talks Israel-Palestine Conflict Brothers from Rush

By Gabriella Lewis Staff Writer

Continued from Page 1

nity to participate in Greek Life.”

Stark further denied any personal ing allegations, the Wheel previously association with the new ZBT chapter.

In a Feb. 3 statement, ZBT CEO reported. The former AEPi house, located at 17 Eagle Row, was trashed Libby Anderson wrote to the Wheel later that semester following a notice that its national headquarters is “startto vacate. ing to conduct interviews with potenIn Fall 2017, ZBT was placed on tial brothers.” suspension for hazing and possession Emory Assistant Director of of alcoholic beverSorority and Fraternity Life Joshua Gamse told ages under the age of “I am absolutely 21, resulting in the thrilled that Emory the Wheel that ZBT loss of their house at and ZBT were able to headquarters visited campus to gauge inter8 Eagle Row, which offer these students est in their return. is now inhabited by the invaluable Sigma Alpha Mu. “At this point, since ZBT’s suspension it’s after [Interfraternity opportunity to effectively ended on participate in Greek Council] recruitment, Aug. 1, 2019. they’re allowed to bring Life.”

Stark stated that together what we call an previously initiinterest group,” Gamse — John Stark (21B), said. “It’s a group that ated AEPi members Former AEPi president predates their arrival to are not exerting campus by a semester, an influence in the just to make sure that creation of a new they have some traction.” fraternity.

Gamse could not confirm how “Some individuals that were only members of AEPi for a short few weeks many people have joined this group will be recolonizing a chapter of Zeta or if any members were previously Beta Tau,” Stark wrote in a Feb. 3 email involved with AEPi. to the Wheel. “I am absolutely thrilled that Emory and ZBT were able to offer — Contact Calen MacDonald at these students the invaluable opportuccmacdo@emory.edu

David Makovsky, an expert on Israel-Palestine relations, lauded President Donald J. Trump’s plan to ameliorate the Israel-Palestine conflict and promoted his new book, “Be Strong and of Good Courage” during a Monday night talk.

Emory Hillel hosted Makovsky, the Ziegler distinguished fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, for a discussion with Emory professor of Contemporary Middle Eastern History, Political Science and Israeli Studies Kenneth Stein about theoretical action steps of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli annexation.

Israel Chair of Hillel and President of the Emory-Israel Public Affairs Committee Ben Lefkowitz (22C) said that the event’s purpose was to add a new perspective to the current discourse surrounding the conflict, a discourse which he believes is one-sided.

“Our goal is to educate the community that there’s so much more beyond the black and white IsraeliPalestinian conflict,” Lefkowitz stated.

“Last year, there was an incredible amount of contention between Students for Justice in Palestine, putting up fake eviction notices on people’s doors. … Statements are made, and then [opponents of Israel] are not willing to actually sit down and discuss it even though we’re on an

educational campus.”

Trump’s plan, spearheaded by Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, advocates for a two-state solution through an independent Palestinian state and the recognition of Israel’s claim over Jerusalem.

Makovsky, who served on the U.S. Secretary of State’s Israeli negotiating team during the Obama administration, said that Trump’s plan looks very different from the last three American attempts for Israeli-Palestinian peace, which began under the Clinton administration in 2000.

According to Makovsky, Trump’s plan marks a historical departure from previous administrations: it does not allocate all of the West Bank to Israel, as past programs have, and instead offers Israel complete sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and Jerusalem, except for the northern tip of the city, which would be under Palestinian control.

Makovsky asserted that the Trump administration’s plan benefits Israel more than past proposals because it argues for more Israeli territory in the West Bank, Jordan Valley and Jerusalem.

The plan comes late into Trump’s presidency because the three recent Israeli elections have interfered with stable diplomacy and other priorities in the Middle East such as relations with Syria and Iran, Makovsky stated.

Makovsky admitted, however, that the plan would probably not be met with Palestinian support, though its purpose stands to present Palestine with a forced choice: “If you don’t say yes, you get less,” he said.

Makovsky also hopes that Trump’s proposal will teach Palestiniane that the world is impatient with the current absence of a peace deal.

The success of the plan is contingent on Trump’s re-election, Makovsky reasoned, as it will be “nearly impossible” for Palestinians to boycott a plan for another four years.

Despite his desire for peace in the region, Makovsky believes that the conflict will not be solved with just one presidential plan.

“I don’t believe in a grand deal because there’s too much that can go wrong,” Makovsky stated. “Whenever [the question of peace is posed] in the Middle East, it’s all or nothing — it’s always nothing.”

In a Q&A session that followed Makovsky’s speech, attendees inquired about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s annexation efforts and the potential reactions from the Arab states over hypothetical peace situations.

“I believe we’ve got to give people some inspiration [about peace], and that’s why I’m hoping they read [my] book,” Makovsky told the Wheel in an interview after the event.

— Contact Gabriella Lewis at gvlewis@emory.edu

Student Orgs. Respond to Mac Donald NTSE Ranks Emory No. 17 In Endowment Size

By Anjali Huynh Contributing Writer

Numerous Emory Campus Life offices and student groups organized meetings and letters in response to conservative author Heather Mac Donald’s visit to the University on Jan. 28.

The Center for Women, Office of LGBT Life and Office for Racial and Cultural Engagement hosted a conjoined event with approximately 45 students the day after Mac Donald’s visit to allow students to air their grievances following the event and help facilitate a conversation about next steps.

In her speech, Mac Donald specifically named these offices and argued that the number of staff members they employ is a “costly anti-bias effort” and “unnecessary.”

Students expressed concerns ranging from alarm toward some peers’ positive responses to Mac Donald’s comments to frustration that University administration failed to address student concerns. Many also stated that they wished the groups organizing the event had given students more notice, saying that the lack of awareness that Mac Donald was speaking made the event “feel like a trap.”

Chanel Craft Tanner (18G), Director of the Center for Women, advised students to be “really clear what you’re asking for and who will be impacted.”

She pointed out that policies like the Open Expression Policy serve as protections for both minority groups and the Emory College Republicans, and the removal of such a policy would hurt minority communities more than help.

“Be specific about what you’re targeting and talking about,” Tanner said.

“Activism isn’t cute. Y’all are playing chess with them, and they’re not going to make it easy to beat them.”

Emory College Republicans President Ariana Gassel (22C) did not respond to the Wheel’s request for comment by time of publication.

Young Democrats of Emory also held a discussion with about 40 stu-

Continued from Page 1

Jackson Schneider/A sst. Photo Editor

Alex Chanen (21B), Alexis Greenblatt (21C) and Hayden Davis (21C) discuss Heather Mac Donald's Jan. 28 lecture. dents on Jan. 30, entitled “A Discussion of Affirmative Action: The Importance of Diversity in Higher Education” led

by Activism Co-Director Eden Yonas (22C).

“The purpose I hope this event will have is not only to dismantle some of the things [Mac Donald] said and talk about what affirmative action really is, but also to give students a space to challenge her hate that was under the guise of academic commentary and engage in conversation on what the College’s role is in the situation,” Yonas said.

Yonas first listed and dispelled myths regarding affirmative action, including the idea that affirmative action is “only needed in the past” and that affirmative action implements “racial preferences.”

Afterward, she opened the conversation to the room so that students could comment on Mac Donald’s talk, discuss if Emory had a responsibility to respond and reflect on how to “make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”

Elizabeth Hsieh (23C), one of several event attendees who believed that the administration’s silence was concerning, said that Emory administrators have a responsibility to “make sure students of color they marketed towards feel like they belong here.”

“I don’t know how [the event orga-

nizers] could hurt so many people and be fine with it,” Hsieh said. “This was directly attacking minority communities on campus.”

Additionally, Emory Sexual Assault Peer Advocates (SAPA) and The Survivor Anthology released a joint letter to “clarify and correct the misinformation” espoused by Mac Donald and to remind Emory students of color and sexual assault survivors that they “are not alone.” This letter’s responses were tailored specifically to Mac Donald’s claim that “the vast majority of what is considered campus rape [are] voluntary hookups.”

“SAPA and The Survivor Anthology stand with you,” the organizations wrote to survivors. “We believe you.

We are angry and are hurting for you and with you. Your story is important and you deserve to be heard.”

This letter was shared on the groups’ Instagram and Facebook pages. It also listed resources for survivors, such as the Office of Respect and Emory Office of Title IX. Other groups such as Emory’s Black Star Magazine as well as numerous members of Emory faculty plan to release their own statements and complaints to the public and Emory administration as well.

— Contact Anjali Huynh at anjali.linh.huynh@emory.edu

Relations Elaine Justice declined to provide the Wheel with Emoryspecific statistics on the University’s endowment spending.

Redd said that the specific breakdowns of endowment spending are recent additions to the NTSE, adding that there have been significant “above-inflation” increases in endowment spending in the last 10 years, which Redd attributed to the rising tuition costs of higher education.

“The cost of college has been rising, and more and more families haven’t had the means to pay the listed cost, so there has been a greater demand for financial aid,” Redd said. “We have seen a lot of institutions increasing their spending from endowment to help support students.”

Schools with endowments over $1

billion had returns of 9 percent for their 10-year endowment returns, the highest rate of return among all endowment size classifications. This difference is historically accurate, according to Redd, who attributed the greater returns to larger institutions’ access to “more nuanced investment strategies” such as venture capital and private equity.

“Large endowed schools over time tend to do a little better in terms of their net returns — we saw that certainly this year and have seen it historically,” Redd said. “Large endowed schools tend to do anywhere between 3- and 5-tenths of a percentage point over 10 years, and that is a pretty big difference when compounded over a 10-year period.”

— Contact Ninad Kulkarni at nkulka7@emory.edu

The Emory Wheel

Opinion

Wednesday, February 5, 2020 | Opinion Editor: Zach Ball (zach.ball@emory.edu) | Asst. Opinion Editor Ben Thomas (ben.thomas@emory.edu)

Editorial

Mac Donald Event Inflames Student Body, Harms Academic Discourse Emory students have seen a fair share of conservative provocateurs in majority of what is called campus rape [are] voluntary hookups,” causing recent years. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that Heather Mac Donald’s one student to storm out of the room in disgust.

Mac Donald’s words were a slew of racism and sexism disguised under controversial speech, delivered on Jan. 28, incited well-deserved anger a thin veil of academia. and dissent across the Emory community.

Her regressive ideology revealed more subtle forms of oppression that We commend Emory students for their tactful responses to the highly contentious speaker, especially because Mac Donald intended to inflame exist even on progressive college campuses like Emory.

Mac Donald’s speech was a reminder that despite clear evidence and provoke rather than engage in substantive discussion.

Although Mac Donald’s speech disrupted the student body, the Emory showing challenges that students of color face, many people continue to pretend such bias doesn’t exist. community turned it into an opportunity for growth.

Ironically, Mac Donald’s nonfactual allegations Students protested peacefully, and multiple orgaand harmful rhetoric exposed the need for more nizations voiced their support for marginalized nuanced policies that support inclusion. communities.

It was clear that Mac Donald had no intention No violence occurred as a result of the event and Emory students must of starting a substantive discussion during her students did not harass Mac Donald during or after speech, given that the only opportunity for disher remarks. continue using rational cussion during the event was from questions that Emory’s NAACP chapter, along with other black discussion to address were pre-selected. Nevertheless, the controversial and Latinx campus groups, organized a livestream deliberate provocation. event sparked dialogue between outraged Emory during Mac Donald’s speech to provide students with students. an alternative space to hear her comments.

If not, we fail in our In the future, clubs and organizers should ensure The Young Democrats of Emory organized a responsibility as a open Q&A sessions to all such events. Preselected response event in which they specifically addressed univeristy to protect questions do not allow students the opportunity to the questionable claims in Mac Donald’s speech. question speakers and challenge their views.

Sexual Assault Peer Advocates (SAPA) and the academic discourse.

College Republicans Treasurer and Events Survivor’s Anthology released a joint newsletter Coordinator Emmet McGeown (22C) claimed that expressing solidarity with survivors of sexual assault. the event “allowed a conversation to take place on a As a student body, we should continue to transform events like this into opportunities to find renewed meaning in very important topic that needs to be discussed.”

However, event organizers failed to provide an opportunity for open higher education.

Inflammatory rhetoric exposes us to the harsh realities of political questions at the event, demonstrating their lack of commitment to any discourse and teaches us how to respond. Ultimately, we can choose how such conversation.

As a newspaper, we understand the importance of free speech and we we react to the dilemma that many universities face when radical consercall upon students to uphold the value of free speech, even in the face of vatives speak on campus.

In the case of Mac Donald, she used hurtful language only meant to divisive and bad faith arguments.

Emory students must continue using rational discussion to address incite anger.

She claimed that both affirmative action and legacy admissions deliberate provocation.

If not, we fail in our responsibility as a university to protect academic destroy the fabric of higher education.

She also spoke about campus sexual assault, arguing that “the vast discourse.

The above editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel’s Editorial Board.

The Editorial Board is composed of Zach Ball, Devin Bog, Jake Busch, Meredith McKelvey, Andrew Kliewer, Boris Niyonzima and Nick Pernas.

The Emory Wheel Volume 101 | Number 3

Nicole Sadek & Niraj Naik Editors-in-Chief Seungeun Cho Executive Editor Shreya Pabbaraju Managing Editor Madison Bober Managing Editor Jacqueline Ma Copy Editor Madison Stephens Copy Editor Isaiah Poritz News Editor Z ach Ball Opinion Editor A desola Thomas A&E Editor Caroline Silva Emory Life Editor Ryan Callahan Sports Editor Forrest Martin Photo Editor Cailen Chinn Multimedia Editor A nnie Uichanco Special Sections Editor Ayushi Agarwal Asst. Copy Editor

Joshua Papson Business Manager Mileen Meyer Design Manager

R ichard Chess Senior Editor Aditya Prakash Associate Editor Jesse Weiner Associate Editor Madeline Lutwyche Associate Editor Ninad Kulkarni Asst. News Editor Ben Thomas Asst. Opinion Editor Joel Lerner Asst. A&E Editor A ngela Tang Asst. Emory Life Editor Jessica Solomon Asst. Sports Editor Jackson Schneider Asst. Photo Editor

Business/Advertising Email wheelbusinessmanager@gmail.com

The Emory Wheel welcomes letters and op-ed submissions from the Emory community. Letters should be limited to 300 words and op-eds should be at least 500. Those selected may be shortened to fit allotted space or edited for grammar, punctuation and libelous content. Submissions reflect the opinions of individual writers and not of the Wheel’s Editorial Board or Emory University. Send emails to emorywheelexec@gmail.com or postal mail to The Emory Wheel, Drawer W, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322.

Disagree With Us?

Write a Letter To the Editor!

Submit here: emorywheel.com/op-edsubmissions/

6

op-ed

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

The Emory Wheel

Emory’s Response to Heather Mac Donald Following conservative commentator Heather Mac Donald’s speech on Emory’s campus on Jan. 28, The Emory Wheel received several submissions from students who wanted to share their opinions on the event.

The following represent the views of those individuals. The Editorial Board’s response can be found on Page 5.

Despite Mac Donald’s Invectives, You Belong at Emory Mikko Biana “You belong here.”

In my time at Emory, I have never been explicitly told those words, but I have most certainly felt them in nearly everything I do. Whether it’s Monday night staff meetings with my fellow resident advisers in Woodruff, runins at Kaldi’s with friends I haven’t seen since last semester or my favorite professor reminding me of how capable I am as a learner, I’ve slowly transformed from someone plagued by impostor syndrome into someone who wholeheartedly knows that they belong nowhere else but here, at Emory.

In fact, I believe that it is Emory’s mission to make us believe we are all a part of something greater than ourselves and our individual stories.

A sense of belonging is a right, not a privilege.

But on Jan. 28, Heather Mac Donald stopped at nothing to shatter this perception. I detest her claims to the highest degree, and if you haven’t read them, you can find them here.

That being said, I understand how Mac Donald’s mere appearance was not a violation of Emory’s Open Expression policy. What I am not a proponent of, however, is our University elevating this rhetoric (primarily by exonerating this woman from any wrongdoing for the sake of “free speech”), while we claim to espouse values of diversity and inclusion. Frankly, the fact that our administration neither denounced Mac Donald’s statements nor reaffirmed that equity in higher education is a priority of our institution is disappointing, but not surprising.

So, while our calls for equity have

fallen on deaf ears, let this serve as a call to the greater Emory community.

To every student who came from a Title 1 school; to every student whose parents came to this country in hopes of giving their children the moon, the sun and the stars; to survivors of rape and sexual assault; to students of every race, color, class, identity and creed; and to every student who has spent the last week engulfed by feelings of dejection, I want you to know one thing: you belong here.

And I’m so glad that you do, because it is both our shared experiences and our unique backgrounds that make Emory the incredible institution that it is.

But one student’s declaration is not enough: it is time our University leaders do the same. It is their responsibility to ensure that students have the appropriate resources and spaces to counter-program, hold community

debriefs, and seek comfort and solace from mentors and professionals that know how to navigate times of crisis.

I am eternally grateful to the various student organizations and Campus Life offices that continue to carry out those very missions. Organizations such as Emory’s chapter of the NAACP, which held a response program that ran concurrently with Mac Donald’s event, and Young Democrats of Emory, which held a discussion on Jan. 30 about the importance of equitable access and inclusion in higher education, are to be revered. If Emory truly advocates for the inclusion of underrepresented students, we cannot accept the notion that open expression comes at the expense of people of color, women, first-generation students and all other kinds of identity-based groups that have been historically excluded from spaces of higher education.

I love Emory. It is where I have developed my greatest passions, deepest friendships and most meaningful intellectual discourse. It is where I have realized my most authentic self.

I’m sure a lot of you have similar sentiments. But loving something should never mean that you allow it to remain unchallenged. I love this place, and I want to shape it for the better. And in this case, that means expecting those who manage this institution to ensure that underrepresented groups feel safe and welcome.

Institutions like Emory may not have been built for people like us, but every day, I’m confident that we are shaping it into the place we want it to be: one that not only preaches inclusion, equity and justice, but practices it, too.

Mikko Biana (21C) is from Davie, Fla.

Engage Others, Don’t Dismiss We Must Speak Up Ariana Gassel “Emory College Republicans have reverted to endorsing and propagating racism. … They stoke division and accomplish nothing.”

“To everyone who supports this, feel free to block me.”

These are just some of the many ad hominem attacks that my peers and I have encountered as members of the Emory College Republicans before our invited speaker, Heather Mac Donald, even set foot on Emory’s campus last Tuesday night. Verbal and written insults aside, students’ fervent efforts to cancel our event through a petition to College Council on the grounds that our event violated the “right of freedom from discrimination by any student organization” were more disturbing still. Hosting a public event featuring a speaker who holds unorthodox ideas is not discrimination, and this crippling and infantile mindset of cancel culture negates any hopes of discussion. Furthermore, it undermines the very idea of academia and what college should be: a place where students challenge their personal beliefs through exposure to contrary ones to seek bipartisan solutions to pressing social problems.

Although the intention to cancel so-called “hate speech” comes from a place of sincerity and benevolence, this practice violates both our Constitution and mocks the very idea of intellectualism. This grotesque disposition of cancel culture has already reared its ugly head in many of our peers; the Foundation of Individual Rights in Education found in a survey that 58 percent of college students believe they should not be exposed to intolerant or offensive ideas on campus.

But how do we expect to become sharpened intellectuals if we are not pushed or challenged in our beliefs? Is exposure to a plethora of subjects from various perspectives not at the very heart of the liberal arts education? In

its mission statement, the University claims to dedicate itself to “intellectual discovery and creativity … generating new knowledge and … inventing new ways of understanding.” But if we’re only contending with our own perspectives, we’re weakening ourselves by not attempting to understand the other side, thereby enabling further polarization.

But how do we expect to become sharpened intellectuals if we are not pushed or challenged in our beliefs?

In the infamous Westboro Baptist Church court case Synder v. Phelps (2011), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that the First Amendment protected the church’s outrageous phrases like “Thank God for 9/11” and “God Hates Soldiers.” The court wrote,Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action ... and ... inflict great pain. [W]e cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker. As a Nation we have chosen a different course — to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”

Many controversial speakers have been banned from universities due to the aggressive nature of students. For example, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro was banned from speaking at DePaul University (Ill.) due to safety concerns generated by a hostile atmosphere from the so-called tolerant leftists students.

And who could forget the broken glass and fire at University of California Berkeley when students heard that former Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulous was scheduled to speak there? The list goes on and on.

Imagine if the Founding Fathers

had censored each other during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 simply because they found their peers’ speech to be too offensive.

Moreover, as a Jewish, second-generation Latina, I find it more insulting and narcissistic that under the constricting weight of identity politics, I’m confined to view myself as oppressed and entitled to benefits simply because I am a woman and have Hispanic heritage — and that anyone who suggests otherwise is racist and must be silenced.

Additionally, rising pressure to censor offensive ideas becomes absurd given the fickle definition of them. In a 2019 Pew Research report, 50 percent of surveyed Americans with some higher education experience admitted that it was difficult to tell what is considered harmful or offensive.

Although some subjects can be more painfully personal than others, we must consider all forms of evidence and maintain objectivity. Walking on eggshells causes us to keep our focus on the problem below and not the road ahead, and this misguided path will only lead us in circles.

If we expect to become the future leaders of this world, we must continue to encourage the free exchange of ideas through civil discourse.

Regardless of how extreme or controversial they may be, we must permit unconventional ideas in order to seek more efficient solutions regarding important topics like sexual assault and diversity. We must leave our emotions and identity politics at the door, and revive the lost art of respectful discussions with those that hold different views.

If liberals truly claim to promote tolerance toward everyone, I implore them to maintain their principle and encourage further conversation — not cancellation.

Ariana Gassel (22C) is the president of Emory College Republicans.

She is from Skokie, Ill.

Jasmine Burnett Heather Mac Donald makes money from every problematic and triggering speech. It’s her shtick, and considering how well it’s worked for her so far, I don’t think she plans to change any time soon. That being said, nothing negates her language’s roots in bigoted and oppressive ideas that disproportionately impact marginalized people, even if they may be “privileged” enough to be students at a prestigious university’s campus.“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is, arguably, the biggest fallacy of youth.

Words matter: they have power, they empower and they permit.

They also oppress. They endanger and they hurt. Mac Donald’s words were, for lack of a better word, trash. In 20 minutes, she spewed her narrative that Black and Brown people are lucky to be here at Emory and, quite frankly, do not deserve to be.

This is a woman that traveled all the way to Emory just to say “rape in college is just a voluntary hookup,” “tutoring is a hoax” and that some people of color do not deserve to be on this campus. She referred to organizations on campus such as the Office for RACE and the Center for Women as wastes of resources, and insinuated that every non-white person on a college campus is admitted based on color, not merit, yet simultaneously pulled the model minority card, saying “if one minority group can succeed, you all should be able to.”

To our student body: rape is never your fault and tutoring is not a hoax. To our lovely campus organizations working for the success and thriving of the marginalized: you are doing great and you deserve so much more than what you get. To every person of

color on this campus, be you student, staff or faculty: you’re here, you’re great and you matter. You have accomplished so much, you deserve to be here and no one, especially not a Heather, can take that from you. She said her words; now, here are mine.

We push the culture forward.

Us. The Black and Brown people she deems so incompetent.

We make all of the meaningful moves. When we dance, they watch. The Heathers imitate.

When we speak, they try and fail to emulate. We are proud and unabashed, and they can merely stand back. And stare. And want.

And hate that they will never, ever, have. The Heathers want our features and our style, our music and our minds. They want it all and yet they don’t see us as human beings. They see us as larger than life and simultaneously barely human. They see us as … unreal. Unattainable and therefore unrespectable. We as people of color are conditioned to accept and be grateful. To be grateful that we have finally been let into spaces we’ve been so long excluded from. To be grateful for the education we have always deserved. We can’t complain; we can’t ask for more. We can’t ask for better.

She wrote her narrative, so now I’m writing mine and you should write yours too. We’re not lucky to be here; we deserve it. We’ve worked hard. We’ve excelled and the mediocre Heathers of the world are mad because, in spite of both history and society, we surpassed them. We made it here, and we made here better.

We bring it to life. We continue to make everything better.

Remember, Emory is lucky. It is privileged to have us. It’s not the other way around. And this university should act like it.

Jasmine Burnett (21PH) is from Kissimmee, Fla.

op-ed

The Emory Wheel

Campus Diversity Matters

Nina Thompson In 2017, I attended the “Essence of Emory” program, which markets Emory’s “diverse” campus to prospective students from underrepresented backgrounds and convinces them to enroll.

I was pleasantly surprised by the relatively vast racial diversity here, which was important to me as a black woman coming from a predominantly white high school.

I never expected that three years later, I’d be disgruntled here at Emory about attacks made on our campus’ diversity.

So soon after participating in an admissions program that advertised Emory’s diversity, I sat in a room full of mostly students of color at the Emory NAACP response event last Tuesday, listening to Heather Mac Donald drone on about why diversity is hurting college campuses by admitting “unqualified” students.

I felt personally attacked by Mac Donald’s hateful rhetoric, especially as she referred to the acknowledgement of racial inequalities as “the ruthlessly competitive totem pole of victimhood.”

I was bewildered by the harmful ideologies she brought to campus under the guise of open expression, and was not afforded the opportunity to express my outrage, as Mac Donald only responded to prescreened questions.

So, this is what I have to say to Mac Donald: I am here because I am qualified to be here.

I am not a symbol of racial preference. I am not a quota.

While affirmative action has helped students like me attend top tier colleges like Emory, it is not simply the implementation of “racial preference” as you refer to it in your speech, and it’s disrespectful and dismissive of reality for you to say so.

Affirmative action policies do not allow “unqualified” minorities to be admitted into college.

Rather, it allows underrepresented students that are just as qualified as their cisgender, white, rich, male counterparts to have the same opportunity as them.

It does not simply say, “Since you are black, and we need more black students, I am going to admit you over the more qualified white guy.”

It’s also worth noting that affirmative action helps level the playing field for women, not just racial minorities. You yourself had the fortune of attending both Yale University (Conn.) and Stanford University (Calif.).

To any marginalized students who were hurt by her words, please know that you matter. You deserve to be here and you are enough. Know that you did not take anyone’s spot as a result of affirmative action.

Therefore, if it weren’t for affirmative action, you might not have even had the opportunity to receive the platform to speak to Emory’s “privileged” (to use your favorite word) students.

You strategically packaged your racist, homophobic and sexist words in your famous “I am not talking about any one individual; I am talking about the data” ploy when you said that colleges are hurting education by admitting unqualified students.

It’s clear that you have experience with manipulating words so that no one can call you a racist.

However, being the intelligent person that I am, I know how to read between the lines.

I can see right through your strategies.

You insinuated that if affirmative action was dismantled, almost all black students at Harvard

University (Mass.) would never have been admitted.

You tried to make me feel that I, too, would never have been admitted into Emory if it weren’t for my brown skin.

However, you failed. I know that I am not just a quota used to market Emory’s “rich diversity” (although now I question if Emory disagrees).

I worked hard to get where I am today, and I worked even harder to deservedly be viewed in the same light as my white peers.

Therefore, I urge any listeners that were convinced by Mac Donald’s pernicious misinformation to educate yourself.

Read up on why diversity is actually very beneficial to college campuses. Learn about why diversity not only allows for the diversity of identities, but the diversity of thought, which the Emory College Republicans and Young Federalists claimed to be promoting in their opening remarks.

Refute Mac Donald’s extremely harmful and triggering rhetoric regarding rape.

Ponder about if you really want to live in a world where people think this way. You might learn something.

To any marginalized students who were hurt by her words, please know that you matter.

You deserve to be here and you are enough.

Know that you did not take anyone’s spot as a result of affirmative action.

Know that, although some people at Emory might support Mac Donald’s ideas, you are still surrounded by a community of people who denounce her bigoted ideology, myself included. We cannot afford to squander open expression on such absent-minded ideology, and I will continue to fight for what I believe.

However, I hope one day I will not have to fight from such an unfair vantage point.

Nina Thompson (21C) is from Cleveland, Ohio.

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

7

Don’t Show Up For Hostility I agree that some speakers are so offensive or damaging that you Charlotte Selton must engage, but there are many options for reacting to a speaker I’m disappointed that Heather without tacitly validating their Mac Donald’s appearance on presence. Kudos to all those who Emory’s campus last week drew contributed to no-platforming, a crowd of over 100 Emory holding simultaneous counterstudents. protests in another location or For comparison, a comparable watching by live-stream, instead controversial appearance in 2017 of attending the event. by former Georgia state Rep. Earl However, these actions may Erhart (R-Powder Springs) drew play into conservative narratives similar numbers of attendees of over-sensitive and anti-free at Emory, while recent Emory speech college liberal, so match speakers like Democratic U.S. your response to the extremity of Senate Candidates, a White House a particular speaker. correspondent and a foreign Conservative speakers are ambassador each not ashamed or drew only a fraction saddened to anger of this crowd. a large group of Why do Emory If you know a speaker college liberals will only enrage or students continue with what they showing up for say. Imagine the disgust you, why racist or victimreverse: wouldn’t spend your limited blaming speakers? most progressives time and energy at Obviously, some love the chance the event? were interested to lecture and in Mac Donald’s outrage over stances or ideas.

100 right-wing However, most of faithfuls? the students I know who attended Provocation is both fun the lecture were disgusted and and simple, especially when outraged by MacDonald’s views preselected questions and a before she even opened her relatively respectful audience mouth. If you know a speaker preserve control of the dialogue will only enrage or disgust you, throughout. Moreover, stirring why spend your limited time and up controversy helps Mac Donald energy at the event? generate free publicity and High attendance gives both the market herself and her books to speaker and her sponsors a reason conservatives. to congratulate themselves.

I congratulate the Young Even if you make your Federalists, Emory College opposition to the speaker known Republicans and Mac Donald; with interjections, shirts or signs, judging by attendance and the you are giving them the power of resulting discourse, your event an audience if you attend their was a resounding success, surely event. meriting similar programming in Low attendance is common the future. at many noncontroversial As for Emory students on-campus events, so minimal displeased by Mac Donald’s turnout for offensive speakers appearance, any activist will would not prove Emory students speak to the power of showing up. are overly sensitive or anti-free Are you showing up for your speech; instead it would convey values? that the speaker’s ideas are not compelling and that we have Charlotte Selton (20C) is from better things to do.

Sacramento, Calif.

Students Must Combat Polarization with Discussion Nick Pernas Conservative pundit Heather Mac Donald’s speech on campus last week was controversial to say the least.

To see some of my perspective on the problematic and misleading claims that clouded her speech (particularly in regard to her statements on sexual assault and perpetuation of the model minority myth) check out this week’s editorial, to which I contributed.

I felt the need to write an op-ed related to the editorial because I believe the conservative perspective and motive for inviting Mac Donald needed to be analyzed.

Heather Mac Donald’s mere invitation to speak was intended to provoke, polarize and give attention to conservative groups on campus.

It is symptomatic of institutional marginalization of political voices from the right and center at universities across America, including Emory.

Political marginalization is not strictly partisan.

Universities like the Catholic University of America (D.C.) and Brigham Young (Idaho campus) are known for muffling progressive voices.

However, it is far more common for conservatives to have their voices stifled. A 2017 Gallup poll found that conservatives are the most likely group within college contexts to have their voices suppressed. It is unfortunate to see that same type of marginalization happening at Emory.

By no means was inviting Mac Donald the answer to Emory’s conservative students. If anything, her speech widened the gap between these students and their liberalleaning peers.

The truth is, the real answer to polarization is conversation.

Unfortunately, Emory has not provided an environment that is truly safe for students with conservative political leanings to voice their own views.

Because of the implicit bias

that runs throughout universities, students on both sides of the aisle are becoming further entrenched in their own views and, in some cases, radicalized.

Unfortunately, Emory has not provided an environment that is truly safe for students with conservative political leanings to voice their own views.

The problem of partisanship is not necessarily the administration’s fault alone. Responsibility also falls on students. In the long-term, it is reductionist to dismiss voices that dissent from the progressive agenda as racist, sexist and xenophobic over misunderstandings and ideological differences. Accusations of racism

and sexism should be used with clear intention because of the power and potential consequences they hold.

By calling someone who questions the validity of affirmative action or diversity a racist, it effectively silences opposition or simply the process of questioning a governmental policy. Generally speaking, no college student wants to be called a bigot. If Emory’s predominantly liberal student population cannot listen to opposing views without going straight to identity politics and name calling, the arguments will cease to exist as students with different views begin to silence themselves, fearing social ostracization.

In the long-term, students need to think about what their political goals and motives are. I understand debate can easily be offensive, but students on campus need to realize that in some capacity conservatives are offended everyday on campus.

There often is no “safe space” on campus for them to voice their views without receiving some level

of vitriol in return.

Argument calls on the risk of offensiveness for the hope of understanding. Feelings might get hurt, but ideas should never be marginalized.

Some could argue that by promoting open discussion Emory would just be giving a platform to fringe academics like Mac Donald.

I would contend, however, that extremist views are symptomatic of a lack of debate, rather than a product of it.

In conclusion, I hope in the coming years that Emory’s administration and student body work to foster a discussion-friendly campus environment.

Without meaningf ul conversation, neither liberal nor conservative students will experience the kind of evolution of thought and opinion that universities are meant to generate.

Nick Pernas (19Ox, 20C) is from Portland, Ore. He is a member of the Emory Wheel’s Editorial Board.

8

op-ed

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Brammhi’s ballot

Biden’s Record Inexcusable Brammhi Balarajan

Uncle Joe might not be popular on social media, but he’s surging in the polls. Despite Biden’s defeat at fourth place in the Iowa caucus, national polls indicate that former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is still the candidate to beat in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries. Democrats must supplant Biden as the national frontrunner for the party’s nomination due to his harmful actions toward marginalized groups.

Although social media has promoted a warped perception of voters largely favoring Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), online presence is not an accurate reflection of candidates’ standing within the party.

A study by the Hidden Tribes Project showed that more left-leaning Democrats outnumber moderate Democrats on social media by about two to one.

A stronger left-leaning online presence makes it seem that candidates such as Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) stand a chance at winning the nomination. However, national polls demonstrate that Biden has consistently remained the frontrunner, receiving about 27 percent of respondents’ support.

Studies by FiveThirtyEight additionally project Biden’s odds of winning almost half of pledged delegates as two out of five, a stark contrast to Sanders’ odds of three in ten. Our discourse on social media has not acknowledged Biden’s lead in the race, and we must do so if we want to actively oust him from the lead.

Some of Biden’s most problematic and harmful acts as a senator included his repeated votes in favor of anti-busing amendments. Busing was implemented in the 1970s to foster desegregation in schools and create racial equality.

However, Biden aligned himself with segregationists, even voting against requiring schools to report

on the student body’s racial makeup, thereby enabling segregation. Biden’s questionable votes explicitly harmed black communities as studies at the University of California, Berkeley found that black students who spent at least five years at desegregated schools earned 25 percent more than their counterparts who remained at segregated schools. Clearly, Biden’s policy choices had far-reaching, damaging effects on black communities.

Despite his questionable policies, Biden is still popular within black communities, largely because of his name recognition and association to former President Barack Obama.

Supporters of Biden might claim that since these actions were years ago, Biden could potentially be an advocate for minority groups now.

However, the weight of his policies cannot be overlooked, especially considering that he has not taken accountability for his damaging actions.

Additionally, Biden’s support from the African American community primarily stems from older voters as young black voters are more likely to support Sanders over Biden by a margin of about 12 points.

As a moderate Democrat, Biden lacks the progressive policy choices young black voters desire, and is not adequately fit to represent minority interests.

Despite his past support from black communities, Biden’s negligence toward integration indicates that he is not looking out for minority interests and therefore unfit to be the Democratic nominee.

Biden has also received scrutiny for his questionable treatment of women.

In total, eight women have come forward about personal experiences in which Biden invaded their personal space and caused them discomfort.

Such instances include Alexandra Tara Reade, who said that Biden allegedly ran his fingers up her neck, and Vail Kohnert-Yount, a former intern who claims Biden pressed his forehead to hers. Such experiences are dehumanizing and uncomfortable for women

in the workplace. Particularly in light of the #MeToo movement’s resounding success, we must no longer make excuses for our politicians.

Biden’s clear disregard towards women signifies that he does not deserve to be the president of the United States.

Democrats continuously bash U.S. President Donald J. Trump for his alleged past of sexual misconduct, and we must hold Biden to the same standard.

However, Biden’s treatment of women goes beyond his lack of personal boundaries.

He presided over the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in which Anita Hill accused Thomas of sexual assault.

Biden handled the hearing poorly, and allowed the all-white male Judiciary Committee to disrespect Hill through victim-blaming and unfair accusations of her character. He additionally refused to include other female witnesses who could have testified and potentially changed the outcome of the hearing.

Especially in the wake of the recent controversy surrounding Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, Biden’s lack of empathy and leadership in handling these trials makes him unfit to serve as president.

Biden is not looking out for the interests of marginalized communities, and his past shows he will not fight for the groups who could benefit from his support the most.

If Biden has not fought for us in the past, little evidence suggests he’ll be invested in our interests in the future.

The Iowa caucus indicates that we have a chance to shift the lead away from Biden, with the partial data release suggesting that Biden will likely come in fourth. We must use our voices and votes to ensure that Biden does not get the 2020 Democratic nomination.

Let’s take Biden off the ballot.

Brammhi Balarajan (23C) is from Las Vegas

The Emory Wheel Letter to the Editor

Senior Society Creates Community Leaders world, helped me answer these questions, and confirmed my Gary Hodge commitment to a life of service.

Every one of us, regardless of the As the 50th anniversary of my path we choose, can make our corinitiation into the Emory Senior ner of the world a better place.

Society approaches, I’m reflecting That’s what has defined my life’s on my experiences as a student mission and purpose. I know it’s leader and activist during a very possible for an individual to make eventful time in our nation’s his- a difference in this world, not only tory, a period of rapid cultural and because the pages of history tell us social change, and political con- so, but because I’ve seen it with my flict, not so different from today. own eyes and done it with my own I count the years I spent at Emory hands.

I’ve lived “a committed life,” as among the happiest of my life, and they are etched in my memory. I Martin Luther King Jr. used to say. still remember vividly the knock In this I’ve been the most fortunate at my door when Cliff Fields (70C) of men — to be allowed to spend my brought the news I had been cho- life working for causes I care about and principles I sen for memberbelieve in. It’s been ship in the Senior an exciting and Society, the solemn I’m proud to be a fulfilling adventure and inspiring initiason of Emory and all the way. tion ceremony, the a member of our Throughout my jamboree and the career in southern moving words of Senior Society.

Maryland, in all of elder statesmen who my leadership roles, were the same age I it’s been a privilege am now, eager to see their love for Emory, the Society to play a part in the transformation and its traditions passed on to a of “my corner of the world” from a historically poor, uncompetitive new generation of young leaders.

The lives of students now must region of the state to one of the be equally challenging in these most dynamic and prosperous in the nation. My early experiences restless and uncertain times.

It seems that every new genera- at Emory, in a unique time and tion is tested, and called upon to place, instilled in me a deep sense renew the spirit of our Republic, of civic responsibility, and the and breathe new life into our confidence and perseverance to founding principles. I’m sure stu- face and overcome obstacles. Great dents today wrestle with the same civilizations need great citizens. questions we did, questions that In those formative years long ago, students have sought answers to Emory was a crucible that helped for millennia, since the time of forge my sense of obligation and Socrates: How can I make a differ- duty to serve others, and prepared ence in this world? How can I make me well for the life I chose.

I’m proud to be a son of Emory my life count and give it meaning and purpose? How do I lead and a member of our Senior an authentic life of character and Society, and grateful for the gifts integrity in a world obsessed with bestowed on me many years ago as I prepared to embark on my life’s money, power and fame?

My experiences at Emory, in journey. the classroom, on the campus, in Atlanta, in rural Georgia, in Gary V. Hodge is a 1971 Washington, D.C., and the wider graduate of the College.

In Light of Coronavirus: Beware Disinformation & Discrimination Iris Li The Novel Coronavirus outbreak has, sadly, caused a series of misunderstandings between people of Chinese descent, those who are not and the Chinese government.

It is time for people around the world to try and understand one another: I am calling for others to be critical and sympathetic about the disinformation and discrimination they encounter.

It all started with the wet market.

A wet market is a farmer’s market that offers raw fresh meat, ranging from domestic animals to various seafoods. Wet markets are the center of everyday commerce and social life in China.

People go to their local wet markets regularly to buy fresh produce and socialize with their neighbors and merchants.

The products may not appeal to everyone’s tastes and diets, but the market itself is lively and prosperous.

The wet market, however, is exactly where the coronavirus started in Wuhan, China.

Because it is a center for raw meat

exchange, the local market became an incubator for the virus; moreover, its status as a social center, with rapidly moving populations, facilitated the disease’s spread.

As the outbreak proliferates, I have mixed feelings about the prejudices the Chinese community faces, especially as I’m several thousand miles away from home in China. My mom called me a week ago warning me of a new wave of racism — specifically toward Chinese and Chinese-looking people.

I told her not to worry because I believe I’m surrounded by rational people. Recently, though, I’ve become much more aware of my skin while walking around on campus, as I know it means “possible virus carrier” to some of my peers.

Even though I lived in an unaffected area of China and have been in the United States for three weeks now, I’m still cautious about coughing in public and pay more attention to my health.

I have no chance of carrying the virus, as I have passed the two-week incubation period, symptom free; but I don’t want to cause any panic. I’ve heard rumors about new cases, but it was actually just a Chinese student catching a minor cold.

I am by no means arguing that

the coronavirus is a minor problem, because it’s not, and the World Health Organization has attested to this by declaring it a global emergency.

In fact, the situation may be worse than we already know.

We have reason to believe that the Chinese government has dramatically downplayed the situation; they have a clear history of doing so, as in the 2003 SARS outbreak.

I’ve become much more aware of my skin while walking around on campus, as I know it means “possible virus carrier” to some of my peers.

The Chinese government has always had a tendency to minimize crises, so as to prevent panic and social disorder.

In the first month after the coronavirus’s discovery, the government kept a tight lid on its progress. Not until last week did they finally warn Chinese citizens about it.

Their unusually swift actions against the disease arouse suspicion that the situation is still much worse than reported.

I implore my Chinese readers to look beyond information provided by the Chinese government because it can be filtered.

We should be cautious in our consumption of information and turn to organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization as more neutral sources of data on the outbreak. While it is important to acknowledge that the true number of infected persons is likely greater than the reported number, we must also ensure that we humanize these patients and their families.

With such a large number of cases, it can be easy to distance ourselves from the fact that these are real people and families suffering from a horrific epidemic.

In some families, several people are dying, leaving their loved ones both devastated and terrified of contracting

the virus.

These are real concerns for individuals whose families are currently in China, especially those with elders, since they appear to have the highest risk of death from the disease.

To think that I don’t even know the size of the danger under which my family is living pains me, especially given that my beloved but weak grandma is 80 years old.

I urge everyone to learn more about the complicated situation surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.

People have to understand that numbers are real deaths, and this is the only way of seeing people as humans, not objects.

I call on your sympathies for the Chinese at this critical time, and I also hope that people think critically about what they hear and see.

Even with these worries, I still want to end this with a lighter note — my dad’s joke after he had stayed in the apartment for two weeks to avoid being transmitted: “This is the only occasion, that doing nothing does a huge favor to the society!”

Iris Li (22C) is from Beijing, China.

The Emory Wheel

SPONSORED

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

9

Mental Health Research at Emory The Mental Health and Development Program at Emory is enrolling participants, between the ages of 12 and 30, for an NIMH project on factors that contribute to risk for mental illness.

Individuals who are experiencing a decline in functioning and other symptoms (e g., social isolation, unusual thoughts/ perceptions, suspiciousness) may be eligible for an assessment that includes diagnostic and neuropsychological evaluations, all conducted at Emory.

Participants are compensated for their time and, if requested, test results can be provided to treatment providers.

For further information, contact Elaine Walker, Ph.D. at psyefw@emory.edu or contact the Mental Health and Development Program at (404) 727-7547 or mentalhealth.research@emory.edu.

♥ ♥

W

Send a memorable Valentine’s Day message to a loved one this year to be featured in the Wheel’s Feb. 12 issue!

Send a message for $2 (500 characters max). If you wish to write a longer message, you must purchase an additional 500 characters.

♥

https://forms.gle/YBfESdxCyAktTKvh9

A Message to the Campus Community at Emory University Alpha Epsilon Pi International Fraternity suspended operation of its chapter at Emory University in March 2019. The chapter is no longer recognized by the international fraternity.

Any individuals or group of individuals currently representing themselves as Alpha Epsilon Pi (or AEPi) are not authorized to do so. Likewise, a group calling itself "APES", which may include members of the former chapter is not affiliated, nor recognized by Alpha Epsilon Pi. Alpha Epsilon Pi International is prepared to take any reasonable action to protect against unauthorized use of its name, logo or inference to AEPi. If you are aware of any individuals currently operating or condoning operations of a group on campus using the Alpha Epsilon Pi name, please share this information with the Alpha Epsilon Pi International office and the Greek and campus administration immediately.

Alpha Epsilon Pi looks forward to returning to Emory University in the near future with a chapter that will operate within the guidelines and with the support of Alpha Epsilon Pi International Fraternity.

Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, Inc. office@aepi.org

&

The Emory Wheel

Arts Entertainment Wednesday, February 5, 2020 | A&E Editor: Adesola Thomas (adesola.thomas@emory.edu) | Asst. A&E Editor Joel Lerner (jlerne6@emory.edu)

Anthropocenic play

‘Man Cave’ Facilitates Daunting Dialogue on Climate Change

By Eythen Anthony Staff Writer

Climate change, which threatens the livelihood of our planet, has recently played a prominent role in scientific and political conversation.

While scientists are doing their part to help reduce the world’s carbon footprint, artists are using their platform to discuss future implications to a wider audience. Although some artistic works are optimistic about humanity’s ability to change, most have forfeited hope, as with the case in Dooley’s Players’ newest production, “Man Cave.”

Written by playwright Timothy Mooney, “Man Cave,” a one-woman audio performance streamed through YouTube, tells the story of the last human on Earth trying to seek help after her planet has been ravaged by climate change. The dark comedy is directed by Julia Byrne (20C) and stars Ariel Brown (22C) as herself in the year 2030.

The play suggests that the year 2030 will be characterized by skyrocketing temperatures. The protagonist must therefore move north and bunker down with a limited supply of food and water, the internet and air conditioning.

While the idea of the world set ablaze is scary enough, this fear is exacerbated when you consider that the play is set only 10 years in the future. Brown acknowledges the timeline as she explains what led society to environmental collapse through anecdotes that she calls the “10

Commandments.” While each of these anecdotes provided deeper insight to what could have been done to prevent the catastrophic effects of climate change, they also added comedic relief to the performance. Brown masterfully blends humor with the play’s dark themes, comparing society to a baby that should have grown up sooner and arguing that the pleasure of sex does not outweigh the influx of people being born. And those were just two of the highlights.

Given that the play is a dark comedy, humor takes on a substantial role, mainly intersplicing upsetting thoughts from our narrator. The play vacillates between a funny experience to a distressing incident that befalls Brown. For example, in an early moment in the performance, the protagonist complains that the only thing on the HuffPost is pictures of Sen. Ted Cruz. After this acknowledgement, Brown explains that she could die any day if she were to lose her water supply or air conditioning. This mixture, while adding to the emotional conflict, helps to reinforce the issues facing our environment.

Although the primary message of “Man Cave” is that people must take action against climate change, the play also explores the effects of isolation. One can observe a few incidents throughout the show that hint to the main character’s loss of sanity in an unpeopled world. Although there are several challenges in transferring a play to an audio performance, Dooley’s Players were tactful in setting up a show that explores the protagonist’s

Derrick Tran/Staff

Julia Byrne (20C) and Ariel Brown (22C) perform voiceover work for ‘Man Cave,’ a radio play. isolation. Something as simple as the act of drinking water would go unnoticed in a live-action show. But hearing the sound of drinking enhances the notion that Brown could run out of water any day. The medium that this performance is presented in allows the audience to insert themselves in this character’s world. Given that Dooley’s Players’ version of “Man Cave” is a strictly audio performance, listeners were able to listen alone in their rooms to immerse themselves in the protagonist’s isolation. The alternative, however, was to attend one of two lis-

tening parties held at Oxford College’s Seney Hall on Jan. 31 and at the Emory Student Center on Feb. 1. After the conclusion of the Feb. 1 listening party, Byrne and Brown attended a postshow discussion to answer questions about the performance and explain their thoughts on the issue of climate change.

Byrne explained the important correlation between theater and being surrounded by people who are passionate about it.

“One of the great things about live theater is the community that the audi-

Art Competition

Emory Org. Poets of Color Host Slam Contest

Helen Bradshaw/Contributing

Shola Hanciles (23C) performs during the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational on Jan 31. in Harland Cinema.

By Kelly Martinez Contributing Writer “Love” — that was the first word audience members heard during Friday night’s poetry slam.

A mentor from Atlanta’s Word Works, a program that advocates for youth participation in poetry and spoken word, initiated the singleword mantra of sorts. A murmur of “love” filled the room.

The Qualifying Poetry Slam for

the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational — known as CUPSI in slam poetry circles — took place on Jan. 31 in Harland Cinema.

CUPSI hosts college and university students from throughout the nation for a three-day competition with multiple stages.

Slam poets are given the space to elevate the art form to its greatest heights as a mechanism for activism.

The event was organized by Poets

of Color Emory (POC Emory), a budding student group of writers, freestylers and slam poets.

POC Emory opened the event to all experience levels, drawing in 10 poets to the stage for a single-round slam.

As the night progressed, poets like Annie Li (22C) used poetry to probe questions of inclusion, redemption and unabated self-love.

“I will learn to love the way my eyes contract when I smile,” she said.

In “A Daughter’s Apology,” Li called for forgiveness from her mother, a Chinese immigrant whom she wishes to repay for her sacrifices.

To Li, both forgiveness from herself and forgiveness from others are inextricably intertwined.

With each poet that took the stage, the evening morphed into a celebration of self-advocacy and of diversity and, simultaneously, an acknowledgment of the communal pain and the longing for inclusion that minorities experience.

A sense of urgency permeated several of the artists’ performances.

“Mama fears her own brown as much as I fear her belt,” poet Anna Frida Herrera (23C) began, contrasting the fears of her youth with those of her mother, physical pain against that of racial discrimination and alienation. But Herrera revealed she too learned this pain, paving her way to self-advocacy “with a fist clenched to the air, open

letter” to bigotry.

Moments later, I found myself in one poet’s memories of a homeland, now unbeknownst to them.

In their piece, they traversed battlegrounds of lineage and lost identities by exploring their estranged relationship with an uncle.

Another performer called up their struggles with depression before they offered a renewed understanding of life’s innate value.

But it’s one of the final performances that truly breached the wall between poet and spectator.

In his piece, Sulaiman Rashid (23C) slowly unfolded a nightmare in which he’d become a father to a black son that he could not protect from institutionalized persecution.

A narrator warns his son that he doesn’t “have to be a smoker to die from black lungs,” that “the boogie man can be a criminal in a uniform.”

In the quiet of Harland Cinema, these truths felt deafening.

At the end of the night, the host announced the five performers that will represent Emory at CUPSI: Li, Herrera, Rashid, exchange student Naniboula Sidibe and Twisha Dimri (23C). Insular as writing it may be, performing poetry is an act: one of giving and one of receiving, one of love and one of healing.

At Emory, this is an act we must engage in.

— Contact Kelly Martinez at kelly.martinez@emory.edu

ence forms in those couple of hours being in the same room together,” Byrne said. “I think doing anything like that in a group feels more theatrical to me.” “Man Cave” is a well-needed and well-timed response to a planet that is verging on catastrophe and a population that is doing little to stop it.

With a broken narrator in a world as distressed as she is, this audio performance will make you think about the effect you have on this Earth.

— Contact Eythen Anthony at eythen.anthony@emory.edu

Upcoming Arts Events At Emory And in ATL • Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m., Emory Cinematheque: “A Raisin in the Sun,” White Hall 208 • Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m., Human Health on Film: “The King’s Speech” screening, White Hall 208 • Feb. 8, noon, Valentine’s Artist Market at Boxcar • Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m., Emory Dance Alumni Showcase, Dance Studio, Schwartz Performing Arts Center • Feb. 8, 8 p.m., Big Band Night, Emerson Concert Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Jazz Fest • Feb. 9, noon., Free Day at the High Museum of Art • Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m., Big Band Night, Emerson Concert Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Jazz Fest • Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m., Transcendent Deities Conversation, Ackerman Hall, Michael C. Carlos Museum • Feb. 14, 10 p.m., Bless Yr Heart: A Queer Valentine’s Day Dance Party!, The Bakery ATL • Feb. 15, 6 p.m., Black and Proud Art Show, The B Complex

A&E

The Emory Wheel TV Commentary

Oh Dip, ‘The Good Place’ is Over

By Adesola Thomas Arts & Entertainment Editor

Michael Schur, the executive producer of beloved shows like “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” has made an indelible mark on American comedy.

On Jan. 30, after four years of comical meditations on human nature and moral philosophizing, Schur’s most recent NBC comedy series, “The Good Place,” has ended.

“The Good Place” was a 22-minute, single-camera comedy.

The show followed the personal growth of a self-centered Arizonan woman, Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell); indecisive moral ethics professor Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper); a name dropping English socialite, Tahani Al-Jamil (Jameela Jamil) and a dimwitted break-dancing Floridian, Jason Mendoza (Manny Jacinto).

After these four strangers die on Earth, they go to the Good Place, an afterlife they soon come to find isn’t exactly paradise.

With the guidance of Michael (Ted Danson), a silver fox and Good Place architect, and Janet (D’Arcy Carden), the physical, feminized embodiment of all the universe’s wisdom, the sextet interrogates what it means to live a good life.

“The Good Place” was a success on multiple fronts.

The show thoughtfully approached and depicted the daunting inevitability of death and the mysteries of the hereafter (funnily enough what some might call heaven is a never-ending cobblestone street lined with frozen

yogurt shops).

The existential musings of “The Good Place” are especially impressive considering that the show gestures toward numerous faith-based conceptions of an afterlife without buttressing one or dismissing any of the others.

Additionally, the show delivers complicated tenets of moral ethics to an American audience in a way that’s simple but never simplistic.

There is an undeniable loveliness and generosity woven into the show’s narrative...At a moment in history when humanity itself appears to be verging on oblivion, ‘The Good Place’ has done a permanent and blessed thing.

Although the show certainly articulates what is bad — Shawn (Marc Evan Jackson), an unparalleled eyebrow raiser and Bad Place torturer, flattens human penises — “The Good Place” gives its viewers room to witness and decide for themselves what is good.

The show championed the capacity that deeply imperfect beings have to recognize their faults and reach for better versions of themselves. Every character, including non-human Janet and Gen, the Judge of the universe

(Maya Rudolph), evolves at some point over the show’s four seasons.

There is an undeniable loveliness and generosity woven into the show’s narrative.

But Schur’s story did not fall prey to what Charles Bukowski, one of poetry’s infamous drunk uncles, referred to as “cock-eyed optimism.”

Rather, it found this splendorous balance of critiquing selfishness and a multitude of violent behaviors in an accessible, non-preachy way.

Additionally, it put underrepresented figures at its center and not to be self-congratulatory or topical.

While Schur shows have been criticized for operating in a post-racial dreamscape, he should be commended for creating African and Asian characters who are annonying, selfish, sexy, stupid, brilliant and gloriously human.

He seems to deeply understand that in the most fundamental way, racial, gender and sexual minorities deserve to be on TV because they deserve to be on Earth. At a moment in history when humanity itself appears to be verging on oblivion, “The Good Place” has done a permanent and blessed thing.

It is a show that has contemplated alongside its audience the politics of hope, the reality of meandering devastation and the way our lives can be peppered with joy nonetheless.

I know that millions of viewers across the globe will experience a twinge in our hearts the next few Thursday evenings. But I trust that all will be well if we remember to “take it sleazy.”

— Contact Adesola Thomas at adesola.thomas@emory.edu

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

11

Embodied Series

Christle Bears Soul In Poetry Reading

By John Cai Contributing Writer

Heather Christle’s poetry is telescopic. It makes you feel both small and big, but always human. On Jan. 28., the Creative Writing program kicked off the Spring semester reading series with a reading by Christle, a renowned poet and an assistant professor of English and Creative Writing at Emory. Christle was met with a packed house in the Jones Room of the Woodruff Library.

The poet’s husband, Christopher Deweese, introduced Christle to the podium by describing their first romantic encounter while they were graduate students. “I liked her poetry and then I liked her,” he said. “That was the end of my objectivity.”

Throughout the reading, Christle’s demeanor was a mixture of seriousness and humor. She was warm and made jokes with the audience but channeled a focus and devotion when discussing her work. For instance, to let the audience know she was quoting someone else’s words, Christle raised her right hand, as if swearing an oath.

Christle first read a poem entitled “Thank You For Having Me.” The language of the poem started off casually, and it was mostly about cats. At times, it is comical and simple, like in the line, “Adult cats do not meow at each other.”

But toward the end, the poem zooms out to larger, grandiose concepts involving angels.Then, Christle moved on to the main portion of her reading, during which she read short prose from her

new book, “The Crying Book.” The book connects scientific research, literature and the author’s personal experiences to form a holistic image of crying. For example, at the beginning of the book, she uses Ovid’s poem “The Art of Love” to describe how people have suppressed crying throughout history. Later, the book mentions the Netflix sitcom “Crashing” to argue that a lover’s tears could be erotic. Lines and phrases that stood out from the book included, “crying is the first thing we ever did,” “tears of blood” and “crying does not need a subject.” Her poems grant the audience permission to confront the reasons why we usually avoid vulnerability .

The reading was well-received by the audience, and after its conclusion, many students and community members lined up to have the poet sign their book. This reading has made me reflect on my attitude toward crying. As a man, I have often been discouraged and told that crying is a negative and unmanly thing to do. But I am a person who often cries when something moves me, like a movie, a piece of literature or an encounter in my life. I actually once kept a list of things I cried about, for I think it tells a lot about a person’s identity and uniqueness. I start to question whether or not these views on crying are appropriate. I think this kind of reflection is the effect that Christle wants to achieve. In a way, she has exposed the emotional restraints we place upon ourselves and others.

— Contact John Cai at john.cai@emory.edu

SCI-FI MUSICAL

Romance and Mortality Collide in ‘Maybe Happy Ending’

By Charlotte Selton Staff Writer

What is the future of robotics?

Decades worth of movies and novels depict it as the apocalyptic end of humanity or as a nail-biting battle against evil artificial intelligence. Yet perhaps robotics’ future is achingly human, as the machines we create inherit the longing for connection, the wonders of being alive and the fears of mortality.

The soft and beautiful musical “Maybe Happy Ending” imagines the latter future as two helperbots learn to relish the joys of existence while struggling with the inevitability of powering down permanently. Already an award-winning hit in South Korea, the Alliance Theatre brings Atlanta audiences the English-language world premiere of this romantic comedy musical. In a future Seoul, Oliver (Kenny Tran), an obsolete helperbot, happily watches the world from within his room, filling his days, weeks and years with his jazz collection and “friendly chats” with the mailman while he waits for a letter from his friend James (John D. Haggerty).

However, when his neighbor Claire (Cathy Ang) pounds on his door, desperate to borrow a charger before she runs out of battery, Oliver’s routine is shattered, replaced by new anxieties and possibilities. The glimpses we catch of the world around him allude to a future grimmer than Claire and Oliver seem to realize, where fireflies are functionally extinct except on one small island.

Moreover, robots with clear sentience are denied basic rights. Oliver and Claire may only travel within “The Yard,” an apartment complex for retired helperbots, and are forbidden from earning or possessing human

money. That Oliver and Claire are never outraged at such injustices adds a layer of melancholy to the adventures and romance they discover.

Although no single song stands out as the showstopper that you’ll walk away humming, the music and lyrics by Will Aronson and Hue Park, respectively, are well-crafted and easy to enjoy.

Plenty of peppy songs like “Rearview Mirror” and “Hitting the Road” keep the one-act show clipping along, while a beautiful instrumental sequence proves one of the most evocative moments in the show.

My sole critique is that, while musically lovely, the duet “When You’re In Love” undercuts what should be a climactic exchange in the following scene. The vinyl jazz records that Oliver lovingly collects come to life with the smooth voice of Dez Duron while an anguished midshow solo, “Everything Must End Eventually,” showcases the strength and clarity of Ang’s voice. Tran, delightful in his many duets with Ang, demonstrates his comedic chops throughout the show, successfully navigating Oliver’s absurdity without venturing into farce.

“Maybe Happy Ending” boasts a minimal cast with only four actors on stage: Tran, Ang, Duron and supporting cast member Haggerty. The two final characters, JiYeon (Diana Huey) and Suhan (Daniel Edwards), appear only in video projections, but remain vital to the story.

The production is also noteworthy for featuring Asian-American actors in leading roles. The few well-known U.S. musicals with substantial roles for Asian-American actors (“The King and I,” “Miss Saigon” and “South Pacific”) range from stereotypical to out-right racist, making “Maybe Happy Ending” a refreshing alternative.

Courtesy of Greg Mooney

Next door neighbors and retired helperbots Claire (Cathy Ang) and Oliver (Kenny Tran) interact in a post apocalyptic world at Alliance Theatre’s production.

The creative team behind the musical deserves as much praise as the actors. The director, Michael Arden, carries impressive credentials.

Arden has been nominated twice for the Best Direction of a Musical Tony Award, for the vibrant Broadway revivals of “Spring Awakening” and “Once on this Island.” Here in Atlanta, he continues his streak of directing bold and visionary musicals. The set, lighting and projection designs — the work of Dane Laffrey, Travis Hagenbuch and Sven Ortel, respectively — use impressive technology to create the near-future Seoul. Small stacked rooms frame the stage, visually shrinking the large main stage of the theater to better fit the small cast, while projections transform the entire set to the blinking lights of Seoul or the soft glow of a sunset on roll-

ing hills. A rotating turntable on the stage holds removable set-pieces, to smoothly transition between Oliver’s and Claire’s rooms.

Unfortunately, when stagehands move large set pieces, like the characters’ rooms, noise occasionally filters out to the audience, which is most noticeable during a poignant and quiet scene near the end of the show.

Additionally, the adjustable strip light borders, used to frame the action on stage, are an interesting effect, but clearly still have some bugs to be worked out as unintentional multicolored flashing disrupted dark scenes on opening night.

Additionally, the detailing of the set is inconsistent. While Oliver’s room showcases his personality, decorated with photographs and album covers, Claire’s room — which contains only

a duct-taped neon bean bag, cardboard box, fairy lights and poster — fails to convey her interests or hobbies, besides that she loves the color pink. While the technical design has room for improvement, all shortcomings shrink when set against those elements that truly astound, particularly the projections.“Maybe Happy Ending” brings an imaginative and charming story of love lost and found to Atlanta audiences.

Its lovely score, astounding technical design, accomplished creative team and charming cast are each reason enough to see this show before it closes Feb. 16. If you only see one theatrical work in Atlanta this year, make it “Maybe Happy Ending.”

— Contact Charlotte Selton at charlotte.selton@emory.edu

12

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

ARCHIVES

The Emory Wheel

FROM THE ARCHIVES, 1984 & 1986: Georgia’s Drinking Age Rises from 19 to 21 21-No! Fails in Alcohol Restrictions in Effect Committee

By Leanne Norton News Editor

By Fred Diamond Editor-in-Chief For the second straight year a bill proposed to raise the drinking age in Georgia to 21 from 19 failed. And for the second straight year pressure from student groups contributed to the failure.

By a vote of 6-3, the Georgia House of Representatives Temperance Committee did not pass a recommendation to raise the minimum age at which alcohol may be purchased.

According to Student Government Association President Greg Paulus, the bill would have passed the House had the committee not voted it down. He said that Governor Joe Frank Harris would have signed the bill had it reached his desk.

Paulus said that Rep. Betty Aaron, chairman of the House “Age of Majority” sub-committee, was instrumental in the bill’s failure. Paulus said Aaron’s decision to vote against the bill

was based on the inconsistency of the age issue, saying that Aaron believed that “if 19-year-olds can fight in the Army and vote, they should be able to drink.”

Paulus said he was confident that the bill would fail the committee before the vote was even taken.

“When I walked in there I wrote ‘6-3 against’ on a piece of paper. It even lined up the exact way that I thought it would.”

Andy Bauman, an active “21-No!” campaigner, said that it was a great victory for the students. “We fought hard, and we’re glad that it didn’t pass,” he said. “If they try to bring it back up next year, we’ll fight them just as hard.”

“We’ll be back again next year if we have to be,” said Paulus. On the bill’s author Sen. Joe Thompson, Paulus said, “This is essentially his claim to fame. He’ll bring it up until he goes to the United States House of Representatives or dies.”

Today at 12:01 a.m., Georgia law goes into effect, making many students who are just getting over their hangovers from last weekend’s festivities underaged once again. University officials project that approximately 80 percent of Emory’s undergraduate population is affected by the new drinking age policy.

While many students complain that legislature seems to be zeroing in on their age group, Emory must comply with the new state law. In an attempt to develop new rules that are reasonable and fair, the Alcohol Policy Task Force, comprised of administrators, faculty, and students, has developed the Alcohol Policy Council and written the Division of Campus Life Alcohol Policy.

The Alcohol Policy Council has specific jurisdiction over all matters involving alleged violation of Campus Life Alcohol Policy. A student will be allowed to appear before the Alcohol Policy Council only two times. On the third violation, he or she will be referred to the Conduct Council. If

other violations of conduct expectations are also involved, Conduct Council will handle the case.

The five members of the Alcohol Policy Council are appointed by the Dean of Campus Life, Bill Fox. They include two administrative staff members, one faculty member, and two students.

Punishment for violations of the alcohol policy can include but are not limited to fines, mandatory community service, loss of social privileges, and oral or written reprimand. But the Alcohol Policy Council does not have the power to impose an academic sanction or suspend or dismiss an individual student from enrollment.

The Division of Campus Life Alcohol Policy includes both legal and university requirements. As of today, it is illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase, possess, and consume any alcoholic beverage. It is also unlawful to serve anyone under the drinking age or to misrepresent one’s age or identity.

Alcohol can not be sold on campus.

For those of legal drinking age a few exceptions are made such as drinking in a private room. Alcohol in residence hall common areas, the university cen-

ter, Dooley’s Den, the Depot, and the Turman Deli will be allowed on a permission basis only. All Greek facilities will be restricted and permit is based on whether the event is open or closed.

An open event must be registered two weeks before it is scheduled and special guidelines must be followed.

Alcohol may be sold at off-campus Emory events, provided the seller has the required license for the sale and service of alcohol. Servers will be responsible for checking proof of age.

Emory I.D. is not acceptable as proof of age for service of alcohol. A document issued by a governmental agency with a picture and date of birth is required instead. However, Emory I.D. may be necessary at some events to prove affiliation with the university.

From now on, campus parties may have a different twist. Food and nonalcoholic beverages are no longer nice options, but rather requirements for event approval. Drinking contests are not allowed, and prizes of alcohol can no longer be awarded.As students grumble about their privileges being taken away, there is one conciliation: they can look forward to another birthday celebrating finally coming of age.

The Emory Wheel

Emory Life

Wednesday, February 5, 2020 | Emory Life Editor: Caroline Silva (ccsilva@emory.edu) | Asst. Emory Life Editor: Angela Tang (angela.tang@emory.edu)

2020 BACH BOWL ON SUPERBOWL SUNDAY

SPOTLIGHT

Emory Senior To Release Second EP

By Caroline Silva Emory Life Editor

Noyonika Parulekar/Staff

The Vega Quartet joined Emory University organist Timothy Albrecht and faculty for the annual Bach Bowl, where they performed an hour-long concert of Bach chamber music on Feb. 2.

FACULTY

Flynn to Retire After 40 Years

By Angela Choksi Contributing Writer

A Catholic priest and a professor of Philosophy -- although these two professions seem as diverse as the sun and the moon, they are two ways to describe Dr. Thomas R. Flynn, Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor in the Department of Philosophy. After an academic career spanning over four decades across three different continents, Flynn will retire from Emory University at the end of the Spring semester.

Born in 1936, Flynn is a Spokane, Wash. native raised in Helena, Mont.

He completed his bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and history and graduated summa cum laude from Carroll College (Mont.) in 1958. In 1962, he graduated summa cum laude from

the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome with a master’s degree in theology.

In 1970, Flynn completed his doctorate in philosophy at Columbia University (N.Y.). Soon after, he began teaching history at Carroll College, followed by Princeton University (N.J.) and Columbia University. It was nearly 40 years ago when Flynn came to Emory and finally fulfilled his undergraduate dream of teaching philosophy.

As he reminisced about the people and experiences that shaped and influenced his life, Flynn credited his two older brothers, who also studied philosophy and history, for fostering his love for the subjects.

“I read [my brothers’] history books, but what interested me was not the battles and treaties, but the

SIGHTSEEING

ideas … which moved into philosophy,” Flynn said.

Flynn said that books, in general, have always played a large role in his life, whether he was reading or writing them. Flynn has published seven books over a span of 28 years.

Of the various books he has written, he most prizes his latest publication, “Sartre: A Philosophical Biography” (2014), which supported his reputation as the world’s premier authority and expert on French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.

Despite Flynn’s varied philosophical interests, evidenced by the diverse subject matters of his publications, his favorite school of thought is existentialism, a theory that focuses on free will and the human experience.

See SARTRE, Page 14

Although Chris “Hovers” Chandler (20C) has only been rapping and producing music since his first year at Emory, the self-made musician and producer will release his second EP on Feb. 14 and intends to create a name for himself in the music scene.

A film studies major from Washington D.C., Hovers has taken full advantage of Emory and Atlanta to launch his music career. A friend of Hovers, Nkosi Cave (20C), taught Hovers how to produce beats in his first year at Emory. Since then, Hovers has built an entire production studio in his apartment, decked out with a keyboard, audio interface, microphone, studio monitors and a laptop with the digital audio software Logic Pro X. “For a while people did not like my beats ‘cause they were different and … I wasn’t good at all,” Hovers said.

“That’s when I started rapping on my own beats.”

Hovers took Electronic Music and Composition with Instructor Dustin Cicero his sophomore year, which taught him how to mix and master his beats. The course introduced him to various equipment used to make music. Additionally, he spent several hours each week in the Emory MediaLab using Logic Pro X and at a studio in the Burlington Road Building. With the several resources on campus, Hovers has managed to balance his passion for music and his responsibilities as a student.

“I can’t focus solely on school,” Hovers said. “That’s just not who I am. I’ve always been a creative type, so I do music as much as I can, which

means I have to go harder in school to do that.”

With no formal music education other than a few courses at Emory, Hovers dropped his first EP “Boy Genius” in 2017. He said that the EP explored hip-hop and its various styles. “[“Boy Genius”] was very early on, like me trying to make beats, and people didn’t like them,” Hovers said. “I couldn’t mimic the mainstream hip-hop … I kept trying to just accept that I had my own style.”

“Boy Genius” is hardly Hovers’ proudest work, especially considering his newer music. Still, Jonathan Bennett (20C), who met Hovers through a mutual friend and runs a music review blog, argued that Hovers should be proud of “Boy Genius.”

“In “Boy Genius,” [Hovers] showed several sides of his music … he was able to delve into different genres,” Bennett said. “[“Boy Genius”] is how he unraveled himself, as he began with an explorative [EP], and now he has shifted toward a more focused, more poetic way to his art.”

Hovers places his music under a genre he calls “human music,” which according to him, connects various people through various means. He recognizes that music serves different purposes for everyone. For him, music serves as a gateway.

“Music is really therapy for me,” Hovers said. “It’s a way to say things that I can’t say in normal conversations. I can be an introvert sometimes … but with music … it’s a gateway for me to just express myself.”

Hovers’ friend Garrett Rea (22C)

See HOVERS, Page 14

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Explore These 5 Famous Field Day Combines American, Asian Flair Atlanta Landmarks

By Caleigh Leyton Contributing Writer

By Angela Tang Asst. Emory Life Editor Tucked into the eastern suburb of Druid Hills, Ga., Emory’s campus is situated roughly 15 minutes from the heart of Atlanta, a lively and historically rich city.

Take a day off from your medical school preparations, calculus problem sets and assigned philosophy readings to venture into the city and enjoy these five landmarks of Atlanta.

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park One of the most prominent and renowned civil rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta on April 4, 1929. The national park includes his childhood home, the Ebenezer Baptist Church where he preached and the King Center, among other monuments.

The park aims to celebrate his life and legacy while providing visitors with a glimpse into King’s personal life. Tours of his home are held every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.

Visitors can observe attractions such as the eternal flame, which symbol-

izes King’s vision. The King Center, officially the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, was established in 1968 by King’s wife, Coretta Scott King, to honor him.

The center contains extensive archives of primary resources and also doubles as his final resting place.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a multipurpose stadium home to both the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) and Atlanta United FC of Major League Soccer (MLS). Forbes’ Keith Flamer called the arena “the best venue in the NFL.” The stadium’s signature pinwheelshaped, retractable roof creates the illusion of a bird with its wings extended for flight.

The design allows the stadium the versatility to serve as either an outdoor or indoor arena, should the weather prove a hindrance.

The stadium also hosts other miscellaneous sporting events, such as the 2020 NCAA Final Four men’s basketball games in early April. Entertainers

See VISIT, Page 14

Field Day

Old Fourth Ward

Located at a 15-minute drive from campus, Old Fourth Ward recently added a new restaurant to the neighborhood on Dec. 11, 2019. Field Day is a small, vibrant bar owned by actor and restaurateur Rob Bouton. The joint offers an eclectic menu to satisfy every need of its customers. The restaurant joins Everyday Market, which Bouton opened a year prior.

Field Day’s menu is small, yet varied. It features two types of burgers, a couple of salads, several small plates and sharing options, and side dishes. The menu’s Asian flair can be attributed to co-owner and executive chef Mike Pitts’ prior experience working at Nobu and Momofuku in New York City.

Six friends and I decided to venture to Field Day on a Thursday night a little over a month after their opening. As we drove through Old Fourth Ward, the street bustled with other restaurant-goers waiting outside the various restaurants. In

Caleigh Leyton/Contributing

Field Day opened on Dec. 11, 2019 in Old Fourth Ward and stands next to Everyday Market.

contrast to the lively buzz just down the street, Field Day is situated in a quiet part of the neighborhood that allows it to offer a comparatively tranquil dining experience.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we were the only customers.

The restaurant was decorated with funky, pear-shaped tables, twinkly lights and bright wall designs.

The atmosphere, despite us being the only customers, was fun and inviting, which made us excited to try the food.

Two of my friends and I ordered

Field Day’s classic burger, which comes topped with cheddar cheese and a “champ sauce” that seemed to consist of ketchup, mayo and largely chopped pickles — not unlike the Big Mac sauce from McDonald’s, our waitress explained.

The tangy and vinegary sauce was slathered on both halves of the toasted sesame seed bun and added a kick of flavor to the patty and contrasted well with the sharp cheddar cheese. You could say that we were

See RESTAURANT, Page 14

14

EMORY LIFE

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Visit Iconic Local Historical Sites Continued from Page 13 have also often booked the arena, such as Ed Sheeran and for his “Divide” tour.

420 Fest, a three-day music and beer festival hosted by SweetWater Brewing Company that takes place in April.

World of Coca-Cola

Delta Flight Museum This previously private aviation and corporate museum opened its doors to the general public in June 2014. The museum’s website proclaims that its mission is “to celebrate the history and heritage of Delta and its family of more than 40 airlines, the history of aviation and the future of flight.”

General admission ranges from $10 to $15, depending on age. However, every Tuesday at 1 p.m., the museum offers free 45-minute guided tours that explore Delta Air Lines’ history.

The museum also offers plane interior tours throughout the month, allowing visitors to examine aircrafts such as the Delta Douglas DC-3 Ship. Finally, for $425 an hour, visitors may take their experience to another level by boarding the Boeing 737-200 fullmotion flight simulator, to emulate a real cockpit experience.

Centennial Olympic Park In 1996, Atlanta hosted its first Olympic Games. The Centennial Olympic Park served as a vibrant centerpiece of the event and continues to memorialize the historic Olympics through its thriving reputation as a tourist attraction. Visitors can splash through the Fountain of Rings, an interactive fountain shaped like the iconic Olympics Rings. Many of the brick pathways throughout the park contain short, engraved messages by donors who contributed upward of $35 each toward its construction.

The park also regularly hosts festivals and events, such as the SweetWater

The iconic soft drink brand has its headquarters and museum in the heart of Atlanta. General admission to the museum ranges from $13 to $17.

Upon entering the lobby, all visitors receive a complimentary beverage. In the loft, visitors are able to examine hundreds of historical Coke-related artifacts, such as a centuries-old syrup urn dating back to 1896. One can also visit the “Vault of the Secret Formula,” where the fiercely protected Coca-Cola recipe lies.

Head over to the Perfect Pauses Theater to view the best of Coca-Cola’s advertisements from the year, or pop on over to the Pop Culture exhibit to explore the drink’s brand identity. The visit culminates at a tasting room of Coca-Cola products from all over the world.

The “Taste it!” exhibit contains fountains with over 100 worldwide Coca-Cola beverages. Try everything from household Coke variations, such as the Sparletta Sparberry, a raspberry cream soda exclusively sold in African countries.

Conclusion Emory’s campus can often become a bubble for overstressed and overscheduled students, but with the city just 15 minutes out, there are plenty of opportunities to beat the stress.

Take a weekend off and appreciate the charming southern city of Atlanta and its brilliant landmarks.

— Contact Angela Tang at angela.tang@emory.edu

Hovers Talks Music Production, Rapping Career Continued from Page 13

on Apple Music, Google Play and many big performances, so he hasn’t noted that Hovers’ music differs Spotify, as well as several other plat- necessarily had the chance to move from that of other rappers in its abil- forms. He recently broke 10,000 a ton of people, but if you can get ity to balance beat and lyric. monthly listeners on Spotify across 12 guys to mosh, that’s something “The word[s] are good, the lyrics his “Boy Genius” EP and 10 singles. else. ” roll,” Rea said. “[It’s] stuff you can Hovers has primarily only perIn addition to music, Hovers actually kind of dance to. It isn’t too formed on Emory’s campus. His past began a motivational platform hard of rap that you only focus on appearances include CultureShock through YouTube and Instagram the words, the beat behind it is nice events and the 2019 Monster Mash called “Wecangofar by Go Far LLC” as well.” at the Media, Literature, and Arts in 2018. Though primarily a talk Although Hovers usually records Outreach House.Bennett, who show, the platform has allowed all his songs in his personal studio, attended two of Hovers’ shows at Hovers to branch into clothing merhe recorded his track “In My Room” Emory, noted how Hovers’ lyricism chandise, including hoodies, hats at Humane Studios. Hovers’ friend and beats enthrall the crowd more and t-shirts. The show invites guest Victor Rashad created Humane than his more muted stage presence. speakers to share their personal stoStudios, a home-built sturies, goals and ideas on what dio, along with the record it means to “go far.” label “Late Nights Early Although the show is open Mornings.” Hovers conto everyone, episodes have tinues to collaborate with mostly featured Emory stuRashad on certain projects. dents. The website for the “In My Room”, which platform is currently under released on Jan. 3, was a colconstruction and Hovers is laboration with friend and hoping to venture into podartist A.E. Charles. As the casts in addition to YouTube duo went through old beats videos. to select one for the song, “[“Wecangofar” is] pretty Charles landed across and much a safe space to say “I took a liking to one made in don’t really know what I want 2017. The beat ended up in to do with my life, but here’s a the final production of the few things I’m interested in”,” song.

Hovers said.

Courtesy of Chris Hovers Despite having only met Rapper and music producer Chris Hovers (20C) As Hovers continues to Charles in the summer of will release his EP “Love These Days” on Feb. pursue an independent career 2019, the duo will release in music, he hopes to be able an EP on Feb. 15 called “Love These “[Onstage,] he’s not super ener- to perform at the Dooley’s Week conDays.” Hovers announced the drop getic, but the way he captivates the cert before graduating. With plans of the EP’s single “You Got Me” on crowd just with his bars and poetic to stay in Atlanta after graduation, Jan. 27, and its release followed four sound, it just makes you appreciate Hovers imagines himself playing at days later. art,” Bennett said. various venues throughout the city.

Hovers explained how “Love Rea, who first saw Hovers per“I’m not saying it’s easy [to become These Days” encompasses all of his form at Monster Mash on Oct. 26, successful making music], like [you experiences, friendships and rela- 2019, was impressed by his ability to don’t] go put out a song and … [just] tionships thus far. He especially excite the audience despite having a blow up,” Hovers said. “But if you noted how the EP explored his love small crowd. keep putting out enough good music for the days that he and Charles “[There were] 12 people dancing and if the right people then seek it spent making the songs for the EP in the front while he was perform- out, you can catch the right ear and and the importance of cherishing the ing, and I don’t know how he man- make a living off of it.” time one spends with a significant aged to have a mosh pit with 12 other. people, but it was pretty amazing,” — Contact Caroline SIlva at Hovers releases all his music Rea said. “I know he hasn’t had too ccsilva@emory.edu

Sartre Scholar Reflects On Career Continued from Page 13 Traversing across a number of subjects such as contemporary French thought, the theory of responsibility and Marxist existentialism, Flynn’s courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels include “Metaphysics and Epistemology” and “Topics in 20th Century Philosophy.”

Flynn is widely recognized as a phenomenal teacher among his friends, colleagues and students.

Fuller E. Callaway Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Agnes Scott College (Ga.) and Flynn’s colleague Richard Parry recognized Flynn’s commitment to academia and his students.

“Above and beyond, [Flynn] is an example of a scholar, someone who has devoted his entire life to understanding some quite difficult texts,” Parry said. ”He exemplifies all the qualities that go with that vocation.”

Throughout his decorated career, Flynn has been an American Council of Learned Studies senior research fellow (1984-1985), the chair of the executive board of the North American Sartre Society (1988-1991) and a member of the board of directors of the American Philosophical Association (1989-1992). Although he has accumulated these titles, he said his greatest accomplishment was becoming valedictorian of his graduate school class at Gregorian.

To him, this achievement symbolized his determination to carve out a place for himself in the field of academia and solidified him as a scholar of religion and philosophy.

Flynn has not just limited himself to academia, however. He has been a Roman Catholic priest for 28 years, and celebrates the Mass for Mother Teresa’s nuns at the Missionaries of Charity Gift of Grace House hospice in Atlanta for women suffering from AIDS-related complications.

“When you look at these women … think about how much longer they have to live,” Flynn said. “[There] is something you learn from people who give themselves for other people.”

Flynn has also journeyed from Kashmir, India to the Baltic Sea to Brazil. He has attended and spoken at various sessions of the International Philosophical Seminar over the last 27 years, a group of intellectuals and philosophers who hail from various nations worldwide, including Japan, England and Italy.

The seminar meets every summer in Northern Italy, where they spend 12 days discussing philosophical works.

Having spent countless years in the service of teaching, Flynn said he will miss his colleagues and students the most once he retires from Emory, an institution which he believes has deep roots and meaningful values.

He claimed that his students keep

The Emory Wheel

him grounded and on his toes.

“I have always respected [my students] and felt at home with them,” Flynn said.

After retirement, Flynn plans to spend a year researching at Emory.

He also aims to add to his lengthy repertoire with a book based on his upcoming research, in addition to travelling with his friends and revisiting his Montana roots. He also said that he would like his legacy at Emory to include recognition of his hard work and his dedication to helping his students become worldly model citizens. Sporting an infectious smile after a moment of reflection, Flynn advised Emory students to find gratification within the self and instill a sense of groundedness in one’s demeanor and attitude.

Although he recognized the importance of self-gratification, he also emphasized the value of humility.

He confidently denies having any regrets during his life.

“You want to have a certain sense of fairness for people,” Flynn said.

“You want to have a sense of being able to forgive people [and], above all, yourself, which does not come easy. This may sound like I am preaching now, [but] you have got to be humble and that, in academia or anywhere, is not an easy thing.”

— Contact Angela Choksi at angela.kevin.choksi@emory.edu

Restaurant and Everyday Market Pack Flavor Punch Continued from Page 13 satisfied, as we finished our burgers within three minutes. One of my friends immediately exclaimed, “Mmm! Really good!” as she took her first bite.

Although certainly filling and delicious, the $12 burger did not come accompanied by any free sides. For a burger worth that much, $4 for a side of french fries was slightly disappointing.

Another one of my friends ordered the winter citrus salad with a side of cauliflower.

When it arrived at the table, we were immediately drawn to the bright, flower-like slices of citrus laid on the top.

She noted the freshness of the oranges, satsuma and grapefruit, and the savory flavor brought by the vinaigrette dressing.

The charred cauliflower, on the other hand, was drenched in a brown butter sauce, feta cheese and capers, making it unpleasantly soggy.

The chicken yakitori roll arrived next. The sandwich consisted of shredded chicken thighs and a generous helping of scallion aioli packed into an untoasted hoagie roll.

My friend was slightly disappointed in the chicken’s lack of fla-

vor and the sogginess brought by the overwhelming amount of sauce.

Another one of my friends ordered the steak frites. Although the menu stated that the steak would be cooked medium, it came out rather rare. The steak’s pungent herb rub left a distinct aftertaste in our mouths.

The fries that accompanied the meal were covered in a sweet and salty “field spice” that seemed to consist of onion powder and paprika.

Our initial reaction was that the french fries were interesting in an unexpected, unconventional way.

My friend who had ordered the steak frites noted that the fries with the spice were delicious and she could’ve eaten a full plate of them.

We all agreed that everything packed a punch in terms of flavor and that each dish offered a distinct flavor.

We concurred that the plates were slightly overpriced, with main dishes amounting to $10 minimum and $25 maximum. Everything came on small plates with no free sides and we were all still hungry after the meal. We likened this to be a new restaurant still trying to figure itself out.

— Contact Caleigh Leyton at cleyton@emory.edu

Shared Journey the High Point of Jackson’s Tenure Continued from Back Page as a coach?

Misha Jackson: Honestly, I became a head coach a little sooner than I thought.

But as far as goals for me right now, career-wise, it’s building a national program and getting our name back out there.

We’re ranked right now, but building a championship culture, and not only just the culture, but also getting some results with that, getting some banners, getting some hardware.

TEW: What has been one of your favorite moments coaching?

MJ: You know, it’s hard to say, but if it had to be an event, it’d definitely be making the NCAA tournament last year. I think that was something this group has wanted for a really long time, especially that senior class.

Building up to that and just seeing it in a very dramatic fashion, and then seeing them go, was awesome. Other than that, I think just growing with this team. You know, with our senior

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

SPORTS

The Emory Wheel

class, they have had me as an assistant to interim coach to the official head coach… We have come a long way. Just the journey with this core group of players has been fun.

TEW: What do you value most in a player?

MJ: It’s definitely that grit factor.

How much they are a team player.

Being a great teammate is big for me, so it goes far and beyond the little things of whether you’re helping your teammate up or things like that. Or are you willing to hold them accountable?

If you’re having a bad game, are you still able to be a great teammate? Are you diving on the floor for loose balls?

It sounds like the obvious answers, but those things go a long way — it’s those intangibles to me that really separate the good from the great players.

TEW: What is the coolest thing about first playing for Emory and now coaching for Emory?

MJ: It’s definitely cool having played for the team, and I think I definitely take advantage of it, just

because I know what it’s like to be a student-athlete here, and I know what the team is going through. I’ve been able to see the team grow and change since I played, and it’s been really cool.

You know, nothing beats playing the game, so that was definitely fun, but coaching these past couple of years has been extremely rewarding.

TEW: As a coach, what do you value most in terms of coaching techniques or practices?

MJ: Respect, pride and loyalty.

Take pride in what you do. You gotta be willing to work hard. Trust is another one. Trust the process, trust one another.

Finally, to “handle your business like a woman.” This isn’t about separating men and women, but rather women from girls. If you have an issue, handle it yourself instead of bickering about it. It’s about taking responsibility for yourself.

56.8 percent. To put that into perspective, four of the recently announced 2020 NBA All-Stars were less efficient. The closest All-Star comparison is none other than Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who boasts a 57 true shooting percentage.

Jackson attributes the pair’s efficiency to work ethic and taking smart shots. “[Ripley and Weiss] are big gym rats and have put in the time getting up shots,” Jackson said. “They are taking good shots within the offense and have a green light.”

Clearly, Ripley and Weiss are putting up substantial numbers. But the age-old question regarding individual stats still remains: do these stats contribute to winning basketball?

Yes, they do.

The Eagles went on a nine-game winning streak when Ripley was moved to the bench, a streak which ended this past weekend with two

narrow defeats on the road to the University of Chicago (UChicago) (8071) and Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) (85-83). Emory is sitting pretty with a 14-4 overall record that places them at the No. 2 position in the UAA.

15

SWOOP’S SCOOP Sport

Friday Feb. 7

Swim & Dive Baseball W Basketball M Basketball

Time

Opponent @Auburn Invtl. @Piedmont Tourn.

UChicago UChicago

All Day 3 p.m.

6 p.m.

8 p.m.

Saturday Feb. 8

Swim & Dive Baseball

@Auburn Invtl. @Piedmont Tourn.

All Day 1 p.m.

Sunday Feb. 9

Swim & Dive M Basketball W Basketball Baseball

@Auburn Invtl.

WashU WashU @Piedmont Tourn.

All Day 12 p.m.

2 p.m.

4 p.m.

— Contact Ava Villalba at ava.villalba@emory.edu

Impact of Ripley, Weiss Comparable to 2 NBA Stars

Continued from Back Page

fact that everyone trusts me to shoot,” Weiss said.

The duo’s success lies not just in sheer numbers, but also in their efficient scoring.

Ripley’s 47.5 field goal percentage (fg), 37.5 three-point percentage and 82.9 free-throw percentage shooting are efficient no matter how you look at them.

While Weiss’ 40.2 fg percentage appears sub-par to the untrained eye, it doesn’t tell the three-point specialist’s full story. 94 of Weiss’ 122 shot attempts are threes, so she can shoot a much lower percentage and be as efficient as someone taking more twopoint shots.

To accurately combat this bias against the three, basketball analysts use true shooting percentage as a metric to properly quantify a scorer’s efficiency.

Weiss’ true shooting percentage is

Finding Comfort in Basketball Tragedy Continued from Back Page

and his impact on the world. dissolved, and the Earth found peace Through triumph and tragedy, in death. sports bring people together in a way Despite never having known him mimicked by a few other unifying and often having hoped for his failure faculties. on the court, Bryant impacted me off The relationships forged between the court in a way that I was wholly fans with shared ideas, interests and unaware of until his passing, a real- intensities are special, for they endure. ization I surely share I shared tears with with countless others. total strangers on It is truly wretched Broad Street on Feb. On Jan. 27, I once that our collective 8, 2018 — the date bond was strength- again shed tears with of the Philadelphia ened by the NBA’s Eagles’ Super Bowl those who I never loss of one of its great- knew but with whom parade. It was a est ambassadors, the beautiful emotional I shared a special Bryant family’s loss of exchange; fans of the connection ... a father and a daughsame team embraced ter, and the people’s one another for wearloss of their basketball hero. But, ing their hearts on their sleeves. unfortunately, that is the power of On Jan. 27, I once again shed tears sports. with those who I never knew but with I was once transfixed by words of whom I shared a special connection Bryant’s death and the tweets that forged through abrupt devastation. hoped in vain for the news to be a sick Raw, unchecked emotion shared by hoax. billions and born out of heartache.

Now, I find myself unable to look away from the screen as I read the — Contact Ryan Callahan at countless stories of the Black Mamba rjcalla@emory.edu

“My priority is contributing to a championship in any way I can.”

— Blair Ripley, Junior center

Ripley is pleased with the start of the season but acknowledges there is more work to be done.

“I’m proud of how we started, but nobody is satisfied,” Ripley said. “We

*Home Games in Bold

haven’t accomplished anything yet.”

Sophomore forward Tori Huggins, who took Ripley’s place in the starting lineup, is flourishing in her new role, averaging 11.7 ppg to accompany a team-high 8.6 rebounds per game.

Despite their stellar play, neither Ripley nor Weiss seem eager to fight for a starting spot, with Ripley admitting that she would be content coming off the bench if it would help the team win.

“I ultimately care about the team winning,” Ripley said. “My priority is contributing to a championship in any way I can.”

Weiss expressed a similar sentiment regarding the matter of starting.

“I’ve grown to embrace the bench role,” Weiss said. “Starting a game is not on my mind.”

Among the rest of the starters, the Eagles have an additional two double-digit ppg scorers in senior guard Allison Chernow and senior forward

Erin Lindahl.

So far, six different players have recorded at least 15 points in a game, a record that exceeds that of any other UAA team.

Jackson believes having more scoring threats than the opposition puts them at an advantage.

“I could go down the roster and tell you the different ways each player can score,” Jackson said. “At the end of the day, it’s about scoring more than the other team.”

With a roster littered with capable scorers, it is difficult for opponents to predict which Eagle will hurt them the most on any given night. There’s a good chance the player won’t even be a starter.

Emory looks to avenge the loss suffered on the road to UChicago in a home rematch Feb. 7.

— Contact Charlie Scruton at charlie.scruton@emory.edu

Williams Most Deserving of Super Bowl MVP Continued from Back Page gas, it was refreshing to see Kittle continue to fight until the end.

Best Celebration — 49ers’ Family Photo The fourth quarter was home to many of these categories, including the best celebration. While looking for Chiefs’ wide receiver Tyreek Hill, Mahomes threw the ball short and into the arms of 49ers’ defensive back Tarvarius Moore. After the interception — the second for Mahomes at this point — Moore led his teammates down to the other end zone and gathered the group for a “family photo” type shot. Some players were sitting and others were standing in the back, with hands up in celebration like one big, happy family. It was a simple yet powerful celebration that topped all others during this Super Bowl — save the halftime performance.

Halftime Performance — 7/10 While there were some flaws in their performance, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira stole the show on Sunday and trampled many previous Super Bowl halftime performances. They combined vigor, choreography and vocals

to create an entertaining break from football. However, some aspects of the performance diminished its overall rating. J. Lo’s daughter, Emme, made an appearance during the show, singing “Let’s Get Loud,” originally a Gloria Estefan song that J. Lo covered in her debut album. Though Emme had an unbelievable voice, it was not the show many fans tuned in to watch.

J. Lo and Shakira’s outfits were very bold wardrobe choices and strongly contrasted the “family-friendly” vibe that Emme symbolized. J. Lo evidently capitalized on this opportunity to put Emme in the spotlight, and though J. Lo will definitely win “Mom of the Year” from Emme, she does not have my vote.

Best Commercial — Google’s ‘Help with the Little Things’ I have personally never found the various personal assistant devices helpful, but Google’s commercial made me reconsider my opinions. The commercial featured the voice of an elderly man with trouble remembering important information, including details about his presumably late wife, Loretta. He would ask Google to display images from different events and remind him of certain facts about

Loretta. The commercial was no doubt a tear-jerker, and promoted Google’s many uses even for “the little things.”

The commercial was very clever and well-written. However, Cheetos’ “Can’t Touch This” commercial deserves special recognition for their comedic pun with the song’s performer, MC Hammer.

Worst Commercial — Tide ‘Laundry Later’ At first, I was excited to see actor Charlie Day promoting Tide, but it felt like the commercial was never going to end. During the segment, Day worries about a sauce stain on his shirt while the Super Bowl is playing on the TV in the background. His presumed wife continuously tells him to relax, as the laundry can be done later with the effective Tide Pods. The concept “Laundry Later” is clever, as it highlights how Tide Pods can remove stains long after they even got there.

However, the commercial lost touch with the main message, including a quick Bud Light throwback midway through. The idea was innovative, but the execution was poor.

— Contact Jessica Solomon at jessica.solomon@emory.edu

The Emory Wheel

Sports

Wednesday, February 5, 2020 | Sports Editor: Ryan Callahan (rjcalla@emory.edu) | Asst. Sports Editor: Jessica Solomon (jessica.solomon@emory.edu)

COACH CONVERSATION

Give and Go with Misha Jackson

By Ava villalba Senior Staff Writer

team points, Ripley and Weiss’ contribution of 26.1 percent of the team’s points is not too far off Williams and Harrell’s record-breaking 31.8 percent. In fact, excluding Williams and Harrell, no NBA bench duo, this season, has combined for a higher percentage of their team’s points than Ripley and Weiss.

According to Ripley, volume scoring is a product of self-belief more than anything else.

“Confidence is everything,” Ripley said. “You have to trust that when you’re taking good shots, you will be rewarded.”

Weiss added that the support from teammates and coaches has been a crucial contributing force in building this confidence.

“It’s important for me to trust the

Head Coach Misha Jackson (13C) has been a part of the Emory University women’s basketball program since her sophomore year in 2010. Her performance during those years shot her into the ranks of the school’s Top 10 all-time performers in 11 categories including No. 1 in blocked shots average (1.2 bpg), No. 7 in rebounds (621) and No. 10 in total points (900), where her name remains to this day. After a successful three-year career as a forward, she joined the staff as an assistant coach and remained in this role until she was appointed as the Eagles’ interim head coach in 2017 and head coach in March 2018.

In her two-year career as head coach, she has led the Eagles to their first NCAA Tournament since 2013 and finished the 2019 season with a 19-7 record, the fourth-highest win total in school history. Jackson also led her squad to No. 2 in the University Athletic Association’s (UAA) 2019 season with a record of 10-4, the fourth time that Emory finished with doubledigit wins in league play.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and length.

Ava Villalba, The Emory Wheel: What are your long term goals

See IMPACT, Page 15

See SHARED, Page 15

Courtesy of Emory Athletics

Junior guard Molly Weiss attempts a shot against Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) on Jan. 24. Weiss and junior center Blair Ripley, have formed one of the NCAA’s best bench duos, and have often been the difference-maker for the Eagles.

Emory’s Secret Weapon: The Sixth Women

By Charlie scruton Senior Staff Writer

The sixth man in basketball holds one of the most revered yet challenging roles in sports. The player generally receives significant playing time, but starts the game on the bench and waits until the starting lineup is in need of a boost. To start a game away from the action and then be asked to make an immediate impact at a moment’s notice requires incredible concentration and a natural feel for the game.

If executed well, the sixth man can provide an invaluable spark that often makes the difference in a close game.

What is better than having a gamechanger off the bench? Having two — a luxury that the Emory women’s basketball team shares with very few teams across all of basketball.

Filling that role for the Eagles are

junior guard Molly Weiss and junior center Blair Ripley, the bench tandem that is taking the University Athletic Association (UAA) by storm.

“It doesn’t matter when your name is called,” Head Coach Misha Jackson (13C) said. “[Weiss and Ripley] make sure they’re ready.”

Simply put, scoring prowess is what makes this duo so impactful.

Since Dec. 7, the first game in which Weiss and Ripley came off the bench together, Emory’s bench outscored the opposition’s in 10 of 11 games. In nine of those games, Weiss and Ripley alone outscored the opposing bench.

Simply comparing Ripley’s 10.6 points per game (ppg) and Weiss’ 7.8 ppg to other collegiate benches doesn’t sufficiently speak to their performance so far. Rather, the pair merits comparison to some of the NBA’s best bench players.

CALLAHAN’S CORNER

The NBA has a longstanding history of great sixth men, with legends like Kevin McHale, Manu Ginóbili and Jamal Crawford. More recently, the Los Angeles Clippers’ duo of guard Lou Williams and power forward Montrezl Harrell caught the attention of basketball fans after they led the Clippers to the playoffs last year and redefined the limits to just how much a team’s bench can produce. Williams and Harrell’s combined 36.6 ppg broke the NBA record for the highest scoring nonstarting duo.

Comparing Ripley and Weiss’ combined 18.4 ppg to Williams and Harrell’s 36.6 ppg seems like a stretch.

But the NBA’s faster pace and longer game duration allowed the Clippers to score over 115 ppg last year — much more than the Eagles’ current season average of 70.6.

Removing the disparity in total

SUPER BOWL

Kobe’s Death Was The Best and Worst of Super Bowl LIV Beautifully Tragic

By Jessica Solomon Asst. Sports Editor

By Ryan Callahan Sports Editor I was sitting there; my eyes transfixed on my computer screen, looking at a headline I didn’t want to believe.

“Kobe Bryant, Daughter Gigi Die in Helicopter Crash…”

When TMZ hastily reported that Kobe Bryant, the former NBA superstar destined for Hall of Fame enshrinement by the end of 2020, had tragically passed, an unexpected sense of personal grief seldom experienced washed over me.

I had never rooted for Bryant, and often booed him when he played my (and his) hometown Philadelphia 76ers. Yet, I was still overwhelmed with emotion following the death of Bryant, his daughter and seven others on Jan. 27 in Calabasas, Calif.

He had impacted me in a way I had not thought possible for a non-Sixer. As a player, he had broken my heart so many times.

As an NBA retiree and father to four daughters, he broke my heart more so.

This sentiment was not exclusive to me, however.

After news of his passing had start-

ed to set in — though, I’m sure it will never feel real — NBA players, fans and even non-fans poured their emotions onto social media and began trading stories of the Black Mamba.

Bryant’s death was a devastating tragedy — and a beautiful example.

Murals of Bryant began popping up all over the world soon after his death.

International soccer, golf and tennis stars wore his jersey during practices and games.

Musical artists paid tribute to Bryant with new songs and total strangers gathered outside the Staples Center, the Los Angeles Lakers’ stadium wherein Bryant had played his entire 20-year career, to grieve and commemorate the Laker legend.

The death of Bryant made the Earth stand still.

Then, slowly, the celebration of his life brought the world together in a way that illustrated the special unifying power of sports.

For a few days, nothing mattered but Bryant. The typical political tension or cultural differences that so often separate the citizens of the world

See FINDING, Page 15

The first weekend in February is among the most anticipated weekends of the year for one reason: the Super Bowl.

This past Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers carried two compelling narratives into Super Bowl LIV. On one side, there was Head Coach Andy Reid for the Chiefs who is regarded by some as one of the greatest coaches to have never won a Super Bowl. On the other side was 49ers’ Head Coach Kyle Shanahan, who was known as one of the league’s most innovative play-callers.

But in the end, there could only be one winner. Reid and the Chiefs came back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win 31-20 over the 49ers. While the game itself was quite exciting, plenty of other factors — like the halftime show and commercials — enhanced the fun. Below are some of the best and worst moments from Super Bowl LIV. Best Touchdown — 49ers’ Kyle Juszczyk

Down by seven in the second quarter, 49ers’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo found fullback Kyle Juszczyk barely open near the endzone. Juszczyk outmaneuvered the

grasp of the Chiefs’ defense and made a glorious dive into the endzone to tie the score. Not only was it an impressive play, but Juszczyk was the first fullback to score in the Super Bowl in 17 years. Though the 49ers weren’t able to pull off the victory, the squad still had one of the game’s best plays.

Best Drive — Chiefs’ Penultimate Possession in the Fourth Quarter

This drive, with less than five minutes in regulation, propelled the Chiefs to victory in Super Bowl LIV. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the team in a 65-yard march down the field that ended with a quick pass to running back Damien Williams, who ran the ball five yards for a touchdown. While the Chiefs’ touchdown a few minutes before this drive took the team out of their scoring slump, this 65-yard drive sealed the deal for the Chiefs and proved that their momentum was not dying. Even though Mahomes threw two interceptions earlier in the game, his clutch gene came out when it counted the most. While he was well-deserving of the Super Bowl MVP, he wouldn’t have been my pick.

The “Should Have Been” MVP — Chiefs’ Damien Williams With 104 rushing yards, 29 receiving yards and two touchdowns,

Williams was the unstoppable force of the irresistible force paradox question. Early on, when Mahomes wasn’t performing well, Williams kept the Chiefs in the game with his quick jukes and unorthodox play. On his 38-yard touchdown run at the end of the game, Williams was supposed to go inside the block. Instead, he went outside, following fullback Anthony Sherman, which ultimately accommodated the final glorious play. In fact, Williams’ unique style of play helped him become the second undrafted player in NFL history to run over 100 yards in the Super Bowl. Overall, Williams was there and ready to compete during the entire game, unlike Mahomes, which is why the former better deserves the MVP. Best Catch — 49ers’ George Kittle

It seemed as though the 49ers had the game in the bag when they were up 10 points with 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. However, 49ers’ tight end George Kittle felt no such security, giving the game his all as he made an incredible catch after a lousy throw from Garoppolo. Kittle snagged the ball just milliseconds before it was to hit the ground, securing a first down for the 49ers. Although the 49ers got complacent and took their foot off the

See WILLIAMS, Page 15