Since 1919
Emory University’s Independent Student Newspaper
The Emory Wheel
Volume 100, Issue 14
Printed Every Wednesday
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
construction
student government
SGA Overspends By More Than $28K Media Council Target of Budget Cuts By Albert Zhang, Isaiah Poritz and Calen MacDonald Asst. News Editor, Staff Writers
R ichard Chess/Executive Editor
The remodeled Convocation Hall, previously known as the Pitts Theology Library, is now open.
Convocation Hall Opens After $20M Renovations By Calen MacDonald Staff Writer
Walking into Convocation Hall, the former Pitts Theology Library, a restoration of terracotta decorations carved in the entrance archway greets visitors but quickly gives way to a modern, chic atrium. The $20 million renovations and 14 months of construction have revitalized three floors, which include original white marble tile and vaulted wooden ceilings.
The building, located on the Quadrangle and built in 1916, was one of the first buildings constructed on Emory’s Atlanta campus. During renovations, the building’s and campus’ historical roots were kept in mind while adding modern tastes and necessities, according to Vice President for Campus Services Matthew Early. University President Claire E. Sterk’s office, among several other administrative offices, has been relocated to the third floor of the hall, and
sga president
the Board of Trustees plans to meet in the hall. Sterk’s office was previously in the Administration Building on the Quad. According to Early, University administration is still deciding how to best use the president’s previous office space. Office space in Convocation Hall includes central meeting rooms that administrators can reserve in advance. “Touchdown” spaces, as Early calls
See Sterk, Page 2
Nearly three months have passed since Student Government Association (SGA) discovered it over-allocated funds by $28,019.33 this year, and student leaders remain unclear about how they plan to correct the issue. The deficit occurred when the 201718 SGA Finance Committee overprojected incoming revenue for the following fiscal year by overestimating the number of students who would enroll at Emory, according to SGA VP of Finance Katherine Huang (18Ox, 20B) and former VP of Finance Paul Park (17Ox, 19B). No one realized the revenue projections mismatched actual revenues until late into the Fall 2018 semester. Park, who SGA President Dwight Ma (17Ox, 19C) fired on Jan. 11, said 2017-18 VP of Finance Javi Reyes
(18B) disregarded Student Governance Services (SGS) Associate Director VonYetta Hunter’s estimate for 201819 undergraduate student enrollment. Instead, Reyes used a student enrollment projection that was not supported by past trends, Park said. “[Hunter] said historically, the student population rises about two to one percent each year,” Park said. “[Reyes] pulled [percent growth] numbers that even [Hunter] didn’t understand.” Reyes declined to comment and referred the Wheel to Park. Hunter also declined to comment. Ma criticized Park for making plans to solve the deficit without informing others. “Every time I asked [Park] how much I have and how much money I’ve spent, he could never give me a clear answer,” Ma said. “The way [Park] approached this … is unclear,
See park, Page 2
research
SGA Declines to Advance Emory Constructs Ancient DNA Lab Impeachment Process By Julie Vo Contributing Writer
By Tanika Deuskar and Carson Greene Staff Writers The 52nd Student Government Association (SGA) on Monday night voted against proceeding with an impeachment hearing for SGA President Dwight Ma (17Ox, 19C). Residence Hall Association (RHA) President Aaron Jordan (20C) and Lindsay Gorby (19C) sent letters to SGA formally requesting a hearing of inquiry to impeach Ma in response to Ma firing Chief of Staff Ben Palmer (18Ox, 20C), Vice President of Finance Paul Park (17Ox, 19B) and Elections Board Chair Justin Cohen (20C). However, the legislature decided against moving forward with the impeachment process, shutting it down in a vote of 7 against, 3 for and 1 abstention. In his letter, Jordan wrote that Rule 61 of the Rules and Procedures of the Student Legislature states that “the Student Legislature has the sole power to expel its own Members, remove its own officers, impeach and try any member or officer within the SGA.” Because Ma is a member of the executive branch, Jordan argued that he had infringed upon the legislature’s powers. Jordan added that, by firing Cohen, Ma disregarded SGA rules and obstructed elections.
NEWS Constitutional
Council Chief Justice Resigns ... PAGE 2 P
“Justin [Cohen] was just about to get ready to send out an email to inform everyone when elections were going to be. ... Right now, there is no elections timeline that I know of,” Jordan said. “[Ma] has basically obstructed elections.” Gorby believed that Ma’s dismissal of Cohen, Palmer and Park violated the University Code of Conduct and the SGA Constitution. In her letter, Gorby stated that she believed that Ma’s actions set a dangerous precedent because “any dissent to his own agenda will be met with swift, unforgiving action.” Ma responded to both complaints by saying that he acted entirely within the powers of the president, citing in Article V of the SGA Constitution. “Both myself and the legislature have the power to remove. I agree that the constitution is contradictory,” Ma said. “However, I do not believe that I should be impeached because of the constitution’s fault.” Ma said he fired Park because he believed that Park acted unprofessionally toward the Finance Committee. Ma said he fired Cohen because he believed Cohen had set the timeline for the next SGA elections without properly informing the rest of the Elections Board.
See Jordan, Page 2
Editorial After
Emory is constructing a new lab to study ancient DNA and learn more about the evolution and adaptation of early humans, according to Assistant Professor of Anthropology John Lindo. The lab will be the first ancient
DNA lab in Georgia and will be located on the first floor of the Psychology and Interdisciplinary Sciences (PAIS) building. The lab expected to open in March or April 2019. It cost about $900,000 to construct, Lindo said. The Lindo Lab plans to look into the indigenous people of the Andes
mountains, effects of colonialism in the Americas and behaviors of specific dog breeds, according to its website. Lindo will use two labs for his research: the new ancient DNA lab under construction and an already existing modern DNA lab at Emory. In the ancient DNA lab, researchers will
See new, Page 3
laney graduate school
Ayushi Agarwal/Photo Editor
Laney Graduate School Dean Lisa Tedesco celebrates the 100th anniversary of the graduate school and speaks about plans for the future.
A&E Looking Back at 2018 Emory Life
Sports Swimming and
$28,019.33 Deficit, SGA Needs In Gaming, From ‘Fortnite’ to Gato Nights Latin Pop-up Diving Team Sweeps Entire mash ’ ... issatisfies D iners ... Accountability ... ‘S D PAGE 6 Back Page PAGE 9 Meet ... PAGE 4