Since 1919
The Emory Wheel
Emory University’s Independent Student Newspaper
Volume 100, Issue 16
Printed Every Wednesday
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
student government
commencement
Andrew Young to Address Class of 2019 By Albert Zhang Asst. News Editor
Carson Greene/Staff
Student Government Association (SGA) President Dwight Ma (17Ox, 19C) addresses allegations of threatening communications from SGA VP of Communications Tiffany Haas (19C).
Ma Faces Impeachment Hearing By Tanika Deuskar and Ana Kilbourn Staff Writer and Contributing Writer Student Government Association (SGA) legislators voted unanimously on Monday night to advance
impeachment procedures against SGA President Dwight Ma (17Ox, 19C). The legislators will decide whether to remove Ma, who has about a month left in office, in a closed-door session next week. Ma will need the support of at least one-third of legislators to avoid
impeachment. SGA Vice President of Communications Tiffany Haas (19C) submitted a Feb. 3 letter to SGA calling for Ma’s impeachment. “I believe that Dwight Ma has repeatedly violated our school’s con-
See Ma, Page 4
Diplomat and political activist Andrew Young is scheduled to speak at the 2019 Commencement ceremony, according to a Feb. 11 University press release. The civil rights icon has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and helped draft the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 1972, Young was elected in Georgia to the U.S. House of Representatives and served until former President Jimmy Carter appointed him as C the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in 1977. He served as ambassador from 1977 to 1979. Young is the first African-American to hold the position. Young was elected as Atlanta’s mayor in 1981, where he championed the development of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and led the city’s effort to host the 1996 Olympic Games. In September 1999, Young was diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer and successfully treated at Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute. Since then,
ourtesy of
Young has supported Winship, including with its application to become a National Cancer Institute (NCI)designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. He was treated at Emory University Hospital in May 2018 after falling ill in Nashville, Tenn., with a fever and infection. Young visited and spoke Andrew at Emory in April Young, 2018, when he Former delivered a talk U.S. on race, politics Ambasand what it means sador to be “ultimately to the United human,” the Wheel Nations previously reportE P ed. Young called for students to be active in politics and reflected on his time as Atlanta mayor. Young will receive a President’s Medal at Commencement on May 13, according to the press release. Emory awarded Young an honorary doctor of divinity degree in 1991. Students generally supported having Young as Commencement speaker and praised his political accomplishments. Sindoos Awel (19C) praised Young’s mory
hoto
See Students, Page 3
Administration
UMass Vice Chancellor to Serve as Campus Life Dean By Richard Chess Executive Editor
Enku Gelaye will serve as Emory’s vice president and dean of Campus Life beginning in August 2019, according to a Feb. 12 University press release. Gelaye will replace Paul Marthers, who has served as interim dean since March 2018. Gelaye currently serves as vice chancellor of student affairs and campus life at University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst. At UMass, Gelaye’s office oversees new student orientation, residential
life, mental health services, career services, student government and other programs and services, according to her biography. Enku Gelaye, Incoming Vice President and Dean of Campus Life Courtesy of Emory Photo
Before joining UMass in 2011,
health care
Gelaye worked at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as executive officer for the vice chancellor for student affairs, according to a search firm report compiled in 2017. She also worked at the University of Southern California (USC) as the interim director of student judicial affairs and community standards, according to the same report. “Enku will provide strategic and visionary leadership for Emory’s nationally recognized Campus Life division, with a priority of enhancing the undergraduate and graduate stu-
dent experiences by fully integrating the work of the division with the university’s academic mission,” University President Claire E. Sterk and Provost Dwight McBride wrote in a Feb. 12 all-Emory email. At Emory, Gelaye will help transition Campus Life to the Emory Student Center, which is expected to open in May. “Gelaye is a nationally recognized leader in student affairs and higher education,” Sterk wrote in the press release. “I’m honored to welcome her to our community, and I’m confident that all of us will benefit from her
leadership.” Gelaye earned a law degree from the University of Georgia in 1997 and a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1993, according to the University press release. Former Vice President and Dean of Campus Life Ajay Nair announced in December 2017 that he would leave Emory to serve as president of Arcadia University (Pa.).
— Contact Richard Chess at rchess@emory.edu
Conservatism
Medical Experts Knowles Challenges Democrats Talk Opioid Crisis By Albert Zhang Asst. News Editor
By Joshua Lee Contributing Writer American Medical Association (AMA) President Patrice Harris and other medical experts discussed the opioid crisis, including the stigma surrounding addicts, treatment pathways and the future of health care. The Medical Association of Atlanta (MAA) hosted the Feb. 9 discussion, titled “New Hope for the Opioid Epidemic,” as a part of its Opium Symposium. About 85 people attended the town hall at the Emory School of Medicine.
NEWS Provost Lecture
Addresses Bias in Technology ...
P
PAGE 4
About 130 Americans die every day due to an opioid overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Though some states have succeeded in implementing preventative measures against substance abusers’ access to opiates, the overdose count increased from more than 36,000 in 2007 to more than 70,000 in 2017. In Georgia, more than 1,000 people died in 2017, according to a Jan. 10 MAA press release. Harris highlighted the importance of removing the stigma of substance
See panelists, Page 4
OP-ED Students Should
Reject Proposed SAF Increase ...
are “happier” than liberals because conservatives view politics as an art, while liberals take a more quantitative approach to policy. “For the left, [politics] is a formula and if you find the formula than everything is supposed to follow progress perfectly,” Knowles said. “This is why they are always shocked to find out they lose elections.” Liberals are hypocritical in espousing support for ideological diversity, Knowles said. “The left despises imperfection. If you contradict their narrow, homogenous view of perception they want to discard you — literally they will kill you for it,” Knowles said.
Conservative political commentator Michael Knowles took to the Harland Cinema stage on Feb. 11 to condemn liberal policies on climate change and diversity, in addition to arguing the pros of conservatism. About 75 people attended the event, which was hosted by Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) and student group Emory College Republicans. Knowles disparaged U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)’s proposed Green New Deal, which seeks to stimulate the U.S. economy through investments in green energy. Ocasio-Cortez’s proposal calls for the
U.S. to “to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions” through investments in sustainable infrastructure and “to promote justice and equity by stopping current, preventing future and repairing historic oppression.” “A Green New Deal would ... involve a radical redistribution of wealth [and] would involve a government takeover of the U.S. economy,” Knowles said. “Electric cars are actually worse for the environment than gasoline-powered cars.” The speaker continued with jabs against former President Barack Obama’s legacy, liberal perspectives on sexual orientation and the Pride movement. Knowles argued that conservatives
A&E ‘Lego Movie’ Sequel
Emory Life Student Sports Eagles Sweep
See speaker, Page 4
Doesn’t Muster as Much Explains Rationale Behind Weekend, Extend Winning umor as O riginal ... ike R ide to A la . ... H B S PAGE 11 Back Page PAGE 13 treak ... PAGE 7
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The Emory Wheel
The Emory Wheel
News
Crime Report
Compiled By Valerie Sandoval On Jan. 31 at 3:15 p.m., Emory Police Department (EPD) met with a School of Medicine visiting professor regarding harassing phone calls. The professor said two individuals claiming to be from the Drug Enforcement Agency called him and said his name was connected to the license plate of a vehicle in Texas that was discovered with a dead body and drugs inside. The callers asked for his Social Security number and bank information, warning that he would be prosecuted if he did not comply. The complainant provided the callers with his home address and Social Security number but did not give his bank account or credit card information. The case has been assigned to an investigator. On Feb. 1 at 6:07 p.m., EPD responded to the Student Activity and Academic Center (SAAC) in reference to a theft. The complainant, an Emory student, said he secured his 2012 Trek Superfly AL 100 bike to the bike rack outside the building at about 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 22. When he returned on Feb. 1, he discovered his bike missing and lock cable broken. The total value of the bike lock and bike is $1,030. The case has been assigned to an investigator. On Feb. 1 at 11:01 p.m., EPD responded to Longstreet-Means
Hall in reference to a theft. The two complainants, both Emory students, reported that a Patrick Leonard poster had been stolen from the exterior of their room door. The two reported last seeing the poster at noon earlier that day and that they discovered it missing when they returned at 7:30 p.m. The complainants said their resident adviser (RA) gave them permission to hang it on the exterior of their door. The case has been assigned to an investigator. On Feb. 2 at 4:41 p.m., EPD responded to the Robert W. Woodruff Library in reference to harassing communications. The complainant, an Emory student, said she received an email from her own Emory account on Feb. 1. The email said the sender had full control of the complainant’s computer and possessed explicit footage of her. The sender said threatened to distribute the footage to the complainant’s contacts if she did not send $752 to a Bitcoin wallet address. The email also threatened to immediately distribute the footage if the complainant shared the email with anyone. The complainant did not respond to the email and changed her University password. EPD advised she also change the passwords of her social media accounts and inform Library and Information Technology Services (LITS) that her account was compromised. The case has been assigned to
Honor Council Compiled By Emma Simpson The Honor Council found a senior responsible for plagiarism. The professor discovered that the student’s project contained similar wording to another student’s project. In an expedited hearing, the student explained that they borrowed a partner’s assignment for assistance without intending to plagiarize. The Honor Council issued a reduced sanction because it believed the student did not intend to plagiarize and because the professor did not explicitly prohibit using other projects. The Ho n o r Council recommended a zero on the assignment, a one-letter grade deduction in the course and a one-year mark on the student’s record. The Honor Council found a senior in a social sciences course responsible for plagiarism. The majority of an assignment appeared to be plagiarized. The student said he felt rushed to complete the assignment and forgot to cite the source he used. At the hearing, the Honor Council concluded that the plagiarism was extensive and did not include proper citations
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in the form of quotations or paraphrasing. The Ho n o r Council recommended an failing grade in the course and a two-year mark on the student’s record. The student appealed the case, but the council sustained the original sanctions. A n underclassman in a humanities course accepted responsibility for plagiarizing on a response paper and a longer paper. The profe s sor prov ide d instructions on how to properly cite sources, but the student submitted plagiarized content and later said they forgot to cite. At an expedited hearing, the Honor Council recommended a failing grade in the course and a one-year mark on the student’s record with a condition that the student complete an educational program. The above reports are real cases adjudicated by the Emory College Honor Council. Any personally identifiable information has been omitted to protect the privacy of all parties involved.
— Contact Emma Simpson at emma.simpson@emory.edu
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
News Roundup
an investigator. On Feb. 4 at 6 p.m., EPD received a theft report via telephone. The complainant, an Emory student, said she left her black Champion jacket in a cubby in the downstairs workout area of the SAAC on Jan. 23 sometime between 5 and 5:30 p.m. The complainant also said she left three gold rings on a table in the SAAC the day after sometime between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. When she returned to retrieve them, the jacket and rings were missing. The complainant checked with employees several times to see if anyone turned in her property. The jacket is valued at $65 and the rings are valued at $3,000. The case has been assigned to an investigator. On Feb. 6 at 9:51 p.m., EPD received a theft report via telephone. The complainant, an Emory student, said he attended a fraternity event outside of the Goizueta Business School that day at 7 p.m. when one of the event staff members instructed him to put his backpack on a bench. When he returned to the bench at 7:25 p.m., he discovered his backpack, which contained an Apple MacBook Pro and Beats by Dre headphones, missing. The total value of the missing items is $2,250. The case has been assigned to an investigator.
— Contact Valerie Sandoval at valerie.sandoval@emory.edu
Students Praise Selection Continued from Page 1
experience during the civil rights movement and tenure as mayor of Atlanta. “It’s pretty exciting to hear a speech from someone who worked alongside M.L.K.,” Awel said. “[Young] was very active during the civil rights era [and] has had past experience as mayor of Atlanta so I’m pretty excited to see what he has to say to the students in May.” Student Government Association (SGA) President Dwight Ma (17Ox, 19C) admired Young’s tenure as Atlanta mayor, citing his influence on several of the city’s landmarks. “I think it’s a great privilege for Emory to have him as our commencement speaker,” Ma said. “This is a great opportunity for Emory students to learn from someone [who] has a very unique experience as mayor, as a politician and as ambassador.” Last year’s Commencement speaker was Dollar Shave Club CEO Michael Dubin (01C).
— Contact Albert Zhang at aliang66@emory.edu
Have a tip for the news team? Contact Christina Yan at christina.yan@emory.edu
Compiled By Isaiah Poritz Virginia L eadership Turmoil
in
Political
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Attorney General Mark Herring have all come under fire after alleged controversial events from their pasts recently surfaced. On Feb. 1, The Virginian-Pilot published a photo from Northam’s 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook that featured one person dressed in blackface and another in Ku Klux Klan (KKK) garb. Northam issued an apology later that night, acknowledging that he was one of the individuals in the photo, without confirming which one. The next morning, Northam retracted his admission, stating that upon further reflection with former classmates, he concluded he was not the person in the photo. Two women accused Fairfax, who is Virginia’s second black politician elected to statewide office, of sexual assault. Vanessa Tyson, a professor at Scripps College (Calif.), said Fairfax sexually assaulted her in 2004 at the Democratic National Committee convention in Boston. Fairfax said his encounter with Tyson was “100 percent consensual,” according to The New York Times. Meredith Watson alleged that Fairfax assaulted her in 2000 when they were both students at Duke University (N.C.). Herring, third in line to become governor, admitted to wearing blackface during a college party in the 1980s. Herring said he and his friends dressed up as their favorite rap artists by putting on “wigs and brown makeup.” In his apology, Herring said that it was a one-time incident. Despite harsh criticism and calls for resignation within the Democratic party, the three have not indicated any plans to step down. If all three politicians were to leave office, Republican House Speaker Kirk Cox would become governor. Supreme Court Blocks Restrictive State Abortion Law The U.S. Supreme Court placed a temporary stay on a 2014 Louisiana law requiring doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges
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at a local hospital, which would have left the state with minimum abortion resources for women, according to the Times. The law, if upheld, would have closed nearly all of Louisiana’s abortion clinics. In the 5-to-4 decision, U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s four-member liberal wing in blocking the law. Roberts’ vote is a reversal of his prior decision in a 2016 case, in which he voted with the dissent to uphold a similar abortion law in Texas. Jimmy Carter Wins Third Grammy Award Former U.S. President and Emory Distinguished Professor Jimmy Carter won his third Grammy award in the spoken word album category last Sunday night for his audiobook “Faith: A Journey for All.” At 94 years old, Carter is the thirdoldest winner in Grammy history behind comedian George Burns and pianist Pinetop Perkins. Carter won his first two Grammy awards in the same category in 2016 for “A Full Life: Reflections at 90” and in 2007 for “Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis.” He has been nominated nine times for the award. Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are the only other former presidents to receive a Grammy. Rapper 21 Savage Released on Bond Rapper 21 Savage will be released from immigration detention on Wednesday, Feb. 13, after receiving a $100,000 bond, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC). The rapper was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the agency discovered that he is a U.K. citizen who overstayed his visa. 21 Savage’s release comes after increasing national attention surrounding his case. The musician was nominated for the 2019 Grammy Awards, where he was scheduled to perform the hit song “Rockstar” with Post Malone but he could not attend the awards ceremony because of his detainment.
— Contact Isaiah Poritz at isaiah.z.poritz@emory.edu
The Emory Wheel Volume 100, Number 16 © 2019 The Emory Wheel Alumni Memorial University Center, Room 401 630 Means Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30322 Business (404) 727-6178 Editor-in-Chief Michelle Lou (mlou3@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.
Corrections
•In last week’s SGA article, VP of Finance Katherine Huang was assigned the wrong graduation year. Huang is 17Ox, 20B. Also, the article included changes to the Elections Code bill that were not accurately described. The article also wrongly stated that the bill was passed. It will need to be passed again for approval. The article has been updated online to correct these inaccuracies. •Previous articles identified SGA Speaker of the Legislature and Sophomore Representative Lori Steffel as 21C. As of January 2019, Steffel is 21B.
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News
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
provost lecture series
Buolamwini Talks Bias in Tech
By Calen MacDonald Staff Writer Algorithmic Justice League Founder and computer scientist Joy Buolamwini spoke on Thursday about racial bias in facial recognition software during the second installment of the Emory University Provost Lecture Series. Provost Dwight A. McBride introduced Buolamwini by discussing the need for greater social awareness in technology. He pointed to Microsoft’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Tay, which connected to Twitter and quickly adopted Nazi rhetoric. Buolamwini found that facial recognition systems either fail to detect her face or identify her as male. She said such mistakes can be costly if the software is used to scan databases for criminals and parse through job applications. To illustrate her point, Buolamwini played pre-recorded footage of facial recognition systems failing. A video showed software correctly detecting the face of a white male but failing to detect her face. The software was able to detect Buolamwini’s face after she put on a white mask, though. “This is part of why I started the Algorithmic Justice League,” Buolamwini said. “Think towards how
do we create a world where technology works well for all of us.” Associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab, the Algorithmic Justice League is an activist group that seeks to uncover and eliminate racial bias in technology. The group uses a three-step approach to reduce bias in technology by highlighting examples, building tools to help others in technology locate bias and advocating for policymakers to take action against those findings. While completing her bachelor’s degree in computer science at Georgia Institute of Technology, Buolamwini discovered that facial recognition software frequently failed to detect the faces of women of color. While working as a graduate researcher at the MIT Media Lab, Buolamwini published “Gender Shades,” a study revealing the racial inconsistencies in facial recognition software. The project collected images of public officials from around the world of various races and genders. Their faces were then ranked according to the Fitzpatrick racial scale, which defines six categories according to how skin responds to ultraviolet light. Buolamwini ran each image through different facial recognition softwares developed by IBM, Microsoft
and Face++, a Chinese facial detection service. Although the companies’ facial recognition software on average had a 90 percent detection rate, Buolamwini found that, when she factored in race and gender, the software failed to detect women and people of color about 20 percent of the time. Buolamwini and her team determined that whereas women of color were only detected 79 percent of the time, white men were accurately identified 100 percent of the time. They also found that women of the darkest skin color were detected only 53 percent of the time. Buolamwini sent her findings to software companies so they could update their technology. When she finally published her paper, she reported finding substantial improvements in the accuracy of the facial recognition software. Cynthia Peng (22C) said she had not heard of Buolamwini before the lecture, but was intrigued by her synthesis of technology and social justice. “I just didn’t really think about social justice as a tech concept … the statistics that she mentioned I had never heard about,” Peng said.
— Contact Calen MacDonald at calen.c.macdonald@emory.edu
The Emory Wheel
Panelists Address Stigma Around Addicts Continued from Page 1 abuse disorders. She noted that only two in 10 addicts who seek help have access to evidence-based treatment for an opioid abuse disorder and pushed for increased public awareness and destigmatized approaches to health care. “We need to continue to be ambassadors to the public to amplify the fact that these are brain disorders,” Harris said. “It’s not about a character flaw, it’s not about a moral failing and there is treatment available.” Also present at the town hall were Executive Director of the Georgia Prevention Project James Langford and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia David O’Neal, who examined issues of federal oversight, awareness education and personal recovery. O’Neal said it was important for the U.S. Department of Justice to oversee regulation on opiates because of the scope of opioid traffic in the country. He said Atlanta is a primary hub for heroin distribution on the East Coast.
Abusers of common opiates, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, often turn to heroin, O’Neil said. Langford said the Georgia Prevention Project educates at-risk populations on the dangers of opioid abuse and addiction, emphasizing the severity of the problems that the Georgia Prevention Project and the Georgia Meth Project face. “We’ve got to make heroin uncool [in] the way we made methamphetamines uncool,” Langford said. “Let’s not shy away from showing the reality of heroin.” The town hall also included testimony from Allie Armbruster, a former addict who is now studying law at Georgia State University. “Nothing compares to how hard it was to get sober,” Armbruster said. Armbruster also stressed, however, that someone battling substance abuse can’t be treated until the addict wants to receive help.
— Contact Joshua Lee at josh.lee@emory.edu
Speaker Ma Disputes Haas’ Account, Citing Miscommunication Criticizes Emory Continued from Page 1
Continued from Page 1 In contrast, he said, “Conservatives love the variety of life, we love to be surprised by the differences amongst people, the differences amongst experiences.” Knowles criticized Emory’s response to a series of pro-President Donald J. Trump chalkings on-campus in 2016. He joked that the chalkings were a “vicious and awful hate crime,” implying that Emory’s reacted in an overly sensitive manner. Former University President James W. Wagner wrote that the chalkings represented “values regarding diversity and respect that clash with Emory’s own” in an email to Emory students in the aftermath of the chalkings. At the time, conservatives across the nation expressed sentiments similar to Knowles’. Jonathan Lauria (22C), who attended the event, said he enjoyed listening to Knowles although he did not agree with all of Knowles’ viewpoints. “It was nice having a different point of view on campus,” Lauria said. “I thought he was measured [and] he mixed in humor, which I appreciated. I don’t agree with everything he said but I enjoyed hearing his side.” Christopher Borg, a freshman at Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School Policy Studies, echoed Lauria’s sentiments, saying he appreciated Knowles’ sense of humor. “I think that he’s very funny, which is the important thing,” Borg said. “Though I do not share all of the same views as him, I always love to hear a different point of view and that’s why I like coming out here.”
— Contact Albert Zhang at aliang66@emory.edu
Haas requested the legislature conduct a private hearing next week to examine evidence, including screenshots of her text messages with Ma, which she says demonstrated “intimidation and abuse of power,” Haas said. Ma denied threatening Haas. He wanted to distribute copies of their messages at the meeting, which he believes would clear up the miscommunication, but Speaker of the Legislature and Sophomore Representative Lori Steffel (21B) stopped him. Steffel said sharing the chat history in a public legislative session without Haas’ permission would be a violation of privacy laws. “This is going to be public evidence … you have to have consent of the opposite party. I think that that’s just law, like above the SGA,” Steffel said. After the meeting, Steffel wrote in a Feb. 12 email to the Wheel that she disallowed Ma from distributing the evidence because the presentation of evidence is only permitted in an impeachment hearing. “More than that, those text messages may very likely emotionally harm other students if made public due to their content, which violates our Undergraduate Student Code of Conduct,” she wrote. Ma tore printed versions of his message exchange with Haas, handing them to Sophomore Representative Zion Kidd (21C). Haas left the room in tears and was absent for the remainder of the meeting. Ma also provided the Wheel with a copy of the messages that he and Haas exchanged in October 2018 and January 2019. In October, Ma confronted Haas about her speaking to the Wheel for an article about creating a permanent deputy communications position without informing him
include “gross violations of the first. Ma said he believes Haas Student Constitution or bylaws of the misinterpreted one particular SGA, failure to perform the duty of message he sent: “If you continue one’s office, study abroad, violation speak something that I am not of the applicable school’s Honor aware or I’m not informed, it will or Conduct Codes, gross unethical be a problem.” Ma clarified that he behavior [and] abuse of power,” meant it would have been a problem according to the Rules and Procedures to the entire SGA, and not to Haas of SGA. Freshman Representative Mo personally. “If I cannot communicate with my Singhal (22C) said an impeachment VP of communications, there will not hearing is needed to ensure that the only be a problem for me but for messages do not show any other SGA,” he said at the meeting Monday instances of “possible abuse of power.” night. “We need to be able to see all Ma repeatedly told Haas that he the evidence to be able to see what was not threatening her. In one message, Ma wrote, “I actually happened,” Singhal said. Junior Representative Johnson don’t want to argue with you, I’m sorry if it seemed as though I was Wang (20C) was not present at the threatening but that was not my meeting but sent a text message in support of Ma that intention. I only ask was read by his proxy. that in the future All 11 legislators you let me know who were present what you have said “If I cannot unanimously voted to to the wheel about communicate advance impeachment me so that I don’t with my VP of proceedings. feel blindsided. If communications, In an interview you are speaking on my behalf please there will not only be after the meeting, just inform me a problem for me but Ma said he was “sad” to be disallowed beforehand.” for SGA.” from sharing the In another chat history because discussion on Jan. — Dwight Ma (17Ox, 19C), he believed that by 1, Ma and Haas SGA President reading the messages discussed the he could absolve draft of a letter himself of the Ma wanted to send accusations. to the student At SGA’s Feb. 4 meeting, Lindsay community. The two argued about when the message should be sent, Gorby (19C) and RHA President and Haas said she would establish Aaron Jordan (20C) called on the a procedure that would require her legislature to impeach Ma because permission before Ma could send he fired Chief of Staff Ben Palmer (18Ox, 20C), Vice President of school-wide emails. Eventually, Haas said, “please Finance Paul Park (17Ox, 19B) email me if you have questions or i and Elections Board Chair Justin Cohen (20C). will report you for harassing me.” The legislature voted 7-3 against Ma said he wasn’t harassing anyone but Haas said she didn’t want a formal hearing at that meeting. SGA’s closed-door impeachment to talk to him anymore and wanted SGA’s adviser CC’d on all future hearing will be on Feb. 18, according to an email from Steffel communications. The two didn’t communicate to student government leaders. The weekly legislative session is further via Facebook Messenger. Valid reasons for impeachment canceled, Steffel wrote.
Executive Vice President John Priddy (19C) would become president if Ma is impeached at next week’s meeting. Possible SAF I ncrease
The Finance Committee has proposed a bill to amend the SGA Finance Code that would increase the Student Activity Fee (SAF) from $92 to $103.50 and peg future increases to yearly tuition changes. According to the current Finance Code, the SAF would have increased to about $95 because a 3 percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is permitted once every four years. SGA informed the undergraduate student body via email about this proposed change before the meeting on Monday as it is an issue of significance. The bill was supposed to appear as a first reading on Monday, but legislators tabled it for the following week in light of the impeachment inquiry hearing. Any SAF increase would need to be approved by the undergraduate body in a referendum. E lection Timeline SGA approved March 20 to 22 as Spring 2019 election dates. Former Elections Board Chair Justin Cohen (20C) had announced before he was fired that the elections would be held before spring break. The legislature also considered holding elections from March 27 to 29. Eight legislators voted for the earlier option and four preferred the later option. Legislators hoped that by holding elections earlier, newly elected members would have more time to transition into their roles before the summer and appoint executive board members.
— Contact Tanika Deuskar at tanika.deuskar@emory.edu and Ana Kilbourn at akilbou@emory.edu
News
The Emory Wheel
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Crossword
ACROSS
1. Budget beer. 4. ___ Dhabi; monkey in “Aladdin.” 8. A ___ girl is an internet model. 11. Bitter beer. 12. Jade green. 16. Hawaiian tuna. 17. British pejorative; grass. 18. AMUC theater. 19. “___, je ne regrette rien.” 20. “Yes” on Tinder. 22. Once the graduate student housing on Clairmont. 23. Hairy baby in the Book of Genesis. 24. ____ natura, sequence in Latin. 25. Mexican slang for a man. 26. Played David Bowman in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” 29. To have gotten 0 points in a hole in golf. 32. To hasten. 33. ___ Life is in charge of undergraduate housing. 34. Rounded, hollow structure. 36. To ask for charity. 37. Go blue! 39. Ex-girlfriend of Jerry in “Seinfeld.” 42. Randomly stronger attack in a video game. 45. “Hover through the fog and filthy air.” 48. Oprah’s TV channel. 49. Ladies’ finger vegetable (plural). 50. Canadian DJ. 51. To arrest. 52. To have looked at again. 54. Allow natural death. 55. People who are taught. 56. ___ Kamoze who wrote “Here Comes the Hotstepper.” 57. Sung poem; “___ to Joy.” 58. To criticize. 59. “___ mubarak.” 60. U.S-Soviet promise. 61. Red-white-yellow cords.
DOWN 1. D-Minus but no worse. 2. Explodes. 3. To have called again. 4. Valentine’s loneliness is heart ____. 5. “He ____ _ resemblance to his father.” 6. _____ Neisser, father of cognitive psychology,Emory professor emeritus. 7. Conclusion. 8. Many tumors. 9. “I’ve been through the desert on _ _____ with no name.” 10. Ground up. 13. Aquatic and chlorophyllic but not plants. 14. The Twits, The Witches, The BFG, Esio Trot author. 15. Available draught beer. 21. Back-up plan to 42 down. 27. Tickle me ____. 30. Many regions. 31. Giftgiving no-nos.. 35. Attempts. 36. What something consists of; cosmetics. 38. You might put this on before your date. 39. “Rubber” outside U.S. 40. Louder. 41. Misguided evolutionary theorys. 42. Valentine’s mistake preventer. 43. Nation in which the Tutsi were massacred. 44. Someone born to related parents. 46. Extreme anger. 47. Gibberish that satirizes someone’s upper-class behavior. 53. Spanish slang for a man… again?
By Aditya Prakash and Isaiah Sirois
SCHWARTZ CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS
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Opinion
Wednesday, February 13, 2019 | Opinion Editors: Madeline Lutwyche and Isaiah Sirois (madeline.lutwyche@emory.edu and isaiah.sirois@emory.edu)
Editorials
Ga. Constitutional Carry Proposal Reckless Georgia’s House Bill 2, which would reduce the state’s firearm restrictions, is an irresponsible reform that would endanger people state-wide. The Georgia legislature is considering the Kemp-backed bill, led by state Rep. Matt Gurtler (R-Tiger), which would end licensing requirements for guns. The bill’s proposed “constitutional carry” measure would mean individuals could carry a gun without undergoing a background check. While Georgia will still require background checks before some gun purchases, removing the licensure process for carrying guns would allow some individuals to buy and carry without ever undergoing a background check. The bill would also repeal restrictions on carrying a handgun in parks, historic sites or recreational areas. Constitutional carry removes important safeguards designed to ensure those who carry handguns have some level of knowledge and responsibility. Abolishing the requirement for a mandatory background check removes a measure of accountability which comes at minimal inconvenience to those obtaining a permit. Other states that have passed constitutional carry have seen increased gun violence — Arizona, for example, has experienced a 39 percent increase in firearm-related aggravated assaults since it enacted permitless
carry legislation in 2010. Gurtler claims the bill is not that radical because Georgia would still offer permits for gun owners to abide by gun laws in states which do not allow permitless carry. It’s not the first time Gurtler has pursued constitutional carry, as he pushed unsuccessfully for the same legislation in 2017. In the past, Gurtler also introduced legislation for Georgia school districts to arm teachers and school staff — legislation that did not receive a single vote. However, Kemp’s support renders Gurtler’s House Bill 2 much more threatening. At a fundamental level, the term constitutional carry is a misnomer. All constitutional rights, including the right to bear arms, are subject to rational, measured restrictions, limitations which have repeatedly been upheld by the Supreme Court. It should be illegal to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. A background check is a small price to pay to ensure those carrying weapons are doing so legally and responsibly. Gurtler’s bill represents a reckless, irresponsible interpretation of the Second Amendment that serves to exacerbate our country’s gun violence epidemic, and reasonable citizens should oppose it.
Elections Code Updates Long Awaited, Incomplete Student Government Association’s (SGA) updates to the Elections Code represent an The current system forces students to choose one candidate in uncontested elections, important step in ensuring that the debacle of last year’s SGA elections never occurs again. even if they deem everyone unfit. Changes to clearly delineate elections rules and allow Elections Last year, students’ voting status was determined by the number of Board members to recuse themselves from cases when they have a concredit hours they completed, rather than their year in college. This clasflict of interest increase trust in the integrity of our elections process sification made some juniors ineligible to vote if they had senior standing The classification — crucial after last year’s circus show. based on credit hours and forced sophomores with junior standing to vote process must change However, the Electoral Reform Commission should consider further for class representatives who were juniors or seniors. While the Electoral so students can vote updates to create a fairer voting system based on enrollment year to Reform Commission should have some means of disenfranchising seniorensure that all eligible students can vote. for representatives who standing juniors who plan to graduate a full year early, that this abilThe recently passed changes to the Elections Code are productive stand for their interests ity currently comes at the expense of some juniors who plan to return is measures. The annual rules audit will ensure that outdated or unnecesunacceptable. The classification process must change so students can vote sary rules are regularly eliminated from the Elections Code, allowing and to ensure a fair and for representatives who stand for their interests and to ensure a fair and dmeocratic process. for more clarity. democratic process. Explicit penalties stated in the code, such as the newly added clause We commend the Elections Board for modifying the Elections Code, that alcohol will not be allowed as a campaign promotion, will prevent but these changes will be meaningless unless SGA upholds the higher the sort of arbitrary decision making that led to confusion during last Spring’s elections. standard the changes have set. The Elections Code change that adds “no confidence” as an option for all ballots, as opposed to just uncontested elections, will allow students to signal a rejection of all Kimia Tabatabaei is a freshman legislator on College Council and recused herself from candidates. this piece.
The above editorials represents the majority opinion of the Wheel’s Editorial Board. The Editorial Board is composed of Zach Ball, Jacob Busch, Ryan Fan, Andrew Kliewer, Madeline Lutwyche, Boris Niyonzima, Omar Obregon-Cuebas, Shreya Pabbaraju, Isaiah Sirois, Madison Stephens and Kimia Tabatabaei.
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OP-ED
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
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Voluntourism Self-Serving, Harmful to Communities Madison Stephens Whether it’s celebrities or ordinary teens with an organized secular group, the practice of traveling outside the United States for a service trip has become a widespread practice — and a multi-billion dollar industry. While this activity seems noble, the voluntourism industry often serves as a feel-good activity that doesn’t address problems at their roots. Indeed, the sheer cost of traveling abroad limits the pool of eligible volunteers and often serves as a guilt absolver for wealthy individuals. In Jacob Kushner’s New York Times Magazine piece, he encourages those considering volunteering “to abandon the assumption that we,
simply by being privileged enough to travel the world, are somehow qualified to help ease the world’s ills.” Volunteering abroad can often exploit the communities it claims to help. We have all seen the social media posts gushing about how voluntourists’ hearts have been changed by the children who demonstrated unparalleled joy because of their gracious help. These comments are then paired with a posed picture of said child with volunteer. While I am not accusing every volunteer of exploitation, the selfcongratulatory nature of showcasing one’s good deeds comes off as insincere as they appear to care more about the perception of their work rather than the work itself. But even more concerning than superficial social media posts is the
SAF Hike Wasted On Careless SGA Madeline Lutwyche The projected cumulative rate of U.S. inflation from 2015 to 2019 is 6.1 percent. If the Student Activity Fee (SAF) from 2015-2016 were increased by 6.1 percent, it would amount to $97.61 per student. In Student Government Association (SGA)’s email to undergraduates, the “projected” 2019-2020 SAF is listed as $103.50, an increase of over 9 percent since 2015, significantly more than is needed to adjust for inflation. SGA legislators attempted to justify the increase by claiming that the SAF should increase with University tuition, which has increased in recent years at a faster rate than U.S. inflation. The smooth non-sequitur in a recent OrgSync announcement asserting that the SAF should increase along with tuition to ensure students don’t “continue to pay more tuition every year for diminishing returns of quality of campus life experience” is obviously false; as long as the SAF increases with inflation, the spending power of SGA will remain constant. Moreover, students are being asked to trust an irresponsible legislature not only embroiled in financial crisis, but also facing presidential impeachment proceedings. Since the last time the SAF increased, SGA and its divisional councils have waylaid thousands of student funds. A total of $37,500 was lost in Student Programming Council’s (SGA) Migos fiasco, and SGA over-allocat-
ed more than $28,000. The sum of those mishaps — $65,500 — amounts to half of the additional estimated $125,800 in funds SGA would receive annually by increasing the SAF. Last fall, SGA also abjectly failed to carry out a legitimate audit of club spending. Unsurprisingly, students previously objected to a SAF increase. In 2014, 79 percent of voters in a University-wide referendum rejected a $21 increase in the SAF. On the surface, SGA’s motivations appear innocent — and hopefully they are. But if SGA cannot accurately audit or equitably distribute the funds it already has, how can it ask the student body for more? Additionally, Student Governance Services (SGS) and University administrators who oversee SGA have not shared responsibility for its snafus, choosing not to offer apologies for the Migos scandal and SGA’s recent over-allocation mess. Students should reject SGA’s current bid to alter the Finance Code until protections are put in place by the University to ensure legislators and officials adhere to their constitution, carry out fair elections and equitably allocate the SAF without mishap. If anything, SGA’s activities over the last four years suggest that unqualified undergraduate students cannot be trusted to manage over $1 million in student money. I certainly don’t trust them with mine. Madeline Lutwyche (20C) is from Baltimore.
lack of follow-through. For example, while providing medical care to those in less developed communities appears to be a magnanimous, beneficial effort, it has the potential to cause more harm than good if the volunteers aren’t properly trained — and they often aren’t. The Scientific American recounts an example of this danger occuring in Tanzania, in which volunteers with no medical training performed medical procedures like circumcisions and delivering babies unassisted, often to the detriment of their patients. The practice is comparable to historically exploitative Christian mission trips. Less overt than simply building Western churches in these communities, some voluntourism projects pair development with Bible readings and
prayers, connecting receiving necessary infrastructure to conversion. In the modern context, obviously not all volunteer trips are bad or maliciously intended, but in order to sever the ties between the modern rendition of the practice and its destructive, violent past, those who take part in volunteering abroad must interrogate the rationale behind the trips. This practice is self-serving when the main goal of the trip is conversion. Further, one must question the significance of the volunteers’ work. While I agree that small, incremental steps to larger change are important short-term, my concern is that by focusing on small, gratifying projects, we continue to put off longer-term goals, breeding a perpetual cycle complacency. Kushner concludes in her piece:
“Unless you’re willing to devote your career to studying international affairs and public policy” or research “the mistakes that foreign charities have made while acting upon good intentions ... perhaps volunteering abroad is not for you.” Rather than simply going for a week to build infrastructure, I urge volunteers to really interrogate their motivations and think beyond a single service trip, whether it is in their own communities or abroad. Volunteer work doesn’t excuse people from their responsibility to address the global wealth disparity. It’s a band-aid that doesn’t absolve people from confronting the underlying causes of poverty.
Government workers, already unhappy due to the pay freeze and frustrated by policies they disagree with politically, may see the shutdown as the final straw. The implications extend beyond government employees, as researchers at universities such as Emory depend on government funding, which was interrupted by the shutdown. An exodus of workers from the federal government and organizations that rely on federal funding would have serious ripple effects.
logs that will take months to clear. Fortunately, several proposals face Congress that would alleviate these issues. Bills by Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) would automatically fund the federal government at current levels when Congress and the president cannot agree on a budget. While not addressing the root cause of the problem — a dysfunctional government with an inability to compromise — the bill would prevent federal workers from being caught in the crossfire. Another important step for Congress is to undo Trump’s ordered pay freeze for federal workers, a kick in the teeth for the many employees forced to borrow money during the shutdown. These are not end solutions, but are nonetheless necessary to reverse the precipitous decline in federal employee morale under the Trump administration. Preserving funding for federal agencies and keeping workers on the job will be critical as the U.S. faces challenges, including rising income inequality and climate change. Efforts to study and remedy those issues depend on the federal government and the grants it distributes to researchers. Emory faculty, and by extension its student body, will find themselves at the center of this battle due to their reliance on federal grants and close collaboration with workers at agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This dependence makes it imperative for students and faculty, as well as Emory administrators, to advocate for legislation that fairly compensates federal workers and precludes future shutdowns.
Madison Stephens (21C) is from Little Rock, Ark.
Shutdown Threatens Economy Andrew Kliewer
As the longest government shutdown in United States history stretched on, the nation witnessed a game of chicken between Democrats and Republicans, while President Donald J. Trump and congressional leaders invited the collapse of basic government functions. Regardless of whether the shutdown is truly resolved, the last several weeks revealed serious issues with the way our government functions. This shutdown was a symptom of these problems as much as a cause: our federal agencies and their workers are underfunded, underappreciated and too often used as a political football. During the shutdown, workers in law enforcement, air traffic control and scientific research faced a month without pay or funding for their agencies. While the costs for those workers were severe, the consequences extend to the entire American population. Absent a reversal in policy, government agencies and the organizations that depend on them for funding could face challenges recruiting talented and qualified employees, which would harm areas including food safety and medical research. Congress and the president should immediately counter the instability of government agencies by passing legislation to eliminate the risk of future shutdowns and ensure federal workers are adequately paid. Perhaps the largest risk faced by government agencies after a shutdown is that their workers will simply quit. For skilled candidates, jobs in the private sector pay more than those in the public sector and come with the assurance of a stable source of funding and the peace of mind that a political fight won’t lock them out of their office.
Our federal agencies and their workers are underfunded, underappreciated, and too often used as political football. Private companies have few incentives to invest in basic research to improve general scientific knowledge, putting the U.S. at a serious disadvantage to nations like China, which heavily invest in research. Remaining federal workers will be left with increasingly difficult jobs, especially as effects from the shutdown linger. At the Environmental Protection Agency, for example, only 794 of 13,000 employees remained on the job throughout the shutdown. Tasks such as inspections of power plants and clean ups of toxic Superfund sites were put on hold. Suspensions of essential services across the federal government created dangerous back-
Andrew Kliewer (20C) is from Dallas.
U.S. Must Topple Maduro Without Military Force Robert Woolf Former President George Washington famously warned his successors to avoid foreign entanglements when he left office in 1796. But 223 years later, the United States has repeatedly ignored his plea. “Our country seems to have a habit of toppling foreign governments,” University of Vermont Political Science Professor Melissa Willard-Foster said in a Feb. 7 lecture at Emory. “Pretty much every president since FDR has pursued foreign-imposed regime change.” Most recently, President Donald J. Trump’s recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, once again inserting the U.S. into another country’s politics. Willard-Foster, who has researched why hegemonic countries force administration changes, has shown that it
is less costly for countries to opt for intervention instead of negotiating a settlement that would keep the leader in place. However, the U.S. would err in authorizing military force in ongoing talks with Venezuela. Few countries are in as much turmoil as Venezuela. Since Nicolas Maduro was elected president of Venezuela in 2013, he has overseen a nation imploding on itself. In October 2018, the International Monetary Fund predicted the country’s inflation rate was likely to top 10,000,000 percent by the end of 2019, an astounding indication of a crisis reminiscent of post-World War I Germany when people towed wheelbarrows of money to stores to buy basic necessities. On the humanitarian side, Maduro’s faux-democratic government has jailed political dissidents, violently attacked opposition protests and held a mockery of an election last May in which critics were barred from running. More than half of Venezuelan families
cannot scrape together enough money to address basic food needs, causing the average citizen to lose 24 pounds over the past year. These problems have been exacerbated under Maduro’s corrupt and inept reign, and there is no question it is time for him to go.
Even if the military operation successfully removes Maduro, the odds would favor a prolonged conflict within Venezuela. Nevertheless, if Trump authorized a military expedition to remove Maduro, it would be a massive misstep. Although he has been noncommittal on the idea, both Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton seem
receptive to a military expedition. And as we’ve learned from his administration, Trump’s mindset is always subject to change. The problems with this strategy are numerous and could cost the U.S. for years to come, as with Iraq in 2003. Even if the military operation successfully removes Maduro, the odds would favor a prolonged conflict within Venezuela. While Guaido has seemingly united factions of the opposition, there is no guarantee he would be able to hold off an insurgency against the new government. Venezuela also controls twice the amount of land of Iraq and it is likely that U.S. troops would be stationed in the country for the foreseeable future to support the new formed regime from attacks. Furthermore, some experts believe direct meddling could push other Latin American countries further in support of Maduro because of their overarch-
ing distaste for U.S. interventionism. The Trump administration needs to keep ramping up economic sanctions against the Venezuelan government to bring Maduro to the negotiating table, not plan a military coup. Additionally, we should increase the amount of aid in the form of food and medicine for those hurt by the oppressive regime to help with the unimaginable hardships they are experiencing. While Maduro has made a point of blockading his country from receiving any of this support, anything that gets through is helpful and everything that doesn’t fosters feelings of resentment toward Maduro. The U.S. has to act fast and work with its allies to get rid of Maduro once and for all, without involving our armed forces. Military intervention would be dire for the U.S. and the Venezuelan people. Robert Woolf (21C) is from Chappaqua, N.Y.
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Arts Entertainment Wednesday, February 13, 2019 | Arts & Entertainment Editor: Jesse Weiner (jesse.drew.weiner@emory.edu)
Animation Review
Romantic comedy review
‘Lego Movie’ Sequel Assembles Adequately By Rhett Hipp Contributing Writer
Grade: B The appeal of 2014’s “The Lego Movie” is surprising and odd in hindsight. An animated family film about a toy brand marketed primarily toward children received fairly widespread love and appreciation from all ages. From the excellent comedic pace to the lively animation style, the film constructed a lovably creative world for audiences to engage with. “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” brings many of those great elements back into play. However, the “The Lego Movie” ending leaves the sequel having to juggle new and recurring dynamics while also trying to find a new heartfelt message, which hinders the sequel in living up to what made everything awesome in the original. After the alien Duplo (Lego’s toddler-marketed counterpart) entities invaded the main characters’ home city of Bricksburg at the end of the first film, “The Lego Movie 2” begins when Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt), Lucy (Elizabeth Banks) and the other Bricksburg citizens are forced to flee the continuous destruction to live in gritty Apocalypseburg, where they won’t attract the aliens’ attention. But while everyone else has received a new brooding, dystopian outlook, Emmet is still the same “Everything is Awesome” guy. But when an alien, General Chaos (Stephanie Beatriz), kidnaps and escorts Emmet’s friends to the distant Systar System, Emmet rises to the challenge to save them. Along the way, he meets his new masculine mentor, Rex Dangervest (also voiced by Pratt), all while Lucy is attempting to stop
the self-proclaimed “not evil” Queen Whatevera Wa’nabi (Tiffany Haddish) from causing the apocalyptic event known as “Ourmomageddon.” Most of the best pieces of “The Lego Movie” are still present, but the sequel’s structure causes some problems. While both this film and its predecessor revolve around preventing the end of the world, this film separates our main protagonists from each other, which disrupts the previous film’s comedic dynamic. Performances from the returning actors are mostly on par with their previous as these characters; Pratt does an exceptional job in both roles, Banks balances Lucy’s personality conflict and Will Arnett is still funny as ever as Batman, yet their lack of interaction diminishes the strong humor. Newcomers Haddish and Beatriz are limited by their respective straightforward villain and henchman roles, which lack the distinguishing quirks that make the other characters so endearing. The laugh out loud comedy is still present at times, but it’s broken up and awkwardly paced. A healthy dose of self-awareness helps balance the humor and concept of “The Lego Movie,” but the sequel indulges in its meta-jokes to a degree that makes finding a moment when a character isn’t (figuratively) winking at the camera difficult. Constantly alluding to the film’s own knowledge of its tropes and convolution wears the comedic value thin, and distances the audience from the narrative and the characters by reminding them that they’re watching a movie. The story does have to cope with the fact that the original’s ending revealed the
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Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Ali Davis (Taraji P. Henson), a big time sports agent, gains the ability to read men’s minds and advances her career in ‘What Men Want.’
‘What Men Want’ Lacks Nuance By Kamryn Olds Contribtuing Writer
Grade: C+ “What Men Want” is a movie you decide to see because you like one of its stars — most likely Taraji P. Henson. It’s not a terrible film. You’ll probably have a nice time watching it, laugh with your friends about it after and then forget everything until, by chance, someone else brings it up at a lively dinner party some five years later. However, the film unfortunately falls into the category of what YouTube and video essayist “Nerdwriter1” calls the “passable movie.” Yet, the movie’s redemption is in how it tackles not only gender issues and the debate around them, but also the flaws that often characterize those debates. “What Men Want” is a gender reversal remake of the similarly titled 2000 romantic comedy starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. When Ali Davis (Henson), a sports agent who has worked her way up
horror review
the company ladder, loses a potential promotion to younger and less experienced male colleague, she begins to worry that she might never get ahead in a male-dominated world. But when a series of events gives Ali the doubleedged ability to read men’s minds, she seeks redemption by landing the hottest new NBA recruit.The film draws influence from #MeToo movement and the much-debated tenants of third wave feminism. It addresses the struggles that women of intersectional identities face — Ali is not just the only woman among her colleagues, but also the only person of color. Ali questions structural factors at play — “How am I supposed to fight a system that’s rigged against me?” she asks her father (Richard Roundtree) early on in the film. It emphasizes the lack of equity afforded to women in the workplace, probing social and political forces that consistently hinder Ali progress. When Ali approaches her boss and questions his decision to promote a male colleague in her place, he tells her that it is because she has not yet
landed a big-name client. But the scene suggests the problematic nature of having men usually be the ones seen as “big-name” clients and having those men systematically be less trustful of women. This addressing of systematic pressures is nothing new. In recent years, a small screen renaissance has provided audiences with nuanced depictions of women on shows such as “Mad Men,” “Big Little Lies” and Shonda Rhimes’s numerous NBC procedurals — “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal” and “How to Get Away with Murder” are just a few. Still, it is somewhat novel to see such blunt discussions of gender and sexism happening on the big screen. Despite notable exceptions, such as “9 to 5,” “Working Girl” and “The Devil Wear Prada,” films that depict women in the workplace are still a relative rarity. Even more rare are films in which those women are not white. Even when calling to mind female directors who skillfully tell women’s
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Grammy awards
Horror Sequel Stuck in a Loop Grammys Out of Touch, Too Long By Calen MacDonald Contributing Writer
Grade: C+
A “Happy Death Day 2U” is an archetypal horror movie sequel: it doesn’t offer anything new to the series, but recombines familiar elements in an exciting enough way to justify its existence. What it lacks in creativity, “Happy Death Day 2U” makes up for with unexpectedly heartwarming moments and pure fun. The Christopher Landon film opens in theaters on Feb. 13 and follows Theresa “Tree” Gelbman (Jessica Rothe), a college student at the fictional Bayfield University, as she tries to escape a series of time loops a la “Groundhog Day.” This is Tree’s second experience with time loops. The first film, “Happy Death Day,” centered around her roommate Lori Spengler (Ruby Modine) repeatedly murdering her while disguised as Bayfield’s mascot, a giant baby. The previous film ended when Tree pushed Lori out of their second-story window, killing her and seemingly
closing the time loop. “Happy Death Day 2U” concisely ties up loose ends from its predecessor. The film explains the power outages throughout Bayfield and justifies why Dr. Butler (Charles Aitken) had a baby mask in the first film.
Its explanation for the time loops, while uninspired, offers closure to the original’s biggest lingering question.
Its explanation for the time loops, while uninspired, offers closure to the original’s biggest lingering question. Unfortunately, the film’s clumsy opening poses more questions about the nature of its parallel worlds. “Happy Death Day 2U” picks up with the murder of Ryan Phan (Phi
Vu), the roommate of Tree’s boyfriend, Carter Davis (Israel Broussard). Ryan is murdered by another “Babyface killer” which snaps him back to the start of the day, locked in a new time loop. At first, it seems that Ryan’s attempts to escape these loops will be the film’s driving force, but, unfortunately, this is not the case. Ryan quickly uncovers the identity of the new killer, but this discovery is entirely nonsensical and is quickly forgotten by the characters and the hitherto fascinating opening is squandered. In escaping his killer, Ryan activates his experimental machine, lovingly dubbed “SISSY,” which the characters identify as the source of the time loops. SISSY releases a blast that sends Tree into a parallel universe where she relives the perpetual birthday from “Happy Death Day” once again. The differences in this alternate timeline make the film feel fresh despite returning to the exact setting of its predecessor. It’s disappointing, however, to see this regression to familiar ground
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By Aidan Vick Contributing Writer Awards shows have it rough. Given how subjective the material they celebrate is, it’s impossible for them to please everyone. The Grammy Awards, however, are special in that they rarely seem to please anyone at all. While this year’s ceremony was in several ways an improvement from previous Grammys, it was also hampered by the show’s usual shortcomings: its runtime and a lack of awards given out during the show. As usual, the foremost issue with this year’s ceremony this year was its unbearable length. Even with a three-and-a-half hour time slot, the Grammys ran 13 minutes overtime. The show consisted of 18 performances but only nine awards. People complain about the little comedy bits that the Oscars and similar shows include to cushion the runtime of the ceremony, but the Grammys is easily the worst offender of wasting time.
The abundant commercial breaks certainly didn’t make the ceremony feel any shorter, as performances were often bookended by a five-minute set of commercials. This led to a 53-minute gap between the presentation of Best Rap Song and Best R&B Album. No matter how much you’re enjoying the performances, it’s counterintuitive for an awards show to near an hour without presenting a single award. Apathy, on the part of many artists, was another problem that burdened the ceremony. Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Childish Gambino, three of the year’s biggest nominees, all declined to perform for unknown reasons. Additionally, the total absence of many notable artists was a surprise to most. Childish Gambino wasn’t present to accept his wins for Song of the Year or Record of the Year, which led to a couple of awkward moments; nobody accepted Childish Gambino’s first award, and Ludwig Goransson, a face
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Wednesday, February 13, 2019
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Runtime, No-Shows Hinder 61st Grammys Continued from Page 11
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Lucy (Elizabeth Banks, Left) and Emmett (Chris Pratt, R ight) embark on a new adventure in ‘The Lego Movie’ sequel.
‘The Lego Movie 2’s Pieces Struggle to Connect
Continued from Page 11 plot to be a play-narrative framed by the family (in the sequel’s case, the older brother and younger sister) playing with the Legos, which “The Lego Movie 2” can’t ignore or shy away from. Yet by cutting to the real world throughout the plot, the primary story becomes dependent on the metanarrative rather than enhanced by it. And while the real-life story has its poignant moments, it feels lackluster in comparison to how “special” the ending of the first film was. “The Lego Movie 2” is also surprisingly musical. For a kid’s movie, this may not be unusual, yet when “The Lego Movie” and the spinoff “Lego Batman Movie” both had only one big diegetic number that either served the plot or played to great comedic effect, it seems out of character for this movie to incorporate multiple songs that offer some style but far too little substance. “Everything is Awesome” is reprised on multiple
occasions, along with at least three new songs that don’t quite manage to nail the comedic tone of the movie while further indulging in the already overused self-aware humor. These sequences are well-constructed, but feel more like unnecessary spectacles targeted at younger audiences that dampen the film’s broader appeal. Regardless, a Lego set in which the pieces don’t fit together perfectly is still fun to build. “The Lego Movie 2” still assembles the cute moments that can make the inner kid in any audience member smile. Certain performances may carry the comedy of the film, but the returning cast manages to elicit some laughs. “The Lego Movie 2” is an unfortunately shoddier version of its predecessor, but it still constructs a solid movie that shows why “everything is cool when you’re part of a team.”
— Contact Rhett Hipp at rhett.hipp@emory.edu
very few in the audience seemed to recognize, accepted his second award. Nominated artists Jay-Z, Kanye West, Ariana Grande, Bradley Cooper and Taylor Swift were also absent from the ceremony for various reasons. Furthermore, several artists made jabs at the Recording Academy in their speeches, amounting to some of the night’s most profound moments. While accepting the Best Rap Song win for “God’s Plan,” Drake essentially said that winning a Grammy wasn’t that meaningful. “If there’s people who have regular jobs, who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here,” Drake said. Best New Artist winner Dua Lipa also referenced the comment that Recording Academy President Neil Portnow made at last year’s ceremony about women needing to “step up” if they want to be more prominent as artists and executives, exclaiming during her acceptance speech, “So many women! I guess we really stepped up this year.” It was great to see more female representation at this year’s ceremony, and the Academy seems to have realized how problematic Portnow’s statements were, as he is stepping down from his position later this year. The evening’s performances were mostly strong with a few definite highs and lows. The best performances of the night were Janelle Monae’s imaginatively choreographed performance of “Make Me Feel,” vocally powerful showings from Lady Gaga and Brandi Carlile and a wholesome celebration of Dolly
‘Happy Death Day 2U’ Takes on Two Masked Killers Continued from Page 11 after the film appears to promise more of Ryan and Carter, characters who never had the spotlight in “Happy Death Day.” In the new universe, Tree is left wondering how to get home while the new Babyface killer, distinct from the one hunting Ryan, hunts her down. The identity of this new killer is revealed in the final act, but it fails to surprise or meaningfully contribute to the plot. It’s disappointing to see the reveal handled so tactlessly after the effective, unexpected twist in “Happy Death Day.” However, Tree faces off with the killer in an inventive and satisfying encounter that somewhat assuages the pain of the reveal’s shortcomings. The Babyface killer feels like an afterthought, mostly irrelevant to Tree’s main goal of fixing the mangled timelines. The time loops themselves are treated as the antagonist, yet fail to be threatening. After each death, Tree comes back weaker. This attempt at raising the stakes is just as unsuccessful as it was in “Happy Death Day,” as no real consequences come of Tree’s deterioration. Tree’s emotional journey was at the heart of “Happy Death Day,” and she remains a compelling protagonist in the sequel. Her emotional arc is astoundingly genuine for a film that often relies on cheap jumpscares and canned jokes. Tree learns that she cannot change
the past without giving up the future, and Rothe’s performance hammers in that lesson with emotional weight. Tree is also consistently funny, although the film’s other jokes are mostly hit or miss. Her blase attitude toward her own deaths makes for several laugh-outloud moments. One of the film’s best scenes is a montage set to Paramore’s “Hard Times” wherein Tree repeatedly kills herself in increasingly gruesome ways.
The film toes the line between horror and comedy, but fails to excel at either. Its repetition of familiar plot beats is typical of a horror sequel, but it lacks any real horror. The film toes the line between horror and comedy, but fails to excel at either. Its repetition of familiar plot beats is typical of a horror sequel, but it lacks any real horror. I’m reluctant to even classify “Happy Death Day 2U” as a horror movie. The only time it slips into the horror genre is during a few jump scares. It’s slightly more successful as a comedy, but doesn’t go far enough Many of the jokes land and none fall so flat as to stall the film in its tracks, but the film’s inconsistent humor makes it impossible to praise
as a comedy, even when it nails the occasional joke. Samar Ghosh (Suraj Sharma) and Anna Pech (Sarah Bennani) join the series, but have little to offer. Samar and Anna seem to be intended as comedic relief, but fail to deliver any funny jokes. They have little plot relevance; their only role is helping Ryan to develop SISSY. Dean Bronson (Steve Zissis), the dean of Bayfield University, is similarly ineffective. He’s completely unlikable and only exists as an explanation for why Tree can’t be sent home immediately as he tries to sabotage Ryan’s experiments. These characters feel half-baked and ultimately only take up space on the screen.While it’s easy to fixate on the bad in “Happy Death Day 2U,” it’s still an enjoyable film. It’s not overly ambitious and delivers more of what was successful in the first movie. It also adeptly mixes lighthearted moments — even while killing off its cast of characters — with emotionally compelling ones. Despite retreading familiar ground, “Happy Death Day 2U” delivers everything that made the first one great. The film doesn’t take itself too seriously but still delivers a few heartfelt moments. If there is a third installment, hopefully we can escape this loop and explore some new settings, characters and plot twists.
— Contact Calen MacDonald at calen.macdonald@emory.edu
Parton’s career featuring singers like Katy Perry, Kacey Musgraves and Miley Cyrus. Parton and the other performers gave renditions of some of her biggest hits, including “Here You Come Again,” “Jolene,” “Red Shoes” and “9 to 5.” Oddly enough, Rapper Travis Scott’s show was more energetic than his performance at the Super Bowl last weekend. This change shows how much of a difference performing in a venue designed for concerts can make, as the Super Bowl Halftime Show is a notoriously difficult stage to perform on. The weakest performance of the evening was Post Malone’s joint effort with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a combination that was too weird to ever work given their wildly different musical styles. Post Malone began with an acoustic rendition of “Stay” and a fairly straightforward performance of “Rockstar,” but things fell apart fast when he joined the Chili Peppers for their upbeat song “Dark Necessities.” It was confusing why the Chili Peppers were even there in the first place given the fact that they weren’t a nominated artist, and their lackluster performance didn’t justify their presence. The Academy honored a variety of worthy musicians this year, with the trophies going to the most deserving artist in a lot of categories (although a lot of them could stand to have more varied nomination pools instead of relying largely on the year’s biggest hits). The night’s biggest winners were Kacey Musgraves and Childish Gambino; Musgraves took home the Album of the Year award for “Golden Hour,” as well as Best Country Album, Best Country Song and Best Country
Solo Performance awards. Gambino won Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Music Video and Best Rap/Sung Performance for his single “This Is America,” although he was notably absent from the ceremony. Other big winners included Lady Gaga and Brandi Carlile with three awards each, and St. Vincent, Beck and H.E.R. with two each. Strangely, the two artists with the most nominations this year (Kendrick Lamar with eight and Drake with seven) only won one award each, and Lamar tied with Anderson .Paak at that. Other notable wins included Cardi B, who became the first solo female act to win Best Rap Album with “Invasion of Privacy” (Lauryn Hill won as part of Fugees in 1997), and Chris Cornell’s posthumous Best Rock Performance win for his song “When Bad Does Good.” The Grammys viewership has been trending downward since 2012, and this year’s show netted only a slight uptick from 2018. Additionally, its ratings within the 18-49 age group were at an all-time low. If the Grammys want to fix their viewership problem, they need to make the show available to stream online in some capacity, because relying on the continually dwindling pool of cable television viewers isn’t going to work. This year’s show did finally see some positive changes, like better representation and a solid lineup of performances, but the Academy still has a long way to go if it wants to embody the grand celebration of music that it claims to be.
— Contact Aidan Vick at aidan.vick@emory.edu
Rom-Com Remake Skirts Expectations Continued from Page 11 stories with particular insight (e.g.. Sophia Coppola, Ava DuVernay and Patty Jenkins), it is still hard to find any film that fully depicts the experience of the contemporary working woman. Director Adam Shankman, whose previous work includes “The Wedding Planner” and “A Walk to Remember,” attempts to tackle this issue with “What Men Want.” And, his willingness to do so alongside screenwriter Tina Gordon is what makes this film interesting. Yet, while the filmmakers succeed in asking questions and adding layers not present in Nancy Meyers’ original, they fail to recognize what their predecessor does well. Unlike Meyers, Shankman and Gordon struggle to avoid stereotype and predictability, throwing nuance out the window. Consequently, their story becomes confusing and cliche. Ali’s character is meant to be layered and imperfect. Constantly struggling to receive her dues, she often pushes away the ones who care about her most. Creating this flaw was a decent decision on the part of the filmmakers. However, this decision is not fully realized until so late in the film that it comes as a surprise. It throws off the audience and muddles the character’s arc. The film also makes a feeble attempt to break away from the heterosexual binary. With the inclusion of a storyline that also handles the romantic life of Brandon Wallace (Josh
Brener), Davis’s openly gay assistant and friend, the film does take a step. Yet, this step, despite notably dispensing with certain stereotypes, still feels like it belongs 20 years in the past. Thus, despite this film’s attempt to elevate its predecessor and its victories in some places, its stumbles keep it from more than surpassing the original work. Go see this movie if you want to watch something straightforward and amusing. It is slightly funnier and much more entertaining than the original, and it includes a surprising cameo performance from R&B artist Erykah Badu, whose comedic timing as Sister, a “psychic” drug dealer, is impeccable. The film also boasts some other enjoyable cameos and pays homage to the city of Atlanta. Though this film is imperfect and “passable,” its work in trying to represent women on the big screen is worth noting. It fails to reach the level it could have, but perhaps that failure is more reflective of our current time. In many ways, our own discussions about race, representation and the female experience have produced mistakes. In our attempts to forge new ground, we have lost ourselves in perceived chaos and comparisons to the past. “What Men Want” reflects the continued need for these discussions, but it also reflects how muddled they can become.
— Contact Kamryn Olds at kamryn.sierra.olds@emory.edu
The Emory Wheel
Emory Life
Wednesday, February 13, 2019 | Emory Life Editor: Alex Klugerman (alex.klugerman@emory.edu)
Moonlight Gala
alumni
Clarke: A Legislator With a Lab Coat By Jacob DeFazio Contributing Writer President Donald J. Trump’s attacks on the scientific community spurred Jasmine Clark, who graduated from Laney Graduate School in 2013 with a doctorate in microbiology, to become involved in politics and run for the Georgia House of Representatives. Clark, who now represents Gwinnett, managed to unseat six-year incumbent Clay Cox last year on a platform that called for a larger role of science in politics. In addition to representing constituents, Clark also teaches as a lecturer at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.
Forrest Martin/A sst. Photo Editor
Emory students celebrate the Lunar New Year at the annual Moonlight Gala in Cox Ballroom, featuring performances and Asian cuisine. The event was primarily sponsored by the Emory Chinese Student Association.
Advice
See nursing, Page 14
Profile
Doolino Knows Best: PC Problems ‘Now I Really Want February is Black History Month. As people nationwide work to commemorate African Americans’ contributions to this country, others continue to (consciously or unconsciously) discriminate against them. While discussing race can make people uncomfortable, addressing that discomfort can be an excellent way to honor the tradition of black history and the humanity of black people. Are you struggling to find your place in conversations about race? Do you start sweating whenever someone says “slavery”? Never fear, Doolino is here to help your problems. Dear Doolino, In honor of Black History Month, I have been trying to talk to my black roomate more. We have different class schedules, friend groups and don’t really spend time together. But I need him to understand that I am down for the cause. On Feb. 1, I made sure to have my favorite album, Kanye West’s “Late Registration” blasting in the room. I thought that those fire early 2000s rhymes would bring us together. But after entering our room and seeing me rap “Gold Digger” flawlessly as I completed my B-School application, he told me he would be spending the night at Club Libs. I’ve subsequently tried to show my love for his culture by organizing a “Black Panther” screening in our room and battle-dancing him in a floss contest. Both attempts were unsuccessful. What am I doing wrong? How do I let my black peers know that I’m totally chill? With Clout, Budding B-School Badboi Dear Budding B-School Badboi, It is honorable of you to want to
form a bond with your roommate. But if you want that to happen, you need to stop everything that you’re doing. A great way to display your interest and concern about your roommate’s history is by becoming informed about it. Rather than haphazardly spitting fire alongside controversial rap gods, meditate on some W.E.B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells. Here is an additional tip: some of the best ways we can show we care is by listening. A good way to show your roommate you care about his humanity, this month and every month, is by treating him like a person. Who knows, he may like it. Next time you see him, ask him how his day was. Go get ‘em, champ. From Doolino Dear Doolino, A lot of bizarre and disturbing events have been occurring these past few months; I feel like I am the only person paying attention. I am a young black woman from Virginia. Our governor refused to step down although a photo of him in blackface recently surfaced. And an additional incident of blackface was made against his third in command respectively. Priyanka Chopra, a goddess, married Nick Jonas, a muppet. “If Beale Street Could Talk” only got nominated for three Oscars. There are 14 films in the “Airbud” franchise. And we still haven’t found that Malaysian airline flight. I guess what I am asking is, are we living in a simulation or am I being personally victimized by Regina George (a.k.a. the universe)? Signed, Suzie from Rugrats
To Go to Alabama’ Jin Young Choi Bikes to Border After Unexpected Revelation By Zoe Friedman Contributing Writer
Dear Suzie from Rugrats, Yes. From Doolino Dear Doolino, Learning about vagrancy laws in my history class makes me feel guilty and sad. I did not know black people were arrested en mass for hanging out together at night. I cried during every class this semester. During our most recent class, my tears amassed into a salty, classroomsized lagoon. Water soaked through the soles of my fellow students’ shoes, rose knee-high and lifted our desks off the ground. My teacher had to wade through the room and open the door mid-conversation to let out a wall of water. My professor has since pulled me aside and encouraged me to rethink
See celebrating, Page 14
When Jin Young Choi (19C) learned that he could graduate in three years, he decided to bike to Alabama. It was Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. As people nationwide reflected on the freedom for which King had rallied, Choi was contemplating how he would make use of his new path. Just a few days prior, he logged into OPUS to discover that if he increased his Spring 2019 credit load to 24, he could graduate in August 2019, after a summer program in Lisbon, Portugal. Choi C J Y C did not expect this to be his last semester at Emory. Choi said he was blindsided by the revelation. Once a self-described procrastinator who began his first semester with 12 credits, Choi said he didn’t “want to rush through anything in life.” Choi did, however, prepare for the bike ride in a rush. Clad in just three layers of clothing while temperatures dropped to 27 degrees, and with a single water bottle and his phone, Choi hopped on his road bike and started his journey. He hadn’t eaten lunch, but it didn’t matter — he was only planning to ride for an hour or two. He didn’t arrange for his friends to ourtesy of in
oung
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pick him up, because the ride was not meant to be long. A few hours later, Choi was still pedaling, caught in the adrenaline and pure joy of the moment. “You’re in the zone,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed biking. It’s a nice way to explore a lot of different landscapes.” He lost track of time. But, there was one issue — his phone was sporadically dying because of the cold temperatures, so Choi couldn’t pinpoint his Jin location or contact anyYoung one for a ride home. Choi “I hadn’t told anyone (19C) I was going on a bike ride of that scale,” Choi said. “[At the time], I thought it was a recipe for disaster.” After biking 30 miles, Choi flagged down a jogger and asked where he was. “I stop him; I ask him how far Alabama is, and he goes like, ‘It’s about 30 miles from here,’ “ Choi said. The jogger, Paul Wilder, gave Choi his phone number and told him to call if he needed help. That’s all Choi needed to keep going. “I have a good feeling about [Wilder], and that’s when I thought, ‘Now I really want to go to Alabama,’ ” Choi said. “Now that I have someone who I could call potentially, that’s perfect.”
See choi, Page 14
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Wednesday, February 13, 2019
EMORY LIFE
The Emory Wheel
Celebrating Black History With Doolino Continued from Page 13 how I engage with the readings. What do you think she means? Signed, Dona Gochasen-Walterfelds
Courtesy of Jin Young Choi
Jin Young Choi (19C, Left) competes in a bike race. Choi recently biked solo to the state line of Alabama after realizing his eligbility to graduate one year early.
Choi Charts His Own Path
Continued from Page 13
Choi is no stranger to catching a ride. During his 2018 winter break, he spent 20 days in Patagonia, scaling glaciers and visiting Chilean missionaries he met in England several years ago. Throughout Patagonia, Choi partook in a popular mode of transportation for South American travelers — hitchhiking. He quickly mastered the art of hailing a local driver and talking his way into the backseat. “You’re giving someone an elevator pitch,” Choi said. “There’s this brief window of time where you stop a car … and you need to prove that you’re a good human being. Otherwise, how can they trust you to be in their car? I think I became quite good at telling people who I am.” There’s a lot to tell: he built trails in a forest conservation program in the Nantahala National Forest during Summer 2018, serves as co-president of Emory’s Cycling and Triathlon team and works as a social impact intern with the Goizueta School of Business’ Social Enterprise initiative. The initiative provides business advice to small, specialty coffee farmers in Guatemala and El Salvador. Choi starts his day at 5:30 each morning to juggle all these roles while maintaining a 24-credit course load. Professor of Spanish Karen Stolley, Choi’s major adviser, described Choi as someone who possesses prodigious energy, curiosity and enthusiasm. She said she has never seen a student take as many credits as Choi.
“Usually, I’m making sure students are not at risk of dropping below the minimum,” Stolley said. “It’s an extraordinary situation, and I think it’s going to involve, on his part, some real self-care and time management.” Choi’s life began in South Korea, although his British accent reveals his English roots; he moved to England when he was 11. The overseas relocation sparked Choi’s interest in language. While Korean is his first language, he quickly picked up English, Spanish and even dabbled in French and Latin. It comes as no surprise that he’s double-majoring in Spanish and human health. According to Choi, speaking Spanish is his way of applying his classroom skills to the “real” world. “I’m an inquisitive learner in the classroom, but I’m even more curious when I’m outside the classroom,” Choi said. “Traveling has made me a lot more open-minded.” It’s this open-mindedness and spontaneity that led Choi to keep pedaling, in the freezing darkness, circumventing fallen trees while the brakes and gears on his bike failed to respond. “The trail had a bunch of branches fallen down,” he said. “When it’s dark, and you have a fragile road bike … I didn’t want to go too fast, but at the same time, I have these obstacles that could be deadly.” Choi finally called Wilder and asked for a ride (once his phone had turned on again, warmed in a back pocket by his body heat). Although Choi’s live location-sharing kept losing sig-
nal, Wilder nonetheless drove to the trailhead at the Alabama border and waited 45 minutes for Choi to arrive. He was so worried about Choi that, after getting a text from Choi that said, “I almost died,” Wilder called 911. “I was pretty worried for him,” Wilder said. “Not too long ago … a cyclist was killed on the trail. I wanted him to be alright.” Later, Wilder reflected that he had decided to trust Choi, a complete stranger, purely on Choi’s first impression: his hitchhiking elevator pitch. “He was very polite and kind. We were the only few people out on the trail; it was so cold,” Wilder said. “He explained to me why he was out there, and I could totally relate … I sensed that he didn’t really have anybody to help him, so I gave him my number and told him to call.” Choi managed to make it to the trailhead safely, and spent the night with Wilder’s family. Wilder drove Choi back to his car in Smyrna, Ga., the next morning. The two became fast friends; they’ve even planned a hike together in the near future. As for Choi’s future after Emory, his plans are still evolving. He doesn’t plan on attending graduate school right away, and he’s searching for a job in which he can effect change in his community. “I want to jumpstart a career ... where I can catalyze social impact,” Choi said.
that propelled me into a whole new space that I had never really been in before.” Once Clark became involved through the march, she realized how important it was to bring her perspective, one rooted in scientific data and rigorous logic, into lawmaking. “I realized that maybe the reason [politicians are] not using scientific data is because they don’t understand it,” Clark said. “Not to disparage people without Ph.D.’s or people who don’t understand statistics — I just think it’s helpful to have someone in the room who does.” Clark attended the University of Tennessee as an undergraduate studying microbiology, but she said Emory provided her the skills that distinguish her from the rest of Georgia’s state legislature. “I enjoyed my time at Emory so much I still work there,” Clark said.
“Even though I’m a microbiologist, I’d definitely say that my education at Emory has been absolutely invaluable. I learned so much about critical thinking.” Clark named Professor of Microbiology and Immunology Eric Hunter as one of the most influential figures in her academic career. Jasmine Clarke (13G), Georgia House of Representatives member
Dear Dona, It is good that you’re upset about vagrancy laws. But crying about it seems to be derailing class and giving other students less time to participate. Additionally, by devoting this much time to your feelings, less attention is given to the source material and the people who lived it. Redirect your sadness into action. From now on, bring a flower pot and some seeds to class.
Instead of crying loudly during conversations, cry quietly into the flowerpot. Over the semester, your flowers will grow. And come spring, you can give those beautiful flowers to black people that you see selling lemonade or waiting for a bus. In the spirit of vagrancy laws past and present, learn to celebrate black people when they’re just existing and having fun. From Doolino For your day-to-day qualms and minor life crises, send anonymous questions to doolino.emory@gmail. com
Fashion. Features. Food. Fun. Join Emory Life. Contact alex.klugerman@emory.edu
— Contact Zoe Friedman at zifried@emory.edu
Outraged by Trump, Nursing Lecturer Heads to Office
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Clark’s taste for politics began in her role as director of the first March for Science in Atlanta in April 2017. “When Trump was elected, one of the first things he did was target the scientific community, specifically climate science,” Clark said. “After the Women’s March, a lot of scientists wanted to have a march to promote science as well, and the March for Science was born.” According to Clark, Atlanta was an ideal location for the March for Science because of the high volume of prominent scientific institutions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and research universities like Emory. “Georgia has a vested interest in the sciences, so [I] and a group of people decided it was an ideal place for the march,” Clark said. “I was democratically chosen to be the director, and
Courtesy of Georgia Legislature
Hunter and Clark worked on a project that used high-definition deconvolution microscopes to track the movement of viral proteins. “She is a really smart and committed individual who was always help-
ing others,” Hunter said. “I think the data-driven perspective that Jasmine brings is sorely missing in the legislature. She’ll make a great addition to the House.” In a political climate full of “fake news,” Clark said her background helps her stand out and stand by her words. “When you prepare a paper in science, you need to cover all your bases,” Clark said. “When I make a conclusion about something, I need to be 100 percent sure because I’m going to send that out to a hundred people I don’t know and they’re going to dissect and critique and review what I’ve done.” Clark teaches two online courses that she developed at the Woodruff School of Nursing. Former Dean of Undergraduate Education at the Woodruff School of Nursing Angela Amar, who hired Clark as a lecturer, said students enjoyed
Clark’s teaching style. “We hired [Clark] to develop our online anatomy and physiology courses,” Amar said. “These aren’t easy subjects, and yet students loved what she did with the courses. They gave her high evaluations and even wrote letters about how much they enjoyed the classes.” Though Clark seems to be living the best of both the academic and political worlds, at one point, she felt discouraged. “There were at least three times in graduate school when I wanted to give up,” Clark said. “It was my support system that pushed me and said, ‘Jasmine you can do this.’ Whenever you feel like giving up, find something that motivates you and use that to get you out of that dark place.”
— Contact Jacob DeFazio at jdefazi@emory.edu
Sports
The Emory Wheel
Wednesday, February 13, 2019 15
Eagles Athletes Set Seasonal Swoop’s Prep for Records in Alabama Scoop UAAs Continued from Back Page
Continued from Back Page
Chinn in the 50-yard free (24.13), 100yard free (52.19) and 200-yard free (1:52.69); and Sicignano in the 50-yard free (24.03). On the men’s side, freshman Calvin Furbee earned a NCAA qualifying time of 1:50.70 in the 200-yard butterfly, where he placed seventh. Furbee proceeded to earn top-15 times in both the 100-yard butterfly (50.48), where he placed 12th and the 500-yard freestyle (4:37.14), where he placed 14th. “We are always learning, and working to get better,” Head Coach Jon Howell said. “It is a great group, and they have really worked hard. They have created a culture where everyone is not only committed to improving individually, but they are working to help each other be better.” The Eagles return to action on Feb. 13 in the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships, hosted by the University of Chicago. Editor’s Note: Cailen Chinn does social media for the Wheel. She was not involved in the composition or editing of this article.
— Contact Ava Villalba at ava.villalba@emory.edu
cess in the 5,000-meter run and finished in eighth at 18:51.86. Emory women set two season records in track events. Sophomore Olivia Hoekendijk placed seventh in the 1,000m run and set the bar for the Eagles this season at 3:14.89. Sophomore Carrie McIntyre also set a season and personal record in the 3,000m run with a time of 10:18.84. On the field, senior Paris Wagner pulled off a weight throw distance of 14.87m to claim seventh place. Junior Nyla Lindo triple-jumped to ninth place with 11.27m, earning her the top spot in the season’s record books, and besting the old seasonal record she had previously set. Over on the men’s side, Emory shone in the 800m and 1,000m runs. In the 800m run, three Eagles placed in the top 10. Freshman Jon Marcus took fourth with a time of 1:55.98 that earned him a season best, while sophomore Tom Perretta followed closely in sixth with a time of 1:56.22 and freshman Liam McGuire took eighth with a time of 1:57.85. In the men’s 1,000m run, three Eagles finished in the top seven.
Sport
Sophomore Jacob Hedgepeth took home the University’s only gold medal of the weekend with his first-place finish of 2:33.74. Not far behind were freshman Andy Shew in fourth with a time of 2:39.09 and sophomore Jonathan Rosenfield in sixth with a time of 2:41.24. Rounding off the list of men’s successes in track events, sophomore Matt Dillon took ninth in the mile at 4:24.41 while sophomore John Cox took sixth in the 5,000m run at 15:20.46. In the 4x400m relay, Perretta, freshman Matthew White, junior Fernando Cardozo and sophomore Liam Fost took eighth with a time of 3:25.60. Fost alone set two new season records for the 200m and 400m dashes, with times of 22.60 and 49.33, respectively. On the field, freshman Brett Henshey shone with a sixth-place finish from his 2.0m high jump. The Eagles will travel to Sewanee: The University of the South (Tenn.) on Feb. 15 for the Sewanee Indoor Invitational and to Columbia, S.C., on Feb. 16 for the USC Indoor Open.
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— Contact Daniel Huff at daniel.huff@emory.edu
the 1994-95 and 1997-98 squads for the second-best record through 22 games in program history. Although the Eagles trailed 18-15 after the opening quarter, Emory opened the second quarter with an 8-0 run, claiming a 23-18 lead. The Bears retaliated, holding the Eagles scoreless for almost five minutes as the Maroons posted seven straight points to regain the lead at 25-23. Emory quickly erased that lead, going on a 6-0 run to put the Eagles up 29-25. At the end of the first half, the Eagles led the tightly contested game 29-27.
After trading baskets in the third the deficit down to 59-57 with eight seconds left. After quarter, the Eagles a made free throw began the fourth from Oldshue, Emory quarter on a 9-4 run “Playing together secured a 60-57 win to take a 54-47 lead as a team has been over the Maroons. with 6:17 left on the the reason for our Offensively, Emory clock. The Maroons shot 38.2 percent quickly cut the lead success.” from the field and 35.7 to three points with percent from beyond back-to-back buckets, — Lindsey Tse, junior the arc. Although the but Oldshue hit two guard Eagles shot poorly, free throws to help they were able to win the Eagles to a 56-51 lead with 1:15 remaining. Although the by holding Chicago to 36.2 percent Eagles held a five-point lead, Chicago’s from the floor and 30 percent from Olariche Obi and Mia Farrell cut the three point line. Additionally, the
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Oldshue Has Monster Weekend Against UAA Foes
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Eagles out-rebounded the Maroons 47-33 and blocked 14 of their shot attempts. Oldshue had six of the 14 blocks, which tied her career high. Junior guard Lindsey Tse emphasized the importance of collaboration to win games. “Playing together as a team has been the reason for our success and the seven-game win streak,” Tse said. Emory returns to the court on Feb. 15 against Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) at 6 p.m.
— Contact Harrison Goldfein at harrison.goldfein@emory.edu
Want front row seats? Write for Sports. Email Ryan Callahan at rjcalla@emory.edu
Williams Paces Men In Scoring Continued from Back Page ed Emory 52-38 and ended up scoring 31 second-chance points in contrast to Emory’s 15 second-chance points. Rowley and sophomore guard Matthew Schner grabbed a combined 16 rebounds, almost half of the team’s total rebounds. “We have to be a better rebounding team in that situation,” Head Coach Jason Zimmerman said. “Also just finishing plays and finishing the last 12 minutes of the game or the last two seconds on a shot clock. It’s something we’ve been decent at all year and now we just need to finish this last weekend on the road.” Sophomore guard Romin Williams led in scoring for the Eagles over the weekend. Williams drained 31 points in 33 minutes of play on Friday and scored 27 points in 31 minutes of play against the University of Chicago. “I thought we played well for a total of 60 minutes this weekend,” Williams said. “We played great against Wash[U] Friday night and had a good first half against Chicago on Sunday.” Williams added that the team learned it needs to “finish better” in the future. After this weekend, the Eagles stand at 17-5 overall and 8-3 within the University Athletic Association (UAA). The team, which currently ranks sixth in Division III scoring offenses, will return to the court for an away game on Feb. 15 against Case Western Reserve University (Ohio). Then, they return home for their senior day on Feb. 23.
— Contact Lynden Fausey at lynden.fausey@emory.edu
The Emory Wheel
Sports
Wednesday, February 13, 2019 | Assistant Sports Editor: Ryan Callahan (ryan.joseph.callahan@emory.edu)
football
ON FIRE
“We didn’t score 50, but 40 was enough.” — Orlando Apollos Head Coach Steve Spurrier after blowing out the Atlanta Legends 40-6 on Feb. 9. After a playoff collapse from the Atlanta Braves and down seasons from the Falcons, Hawks and Georgia Bulldogs, the Alliance of American Football’s (AAF) Atlanta Legends seemed like a team the city’s sports fans could finally get excited about again. But after the Legends debuted in an embarrassing 40-6 defeat to the Orlando Apollos, it might be time for the city to give up on American football and accept it’ll only excel at the other football (looking at you, Atlanta United). Ex-Falcons practice squad quarterback Matt Simms led the Legends’ offense to start the game, but he was quickly replaced by former Georgia Bulldog Aaron Murray after throwing a pair of interceptions. While Murray still leads the SEC in career passing yards, his success in college football’s best athletics division did not immediately translate to the AAF. Neither quarterback managed to score a touchdown. A game that could’ve begun a heartwarming redemption arc for one of the two Georgia underdogs will instead be enshrined with the image of exLos Angeles Chargers and KoreanAmerican kicker Younghoe Koo scoring the AAF’s first-ever points. Koo might prove to be the only Atlanta Legend to earn his legendary status. The Legends’ defeat might be best explained by late-breaking coaching changes, a classic staple of Atlanta football. Both Head Coach Brad Childress and offensive coordinator and former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick stepped away from their coaching responsibilities before the season even started in decisions reminiscent of Bobby Petrino’s unceremonious midseason departure from the Falcons in 2007. But at least the NFL is a real football league. The AAF is yet another soon-to-befailed experiment in testing the NFL’s monopoly on professional football. The United States Football League and United Football League are already in the NFL-alternative graveyard, while World Wrestling Entertainment’s Vince McMahon plans to bring his XFL back from the dead next year. It’s unclear what the wrestling mogul hopes to accomplish by competing with an already-marginalized NFL competitor. Only time will tell if Roger Goodell’s culturally dominant NFL can withstand these upstart challengers amid its own ongoing concussion, officiating and labor problems. But it’s hard to bet against a multibillion dollar industry, and if the Legends’ performance is any indication of the AAF’s football product, then Childress was probably smart to bail out early. The Legends will make their Atlanta debut on Feb. 24 at Georgia State Stadium — but that’s if the AAF is still in operation by then.
women’s basketball
Swimming & Diving
Select Swimmers Qualify for NCAAs By Ava Villalba Staff Writer
and 23.1 percent from the three-point line. While the Bears had difficulty scoring, they only secured eight turnovers and 10 assists. Furthermore, WashU starters Hayley Semple and Rachael Sondag were held scoreless. After the win against WashU, Emory defeated the University of Chicago 60-57 on Feb. 10. During the game, Oldshue dropped 20 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, registering her sixth double-double of the season. Additionally, Lindahl scored 20 points and extended her streak of at least one three-point field goal to 17 games, the seventh-longest in school history. With the duo’s leadership, the Eagles clinched a seven game win streak to improve to a stellar a 17-5 record. Following the win, Emory stands 8-3 in the University Athletic Association (UAA) and ties
Amid a sea of Division I teams, the Division III Emory men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams saw several swimmers record NCAA-cut times. The Eagles sent a select squad to compete against teams including host Auburn University (Ala.), the University of Alabama and the University of Florida, at the Auburn Invitational from Feb. 8 to 10. On the women’s side, senior Hannah Baratz posted a career-best mark of 56.35 in the 100-yard backstroke and earned a NCAA B-cut time. Baratz was also a member of the 200-yard freestyle relay team, joined by junior Nadia Rivero and freshmen Amelia Sicignano and Cailen Chinn, which missed an NCAA cut mark by just .05 seconds, finishing in 1:35.68. Baratz said she was surprised by her result. “I did not expect to do as well as I did,” Baratz said. “I surpassed all of my goals I had for that meet and really my whole career as a swimmer.” The team narrowly fell short of several more NCAA cuts, including Baratz in the 50-yard free (24.09);
See oldshue, Page 15
See Eagles, Page 15
Forrest Martin/A ssistant Photo Editor
Senior center Ashley Oldshue goes for a tough layup during a Feb. 8 game against WashU. Oldshue finished with 21 points in the Eagles’ 75-66 win.
Team Extends Streak to Seven By Harrison Goldfein Contributing Writer
The Emory women’s basketball team has cultivated an impressive seven-game win after defeating the Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) Bears on Feb. 8 and the University of Chicago Maroons on Feb. 10. In Friday’s win over WashU, senior center Ashley Oldshue dropped a team-high 21 points on 10-15 shooting in only 19 minutes. Emory improved to an impressive 16-5 record led by other Eagles who also scored in double figures, including junior forward Erin Lindahl, junior guard Allison Chernow and sophomore center Blair Ripley. Although the Bears were up 32-30 at the half, the Eagles found their footing after halftime. During the third quarter, Emory scored 26 points and
held WashU to just 11. While WashU outscored Emory 23-19 in the fourth quarter, the third quarter spurt helped Emory secure the 75-66 win over the Bears. During the 75-point outing, the Eagles converted 49.1 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. Additionally, Emory scored 30 points in the paint, 16 bench points, nine points off turnovers, six fastbreak points and four second-chance points. The Eagles also displayed great vision, distributing 16 assists. Freshman guard Kennedy Cater highlighted the importance of passing the ball and working as a team. “Moving the ball is really important when it comes to getting the best possible shot on offense and getting all teammates involved,” Cater said. Defensively, Emory held WashU to 36.2 percent shooting from the field
track & Field
men’s basketball
Runners Race to Top-10 Finishes By Daniel Huff Staff Writer
Emory’s men’s and women’s track and field teams recorded 18 individual top-10 finishes on Feb. 8 and 9 during the Samford Bulldog Open in Birmingham, Ala. With 20 Eagles notching excellent times in a variety of events, Emory’s performance made a clear statement of strength despite the unscored invitational. Senior Dani Bland took one of the first major finishes of the meet with a time of 25.40 in the 200-meter dash, placing ninth. Fellow senior Kayla O’Shea finished seventh in the mile with a time of 5:12.21. Hot on her heels in the same event was freshman Angela Cao, with a ninth-place time of 5:13.76. Sophomore Abby Durfee found suc-
See athletes, Page 15
Forrest Martin/A ssistant Photo Editor
Sophomore guard Romin Williams rises for a layup during a match against the WashU on Feb. 8. Williams led all scorers with 31 points and Emory defeated WashU 105-82.
Men’s Win Streak Snapped By Lynden Fausey Contributing Writer
The Emory’s men’s basketball team split last weekend, defeating Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) by 105-82 but losing to the University of Chicago by 114-107. The games started on Feb. 8 when the Eagles faced off against WashU. Emory dominated the game and secured an impressive 105-82 victory.
The team produced 118 shots total and displayed admirable efficiency, shooting 55.7 percent from the floor, 45.2 percent from the three-point line and 76.5 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, the team totaled eight steals, four blocks and 37 rebounds. Sophomore Guard Nick Stuck dominated the boards, grabbing eight total rebounds, while sophomore forward Lawrence Rowley secured seven. The Eagles played the University
of Chicago on Feb. 9 in a much anticipated rematch after Emory’s overtime loss last month. The game was bound to be close, but Chicago obtained a 114-107 win after a high-scoring and hard-fought match. The Eagles continued to shoot at will, putting up a total of 138 shots. Ultimately, the game was decided on the glass. Chicago out-rebound-
See williams, Page 15