With the 2024 presidential election just two weeks away, former U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are neck and neck, with the latest NBC poll showing 48% support for both candidates. To understand how Emory University students view this election, The Emory Wheel conducted a poll surveying students on their political affiliation, voting plans and motivations to head to the ballot box. In total, 100 students responded to the survey, representing just over 1% of the undergraduate population.
The Wheel publicized the survey in GroupMe chats, the Oct. 9 print edition and social media to avoid sampling bias. However, the survey does not account for response bias, and the Wheel did not use random sampling.
Associate Professor of Political Science Zachary Peskowitz provided insight into the data collected. He noted that an “opt-in” survey could have potential biases, as “politically engaged and motivated students are more likely to participate.”
Results were collected from 39 firstyears, 37 sophomores, 10 juniors and 14 seniors. Among the respondents, 40% identified as very liberal, 44% as moderately liberal, 8% as moderate,
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Professor alleges half of Emory's waste ends up in landfills
By SpenceR fRiedland Managing Editor
Emory University has a long way to go to reach its goal of diverting 95% of its construction and nonconstruction campus waste away from municipal landfills by 2025.
According to Professor of German Studies and Linguistics Hiram
Oxford students petition to return to compostable to-go boxes
By anya aGaRkaR Contributing Writer
Asher Seibel (25Ox) submitted a student petition on Oct. 22 to the Oxford College Student Government Association (OxSGA) to keep a compostable takeout option at Oxford’s residential dining hall, also referred to as Lil’s. The dining hall switched from compostable takeout containers to reusable metal ones on Oct. 8, with the compostable to-go boxes only available during the transition period. According to guidelines outlined in an OxSGA Instagram post, OxSGA will receive a petition if it amasses at least 10% of the Oxford student body’s signatures. If two-thirds of the student body supports the referendum, OxSGA will “formally support the subject of the petition.”
Oxford’s shift to metal containers comes after Emory University’s Atlanta campus switched to reusable to-go containers last semester. To rent and return containers, users must download the USEFULL app, which offers “plastic-free takeout options” and requires users to scan a barcode on the dishware they wish to use.
Seibel wrote in an email on Oct. 7 to Oxford Dining, Emory Dining,
the Emory Office of Sustainability Initiatives, Oxford Dean Badia Ahad and OxSGA that the new take-out box system was “inconvenient” and “a terrible waste of school funds.”
“EVERY SINGLE STUDENT I KNOW IN ATLANTA DISLIKES THE METAL TAKEOUT BOX SYSTEM,”
Seibel wrote in the email. “Please do not bring this to Oxford!!”
Seibel added that the new system is especially inconvenient because he believes the purpose of a to-go box is to save time.
“So many people have now stopped going to the dining hall when they’re in a rush and instead gone off campus to get their food,” Seibel said.
Initial communication, which included signs posted in front of the dining hall, made it seem as if the metal containers would immediately replace the old compostable to-go boxes. However, Auxiliary Services at Oxford Julie Elion later clarified this in an EaglePost on Oct. 17.
“Unfortunately, due to various unforeseen circumstances, we were unable to launch this new initiative with the level of communication and planning you typically expect from us,” Elion wrote. “We apologize for
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Maxim, Goodr, the company that manages Emory’s waste, only diverts 51% of waste from landfills.
The 95% diversion goal comes from the Sustainability Visioning Committee's Sustainability Vision and Strategic Plan, which was adopted in 2016 and revised in 2020. The plan's introduction states the committee's “vision for Emory is to be
a model of transformative practices and sustainable choices at every level.” Former University President Claire Sterk, who was provost at the time, and former Executive Vice President for Business and Administration Mike Mandl appointed the committee in 2014. In an email to The Emory Wheel, Associate Vice President for Facilities
Management David Forbes wrote that the COVID-19 pandemic “significantly impacted” the waste recycling industry. Forbes did not respond to whether the claim that 51% of waste ends up in landfills is accurate.
Maxim, who volunteers as a Zero Waste Ambassador in the Emory Office of Sustainability Initiatives (OSI), toured Emory’s recycling facility on Peavine Creek Drive last year and had an “eye-opening and very upsetting moment.”
“I learned that all of the postconsumer materials that were put in recycling bins or compost bins on campus … were going to landfill,” Maxim said.
Maxim said that Emory changed recycling vendors after the pandemic. Emory’s former vendor, Southeast Green Industries, sorted through Emory’s waste and diverted over 70% away from landfills in 2019 and 2020, according to OSI. Maxim said that Goodr has not been able to match this rate since taking over in 2021. Goodr did not respond to the Wheel’s request for comment by press time.
Part of the problem is that the Emory community does not sort their waste well enough, leading to a highly contaminated recycling and compost stream that vendors are unwilling to sort through, according to Maxim.
“Our on-campus behavior regarding the sorting of our waste by faculty, students and staff still is not exemplary,” Maxim said. “Vendors aren't necessarily eager to deal with that because of its state.”
The latest statistics on the OSI
By Jack RutheRfoRd News Editor
Emory University’s Student Government Association (SGA) passed a resolution on Oct. 21 to condemn “vandalism” of an Emory Students for Justice in Palestine (ESJP) memorial. The resolution passed 13-1.
During a student-organized memorial on the evening of Oct. 8, participants chalked multifaith prayers, poems and other messages around the flagpole on the Quadrangle. However, sometime
between the night of Oct. 8 and the morning of Oct. 9, unknown individuals smeared the messages and chalked over them, writing “one Jewish state,” “Am Yisrael Chai,” and Stars of David.
“This vandalism was a discriminatory act towards Christian, Muslims, and students of color alike,” the resolution states. “Actions like these only sow feelings of animosity on campus and seek to make tensions worse.”
Bachelor of Business Administration Legislator Ibrahim Jouja (26C), who was one of the resolution’s sponsors, spoke about why
SGA should address the situation.
“This was a very public vandalism,” Jouja said. “It’s disrespectful.”
ESJP, Muslim Students Association, Arab Cultural Association, LatinX Student Organization, Black Student Alliance and Orthodox Christian Fellowship all sponsored the resolution, which calls the chalking incident a violation of Emory’s Respect for Open Expression Policy.
“Any infringement of another’s expression is a violation of this policy and will be reviewed so that
Saba FaiSal/Contributing illuStrator
JaCk ruther Ford/newS editor
The Emory University Student Government Association met on Monday in Convocation Hall.
Abortion is key issue among respondents
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6% as moderately conservative and 2% as very conservative.
Despite the close results in the national poll of Trump and Harris, an Inside Higher Ed survey from earlier this month showed that 57% of college students favor Harris, compared to 19% who favor Trump. In the Wheel’s survey, 83% of respondents stated that they plan to vote for Harris, and 9% plan to vote for Trump.
Five survey participants stated they intend to vote for Jill Stein or Claudia De la Cruz. Stein and De la Cruz have garnered support due to their proPalestinian stances.
The top priority for students was abortion rights, with 25% of respondents stating this as a reason they were voting, followed by 12% for LGBTQ+ rights. Additionally, 9% are voting due to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and 12% of respondents listed the economy as a motivator.
Further, 5% cited that they plan to
vote in the election to uphold or participate in democracy. Additionally, 8% of respondents stated they were voting to keep Trump from returning to office.
“Voting is my civic duty and it’s significant to me as this is my first election I am able to vote in,” a student wrote. “But also, I am concerned about the state of our nation.”
In terms of voting registration, 75% of respondents stated they are registered to vote in Georgia, whereas 23% are registered in another state.
In Georgia, early voting turnout has reached a record high, with over 1.7 million votes. Nearly 19 million early voting ballots have been cast nationwide as of Oct. 22.
Although Georgia has had a record turnout, Peskowitz added the younger generation votes at lower rates than older people. In the previous presidential election, people under the age of 30 represented just 15% of all 2020 voters, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center.
Peskowitz discussed some challenges students face when voting, such as traveling to their home state or requesting an absentee ballot. Although 98% of respondents indicated that they plan to vote, Peskowitz expressed skepticism that this will be representative of the true turnout among students.
Georgia is one of the critical states in this election. In 2020, U.S. President Joe Biden won the state with less than a 0.3% margin, the closest race in the country that election. It was the first time Georgia had voted for the Democratic nominee in almost 30 years.
“The margins are going to be so tight in all the seven battleground states that very small swings in turnout or persuasion could absolutely swing a battleground state and swing the entire election,” Peskowitz said.
— Contact Gabriella Zarubinsky at gabriella.zarubinsky@emory.
Oxford receives backlash from students over reusable takeout boxes
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us,” Elion wrote. “We apologize for the unexpected nature of this change and the inconvenience it caused to students, faculty, and staff.”
Elion wrote in a follow-up email to The Emory Wheel that Oxford Dining did not intend for the misunderstanding.
“We always intended to launch USEFULL and have the old containers available while we transitioned to the new system,” Elion wrote. “We just missed the mark communicating this intent.”
After Elion informed students that both paper and metal takeout containers would be available for the transition period, Seibel wrote in an email to the Wheel that he was “ecstatic.”
Some students, including Asher Schuleman (25Ox), said that although the metal takeout containers were better for the environment, the updated notice in the EaglePost made it seem like Oxford Dining was backtracking.
“They went back on it,” Schuleman said. “I don’t know why.”
Daniel Majzoub (26Ox) said he thought the general student body was unhappy with the change. Another student, Grace Hetrick (25Ox), noted that communication from Oxford was
inadequate.
“It just appeared, and then suddenly we were adapting this new system, and there was no input from students,” Hetrick said.
Oxford Dining made this change as a part of Emory’s sustainability initiatives and aims to make Oxford a more eco-friendly campus, according to Elion. She wrote in the Oct. 17 EaglePost that the new containers would support Emory’s zero-waste goal, which aims to “divert 95% of non-construction campus waste from municipal landfills” by 2025.
Oxford Food Recovery Network President Ameer Alnasser (25Ox) said the change will bring environmental improvements to campus. He added that he is “excited” about the change.
Similarly, Majzoub appreciated the effort to make Emory a more sustainable campus but wished that Oxford presented other alternatives.
“It’s great that we’re trying a more environmental approach, but we should still have access to the compostable ones, which worked, and students seem to have preferred,” Majzoub said.
— Contact Anya Agarkar at anya.agarkar@emory.edu
a nya agarkar/Contributing writer New takeout containers sit in Oxford College dining hall. l auren yee/newS editor
Harris teams up with Usher at Atlanta rally
By JacoB MuScolino Staff Writer
United States citizens are watching Georgia closely as Election Day nears, with the state’s battleground status making it of particular interest for 2024 presidential candidates.
Vice President Kamala Harris aimed to drum up support for her campaign during a get-out-the-vote rally on Oct. 19 at the Lakewood Amphitheater. Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Ga.), Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Grammy awardwinning artist and Atlanta native Usher joined Harris at the event.
During her speech, Harris discussed inflation and said she aims to reduce healthcare and grocery store costs and support small businesses. Harris said she will build an “opportunity economy” where Americans will have the ability “to own a home, to build wealth, to start a business.” She also said she would implement a $6,000 child tax credit and increase tax deductions for small businesses from $5,000 to $50,000. Former U.S. President Trump was another key topic, with Harris claiming that Trump’s healthcare policies would threaten the health insurance of “45 million Americans.”
However, the focal point of the night was reproductive rights. Harris said that she would restore reproductive freedom “nationwide.”
Harris shined light on the death of Amber Thurman, a 28-year-old mother who was unable to obtain a legal abortion in Georgia and resorted to abortion medication she bought in North Carolina. Thurman later died due to complications of the abortion. Her death caught the attention of prochoice activists, and Georgia’s maternal mortality committee determined that her death was likely preventable.
Thurman’s mother and sister spoke about Thurman's life in a pre-recorded video on a screen behind Harris.
“I've never been a political person, never,” Thurman’s mother said. “I'm voting for Kamala Harris because she showed me she really cared. I felt her sincerity and I felt her strength. … I felt her compassion. We will never get Amber back, but we can make sure this never happens again.”
Williams, who is also the chair of Georgia’s Democratic Party, said Trump has a “dangerous agenda,” adding that a second term with him as president would roll back reproductive freedoms.
“He tried to silence our voices and overturn our free and fair election,” Williams said.
Ossoff applauded Georgia voters for helping elect U.S. President Joe Biden in 2020 and rebuked Trump’s lack of “integrity” and a “moral compass.” He claimed that when “the microphones are off” on the Senate floor, notable
Legislator says condemnation leads to slippery slope
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we can hold members of our community accountable,” Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond wrote in an email to The Emory Wheel.
Second-year Legislator Seth Weinfield (27C) said that it was important for SGA to condemn anti-Arab acts and Islamophobia. Weinfield previously sponsored a resolution condemning allegations of antisemitism at a Sept. 12 proPalestinian protest.
Ranking Member Sohan Bellam (26C), who was the only member
to vote against the resolution condemning the vandalism, said that SGA passing Weinfield’s previous resolution was a “huge mistake.” He proposed a closed session to discuss the new resolution, but the rest of the legislature did not support this motion.
“Now we’re on a path where every single meeting we meet, we’re going to be having to condemn something else because we’ve set the standard that we’re going to speak,” Bellam said.
— Contact Jack Rutherford at jack.rutherford@emory.edu
supporters of Trump express criticism of his leadership abilities.
“This is deeper than Democrats versus Republicans,” Ossoff said. “It is about the character of our nation, and that's why Vice President Harris has built a coalition to win Georgia that includes Republicans, Independents and Democrats.”
Ossoff spoke about the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, saying Trump raised a “mob.”
“It's up to us to turn the page on Donald Trump in Georgia,” Ossoff said.
During his speech, Usher spoke about the importance of early voting and encouraging others to vote with the election fast approaching.
“Everything that we do within the next 17 days will affect the lives of our children, of our grandchildren, of the people whom we love most,” Usher said.
Throughout her speech, Harris repeated the words, “We will win.” She emphasized that the choice in this election is crucial, calling it “one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime.”
“America is ready to chart a new way forward,” Harris said. “We are ready for a new and optimistic generation of leadership.”
— Contact Jacob Muscolino at jacob.muscolino@emory.edu
Emory falls short of lofty waste diversion goals
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website show that in 2022, Emory had a 58% diversion rate. The earliest data shows that in 2015, 50% of waste was diverted, with the diversion rate increasing to 74.5% in 2020.
According to Maxim, Emory is searching for new vendors to sort through its waste. He added that Emory’s contract with Goodr ends January 2025.
Plastic Free Emory President Anisha Johnson (25C) works with the University to be more environmentally friendly, specifically on reducing single-use plastics on campus. However, Plastic Free Emory does not work on Emory’s 95% diversion goal.
Johnson said that the University as a whole needs to do a better job educating people on how to sort their own trash.
“The waste education around campus could be a lot better, not necessarily just from OSI, but I think in [general], there's been this sort of herd mentality that Emory is not doing a good job on their waste management, and I feel like that is what leads a lot of people to not really think about how they're sorting their waste,” Johnson said. Similarly, to help solve Emory’s contaminated waste issues, Outdoor
Emory co-President Alex Valdivia (25C) believes that the University needs to do a better job of emphasizing the importance of every individual sorting their waste.
Valdivia, who works with OSI and hosts events promoting sustainability, said that he is “not super surprised” by Emory’s 51% diversion rate, given confusion around recycling and composting practices, but that it is “disappointing.” Valdivia said he believes Emory is attempting to be more environmentally friendly but needs to be more transparent.
“It's a tricky thing to do messaging-wise because it kind of has to be an admission of a system that was not great in the past and saying, ‘OK, we're actually going to revamp this,’” Valdivia said. “If they were really serious about having their waste stream go to the compost and recycling, they need to emphasize that.”
Despite the current numbers, Forbes stated in his email that the University is still committed to reaching a 95% diversion rate.
“We continue to look at innovation, technology and strategic partnerships to help us achieve this goal,” Forbes wrote.
— Contact Spencer Friedland at spencer.friedland@emory.edu
University Senate requests Jones Day report
By Jack RutheRfoRd News Editor
Emory University’s Faculty Senate passed a resolution on Oct. 22 requesting that the University release a report by the law firm Jones Day to the University Senate by Nov. 15. The resolution was introduced by University Senate President-elect and Philosophy Department Chair Noëlle McAfee, and the Senate passed it with a voice vote. The report is an investigation into Emory’s response to the April protests on campus, according to University President Gregory Fenves.
“Shortly after the termination of protests this past spring, the president and the administration alerted the University that they would have an independent and external review of all events and decisions on and after April 25, 2024,” the resolution states.
Fenves first announced plans of a review at a student webinar on May 6, during which he said that Emory
would conduct a review of its actions during the protests.
At a Sept. 24 Senate meeting, Fenves said the Office of General Counsel, which provides legal representation to Emory, directed the review of the University’s actions. He added that the University contracted Richard Deane Jr., a lawyer at Jones Day, to write the report.
Attendees at the September meeting questioned Fenves about why the administration would not make the Jones Day report public. Fenves did not specify a reason but said that the administration was following the process of the investigation.
The Jones Day report informed the administration’s time, place and manner restrictions on open expression, according to Fenves. In August, Emory codified the Respect for Open Expression Policy with restrictions on student demonstrations.
“The actions that I’ve taken and others are informed by many factors we’ve learned through the review,
such as the limitations on time, place and manner,” Fenves said.
The Senate’s passing of the resolution comes a month after McAfee initially introduced the resolution during the September Senate meeting. She withdrew it after some members raised concern about the fact that McAfee introduced the resolution the same day the Senate was made aware of the Jones Day report, not giving the Senate sufficient time to review it.
After passing the resolution, the Senate amended the resolution to request that the report be redacted to omit any personal information of those interviewed in the report.
Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond said in an email to the Wheel that the University will review the Senate’s request once it is received.
— Contact Jack Rutherford at jack.rutherford@emory.edu
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Editors-in-Chief Madi Olivier and Sophia Peyser madi.olivier@emory.edu sophia.peyser@emory.edu
Founded in 1919, The Emory Wheel is the fnancially and editorially independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University in Atlanta. The Wheel is a member publication of Media Council, Emory’s organization of student publications. The Wheel reserves the rights to all content as it appears in these pages, and permission to reproduce material must be granted by the editor-in-chief.
The statements and opinions expressed in the Wheel are those of the authors and do not necessarily refect those of the Wheel Editorial Board or of Emory University, its faculty, staf or administration. The Wheel is also available online at www.emorywheel.com.
CourteSy oF ibrahim JouJa (26C)
A pro-Israel chalking reading "Am Yisrael Chai" is drawn near pro-Palestinian vigil chalkings on the Quadrangle.
The Emory Wheel Opinion
EDITORIAL
Senate suppression: Fenves’ chokehold on open expression
Emory University President Gregory Fenves anticipated being asked about the Respect for Open Expression Policy in his interview with The Emory Wheel earlier this month. He’s not alone in thinking about open expression — following the controversial implementation of a new addendum to the policy, open expression is on many Emory community members’ minds.
“Every policy,” Fenves said in the interview, “especially ones as important as open expression, will need a periodic review if necessary, with the [University] Senate making recommendations for updating it.”
The addendum, added by the administration in late August, was crafted without the consultation of the University Senate or the student body. The University Senate is composed of faculty from all seven schools at Emory, in addition to Student Government Association presidents from the Atlanta, Oxford and graduate organizations.
It serves to advise and recommend policy changes to Fenves and the Board of Trustees, who have the actual authority to make changes. However, its bylaws do not grant it the power to amend the policies enacted by the administration, rendering it an appeasing but ineffective system of democratic governance.
Fenves’s move to codify the addendum was endorsed by the Board of Trustees, which is the policy-making body that governs the University and is largely composed of corporate leaders and alumni. His decision blindsided the groups that it would impact the most — the students and faculty — and exposed the hollowness of his notion of a “periodic review” of “every policy” on his desk.
In a review of the addendum published on Oct. 14, the University Senate Committee for Open Expression, which is comprised of Committee Chair Prof. Ilya Nemenman and facul-
ty, staff and representatives from different schools, found that the addendum “lacks sufficient detail and clear definitions, which will likely cause confusion in enforcement.”
Further, the committee believes that “certain provisions — particularly the blanket ban on protests between midnight and 7 a.m. — place undue burdens on the expressive rights of community members.”
tive pushback for their efforts to enact change. Despite being a platform for faculty to advance their collective interests, the University Senate holds no formal power to challenge the administration.
Lauren Yee
Marc Goedemans Editorial
Lola
Safa
Gerson A&L
Fenves and the Board of Trustees’ interests are overriding those of a plural ity of students and faculty, whose outrage and no confidence votes serve as ample evidence for that. By unilaterally implementing this addendum, Fenves enforced a chilling idea: that the word of the Board of Trustees and himself takes priority over Emory’s system of shared governance.
This rule is written into the University Senate’s bylaws, amendments to which can only be authorized by the Board of Trustees, who have no incentive to relinquish their chokehold on matters of administrative policy.
Nevertheless, motivated members of
body that exists as a means of democratic appeasement for students and faculty. The members are given a platform and positions that resemble authority but lack means of stopping policies that actively harm faculty and students. Still, the advocacy carried out by its members can still have substantial influence. “Informally, we have a lot of power,” McAfee said.
McAfee, who is outspoken in criticism of the new open expression addendum, wants students to feel confident that there is inherent power in sented and advanced by the University Senate. “We have this democratic authority and kind of soft power that who authored
last spring — I think raises a real set of issues around President Fenves: Do we have a boss, or do we have a leader?”
On Tuesday, Emory community members received an email with a survey from George Shepherd, President of the University Senate, on the issue of open expression via email. “It’s open-ended, big, and I expect, I hope, to get hundreds, maybe thousands of replies, because there’s a huge community,” McAfee said.
It’s imperative that students, faculty and other community members fill out this survey; accumulating and amplifying our collective concerns is the best way to challenge our administration’s efforts to silence them.
Precisely because Fenves and the Board of Trustees have proven that they are willing to disregard their community’s interests in their decisionmaking, we must make it resoundingly clear that our beliefs will not be squandered. The University Senate’s hands may officially be tied, but through other channels, the power of collectivity can and will create change.
Although it seems easy to be discouraged, students and faculty alike must recognize and find strength in members of the community working to challenge this frightening act of authoritarianism.
Shared governance may be broken at Emory, but the power of collective action can still prevail. This starts with forcing the Board and president to take accountability for their actions.
Students and the University Senate have both experienced administra-
the
Carson Kindred,
The Emory Wheel
the University Senate Executive Committee continue to work to improve the policy. Among other faculty members, University Senate President-Elect Noëlle McAfee and Emory College of Arts and Sciences Senate President-Elect Clifton Crais formed a new Open Expression Subcommittee in September with the goal of revising the Respect for Open Expression Policy.
But the revisions suggested by this new subcommittee are no more than “suggestions” for those who hold actual power: the Board and president, rendering the University Senate effectively unable to check the actions of the administration.
The University Senate remains a
the no-confidence vote regarding President Fenves last Spring, remains critical of Emory’s weak shared governance structure, especially as it threatens open expression.
“The open expression observers, as well as the policy itself, are deeply reliant on campus life,” Crais said. “The head of campus life is beholden to the President, and that raises significant questions on and around its independence and autonomy to protect the broad issues around open expression.”
“This administration shockingly lacks transparency,” Crais added. “The fact that this addendum was done, in effect, in secret, without consultation with stakeholders — especially given the no confidence motions of
Goedmans, Carly
“Don’t give up. And organize,” Crais said. “We are at an incredibly important inflection point in the life of Emory and the life of higher education. This is a real opportunity — a moment for students to really change things for the future.” We are all frustrated, but, as Crais put it, “to give up now would be to abdicate all of our responsibility as students, as faculty members, as intellectuals.”
The knowledge of our flimsy shared governance at Emory is power in itself. Push back against these restrictions in ways still within the parameters permitted by the University — protest, free speech, and the right to dissent to get attention from the administrators who have the power to suppress or uplift our voices on campus.
Crais described a “wall separating the Board from other stakeholders.” The best way to break down a wall is to start striking.
Meiya
above editorial represents the majority opinion of
Now that it’s fall, how do I live out my dark academia fantasies at Emory despite being in the South and everyone still wearing T-shirts to class?
Sincerely, Fall Fanatic
Dear Fall Fanatic,
The time has come. The Atlanta mosquitoes that torment students and faculty alike, Brat summer horrors and ninety-degree weather have been engulfed in a puff of frosty air and skulked off to die deep underground. Yet, there are some people at Emory University — my lifeless eyes are looking at you, disturbingly high population of New Yorkers — that refuse to let their breezy summer aesthetics go. We are halfway through October, dear readers, and while Emory seems like the perfect place for wannabe Rory Gilmores to live out their oversized sweater fantasies, many students simply will not get with the program.
Personally, the very thought of going outside in this weather without the warming coverage of my snazzy ensemble chills me to the bone — pun intended. While I am not the fashion police (although everybody was asking for me at the recent Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show), I can offer some tips and tricks to tune out the less seasonally sensible of us.
Stay warm, stay gothic and stay pretentious, Emorians.
The final stage of grief is acceptance, Fall Fanatic. To fully embrace the dark academia lifestyle of your dreams, you must come to terms with the fact that, for many of the students around you, it simply is not that cold. If you are from the South, I know that this may come as a shock. Trust me, considering my years spent in hell, I am used to warm temperatures. But while walking to your 8:30 a.m. class may feel like trudging through a frosty tundra, others around you likely view the sixty-degree weather as normal — nay, pleasant. They are likely delusional from years of hypothermia in whatever frozen northern wasteland (some refer to it as “New Jersey”) they come from. Unfortunately, I have been informed that they have rights too and no sanctions can be imposed upon them for simply “ruining the vibe.” Like an unsightly blemish or your problematic uncle at Thanksgiving, I would simply suggest accepting that you cannot change those who stubbornly stick to t-shirts and shorts. Try your best to ignore their existence.
While you cannot change others, you do have free will, a privilege that I see squeaking baby first-years all too often abuse at Tongue & Groove Thursdays. Use the same sense of sheer desperation that you poured into all of your college application essays and convince your fellow students to join in on your well-intentioned fad of dark academia. As intel-
lectualism is a core facet of the dark academia aesthetic, I would suggest finding the perfect study space to broaden your cognitive abilities. Arm yourself with a pumpkin spice latte and plenty of deodorant, then pull your computer science friends out of the lab. Instead, suggest a study session in the dark academia wannabe haven of Emory — the Matheson Reading Room.
Boycott culture needs overhaul for real change
By inesha gUpta Contributing Writer
While many of these students will claim that they are too “locked in” to conform to an aesthetic, simply tell them that you have the “skeleton key” to let them out (meaning, of course, that I will hunt them down if they do not comply).
— some aesthetics simply cannot be replicated by mere mortals.Another key aspect of the dark academia lifestyle is secret societies, organizations or cults. If you are in search of a cult, I might suggest joining the Alpha Kappa Psi fraternity to suit your fancy. However, if you would prefer to keep your soul, then perhaps you can channel the dark academia spirit meant to be felt on a college campus by creating a society of your own. While Emory’s modern architecture is, unfortunately, a far cry from the towering gothic castles that may be governing your fantasy, there are still plenty of secluded locations for
If you have no friends, do not fear,as solitude is a hallmark of an intellectual academia aesthetic. Simply don a turtleneck, purchase a collection of poems by Sylvia Plath and wander through the Quadrangle, stopping occasionally to stare solemnly at patches of gray clouds and shake your head. For maximum effectiveness, sob loudly at tour groups as they walk by.
If you see anyone dressed in a top hat and black cape, I must request that you tell them to remove them at once.
Slowly, your peers will become jealous of your emotional depth and intrigued by your undiscovered lore and join you, ditching their Birkenstocks and tank tops for kneehigh boots and knit sweaters.
All of this is well and good, but if you see anyone dressed in a top hat and black cape, I must request that you tell them to remove them at once
Boycott culture is the unfortunate love child of cancel culture. While cancel culture focuses on calling out — and publicly shaming — individuals and companies online, boycott culture has evolved into a powerful tool for organized consumer action against businesses. As these two complementary phenomena merge and expand into wider social and economic forces, one thing is clear: It’s time for a complete overhaul.
Boycott culture manifests as collective divestment from corporations that either support or are complacent political, social and cultural injustices. These online offensives gain traction like tabloid stories, featuring shocking new pieces of media about a businesses’ affiliations and work ethics, and then die down quickly as the world forgets and moves to the next cause.
Today, cancel culture is a normal phenomenon on the internet.
Boycotts’ frequent lack of fact-based social media outreach often demerit valid stances and undermine the importance of action. For example, the entire McDonald’s boycott in the Middle East was sparked by one independent franchise operator’s actions in support of Israel which were subsequently denied by the corporation. We need to focus on grassroots community mobilization instead of performative online outrage.
The foundations of today’s boycott culture were laid by popular internet movements like the #MeToo movement and climate activist Greta Thunberg’s Fridays for Future. Both of these movements were driven by internet-facilitated cultural globalization and focused on fundamental human rights. Activists called out various stakeholders, from sexual perpetrators to corrupt governments, challenging both individuals and institutions to re-evaluate current policies and practices.
sasha eMMeriCh/ContriButing illustrator
a secret society to meet. The tiny spaces underneath the beds of Samuel Candler Dobbs Hall are sufficiently cozy for a fall gathering, and the company of roaches would provide an authentic, medieval aura to the meeting.
Additionally, if you are looking for an illustrious, distinguished figure for your organization to worship, I think that the choice is obvious. The sad reality of this dismal Earth, and Emory’s misguided student body, is that no two students have the same idea of what constitutes autumn. Is it sweater weather? Is it nearly winter? Are the dreaded lime green banners and high temperatures of Brat summer still, in fact, lurking among us? With so many obstacles in your way, you may never fully get the fall of your dreams.
However, with the help of seasonal beverages, peer pressure and a wardrobe revamp, you may succeed in romanticizing your ludicrous tuition, albeit, slightly. Isn’t that better than nothing? Stay warm, stay gothic and stay pretentious, Emorians.
And always remember: Doolino knows best.
— Contact Doolino six feet under the Quadrangle
Boycotting Starbucks decreased the company’s revenue in the Middle East, even pushing their stores to release their ever-popular fall products early to regain consumer traction in the United States. In the long term, these uprisings also changed American corporations’ thought processes around public protest. Corporations became much more fearful of how these movements would impact their brand image, and thus their bottom-line profits.
On the people-facing front, boycotts facilitated a strong wave of positive community-building on Instagram, Twitter and other online forums. Social media users, primarily Gen-Z, learned of global situations, facilitating discussion amongst friend circles and engaging communities online with conversations calling for change. This collective constructive approach was a monumental departure from the black hole of cancel culture.
Today, cancel culture is a normal phenomenon on the internet. Cancellations are an everyday — even every second — practice on Instagram and TikTok. Cancel culture has become synonymous with calling individuals out on their actions by constantly scrutinizing the smallest flaws in an individual’s actions. By enabling users to cancel a company or a person, the internet has become a tool to spread hate. All it takes is one press of a button.
This immediate nature of cancel culture leads to quick responses, but wielding the benefits of an effective boycott requires a different approach — one that emphasizes playing the long game.
By systematically dismantling a company’s stronghold at a grassroots level, boycotts could facilitate long-term change, but only if we start critically analyzing and questioning policies without making an immediate call to boycott a company. Our efforts should prioritize grassroots mobilization and community education, ensuring that actions are informed and sustainable rather than performative.
These movements were like mass boycotts, in that frustration with a particular cause led to socially charged acts of resistance, accompanied by demands for change. This makes it clear that movements can become boycotts, but internetdriven boycotts are futile because they rarely become movements. For example, Fridays for Future, a movement initiated to increase political action on climate change, led to students boycotting schools in protest. However, pro-Palestine activists’ recent Starbucks and McDonalds boycott was framed as a movement to boycott Starbucks due to their alleged support of the Israeli state, therefore shifting the frame of focus from collective social action to symbolic consumer gestures with limited long-term impact.
Interested in the goals behind these boycotts, I asked a friend of mine why students are boycotting Starbucks. My friend, who had reposted “brands to boycott” Instagram stories, had no idea why the movement had started.
Further, the anti-corporation fervor never made its way to my family in India, where the average population was blissfully unaware due to a lack of media coverage, sipping their Starbucks chai tea lattes — beverages from an organization that criticized its worker union’s solidarity with Palestine.
However, this is not to say that corporate boycott culture does not work.
Additionally, we need to foster nuanced conversations that critically evaluate company policies. This can help create a more thoughtful approach, avoiding the simplistic, all-or-nothing mindset that often accompanies boycotts otherwise.
Additionally, we need to foster nuanced conversations that critically evaluate company policies.
Given its complex nature, it’s unreasonable to expect immediate change with these boycotts. Being a student at a college like Emory, where so many diverse opinions exist in tandem, the blackand-white nature of boycott culture is more evident than ever — it permanently brands something as all good or all bad. Our debates and discussions range on a spectrum, and that’s part of the beautiful complexity of human nature.
The expectation that a boycott may start a fire from that spark of change is far-fetched. Instead, we must use media outrage to fuel a flame that burns stronger than the latest, and soon-to-be shortlived, Instagram trend. Rebranding boycott culture will be a slow process but one that can ultimately bring us more impactful action.
Raise both your fsts for non-normative sex
By saanvi nayar Deputy Editor
Content Warning: This article contains references to sexual assault.
Sex is shocking. Stories about sex make people blush and squeal, and one time, in Emory University’s beloved Dobbs Common Table, a particularly graphic sexual anecdote made a group of girls throw me and my friends dirty looks before getting up and moving away.
Unfortunately for those girls, brunch happens to be the most ideal meal for sexual discourse, but more on that in a later piece.
Sex is a central tenet of my academic interests: I carry stories from my readings and classes like party favors, aware that at any time and with anyone, I can, at the very least, elicit shock. I have invoked a story about fisting in encounters with close friends and strangers alike because, seeing as shock evolves into discomfort, these interactions tend to boil down to vulnerable discourse. Possessing these shocking stories feels like possessing a superpower, and I use my fisting story to challenge initial reactions to non-normative sexual experiences.
Fisting is an act of sexual intercourse referring to the insertion of a full hand into an anal or vaginal canal. Historians have found that the practice has been around for thousands of years, with the majority of data reporting that anal fisting gained traction among American gay male communities in the 1970s and 1980s. The act catapulted to popularity with the emergence of San Francisco’s Catacombs, the world’s first fisting club.
One of the most transformative classes I have taken at Emory and recommend to everyone is “Introduction to Sexualities” with Associate Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Kadji Amin. There is so much power in taking a class related to one’s identity. The course changed the way I move through the world because it taught me how to think about paradigms, structures and people simultaneously beyond and interconnected to my sense of self.
During a lecture on consent, Amin brought up a book chapter
by a man who frequently enjoyed fisting and had a long-term goal to be double-fisted.
The author, Alexander Cheves, explains that fisting had always been such a pleasurable experience because one is able to “step away from the mind’s natural defenses, the body’s resistance and tension, and literally open oneself up to whatever comes.”
Cheves always informed his partners of whether or not he wanted to try further penetration. However, in one instance where Cheves was preparing to take two fists, he wrote that he “actually asked him to stop and said that I needed a break.”
However, Cheves’ partner made a decision, based on his perception of the man’s anus alongside a foundation of sexual trust, to insert a second fist. Despite the initial “no,” Cheves finally achieved his longterm fantasy of being double-fisted. It was “a cloud of euphoria.” Yet, he acknowledges in the chapter that it was nonconsensual.At this point in my storytelling, my audience is, at best, gobsmacked, and, at worst, looking faint.
One time, a straight man grimaced as he physically held his rear end because the experience of second-hand pain was that visceral. I hope that my readers have held up to
this point, but you can always pause to take a sip of water, because this is when it gets good.
I can feel the power of this fisting story course through me as I tell it. The double-fisting component has never been as shocking to me as the confounding variables of consent, trust and queer identity. Despite
Much of the discourse around queer sex is received as pornographic and uncomfortable, like experiences that are less central to heterosexual intimacy.
Cheves being the recipient of the fists, his partner was in more control of his body. And, in weighing Cheves’ ultimate pleasure, his partner took a risk that the author reported feeling “grateful for,” a sense of completeness and release built on years of physical and mental pining. “Losing control is erotic (and, as we’re aware, dangerous),” Cheves reflects. However, when I verbally tell this story, it never brings this point of nuanced consent home.
EUNICE KIM/CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR
The fisting story teaches themes of queer sex education and consent, but rhetoric in Western and colonial histories has erased these elements through face-value shock factor.
I learned of this anecdote in an academic setting, and with every story and reading we discussed, any initial discomfort and expression of surprise was unlearnt.
In bridging my love for academic sexual discourse and conversations with people whose bookshelves do not revolve around the erotic, I have learned to reclaim this so-called shock factor as a vessel for conversation rather than the focal point.
Much of the discourse around queer sex is received as pornographic and uncomfortable, specifically in the context of experiences that are less central to heterosexual intimacy, an idea that can be traced back to British colonization of South Asia. The colonized interpretation of the “Kama Sutra,” a book made notorious for its eroticism, is built on an excised section of a much more expansive Sanskrit text.
While this excerpt was disseminated as filthy and immoral, in actuality, the text in its full form promotes eroticism in terms of pleasure through lifestyle, not just sexual positions.
Despite ancient Sanskrit scrip -
tures and Hindu iconography displaying fluid depictions of intimacy, both in terms of gender identity and sexuality, the legacy of British colonial law prevailed.
Pervasively, Western notions of queerness and eroticism have fostered ignorance and harm that goes far beyond sexual discourse piquing curiosity. To me, embracing the erotic means actively challenging what is taught about pleasure and desire from oppressive institutions and structures.I, unknowingly, have relied on the shock factor. This fisting story makes people uncomfortable — and I like it. Making people feel uncomfortable reveals both indoctrinated colonial perceptions and a piqued sense of intrigue.
My stories of shocking sex tales allow me to challenge said perceptions by providing context, language and nuance to perspectives most do not even know have been indoctrinated.
Stories about sex are almost always more than just stories about sex. We are able to talk about sex in an academic setting or the dining hall during brunch, comfortable enough with ourselves and our sexualities and the fact that everyone is, in some form, getting it on.
And, because we are not children in third-grade sex education, fisting can be invoked as a vessel for understanding the nuances and universality in sexual discourse.All it takes is an understanding that when everything is erotic, the shock factor melts away. Stories, classes and moving through the world suddenly feel so much wider, and as some may say, double the fist, double the fun.
If you or someone you know experienced sexual assault, you can access Emory’s Department of Title IX at 404-727-0541 and the Office of Respect’s hotline 24/7 at (404) 727-1514. You can reach the RAINN National Sexual Assault hotline 24/7 at (800) 656-4673. You can reach the Atlanta Grady Rape Crisis Center crisis hotline 24/7 at (404) 616-4861 and the Decatur Day League Sexual Assault Care and Prevention crisis hotline 24/7 at (404) 377-1428.
As leaves fall, a chill enters the air and pumpkin patches sprout up from rich green grass, it can only mean one thing: Spooky season is upon us. Whether you view October as a time for fear or for gorging on candy, there are many different ways to celebrate Halloween. To get everyone in the spooky season spirit, the Arts & Life staff present their favorite Halloween movies.
‘Sinister’ (2012)
Nothing truly screams Halloween like a horror movie with all the lights turned off. While many horror movies today rely on cheap jumpscares and special effects that are more laughable than scary, “Sinister,” directed by Scott Derrickson, uses more unconventional methods for a truly disturbing effect. Ethan Hawke stars as a true crime writer, Ellison Oswalt, who is desperate for another best-seller. “Sinister” follows Oswalt as he uncovers a series of home videos that link his new home to a string of grisly murders. His investigation soon plunges him into a terrifying mystery that blurs the line between real and supernatural horror. What makes this a unique horror movie is its cohesive and memorable aesthetic, with many shots taken with Super 8 film. This grainy and unfocused picture quality combined with composer Christopher Young’s ethereal score makes “Sinister” an engaging, unsettling film and one of the past decade’s best modern horror films.
- Paige Hogan, Film and Live Art Desk
‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ (1993)
When you hear the title “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” you can’t help but wonder if it’s a Halloween or Christmas movie. However, creator Tim Burton brilliantly merges the two in a thrilling and emotional film. The movie follows the Pumpkin King Jack Skellington, burnt out from planning Halloween every year, as he stumbles upon Christmas Town and decides to take over and plan Christmas himself with help from the other scary inhabitants of Halloween Town. These characters, such as vampires and witches, are typically the villains of Halloween movies, but this film illustrates them as regular characters contrasted only by the Boogeyman, the villain of all the villains. Although a Halloween musical movie may feel odd, the songs and musical score enhance viewers’ emotions and help develop characterization. Even more impressive, it is all conveyed through stop-motion claymation. Overall, this movie is perfect for someone who wants the feeling of Halloween through a good story and
Based on the German fairytale by a similar name, “Gretel & Hansel” takes its viewers to a mysterious fantasy university. The audience slowly discovers the unnerving horrors present in these dark woods. Faithful to the original story, Director Oz Perkins plunges viewers into the uncanny world of the Brothers Grimm’s “Grimms’ Fairy Tales” (1812). The film revolves around two siblings, Hansel and Gretel, as they traverse the mysterious woods after being chased out of their home by their mother. Unlike the rapid pacing and exhilarating plot used to engage readers in other horror films, “Gretel & Hansel” establishes a sinister atmosphere that captures its audience. Cinematic shots throughout the film reinforce the eerie mood and transcend the sometimes one-dimensional genre of horror. “Gretel & Hansel,” with its cutting-edge cinematography, is the perfect film to dive into on a cozy Halloween night.
As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of traditional horror films, Richard Kelly’s “Donnie Darko” is an ideal Halloween movie alternative. This cult classic thriller revolves around Donnie Darko, a high school boy who, upon stopping his medications, starts seeing
Frank, a chilling, human-sized rabbit figure. Frank orders Darko to perform progressively riskier acts as the film progresses, ranging from axing a school water pipe to committing arson. This film captures the spooky and harmless humorous fun of Halloween remarkably well. Scenes vary from insomnia-induced hallucinations to intriguing dialogue among friends tackling the philosophy and sexuality of the Smurfs. Viewers travel from intricate scenes between Darko and his therapist to hilarious, heated arguments regarding the fictional child-composed dance group Sparkle Motion. From the autumn leaves and the creepy rabbit to the climactic Halloween party, “Donnie Darko” embodies the pure essence of Halloween. I encourage all movie enjoyers to dedicate one night near the end of October and watch this timeless film.
- Sammy Brodsky, Contributing Writer
‘Scream’ (1996)
When a movie punctuates all of its typical genre conventions with a selfaware wink toward the audience, it often serves only to belabor the point. In “Scream,” the movie tropes sharpen the film instead of dulling it. Perhaps it’s because “Scream” likely would have succeeded even without its ironic edge, relying solely on the classic horror premise of suburban teens hunted by a masked killer. The film follows a group of California teens as a murderer in a cheap Halloween costume picks off their high school classmates. The kills are satisfyingly bloody with-
out being over the top. The suspense is also built masterfully, from the iconic opening featuring Drew Barrymore to the breathless, blood-soaked reveal once the mask finally comes off. The killer and the victims of “Scream” love horror films — recalling famous titles, invoking their rules and mocking their cliches throughout the movie. The film’s faultless irony places it as a Halloween classic. It isn’t just good. It’s fun. “Scream” is a classic slasher that makes fun of typical slashers and has a good time doing it.
- Barkot Belay, Contributing Writer
‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (1975)
The riveting and original “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” transformed the depiction of same-sex and transgender acceptance in film. The movie paved the way for sexual identity’s expression on television as a celebration of individuality rather than a taboo. However, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” musical started as a complete bomb prompting eight theaters to pull it from the stage. People found the show distasteful and unfavorable. Yet, as time progressed, the American public realized that the musical intended to not see themselves in every character presented. Frank-NFurter, the mad scientist protagonist, defends this sentiment and says, “I didn’t make [it] for you” in the film. After a slow, financially troubling start, the movie began to pick up speed, developing a cult-like following that presents themes of campy uniqueness that
is timeless. The soundtrack is iconic, with songs like “The Time Warp” (1975) and “Sweet Transvestite” (1975) captivating the audience and sticking in their heads for weeks on end. It is brilliant, sensitive, joyful and creative — an unforgettable drag masterpiece.
- Lola McGuire, Opinion Editor ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Season 2 Episode 3: ‘Trick or Treat’ (2001)
The scariest thing about Halloween is that it gives strangers free rein to come to your house and ask for candy. What kind of lawless society do we live in where that is socially acceptable behavior? For kids, I get it. We shouldn’t close our doors on them. But at the very least, there must be a stricter cutoff age for trick-or-treating. Thankfully, the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” creator, writer and protagonist Larry David puts this idea to the test in t he show’s episode “Trick or Treat.” When two teenagers show up on his stoop asking for candy — not even wearing costumes — Larry becomes the hero we all wish we could be, refusing them treats. This sets off a chain of unfortunate events for Larry, as the teenagers cover his house in toilet paper and spray paint “Bald A******” on his front door. And, to add insult to injury, the police side with the teenagers, saying that Larry should have given them candy. This episode perfectly encapsulates what “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is: comedic yet sharp social commentary from David.
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Alex Gerson, Arts & Life Editor
NLE Choppa delivers spotty performance
By MArthA CAroLine PoweLL C ontributing W riter
Excited Emory University students rushed toward the gates of McDonough Field to gain the best spot near the stage for the annual Student Programming Council (SPC) Homecoming concert on Oct. 19.
As part of the general homecoming festivities, SPC invited rapper NLE Choppa to perform for undergraduate students free of charge.
Alongside the performance, tents and tables of free food stood avail-
able to the attendees.
Preceding the main act, student performer DJ Rish readied the crowd with interesting remixes of popular tracks such as “Rich Baby Daddy (feat. Sexyy Red & SZA)” (2023) by Drake and “Guess featuring billie eilish” (2024) by Charli xcx.
Although DJ Rish and other student performers brought the energy, many attendants stood restless, anticipating NLE Choppa’s arrival. William Barrett (28C) expressed his excitement for the upcoming act.
“I can’t wait to see NLE Choppa,”
Barrett said. “I’m so excited. I’m jumping for joy right now.”
Alongside Barrett, the crowd’s energy grew when NLE Choppa took the stage 10 minutes past his promised time.
NLE began his performance with the track “WE SEE YOU” (2023), which samples the song “Funkytown” (1979) by Lipps Inc.
Many in the crowd stood with their phones in the air and recorded NLE Choppa’s performance. Naomi Arragon (28C) said that it was “really cool” having an artist like NLE
Choppa perform at Emory.
“WE SEE YOU” ended with glass crashing and airhorns billowing throughout the venue as NLE Choppa transitioned from one song to the next. Outbursts of intermittent acapella sections demonstrated his vocal talent and sporadic performance manner.
In the most climactic portion of the set, NLE Choppa led a rendition of his popular track “SLUT ME OUT” (2023) and ripped off his sweatshirt as the crowd went wild. He shouted out to the women in
the crowd while introducing, “IT’S GETTING HOT” (2023). Many audience members stood enthralled while they danced, cheered and took pictures.
Risha Sethi (28C) raced to the water station for refreshment as she cooled down after dancing in the packed crowd.
“It’s good for a free concert,” Sethi said. “It’s cute that everyone can just do this together.”
As the clock struck 10 p.m., the crowd became ecstatic and rowdy.
Saba FaiSial/Contributing illuStrator
CAMPUS
By CAtherine goodMAn artS & liFe editor
Listen while reading
When the weather finally drops below 75 degrees, the trees start shedding their leaves and the smell of spiced apple cider fills the air, I know Halloween is approaching.
As friend groups plan — and often squabble over — their outfits (I mean, who really wants to be Gretchen Wieners) and anxious men await their fate on the wrong side of a couples costume, the festivities of the month bring welcome distractions from the drudgery of midterm season.
Whether you enjoy a night out, a pumpkin carving contest or just a simple scary movie, this holiday offers something to everyone.
For me, Halloween is my mom dressed as Bob the Builder after Hurricane Matthew sent a tree through our roof in 2016, rating the Halloween decorations on the neighbor’s lawn and dancing to the perfectly curated playlist that echoed throughout the house every Oct. 31.
So without further ado, I must admit that this Cat’s Collection is not entirely my own. This playlist was curated first and foremost by my mother, the original Halloween fanatic, who instilled within me a deep love of all things
AN EARFUL WITH ARI SEGAL
spooky, spunky and seriously catchy.
‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ by Rockwell (1984)
In “Somebody’s Watching Me,” Rockwell describes an eerie sensation – that someone is watching his every move. Underneath the joyous rhythm is a palpable unease, divulged in the anxious lyrics.
“All I want is to be left alone in my average home / But why do I always feel like I’m in the twilight zone?”
Rockwell sings. When the first note of this track hits, I transport to an alternate realm. In black and white, I stare at my reflection in the mirror, feeling a shiver creep up my spine and urge me to spin on my heels — but when I turn, no one’s there. Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” is playful and paranoid, creepy and catchy, upbeat and unsettling – the perfect expression of all things Halloween.
‘Monster Mash’ by Bobby “Boris” Pickett and The CryptKickers (1962)
While “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers does not explore an otherworldly sensation, the track is a quintessential Halloween banger.
The track tells a Frankensteinian story of a science experiment going rogue, rising from the metal table to dance. “For my monster from his slab, began to rise / and suddenly to my surprise / (He did the mash) He did the Monster Mash,” the group sings. This phenomenon of dancing phantoms continues throughout the song as more monsters gather to perform. With a doo-wop harmony, rhythmic clapping and simple crooning, The Crypt-Kickers deliver a classic anthem
that brings together creatures from across the supernatural pantheon — zombies, monsters and vampires alike. In their own words, this track is a “graveyard smash.”
‘I Put a Spell on You (In the Style of Hocus Pocus)’ by PattyCake (2019)
As a Halloween fanatic and a proud journalist, I must be honest with the readers about the context of this track. I did not watch “Hocus Pocus” (1993) until I was 19. Two decades I went on, pretending to be a Halloween lover and yet ignoring this timeless cult classic. Since then, I have repented and dedicated myself to honoring this film with all my might. In doing so, it is only fair to add “I Put a Spell on You (In the Style of Hocus Pocus)” by PattyCake to this playlist.
While the track has multiple adaptations from various artists, this version is my personal favorite.
It embodies the theatricality of the movie and the infectious energy of Halloween. “I put a spell on you / And now you’re mine” the singer croons, grasping the listener’s attention and not letting them go until the final note.
‘Thriller / Heads Will Roll (Glee Cast Version)’ by Glee Cast (2011)
The mash-up “Thriller / Heads Will Roll (Glee Cast Version)” is one of the best songs ever performed on “Glee” (2009). The Glee Cast begins this track on a powerful note, shout-screaming, “Off with your head / D-dance-dancedance ‘til you’re dead.”
In the show, the Glee Club performs this on a smoke-swallowed football field, dressed as zombie temptresses and paranormal football players. However, even without the visual
display, the song successfully spikes the spook factor through the cast’s emphatic vocal performances and the sinister lyrical narrative.
The dynamic movement of the songs
“Thriller” (1982) by Michael Jackson and “Heads Will Roll” (2009) by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs echoes the sensation of walking through a haunted house, never knowing what’s lurking around the next corner.
“Thriller / Heads Will Roll (Glee Cast Version)” is the perfect Halloween banger for anyone who feels they have graduated from the “Monster Mash” — although if you ask me, you are never too old to do the Mash.
‘The Purple People Eater’ by Sheb Wooley (1997)
More than any other track on this list, “The Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley transports me to child-
hood Halloween celebrations, sporting Cinderella’s crown and carving pumpkins in the front yard. Every year on Oct. 1 this is my go-to track to ring in the festive season. Just like the “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers, “The Purple People Eater” encourages listeners to look beyond the superficial and celebrates the revolutionary power of music in facilitating connection. In the track, a one-eyed purple people-eater descends to earth not for villainy, but because he wants to “get a job in a rock and roll band.”He demonstrates his musical ability by later playing his horn like a trumpet. The track is creative, with contagious grooverock beats and an interesting lesson on morality, making it my favorite Halloween anthem.
– Contact Catherine Goodman at catherine.goodman@emory.edu
Mortality in hip hop: J Dilla’s last breath on ‘Donuts’
By Ari segAL Senior StaFF Writer
The impact of J Dilla has been woefully understudied. It would take Dan Charnas’ enthralling biography-meets-sociological-study of hip hop, “Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm” (2022) — published 16 years after J Dilla’s death — to underscore this sheer lack of commentary on the late producer. J Dilla, the unsung hero of beat-making, is routinely listed as a chief influence among countless prominent musicians from the new millennium.
Questlove, who worked closely with the producer, told Billboard in a 2019 interview that J Dilla was “the music god that music gods and music experts and music lovers worship.” He also credited Dilla with spearheading the late ’90s and early 2000s neo-soul movement.
So, what gives? Some might argue that J Dilla was the unsung progenitor of soul-sample-based hip-hop, the forefather of a fundamentally new type of sound, while others would label him a prophetic musician always one beat behind the corporate suits who decided his fate for him.
These questions led me to his most singular and often introductory piece of music, “Donuts” (2006), a project unveiled three days before J Dilla’s untimely death. Its release through Stones Throw Records coincided with his 32nd birthday on Feb. 7, 2006.
The timing of “Donuts” and its composition initially intrigued me. It
would be his last work released during his lifetime. It was recorded and produced almost exclusively during his extended stay at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on a 45-rpm record player and a Boss SP-303 sampler.
J Dilla, who was on the cusp of mainstream success and recognition, would be hospital-bound for the last years of his life due to complications arising from his battle with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and lupus, ultimately passing away due to cardiac arrest.
The majority of “Donuts” was made at J Dilla’s hospital bedside in between excruciating sessions of dialysis and pain management. He got bursts of inspiration, encouragement and support from his many visitors, most importantly, his tireless advocate and mother, Maureen Yancey.
J Dilla, whose real name was James Dewitt Yancey, had hitherto been known only by the hip-hop underground and in the small corners of the internet where fans dissected his work like the gospel on sites like Okayplayer, or his rare mainstream breakthroughs.
The producer abandoned his trademark rhythm on “Donuts.” His classic stuttering and loose beats that notoriously did not use quantization technology were nowhere to be found on his last project.
To top it all off, the instrumental hip-hop album opens with an outro — “Donuts (Outro)” — and ends with an intro — “Welcome To The Show” — with these bookends flowing into each other when the album repeats. This
might explain the album’s namesake, “Donuts,” as an infinite loop of sorts.
In his last work on earth, J Dilla sought to make a deliberate cult classic.Finally, beneath miles of lore, are the actual songs off of “Donuts.”
The instrumental-based hip hop long play (LP) most noticeably does not feature standard rap lyrics, but rather, a Frankenstein-esque collage of dusty soul samples and obscure spoken words. For example, on Track 18, “Don’t Cry,” J Dilla connects The Escorts with The Temptations to create a comforting yet unsettling two-minute track.
“I can’t stand to see you cry / I can’t stand to see you cry / If tears,” The Escorts sample cries out, a vocal delivery that cuts deeper within the context of the song. Questlove would later claim that it was a forthcoming message to Dilla’s mother, Maureen Yancey, often nicknamed “Ma Dukes.”
Track 10, “Time: The Donut of the Heart,” mashes The Jackson 5 with two tracks by Sweet Charles Sherrell to form a tinny and hypnotic guitar loop.
The song has sparse vocal interjections, like from one of the Sweet Charles Sherrell samples, where a voice calls out, “Okay, okay, there comes a time.” The song is thematically busy, yet oddly soothing.
Throughout the whole record, the musical motif of the blaring siren often interjects a quiet soul sample or lo-fi drum loop. Many critics and fans alike have retroactively found it to be a poignant commentary on mortality and death, which the producer was nearing due to his increasingly failing
health: The sudden siren would be that unannounced last breath that always seemed right around the corner. Breathe in, breathe out, but never get too comfortable.
In a review of the album in 2006, Pitchfork journalist Will Dukes drew comparisons between the project exemplifying Dilla’s “selfsame sounds he’s modernized” to the initial goal of hip-hop in the first place — postmodern entertainment. “Donuts,” Dukes remarks, “is pure postmodern art–which was hip-hop’s aim in the first place.”
“Donuts” works because it is a sum greater than its parts. The 31-track LP moves by at a simultaneously fast and unnervingly slow pace. The project’s esoteric sample choices and its harrowing context have created an indescribable aura around this LP.
“Donuts” and its stunning aftermath changed hip hop in the early 2000s and its influence remains clear today.
– Contact Ari Segal at pine.segal@emory.edu
SPC concert energizes students
Continued from Page 8
After the expected final song, NLE Choppa stayed to perform an encore, a repeated performance of “SLUT ME OUT 2” (2024). Allegra Tachner (28C) appreciated the concert’s location on campus and the main act’s cultural relevance.
“It’s a really great opportunity to hang out with my friends in a fun scenario and NLE Choppa is very relevant this year,” Tachner said. “It’s great to take advantage of the opportunities Emory gives us.”
NLE Choppa’s performance at Emory was a dynamic blend of energy and excitement, showcasing the live music’s strength and campus spirit.
The crowd’s enthusiasm and engagement were palpable, especially during his most popular tracks. The vibrant atmosphere, enhanced by the opening sets, created a memorable experience.
However, a few flaws were present in NLE’s performance. He anticipated the audience would sing along
to the lyrics, but they often didn’t, leading to random silences.
While the energy was infectious, the random pauses and sound effects detracted from the overall experience for a few in the crowd.
Despite the shortcomings, the concert served as a significant opportunity for community engagement and entertainment, embodying the fun and relevance of campus events.
– Contact Martha Caroline Powell at mcpowe6@emory.edu
FILM REVIEW
By nAthAn ruBin Senior StaFF Writer
With a healthy dose of new pop divas entering the scene in the last couple of years, “Smile 2” (2024) capitalized on the perfect moment to create a blood-soaked commentary on the reality of fandom and fame.
Parker Finn, writer-director of the original “Smile” (2022), returned to the limelight with a meaner, bloodier and longer sequel sure to satisfy your need for a scare this Halloween season.
Despite possessing a killer cocktail with all the right ingredients and the perfect garnish in Naomi Scott’s performance as Skye Riley, “Smile 2” gets lost, sputtering and spiraling into a disappointing end.
As social media and its users continue to reach farther and wider than ever before, the perpetrators of Hollywood stars’ malevolent pressure has shifted from the system to the insatiably invasive fans. Gone are the days when celebrities simply had to be perfect for the cameras — now the whole world is watching.
In the wake of a car accident — which the film shows piece-by-piece in excruciating detail — Riley, a pop star, feels this pressure to her core and is visibly crushed by its unstoppable force. Oh, and there’s that pesky malevolent demon following her around, too.
In the film’s predecessor, Finn brought to the forefront an evil spirit so on-the-nose it could’ve been called the Post Traumatic Stress Demon.
This time, he loosens up on his metaphor to deliver a character-centered performance that brings the oh-so-torturous lives of the rich and famous to the spotlight.
A wise decision, given Scott’s credible performance as an it-girl, complete with musical numbers whose danceability tops even that of Lady Raven’s in summer hit “Trap” (2024).
“Smile 2” has all the ingredients to be a perfect fanfare horror film. The opening sequence, led by a manic Kyle Gallner of the first film’s glory, is jolt after jolt and very disturbing, with dynamic camerawork and even more blood than before.
When the hallucinatory title card flashes on screen after the first scene, the film carries a boatload of promising momentum but gradually loses it as the script runs dry.
The strongest aspects of “Smile 2” are its genuine attempts to scare the audience. Where the gimmick might otherwise suffer from diminishing returns, it succeeds with every new flash of that titular creepy smile serving as an omen of something even more horrible to come.
The film contains some truly spooky set pieces and admirable gore. Finn’s jumpscares are particularly impressive, unpredictably inventive and hiding around every corner.
However, the film struggles to pace these scares well and allows too many minutes to tick between them, the suspense inflating into such a large balloon that it is forced to pop before it pays off.
ACROSS
1. ___ the ante 6. “N” of NBB, familiarly 7. Spanish appetizers
8. Eye part or a flower 9. French Vogue rival DOWN
1. Take off, as shoes 2. Oyster product 3. Eye part or a student
Function of a pencil side
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Scan for answers
And even in the face of a stellar supporting cast, including Dylan Gelula — whose perfect comedic timing is essential for the film’s tonal blend — the trap of its unmalleable concept ultimately suffocates “Smile 2.”
The bleak nature of this smiley monster’s victims is refreshing in the face of studio horror that refuses to end on a bad note.
But by the time our ill-fated pop
star arrives in an abandoned Pizza Hut freezer with nothing but a needle and a dream — or should I say nightmare — things have gotten a little out of hand.
The film’s ending is abrupt and nonsensical, violating everything it built, including its reality versus hallucination logic. When the audience literally cannot believe anything they see, it becomes less of a clever mind game and more a result of poor writ-
ing. “Smile 2” is a parable of the sinister underbelly of stardom and the intense parasociality of modern fans. Full of that same skin-crawling smile as the first film, this sequel has plenty to admire for fans of the genre but not quite enough to make you really grin with delight as it comes to its fated close.
– Contact Nathan Rubin at nathan.rubin@emory.edu
SoPh guerieri/Sta FF Photogra Pher
Oxford soccer teams capture decisive victories on Sophomore Day
By Justin Guo Contributing Writer
The Oxford College men’s and women’s soccer teams capped off their regular seasons at home against Andrew College (Ga.) on Oct. 19. Both teams celebrated their sophomores at halftime, with 10 players on the men’s team and eight on the women’s team graduating. Neither team conceded a goal as the men’s team won 6-0 and the women’s team won 2-0.
Tumultuous regular
season for Oxford men’s soccer ends in offensive showcase
The Oxford men’s soccer team has had an inconsistent season has had an inconsistent season, having enduredhaving endured a four four game losing streak followed by a three three game winning streak. However, by the time the referee blew the whistle for full-time at the William Troy Bivings Athletic Field, they had still yet to allow a shot from the opposing Andrew College.
In addition to the commanding defensive performance in their final regular season game, the Eagles had plenty of offensive output to offer on Sophomore Night, with six separate players scoring in a 6-0 rout.
In the first half, goals by sophomore forward Onemeh Erakpotobor, sophomore midfielder Denis Tahirovic and freshman defender Ashton Graham led the Eagles to enter the break 3-0. At halftime, friends and family celebrated the sophomores with a ceremony honoring their time with the team. Tahirovic said he appreciated the Sophomore Night reception and reflected on his dedication to Oxford soccer.
“It feels amazing knowing that people are here celebrating the commitment that we have to representing our school and not just a sport but representing who we are as people,” Tahirovic said. “It’s great to see that people actually acknowledge that and how much work we put in, not only on the field but also through school and making sure that our career paths are
Basketball team embraces tough schedule ahead
Continued from Back Page
class performs a song, have helped strengthen the bond between players. Fallas emphasized how these bonds can lead to better on-court performances.
“If we stay unselfish and stay connected, we can be really hard and dangerous to guard because it comes from a lot of different places, especially with our two first-team allconference guys coming back,” Fallas said.
The Eagles face a difficult schedule this season but are ready to face it head-on. After home games against Berry College (Ga.) on Nov. 10 and Guilford College (N.C.) on Nov. 16 to open the season, the team will head to Grand Rapids, Mich., for the Great Lakes Invitational. A majority of the
teams in this invitational will be top 25 teams in the country, creating an exciting early-year challenge for the Eagles. Starting in January, the team will begin conference play in the competitive UAA.
When asked if they have a game circled on their schedule this year, Zimmerman said the team knows that every matchup is crucial, especially considering their tough schedule.
Zimmerman acknowledged the challenge ahead of them but believes the tough schedule is part of what makes the team great.
“That’s why you play the game, right?” Zimmerman said. “That’s why you come to Emory — to play one of the best schedules in the country.”
— Contact Sammy Brodsky at sammy.brodsky@emory.edu
set in the right ways.”
The Eagles continued the scoring in the second half of the game, with goals from sophomore defender Nathaniel Green, freshman goalkeeper Neal Konganda and sophomore midfielder Brody Weinfurtner. The game ended with the Eagles offering 23 shots to Andrew College’s two.
Sophomore defender Heath Dunlop said he is especially grateful for the people that Oxford soccer has surrounded him with.
“We’re like a big family,” Dunlop said. “That just makes playing together even more fun, and we hold each other more accountable and push each other harder to be as good as we can be.”
No successful team is complete without a coach who is invested in their players, and Dunlop said he was also appreciative of head coach Greg Moss-Brown’s leadership.
“It’s nice to have someone to just listen to you and really feel that invested in your development,” Dunlop said.
The men’s team finished their regular season with a record of 4-8-3 and will face Pellissippi State Community College (Tenn.) on Oct. 23 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association semifinals.
Defense leads the way as Oxford women’s soccer celebrates sophomores
In a similar defensive performance, the Oxford women’s team shut out the visiting Andrew College in their final regular season game.
Offensively, the Eagles were powered by freshman midfielder Vivian Zhu’s goal in the 31st minute and freshman defender Paloma Salazar’s goal in the 48th minute. Zhu and sophomore defender Helena Bergman held most of the offensive responsibilities, totaling 16 shots between the two of them.
At halftime, friends and family honored the eight sophomores on the team with a ceremony recognizing them for their contributions.
Sophomore forward Sarah Speed said she enjoyed the ceremony and the win on Sophomore Night, especially after last year’s struggle with a small roster.
“It was really special, it was really sweet,” Speed said. “Our team has gone through a lot. Last year it was different. It was rocky. But the group of people that we had, we’ve worked really hard and it was great seeing the culmination of all of that work.”
Head coach Ruth Geiger said she related to the difficulties her “wellrounded” sophomores faced in balancing both sports and academics.
“It’s so fulfilling to see them get to be recognized, and get to be recognized in front of their families and friends and fans and teammates,” Geiger said. “There’s so much that they do that nobody thinks hard about, and you just think, ‘Oh, it’s a studentathlete.’ But if you sit and think about
the number of credit hours that most of these women are taking, plus 25 plus hours of soccer a week, you’re already at many hours, and they’re all also involved in clubs.”
Speed also noted the effect that Geiger and assistant coach Brittany McDermott have had on her college life on and off the pitch.
“They’re really intentional about caring about us as people first, not just soccer players,” Speed said. “If you have something that’s legitimately going on, you can tell Coach … and not just be in the dark about things, and she’ll just listen to you talk. It really does create a really warm and welcoming environment that makes you want to play for the team.”
With Saturday’s win, the women’s team finished the regular season at 5-6-0. They will face Southern Union State Community College (Ala.) on Oct. 22 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association semifinals.
— Contact Justin Guo at justin.guo@emory.edu
Seniors leave positive impact on program
Continued from Back Page
of that success comes from the people I was surrounded with on the field and not getting down on myself in those moments, and hearing them talk to me, uplift me and the positivity really contributed to my mindset in having that success.”
Camp first connected with Schmidt and Corfman during the team’s preseason trip to Lake Oconee. She said that creating bonds with Schmidt and Corfman before the season started created an environment she felt supported.
“I got to connect with them and see what they were about, see that they were people that I could truly trust and rely on.”
— Mikayla Camp
“I got to connect with them and see what they were about, see that they were people that I could truly trust and rely on and truly fall back on if I ever needed to,” Camp said. “Growing that personal connection early in the season has really helped as well.”
As Schmidt and Corfman play through their last season, they hope to be remembered both as great players and leaders. Corfman emphasized how she never wants to take her soccer experience for granted.
“Every time I step out on the field, I want to be the best,” Corfman said.
“I want to be the better team; I just want to play amazing. So just having that motivation behind me because — I definitely feel it now — one day it will end.”
For Schmidt, leaving a positive impact on the team is her biggest goal.
“I want to know that I had a positive impact on each individual person on
the team, as a leader, as a friend, as a teammate,” Schmidt said. “I just want to make sure that my influence on this team has been positive and that the culture that we created was something that benefited every single person.”
Justin Whitening/staff Photogra Pher
Senior guard Albert Fallas lines up for a free throw in a game against Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) on Feb. 10.
C ourtesy of K athryne Davis
The Oxford men’s soccer team celebrates their sophomores during their game against Andrew College (Ga.) on Oct. 19.
C ourtesy of K athryne Davis
The Oxford women’s soccer team honors their sophomores during a halftime celebration against Andrew College (Ga).
Justin Whitening/staff Photogra Pher Senior defender Claudia Schmidt runs through the high-five line before a game on Oct. 5.
By Chloe nam Contributing Writer
This year, 11 freshmen joined the Emory University women’s soccer team, creating a freshman-dominated dynamic. Despite these changes, the team has connected quickly, which has led to a successful start to the season with a 9-3-1 record. While the players’ skills certainly contributed to this success, it starts with the leadership of the team’s two seniors: defender Claudia Schmidt and midfielder Chayse Corfman.
As a freshman, Schmidt played in 19 games, including 13 as a starter, and she appeared in both of the Eagles’ NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship games as a sophomore. Corfman has also had an impressive Emory career, scoring two goals in the team’s NCAA first-round win over Piedmont University (Ga.) in her sophomore year.
During their four years playing for Emory, both Schmidt and Corfman have grown as players and people. Women’s soccer head coach Sue Paterg attested to their development as leaders.
“As people, they’ve become more confident and comfortable in the soccer environment,” Patberg said. “... Both of them are also able to, in the nicest way possible, hold their teammates accountable as well and uphold the standards of the program, which they both have embraced.”
As players, Patberg said Schmidt and Corfman consistently showcase their strengths on the field, albeit in different ways.
“Claudia has a really strong presence on the field in terms of just steadiness, the creativity, the technical game,” Patberg said. “Chayse is really
The Emory Wheel
growing into her role because she was injured last season and unable to play.
… This year she’s really stepping into her role in the midfield while gaining confidence in her own play.”
Through experience, Schmidt and Corfman have matured into leaders whom Patberg trusts to instill the standards of the team. However, for both players, leadership did not always come naturally. Schmidt said it took experience and time for her to grow into her role.
“I’ve always been a pretty introverted person, and I think as I’ve grown on this team, I’ve gained a
lot of confidence and I’ve learned to speak up for myself,” Schmidt said. “As I’ve become a leader, I’ve learned a lot of important leadership qualities and I think with that has come confidence in myself and the fact that people trust me and people respect me.”
Corfman also reflected on how she’s become more accustomed to her leadership role at Emory.
“I’ve definitely gotten more comfortable speaking more, because it wasn’t like I was always like this freshman year,” Corfman said.
As the only two seniors on the ros-
This year, men’s basketball strives for unity
By sammy Brodsky Contributing Writer
Schmidt, Corfman lead by example in their senior season SWOOP’S SCOOP
Last spring, the Emory University men’s basketball team had an underwhelming end to their 2023-24 season. They finished with a solid 15-10 record but missed the opportunity to compete in the 2024 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship. The Eagles also finished fifth in the University Athletic Association (UAA) standings with a 6-8 conference record.
As the team looks to improve this season with their first game next month, the Eagles have a chip on their shoulder. Returning senior and sharpshooter Albert Fallas, who has had two 40% three-point seasons in three years with the team, believes their previous shortcomings will drive their future successes.
“Coming off a disappointing year last year, we’re definitely a group that has something to prove,” Fallas said. “There’s a lot of versatility and a lot of depth and talent on the team.”
Fallas also maintained a teambest 60.4% true shooting percentage last season, an excellent percentage achievement for a guard. Last year’s leading scorer, junior guard Jair Knight, echoed Fallas’ comments, stating that the team aims to meet their own expectations this year.
“We’ve just been a step behind for the past two seasons,” Knight said. “We’re really hungry and eager to not
only prove a point but also to accomplish this year.”
One of the team’s biggest issues last season was close game scenarios. The Eagles’ average point differential in wins was 16.7, while their average point differential in losses was 3.4, and in games decided by six points or less, the Eagles went 4-9.
While it is clearly a positive that the team handled easier opponents and competed well in more difficult matchups, head coach Jason Zimmerman still stressed the importance of winning those close games this upcoming season.
“When you look at it individually, it’s a play here, a blockout here, a closeout here,” Zimmerman said. “There’s so many little things that go into late game situations that we’ll continue to work on throughout the preseason and also going through those experiences.”
This year, the Eagles have a great deal of experience, sporting four juniors and four seniors on their roster.
“We have guys who have started … 256 games in their career combined,” Zimmerman said. “So we’ve had a lot of guys who understand how we want to play, understand their strengths.”
These names include powerful senior forwards Cale Martens and Logan Shanahan who both averaged more than 12 points and seven rebounds per game last season. Knight and junior Ben Pearce are also veter-
ans for the team, both going into their third season averaging over 16 points per game each as starting guards and earning All-UAA First Team honors last year.
This familiarity and understanding of the Eagle’s style of play will go a long way this season. Knight said that this group is “really well-rounded as an offensive team.”
“Anybody on our team can score,” Knight said.
Zimmerman said the team looks to lean on their fast-paced tempo and creativity to drive their seasoned offense, while solid team defense will give them a shot against their tougher opponents. Strong team chemistry is another trait that comes with a veteran team. Going into his 17th year with the Emory basketball program, Zimmerman noted that this team has been particularly adept at sticking together.
“Being able to deal with adversity and handle adversity and come out the other side and get better and still stay connected, that’s what makes this team special,” Zimmerman said. “Staying connected through good and bad times … and now attacking a goal together, we’re really excited about seeing where this group can go.”
Events like their preseason trip to Spain and their yearly songfest, a tradition where the team has dinner at Zimmerman’s house and each
ter, Schmidt and Corfman take it upon themselves to guide the team’s focus during practices and games. Patberg emphasized how valuable Schmidt and Corfman are, not just to the players, but to the coaching staff. Their presence is felt in a variety of ways, from making sure someone is in charge of the ball bag to keeping spirits high after a loss.
“Every day, they’re coming to training, they’re focused, they’re ready to go,” Patberg said. “They’re upholding standards, they have expectations of themselves and their teammates. They want to be major contributors and
they want to be leaders and that’s what they’re doing, but they’re also well loved by their teammates and by their coaching staff.”
Off the field, Schmidt and Corfman worked to build relationships with their teammates, especially the freshmen.
“We’ve been really intentional with how we’ve created friendships and bonds with the underclassmen,” Schmidt said. “... Just doing daily check-ins with people and asking how people are doing and making sure people feel supported.”
Corfman said being a supportive teammate can range from small acts of kindness, like being a listening ear or offering a ride to the grocery store to teammates without a car. Corfman also mentioned how she is able to connect with and help injured players using her own experience being sidelined due to a torn ACL last season.
“I’ve definitely been there before where I can’t play the sport that I love every day,” Corfman said. “... I think that when I share my experiences with others too, they also feel that sentiment of not taking it for granted because you really don’t know when is the last time you’ll play soccer.”
The team has certainly felt Schmidt and Corfman’s support. Freshman forward Mikayla Camp, who has scored seven goals this season, shared how helpful it is to have the support of the seniors. She said they have been important to her adjustment to a new school, as well as to her successful performance on the field.
“They expect my best on the field, but they understand that it was a transition and they were willing to watch me grow,” Camp said. “I think so much
Justin Whitening/staff Photogra Pher
Senior midfielder Chayse Corfman controls the ball from the middle of the field against Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) on Oct. 13.
