Before announcing his bid to become the next president of Emory University’s Student Government Association (SGA), Second-year SGA Legislator Seth Weinfield (27C) proposed College Council legislation to create stipends for College Council legislators. The bill, which Weinfield proposed last month, aimed to provide financial compensation to future legislators who satisfy specific objectives, such as maintaining a high general body meeting attendance record and introducing legislation. College Council ultimately tabled the bill unanimously, according to College Council President Jannat Khan (25C).
Weinfield’s effort to compensate College Council legislators came after College Council passed a bill to pay the council’s executive branch — the president, vice president, vice president of finance and speaker — on Dec. 5, 2024. Khan wrote in an email to The Emory Wheel that the plan to pay the executive branch was halted because Emory Human Resources and University administration reevaluated the compensation method. According to Khan, College Council is working with the administration to find a “more equitable stipend scheme” that holds paid individuals accountable and considers the number of hours worked in payment amounts.
Assistant Director of University Communications Rachel Smith echoed a similar sentiment to Khan in an email to the Wheel, writing that the University will consult with College Council regarding the bill.
“The recently passed resolution
from College Council calls for a broader discussion with many university entities, including student governance, to ensure alignment with monetary codes, student leadership principles, HR policies, and other relevant processes to support proper stewardship of Student Activity Funds,” Smith wrote.
Both bills follow SGA’s lead, whose members in the same positions began receiving $2,500 stipends in 2023. Some of the stipend money came from the SGA’s operational budget, which includes the Student Activity Fee (SAF). The SAF is a $118 fee that all Emory students must pay each semester to fund undergraduate student organizations. Jannat wrote in an email to the Wheel that the College Council executive branch stipends, if enacted next year, would also come from the SAF. Similarly, Weinfield told the Wheel that he planned for his proposed stipend to draw from the
SAF in addition to the organization’s discretionary fund.
Weinfield emphasized that he intended his proposal to pay College Council legislators to open a conversation about compensating leaders in student government.
“I just wanted to get a conversation going to make the College Council as [much] of an equitable place as possible,” Weinfield said.
Weinfield said his primary motivation for the proposed bill was to make College Council and student government more inclusive to low-income students and believed stipends could help accomplish this.
“We need to make student government a place [where] those who may be a bit more socio-economically disadvantaged can have a place where they can provide for their community,” Weinfield said.
Weinfield said he expects backlash
Community protests state of public health outside CDC
By JAcoB muscolino Asst. News Editor
Almost 200 people gathered to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) across four street corners in front of the agency’s headquarters on Feb. 18. Cars honked in support of the CDC as they drove down Clifton Road, and protestors’ chants and cheers were deafening.
The protest comes after U.S. President Donald Trump has begun operations to cut 10% of the CDC’s workforce and limit National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for “indirect costs” to 15% of grants. Previously, the government has capped indirect costs between 27% and 60%. Indirect costs are costs not directly related to research, such as staff salaries and utilities.
Emory University could be especially affected by NIH changes, as the University ranked among the top receivers of federal funding in 2023, obtaining over $485 million from the NIH. Federal funding encompassed almost half of the University’s total external research funding of $1.1 billion that year.
Protestors denounced the Trump administration with signs such as “Our democracy is under attack.” The scene was eerily familiar to one earlier this month, when protestors gathered in front of the CDC to oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which has since been confirmed.
Julia Greenfield (25PH) said it
Purpose Project hosts retreat to help students connect, reflect
By irene John Oxford News Chair
Instead of going to Miami or Mexico this upcoming spring break, a select group of first-year and secondyear students will go on a five-day retreat to Highlands, N.C. The trip, dubbed “Emory Advance,” will offer students a chance to connect with peers and explore their identities and the futures they hope to shape for themselves.
The Emory Purpose Project and Unlikely Collaborators, a nonprofit that helps people resolve internal conflicts, organized the retreat. Emory University founded the Purpose Project in 2023 as part of the Student Flourishing Initiative, which seeks to create a unique, purposeful college experience for each student by helping them lead a “fulfilling and meaningful life.” Unlikely Collaborators recognized a shared mission with Emory University after learning of the Purpose Project and proposed a grant to fund the majority of Emory Advance, according to Purpose Project Executive Director Ira Bedzow (14G).
Emory hopes to promote the mis-
sion of the Purpose Project through experiences and programs in which students discover and implement the goals they find meaningful. To be eligible to participate in Emory Advance, students must complete a form detailing why they feel the retreat would be a good fit for them and how they can give back to the Emory Advance community, according to Purpose Project Senior Program Coordinator Angela Sudu.
Applicants will be entered into a lottery, and 20 to 25 students will be selected for participation by Feb. 24. Selected students will travel to The Mountain Retreat & Learning Center in North Carolina for the retreat.
Each day, students will participate in two “purpose activities” that will support their personal growth, according to Bedzow. These lessons will encourage students to reframe what they see and want as well as use the art of storytelling to articulate their values.
One of these activities invites students to enter a room filled with knick knacks, where they can select items they find meaningful and share the reasoning behind their choices, according to Bedzow.
“It’s just a really good way of ice
breaking,” Bedzow said. “Both other people are getting to know you, but also, you’re thinking about what are the objects you have in your life and why you hold on to them.”
Bedzow added that students will also have free time to partake in a variety of recreational activities, such as hiking, bonfires and karaoke.
Last semester, Brielle Natenzon (22Ox, 25C) took Bedzow’s “Fundamentals Moral Leadership” class, which follows a curriculum that teaches similar values as the Purpose Project. She explained that the Purpose Project’s events, such as their series “Tough Topics, Free Food and Civil Conversation,” will allow students to “engage with the community” and discover new interests. Natenzon added that the Purpose Project will help unburden students from some of the stresses of college.
“Coming to college is very stressful,” Natenzon said. “There’s a lot that you have to think about. The fact [that] there’s a team and this whole project — there’s people already worrying about this for you pretty much … It just goes to show that Emory cares about their students.”
Sam Chao (26C) has worked with the Purpose Project, inviting mem-
bers of the team to discuss their ideas with his own club, TableTalk. He reiterated that experiences like Emory Advance will help students step back from focusing solely on academics.
“It’s connecting the things that people care about,” Chao said. “Their studies but also things in life that also matter outside of the workplace, outside school.”
Chao added that the retreat is a “great opportunity” for students to “get away from the busyness that comes with being a college student.”
As Emory Advance approaches, the Purpose Project team is hopeful that the retreat will offer students a chance to take time away from their academic and professional lives to reflect on their personal lives instead.
“We thought that one of the exciting ways we can do that is through a transformational experience, where people go away for a number of days, get out of their old habits, get out of their comfortable environments and really build community together to explore not only themselves individually but explore what it means to live purposefully,” Bedzow said.
— Contact Irene John at irene.john@emory.edu
was “absolutely heartbreaking” to see Trump’s cuts at the CDC. She discussed the importance of infectious disease-related research conducted at the CDC and the agency’s importance internationally.
Even in the midst of political change, Greenfield said that events like this protest have given her a newfound sense of validation in her passion for public health advocacy.
“Today we’re seeing a lot of validation that we haven’t had in a while,” Greenfield said. “After the election, I felt a bit outnumbered because it’s just really heartbreaking to have the field that you’re so passionate about be devalued and defunded.”
Haley Cionfolo (25PH) shared a similar sentiment, stating that the recent turmoil has been a “burden.” She added that it has been “hard to watch” the government constantly attack her passion and field in recent months.
Former CDC Senior Public Affairs Specialist Ryan Sloane was one of the over 1000 CDC employees who was laid off in the past few weeks. He said his termination paper indicated that he was fired for “poor performance” but Sloane questioned whether his termination was legal. Sloane believes that firing researchers and scientists is not making the government more efficient and is instead causing “chaos and fear.”
“I’m fighting for this job,” Sloane said. “I’m not giving it up without a fight. But they can’t fire me twice.”
Sloane acknowledged that he only
Ivana Chen/a sst vIsual & Web edItor
Student Government Association presidential & vice presidential candidates
Walker Liu & Kenneth Power
Walker Liu (26C), treasurer of Alpha Tau Omega, and Kenneth Power (27C), vice president of service at Alpha Kappa Psi, Emory University’s business fraternity, are running as a ticket to be the next president and vice president of the Student Government Association (SGA).
The duo plans to improve student life by introducing custom meal plans, expanding a carpool program for students, implementing a mobile ID system to integrate EmoryCard into Apple Wallet, and promoting food access via the Alumni Memorial University Center’s Community Fridge and Pantry.
Additionally, Liu and Power aim to improve SGA by introducing ranked-choice voting to SGA elections, creating office hours for SGA members to
meet with students, and making weekly Instagram Reels to communicate SGA updates to the student body. As for academics, Liu and Power hope to reopen the Robert W. Woodruff Library 24/7, curate a student-led syllabi database, make a professor review platform for students, and install printers in Greek life and theme housing.
Liu and Power plan to help student organizations and campus programming by encouraging cross-club collaboration to secure funding and creating a “Big Ideas Pitch Competition” to incentivize students to creatively enhance campus life with SGA funding. They also hope to start a weekly social event similar to Keeping Emory Goizueta Social (KEGS) event called “Emory Commons” to promote campus unity, and begin a monthly “Spotlight Series” to help smaller campus organizations gain visibility. Liu and Power also want to promote funding for clubs to implement green initiatives, improve Oxford College-Atlanta shuttle systems, and strengthen club collaboration between the campuses.
Tyler Martinez & Zoe Grotjan
Tyler Martinez (26C), Emory National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s second vice president, and Zoe Grotjan (24Ox, 26B), Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Council member, BBA Council SGA representative, and former Oxford SGA (OxSGA) vice president of finance, are running for SGA president and vice president, respectively.
The pair plans to promote equity through a peer advising initiative that helps students navigate financial aid, put two student representatives on the University Board of Trustees, establish a discreet location that provides free clothes and other necessary resources to students in need, and remedy issues on the Clairmont Campus, such as improving
College Council presidential candidates
Si Kai Feng
Emory College Republicans President Si Kai Feng (28C) is running for College Council president.
His platform uses the acronym “T.I.M.E.” to emphasize his desire to improve academic and student life on campus.
“T.I.M.E.” stands for time, impact, memories and equity.
Feng hopes to give students more “dead days” to prepare for finals, and wants to extend library hours and dining options on campus to give students more variety.
Feng plans to improve school spirit and traditions through game-day events and festivals. He additionally aims to create an “Experience Emory” initiative, which would give students grants to explore the greater Atlanta area.
Another priority for Feng is academic and career support through increased job fairs, mentorship programs and networking opportunities.
He plans to prioritize mental health by providing additional resources and events to promote wellness.
Braden Newsome
Braden Newsome (25Ox), speaker of the OxSGA Senate and Oxford Honor Council member, is running for College Council vice president. His platform focuses on advocating for more robust mental health resources, reducing mental health stigma, reducing “busywork” that professors assign to students, and hosting monthly forums that discuss mental health.
Newsome hopes to ease first-years’ transition to Emory by connecting them with mentors, and to expand community and belonging at Emory by increasing support for cultural organizations. He also wants to encourage increased transparency in College Council’s decision making by making sure to communicate information with students. In his potential role as College Council vice president, Newsome intends to serve as a liaison between students and administration.
waitlist mobility for housing at Clairmont and boosting offcampus housing resources.
Martinez and Grotjan hope to improve campus wellness by increasing the accessibility of Student Health Services, providing better long-term mental health care through Counseling and Psychological Services, and leading Title IX reform to support victims of sexual assault. The ticket also hopes to work with the University Senate’s Committee for Open Expression and the Graduate SGA to rewrite the Respect for Open Expression Policy to prevent violence against student protestors.
Another key issue in Martinez and Grotjan’s campaign is to ensure that the University administration investigates bias reporting and that anyone with repeated bias reports is barred from holding positions of authority.
Martinez and Grotjan plan to provide networking opportunities by launching a version of KEGS called “ECAS Cafe.” They also plan to lead reform in the Department of Accessibility Services to streamline the accommodations process.
Seth Weinfield & Maahi Sethi
Seth Weinfield (27C), second-year SGA and College Council legislator, and Maahi Sethi (27C), SGA First Year Council director, are running for SGA president and vice president.
Weinfield and Sethi plan to advocate for disabled students by establishing a “disability identity space” in the Belonging and Community Justice center, create a uniform accommodations policy for Emory’s divisional councils, and develop an interactive campus map that denotes wheelchair-accessible spaces.
Additionally, the ticket plans to improve current open expression policies by creating an SGA open expression subcommittee open to all students on campus. They also hope to host town halls
and presentations to help students better understand Emory’s open expression policy. Their platform states that they hope to “promote constructive dialogue” throughout Emory.
They plan to leverage their experiences as Sexual Assault Peer Advocates to create a student-led peer advocate office that communicates with students directly. The pair also intend to collaborate with the Center for Student Wellbeing to facilitate access to resources on medical amnesty protocols, sexual health and substance abuse education.
In regard to academics, Weinfield and Sethi are campaigning for extended library hours and standardized accommodation policies across Emory’s undergraduate colleges.
They plan to improve shuttle services to other areas of Atlanta and bolster AtlantaOxford relations by helping Atlanta clubs recruit at Oxford. Weinfield and Sethi also plan to strengthen shuttle services to the HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport.
Council presidential candidates
Vladyslav Senenko
College Council Chief of Staff Vladyslav Senenko (27C) is running for College Council president. Senenko’s priorities include reforming the club charter process and establishing emergency funds for “urgent club needs.” He plans to improve student-administration communication through town halls and College Council office hours. He hopes to introduce a newsletter to inform students on council activities.
Senenko’s academic initiatives include extended library hours, syllabus transparency during enrollment and expanding student access to publications like The Economist and Politico. He also advocates for free technology lending to make laptops, chargers and flash drives more accessible and an expanded Career Closet to improve student access to clothing for professional events.
Additionally, Senenko hopes to enhance student well-being by increasing late-night food options and expanding mental health support through peer support groups. He also plans to launch a club event competition to award extra funds to exceptional organizations.
Ellie Estridge
Ellie Estridge (28C) is running for College Council vice president. Her platform prioritizes increasing student attendance at sporting events and elevating school spirit by creating new traditions. Estridge also advocates for academic attendance flexibility for sick students.
“I will push for more structured sick policies that allow for doctors notes to excuse students, and test makeups for those who cannot take the test due present to illness,” Estridge’s platform states.
Another priority for Estridge is to add more utensils to the DCT to prevent students from scavenging for additional forks and knives.
Estridge is a member of Emory’s Softball team and serves as an Emory student ambassador.
Sydney Song
BBA Council Vice President of Programming
Sydney Song (26B) is running for BBA President. She aims to expand career development resources by creating the vice president of career initiatives role, which will support students pursuing “nontraditional” business careers in fields such as film, arts, entrepreneurship, tech, and music, and assist international students during the recruiting process through an optional buddy system in which exchange students are paired with Goizueta students.
Her platform focuses on clearer communication by integrating feedback into BBA events, an anonymous feedback box and reducing concerns about transparency regarding BBA Council’s policies through a centralized BBA Council hub that publicizes meeting minutes and policy documents.
Song also plans to foster community by enhancing KEGS with interactive activities, student music recommendations and alumni engagements. Additionally, she hopes to promote student well-being by organizing de-stress events and securing fitness discounts for Goizueta students.
Simon Stumbris
BBA Council Vice President of Programming
Simon Stumbris (26B) is running to be BBA Council vice president. He hopes to make BBA Council’s programming more effective and transparent and prioritize collaboration within the council and with other student organizations. He plans on implementing QR code surveys to improve feedback and guide decision-making.
Cate Navarrete
BBA Council Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Cate Navarrete (26B) is running for BBA Council president. She hopes to strengthen career development at Goizueta Business School through the startup support app Runway, collaborative LinkedIn groups, and a micro-credential program where students earn badges for their accomplishments. She also plans to create two new vice president roles: a vice president of professional development, who will help connect students with opportunities, and a vice president of international initiatives, who will aid students studying abroad and develop global initiatives. Navarrete’s platform prioritizes community building through connections with alumni, a business school fair, a TEDx BBA collaboration and KEGS events. Additionally, she hopes to promote a better work-life balance among students through a Goizueta recruiting wellness series — a program intended to help students prioritize their well-being during the recruitment season. To improve student accessibility and equity, she hopes to implement identity-focused programming to celebrate diverse cultures.
One of Stumbris’ main focuses is to celebrate the Emory’s diversity and ensure that BBA Council’s programming reflects that diversity. One of the ways he plans to do this is by collaborating with Partnership for Southern Equity, an Atlanta nonprofit dedicated to promoting racial equity. He also hopes to build community by celebrating historical months and cultural observances.
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.
Protestors speak out against Trump layoffs
Continued from Page 1
spent two months as a CDC employee after a lengthy interview process. He expressed concern for longtime employees at the agency.
“People who are still with the agency [who] have 30 years of time under their belt dedicated to public health — they’re terrified,” Sloane said. “They’re terrified for their work. They’re terrified for their careers. They're terrified for the impact it will have to the American people.”
However, not all attendees opposed the Trump administration’s public health policy. Vaccine skeptic Mike Arnold attended the CDC protest to support Kennedy and Trump.
Arnold, who said he regularly protests outside the CDC, attributed his skepticism toward vaccines to his experience working with autistic children, which led him to believe vaccines are a cause of autism in children.
Arnold called the other protestors “misinformed.” He expressed his desire for the Trump administration to address the causes of autism in children, calling Trump’s win in the 2024 presidential election a moment of triumph. According to Arnold, some CDC employees who were fired may have
been “honest” and “decent people,” but the CDC is “corrupt,” and people should stand up for what is “right.”
“If you don’t stand up for what’s right in life, you’re a nothing,” Arnold said, quoting entertainment businessman Aaron Russo.
The Mayo Clinic reported that studies have debunked the notion that vaccines cause autism.
Still, protest attendees like Resident Physician Sandra Carpenter, who has done research at Emory, remarked on the recent distrust in science and pointed out the vital role of public health officials in administering widespread interventions such as vaccines. Carpenter expressed hope that the demonstration would “raise the morale” at the CDC.
The protest outside of the CDC demonstrated varying views regarding public health. However, the undeniable support for the field shows some sign of unity in polarized times.
“We can’t survive without public health,” Cionfolo said. “We’re going to fight the good fight, and public health will prevail in one way or another.”
— Contact Jacob Muscolino at jake.muscolino@emory.edu
Continued from Page 1
from the student body if stipends are enacted in the future, describing the process of implementing such a policy as a “balancing act.”
The bill also included a $1,000 lump sum payment to Third-year College Council Legislator and SGA Ranking Member Sohan Bellam (26C), which is intended to honor his “committed work.” This “inflated stipend” raised concerns among College Council members, according to Khan.
Bellam believes that stipends are an important topic within SGA but also feels that legislators should not be able to award stipends to themselves. He described the lump sum payment to him as “an unserious addition.” He believed its inclusion was to reward legislators that spent more time on College Council, and address disparities in effort across the legislature.
“For some people in College Council and SGA, you can think of them providing a service to students, right?” Bellam said. “If you’re the person doing the budget, and you’re looking through hundreds of club budgets each month, each year, that is sort of like doing a job, which is very different from someone whose job is to represent people as an elected member.”
Bellam echoed Weinfield’s concerns of potential student backlash and believed that considering insight from the student body is important before moving forward with any permanent legislation.
“We need to have some data input on how students feel before we can move forward,” Bellam said.
Student Programming Council
(SPC) Executive Vice President Maya Degnemark (25B) described the importance of passion in student leadership and hoped that a potential stipend would not encourage students to run for student leadership for the wrong reasons.
“We want to ensure that presidents are still just as passionate about the work,” Degnemark said. “We have gone into this role because we really care about it. There’s been years and years of SGA presidents and College Council and SPC presidents who’ve also done the work because they’re passionate. And I would want to ensure that people are running for the right reasons.”
The bill also mentions plans for SPC and club sports to begin providing stipends to their executive leaders. SPC co-President Sophia Callender (25B) echoed Degnemark’s sentiment regarding how the stipend could influence peoples’ motivations for working in student leadership.
“I do feel a little bit worried about whether or not getting paid would change the reasons why someone would run for a position like this,” Callender said. “It’s a lot of work, and in order to be successful, I think you need to be very passionate about it.”
SPC co-President Howie Brown (26C) expressed support for compensating student leaders.
“I’d say, generally speaking, we do totally support student leaders on campus being paid for … dedicating their time and energy to bettering this campus,” Brown said.
However, Brown also emphasized that potential stipends should not encroach on club leaders’ independence to make decisions for their organization.
“The thing for us that’s always most important is maintaining independence, and as long as stipends being paid by the school doesn’t affect our independence, our ability to make our own decisions as a club, we definitely support that for ourselves and for other student organizations on campus,” Brown said.
Khan said that she predicts there will be discussion surrounding stipends for College Council legislators in the future.
“Just to ensure just the ethics surrounding this compensation scheme, we are going to be working with administration to come up with something that can incentivize and bridge the gap for future student government leaders,” Khan said.
News Editor Lauren Yee (25Ox) contributed to reporting on this piece.
— Contact Aarush Kumar at aarush.kumar@emory.edu
Oxford honors Black History Month with conversation about activist
By irene John Oxford News Chair
This Black History Month, students, faculty and guests gathered to learn about the esteemed life and legacy of Judia Jackson Harris, a Black educator, community organizer and activist. Assistant Professor of Anthropology Jessica Ham collaborated with Oxford Studies to organize the Feb. 17 event, which featured University of Georgia School of Social Work Director of Global Engagement Jane McPherson.
During her research, McPherson discovered former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond’s novel, “A Story Untold: Black Men and Women in Athens History.” Through the novel, McPherson learned about
Harris and her contributions to education in Georgia. When Jim Crow laws still existed in the South, Harris founded the Model and Training School to educate the families of Black sharecroppers in rural Georgia.
Struck by the inclusion of a woman in education, a field that men primarily dominated at the time, McPherson decided to begin doing her own research on Harris. She scanned old university records and photographs while tracking down relatives who were also activists to piece together a complete picture of Harris.
“Her message remains really powerful,” McPherson said. “She had an idea that the ideal community in which Black Americans were to prosper should be a Black community
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Founded in 1919, The Emory Wheel is the financially and editorially independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University in Atlanta. The Wheel is a member publication of Media Council, Emory’s organization of student publications. The Wheel reserves the rights to all content as it appears in these pages, and permission to reproduce material must be granted by the editor-in-chief.
The statements and opinions expressed in the Wheel are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Wheel Editorial Board or of Emory University, its faculty, staff or administration.
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that was connected through bonds of friendship and economic cooperation with white communities.”
Saachi Bedi (25Ox) emphasized the importance of Harris’ contributions and expressed interest in McPherson’s work in restoring Black histories in Georgia.
“It’s a wonderful story of equality and education for everyone, especially now, when that is being challenged,” Bedi said.
Shir Ivanier (26Ox) said that she appreciated learning about not just Harris but also Harris’ family members.
“I really enjoyed learning the little tidbits about her sisters, who also turned out to be professors and educators and scholars —– even though their stories aren’t typically told,” Ivanier said.
McPherson reflected on her role as a white woman sharing these stories about Harris, adding that it can be difficult to study Black history when most universities are historically white.
“Because I work particularly in this area, I think about my own race a lot and what it means that I am telling her story and how that might be perceived,” McPherson said. “She’s the owner of her story … but I hope that I can be someone who helps bring that story to people who really deserve to hear it.”
In addition to honoring Harris, McPherson discussed the lasting impacts of racism and slavery at her own institution. While McPherson was working at the University of Georgia, workers who were renovating a building “unearthed” 105 bod-
ies that were likely formerly enslaved individuals.
“The university asserted that these were white skeletons, and the community asserted, ‘No actually, these are members of the Black community,’” McPherson said. “These are enslaved and formerly enslaved people. And, DNA was done, and indeed, the community was correct, but there was much back and forth, and the university eventually refused to let those bodies be buried in historically Black cemeteries.”
Despite community objections, the University chose to rebury the remains in a historically white cemetery, and many locals stated they were buried at “the feet of their former masters,” according to McPherson. This led McPherson to
explore the city of Athens, Ga., eventually uncovering its ties to not only slavery but also child labor, which she said existed well into the ’30s in Georgia.
McPherson urged students to continue exploring these hidden histories, adding that Harris’ story is one of optimism.
“There’s so many interesting stories that haven’t been told, but also powerful stories that help us understand our world and reshape our understanding in ways that I think are extremely important, politically and culturally, and have potential to empower young people,”
said.
— Contact Irene John at irene.john@emory.edu
McPherson
JaCob MusColIno/a sst neWs edItor Protestors gather to support the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention amid policy changes under Trump on Feb. 18.
Courtesy of the unI versIty of GeorGI a
The University of Georgia built a small monument outside of Baldwin Hall Memorial after finding the buried remains of 105 enslaved individuals while renovating the building.
Courtesy of Jannat K han College Council President Jannat Khan (25C) believes there will be discussions surronding stipends for legislators in the future.
The Emory Wheel Opinion
EDITORIAL
Don’t let student government siphon away your SAF
Last week, College Council, the governing student body for the Emory College of Arts and Sciences, unanimously passed a bill to provide a stipend for certain members of its executive branch.
However, upon conferring with Emory University Human Resources, College Council learned that its legislation was nullified due to Emory’s changing federal work-study distribution system, according to College Council President Jannat Khan (25C).
The bill proposed adding annual stipends totaling $7,000 for certain executive members, with $2,500 reserved for each the president and executive vice president and $1,000 for each the speaker of the legislature and vice president of finance.
Despite the necessity of compensating student leaders, the stipend model is inherently fawed in its implementation.
This payment model, which the Student Government Association (SGA) pioneered in 2023, aimed to make pursuing student government positions more equitable for lowincome and work-study students. While stipends are necessary to improve equity in student government, SGA’s current system for funding and distributing the stipends needs rethinking.
Currently, the stipend model fol-
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lowed by SGA siphons away a collective $10,000 of the Student Activity Fee (SAF), which is a $118 fee that every student pays semesterly along with their tuition.
When SGA implemented the stipend in 2o23, 25%-100% of the stipend came from the SAF depending on whether the recipient qualified for work-study aid, according to former SGA President Khegan Meyers (24B).
According to Khan, College Council’s stipend would also pull from the SAF if implemented. This is a misuse of SAF money; the SAF is reserved for funding club experiences and events, making it the only student-administered Emory fund to promote student fun, well-being and enrichment.
The SAF is not the appropriate source for funding student leaders’ paychecks, as it diverts students’ own money away from the very experiences that make college worthwhile.
When the SGA stipend model first launched, former Student Programming Council President Ria Puri (23B) criticized the choice for the stipends to come from the SAF. She’s right — bestowing up to $2,500 to individuals goes against the spirit of the SAF itself, even if those individuals are dedicated student leaders.
In SGA’s Finance Code, the SAF’s use is restricted to programs and events “open to all students,” and while SGA has a certain amount of funding for its own operational budget, forking over up a total of $17,000 — $10,000 for SGA leaders and $7,000 for College Council leaders — is steep.
This is not to argue against compensating student leaders — there is no denying that SGA and College Council leaders play a key role in maintaining a thriving campus ecosystem and deserve to be compensated for their work. From overseeing club budgets to chartering new organizations, SGA
and College Council members devote significant time and effort to their responsibilities.
The lack of financial support for low-income students also creates an uneven playing field in student government, where students who can afford to dedicate unpaid hours to governance are more likely to run for leadership roles. Stipends for student leadership can be an effective solution for ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent talented students from
keep what are supposed to be public records, such as bills, in a private SharePoint workspace that only members can access. Additionally, there are ongoing issues with navigating the College Council website and locating relevant bills — the site is not regularly updated and does not make meeting minutes readily accessible to the student body.
The Editorial Board was only able to obtain copies of College Council’s legislation for stipends through direct
serving in student government.
Despite the necessity of compensating student leaders, the stipend model is inherently flawed in its implementation and conception — this includes a lack of transparency from student government leaders about the stipend. In 2023, a year after the SGA stipend program began, many student leaders, including those who started receiving the stipends, had little or incorrect information about the model.
The transparency issue also plagued the recent College Council stipend bill, given that there was no communication to the student body regarding the council’s plan to offer stipends. Additionally, as noted in an investigation by The Emory Wheel in 2023, SGA and College Council often
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communication with College Council members. If student leaders are voting to fund their own voluntary work, then they should at least communicate those decisions to the student body.
Emory, in partnership with SGA, should establish a dedicated fund specifically for compensating student government leaders. This fund could be partially subsidized through University resources and supplemented by donations, such as those raised during Emory Day of Giving.
Such an approach would ensure that student legislators are fairly compensated without diverting money from student life initiatives.
For instance, Vanderbilt University’s (Tenn.) student government manages a need-based fund supported by mul-
tiple campus departments, including its Dean of Students office and Career Center. Rather than following a welltrodden but problematic path, College Council representatives should think outside of the box to allow for any student, regardless of financial standing, to act as a leader on their campus.
Another, more appropriate, funding source than the SAF could be the SILT office. SILT oversees student leadership development and provides financial support for certain student leaders, such as orientation leaders, Moonlight Crew members and Student Training, Education and Engagement Resource team members.
Given that student government representatives dedicate time and effort to bettering our community, much like other student employees, they could be compensated through SILT’s budget. This shift would ensure that stipends come from a source intended to support student leadership rather than one meant to enhance campus life.
With SGA, College Council and Bachelor of Business Administration Council elections approaching next week, these stipends are more than just an issue of funding — they signify a fundamental misuse of the SAF. Potentially receiving a stipend influences who is able to run, and candidates’ perspectives on this issue may shape the outcome of the elections themselves.
Emory must take responsibility for student labor and provide dedicated financial support without draining the limited funds meant to better the student experience.
If SGA and College Council truly want to support the student body, they should advocate for a more sustainable, fair and transparent funding model instead of resorting to quick-fix solutions that undermine the very students they represent.
The above editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel’s Editorial Board. The Editorial Board is composed of Editor Marc Goedmans, Mira Krichavsky, Carly Aikens, Hunter Buchheit, Allie Guo, Ethan Jacobs, Carson Kindred, Justin Leach, Eliana Liporace, Niki Rajani, Josh Rosenblut, Ilka Tona and Crystal Zhang.
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Hypermasculinity will make us sick
By antara gopaLan ContriButing Writer
Over the past few weeks, the United States Senate has held hearings and confirmed a series of President Donald Trump’s cabinetlevel nominees, including candidates facing allegations of financial mismanagement and sexual impropriety.
Looking at the people stepping into governmental positions of power, it is discomforting to see that there is a growing body of “macho” men. We are stacking our government with men who believe “women and low [testosterone] men” cannot think as clearly as so-called real men — men who believe in bringing back “masculine energy” so the workplace has more “aggression.”
These men, who have stumbled upon positions allowing them to dictate laws and legislation, are doing so with a belief of superiority and importance. Trump and his cabinet appointees’ male-centric actions over the next four years will wreak havoc on federal policies, including those controlling healthcare.
The Trump campaign won over the male vote through an agenda of hypermasculinity, pushing messages of power over women and LGBTQ+ individuals through antiabortion policies and bans on gender-affirmative care.
Even in his first term, by promoting personal grit as a preventative method against COVID-19, Trump has converted himself into a cult icon with a gaggle of die-hard fans. By contrast, his speeches characterize his political opponents with feminine qualities that oppose
his ideals of hegemonic masculinity, including competitiveness and ambition.
Hegemonic masculinity refers to discomfort with changing gender roles — under this idea, the male desire to remain at the apex of society encourages prioritization of physical strength, competitiveness and aggression. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, encourages this mindset.
Hegemonic masculinity is inherently competitive, and Kennedy shames others for the convenience of processed meals and snacks over natural food choices, deeming them to be the lazy option. This fails to account for barriers in access to healthier food choices among minority and poorer communities.
Kennedy, under the weight of hegemonic masculinity, also uses characteristics that oppose masculine ideals as insults, giving them feminine connotations, such as describing fast food choices as “lazy.”
During an interview on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” a podcast the politically unpredictable and serially derogatory Rogan hosts, Kennedy presented several of his conspiracy theories about health and wellbeing.
He noted his disgust of processed foods and the American obesity epidemic, sharing unconventional and downright absurd ways to combat the problem: returning to a raw and caveman-like diet, with foods such as unpasteurized milk.
In this light, Kennedy, and Trump by extension, are advocating for the continued derogatory perception of women and highlighting ultramasculine, discriminatory figures,
legislation and ideals.
Kennedy’s health advice, which Trump endorses, often contradicts scientific evidence and reasoning, telling Americans that they can overcome health obstacles by sheer will.
In a video racking up millions of views, Kennedy presented himself as what reporters later called an image of “sheer masculinity,” reflecting a growing movement toward hegemonic masculinity.
When Kennedy was confirmed into his new role last week, he entered an echo chamber of men who hold similar stances on hypermasculinity. Americans must take his confirmation as a sign to take a more vested interest in their health.
Given how deeply intertwined Emory University is with biomedical and public health research, we are privileged to have access to swaths of information about our physical and mental well-being.
Changes in public health funding threaten the efficacy of our neighbor and frequent partner, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Emory community must advocate for its protection.
The government should be a place everyone can turn to for clear and factual public health information. However, since the federal government no longer bothers to uphold that responsibility, we cannot be secure in trusting it. Now, more than ever, we must do our own research to ensure our health is being protected — we cannot rely on someone else to do so for us.
— Contact Antara Gopalan at antara@gopalan@emory.edu
Trump’s second term will punish working Americans
By aiDan o’sULLvan Contributing Writer
It is no surprise that President Donald Trump, a proud billionaire, and his posse of out-of-touch, self-interested plutocrats do not care about regular folks. All Americans, even Trump fanatics, should be fearful of the next four years.
Trump’s term is likely to entail financial pain for average Americans while the president and his rich friends revel in their power and wealth. If Democrats hope to gain back political power in 2026 and 2028, they must shine a light on Trump’s historical failure to deliver for average Americans and craft a new political agenda designed to help working Americans.
The fact that America’s president will not support American heroes who ran into the burning Twin Towers is dumbfounding and shocking.
Trump’s first administration was full of false promises he made to working Americans while prioritizing helping the ultra-rich. For example, Trump promised that his tax cuts would help average Americans, yet this policy disproportionately benefited wealthy Americans; the tax cuts of households in the top 1% and 5% of income were more than triple the total value of the tax cuts received by those in the bottom 60% of income, leading to an increasing wealth gap.
During his first term, Trump also promised that lower corporate tax rates would lead to a $4,000 jump in average household income. Yet, Americans earning less than $114,000 per year never saw this $4,000 reach their bank accounts, and the salaries of top executives shot up during his administration.
Trump similarly promised to invest a trillion dollars in infrastructure to create more jobs and improve transportation in the United States, but this plan was never realized. In fact, it was former President Joe Biden who passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which provided $1.2 trillion for infrastructure funding across the country.
Domestic manufacturing was another focus of Trump’s 2016 campaign, in which he planned to lift up the American worker as he railed against job losses in the American Rust Belt due to offshoring in China and other nations.
These pledges propelled his 2016 victory as he swept the Rust Belt — a former Democratic stronghold that was built on the party’s connections to union manufacturing. However, those jobs disappeared amid Democratic support for globalization, pushing Rust Belt voters towards Trump and his promises to end globalization. Despite promising boosts to American manufacturing, Trump once again did not follow through; the United States lost 200,000 manufacturing jobs under his first presidency.
In his second administration, Trump has implemented tariffs on imports from Canada, China and Mexico and is planning more, aiming to boost American manufacturing while generating extra revenue for the government.
However, these tariffs, like the ones in his first administration, will only harm the U.S. manufacturing job market. Time and time again, Trump has wooed the working class with promises to uplift them — almost always, though, his policies have made their plights worse while allowing wealthy campaign donors to line their pockets.
As if mistreating the working class isn’t bad enough, Trump has decided to financially punish first responders too.
This latest episode of Trump’s indifference with him cutting healthcare for 9/11 first responders is particularly horrifying, though not surprising considering his record.
The fact that America’s president will not support American heroes who ran into the burning Twin Towers is dumbfounding and shocking. Yet, this behavior is consistent with Trump being a Vietnam War draft dodger, along with his previous characterizations of American soldiers killed in war as “losers” and “suckers.”Trump was deceitful in his first term and will likely continue spewing false promises and lies in his second. Over the next four years, he will prioritize the interests of his wealthy backers while neglecting working Americans — including those who make up his political base.
Trump will push forward a renewal of his 2017 tax cuts that will only benefit the wealthy, which he, again, falsely promises will help working Americans.
Among Trump’s top advisors and cabinet picks are Elon Musk, Doug Burgum and Howard Lutnick — all of whom are ultra-wealthy and poised to focus Trump’s administration on their interests instead of those of working Americans.
Now, it is up to the Democratic Party to craft a message appealing to average Americans. Do not label those who voted for Trump as stupid, ignorant or any demeaning term, as this will only drive more voters away from the party.
Do not label those who voted for Trump as stupid, ignorant or any demeaning term.
Democrats must not only attack Trump’s shortcomings but also understand their own party’s flaws to fix them.
It is essential that Democrats and their 2028 presidential nominee convince Americans that they will lead the country to a prosperous future, rather than focusing on Trump, his successor, likely Vice President J.D. Vance, and the Republican Party’s bad fit for leadership.
Crafting an appealing agenda for average Americans and properly messaging it on the campaign trail will determine whether they will succeed or if the Republican Party will continue to disrespect American heroes and workers.
— Contact Aidan O’Sullivan at amosull@emory.edu
Support trans rights or be complicit with trans deaths
By aLex KaUFFMan Senior Staff Writer
Content Warning: This article contains references to suicide and self harm.
I am disgusted and ashamed to be a U.S. citizen in 2025. In the first weeks of his presidency, felon and leech President Donald Trump has taken charge of the Republican Party’s campaign against transgender people’s rights with a series of executive orders. These executive orders utilize regressive, dehumanizing language to villainize a vulnerable minority. Trans people represent less than 1% of the U.S. adult population, yet 674 bills targeting transgender rights were proposed last year.
Politicians and lawmakers disproportionately and wrongfully target trans people, not in spite of minority status, but because of it. I am transgender. I have always been transgender. Republican lawmakers are ripping apart my rights, my identity and my body, which the impotence of the Democratic Party enables. In recent years, Democrats have deprioritized social progress, instead opting for centrist silence on trans people’s rights. Former Vice President and 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris only expressed tenuous, wavering support for the trans population. At this point, I no longer have tolerance for the “debate” over trans people — my livelihood never should have been a debate. If a politician denies that trans people have a right to life and liberty in this country, they are engaging in a crusade of
virulent conservative bigotry. Trump’s anti-trans executive orders do not combat a material threat of so-called “gender ideology,” but rather affirm the dictatorial reign of reactionaries. Republicans and their intolerant policies terrify trans people into submission, silence and suicide. Trump’s first anti-trans executive order, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” frames itself as a defense of women’s rights by refuting the “ideologues who deny the biological reality of sex.” It states that gender identity “does not provide a meaningful basis for identification” and calls for federal agencies to remove anything that “promote[s]” and “inculcate[s]” gender ideology. The writing ignores the existence of real human beings, and it instead attacks an amorphous, undefined group of “ideologues” and their alleged ideology. The language is intentionally vague, illustrating an abstract foe that cannot be concretely observed. Republicans are playing shadow puppet politics, creating the illusion of monsters and commanding people to be afraid.Trump also banned trans people from military service on account of their “gender dysphoria” and “use of pronouns that inaccurately reflect an individual’s sex” in his second executive order. Here, trans people are again treated as second-class citizens, with their presence supposedly compromising the “excellence” of the military. We are treated as blights on our nation, our identities medicalized as illnesses. Purporting to protect children by banning gender-
affirming surgery, puberty blockers and hormones for citizens younger than 19, Trump’s third executive order was the most disheartening for me to read. Gender-affirming care is referred to as a “dangerous trend,” causing “blatant harm” and “mutilation” rather than a life-saving necessity that can transform one’s body. The language is unabashedly, undeniably cruel and dehumanizing. Trump published this order on the day I received my first real binder, my birthday. My chest appeared flat for the first time in my life. Shame and fear bubbled within me as I smoothed my hands over the front of my shirt. Am I mutilated? Am I dangerous? Through these executive orders, trans people are not allowed to merely live. The right to exist is a privilege when our humanity is under attack. Trans people are politicized, as our accounts of our own existence are wrongfully labeled as inculcation and indoctrination. We are not people — we are mere embodiments of ideologies, free to be suppressed. While The Daily Wire and Fox News biasedly report oncelebrate Trump’s anti-trans campaign, I am terrified for the well-being of trans people, and by extension, all queer people. Nearly one-third of queer people aged 13 to 24 said that antiqueer legislation has worsened their mental health. Anti-trans state laws passed from 2018 to 2022 caused an increase from 38% to 44% in suicide attempt rates among trans people aged 13 to 24. National politics correlate to the well-being of queer people not only legally, but mentally — when queer people are disenfranchised, they are in danger.In tandem with
the worsening political climate, the number of murdered trans people almost doubled between 2017 and 2021, with Black trans women at the greatest risk due to their intersecting marginalized identities. The effects of anti-trans legislation and bigotry are widespread and undeniable. This information has been known for years, yet Republicans continue to sacrifice the lives of trans people for their own extreme, reactionary agenda. The writing on the wall is clear. My government does not care if I live or die.
I am afraid to legally and medically transition, so I have remained in stasis. It is unclear if I will have access to testosterone or the ability to change my gender marker on my license and passport in the future. The anti-trans legislation is terrifying, and it shows no signs of stopping. Anyone who still pretends that there are two sides to the transgender issue is willingly complacent in eliminationist rhetoric that echoes Nazism.
In the end, I am comforted by this fact: Trans people have existed on Earth longer than the United States has. Trans people cannot be effaced from existence, even if they are legally and medically denied. If living authentically is defined as danger and mutilation, then I will be dangerous, and I will be mutilated. Trans liberation may be out of my grasp, but I will strain to reach for it — I have no other choice but to live, live and live.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, you can call Student Intervention Services at (404) 430-1120 or reach Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services at (404) 7277450. You can reach the Georgia Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at (800) 273-TALK (8255) and the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24/7 at 988.
— Contact Alex Kauffman at alexandra.kauffman@emory.edu
Erotic is in recession, watch these to get your desire back
By saanvi nayar Deputy Editor
Valentine’s Day is the least erotic holiday that could exist. Gaudy pink and red marketing schemes take over the internet. Those with significant others buy generic heart-shaped Russell Stover chocolate boxes and nervously wonder if their partner will underperform. Those without significant others lick their wounds with a Galentine’s Day dinner or a bottle of cheap wine. When stripped of the anticipative buildup that is characteristic of desire, Valentine’s Day reveals just how complacent humans can become with concocted notions of love and intimacy. This sex column was born from my desire to write and consume media about desire, from the “Modern Love” column to “Sex and the City” (1998). However, marketing firms’ decisions to deem certain presentations of intimacy more profitable than others compel users to enjoy consuming these narrower depictions of desire. Short-form TikTok videos combine the captivation of visual editing and catchy song fragments to create trends for couples while the porn industry has desensitized millions to the consideration and awkwardness essential to even the most casual sex. I like to think about desire like this: As with energy in physics, the majority of desire exists in a dormant state — untapped.
Take a Reddit post asking: “In what ways has capitalism ‘seeped into the
unconscious?’” for example. User @ hirnwichserei replies, “We have largely lost the ability to imagine a better world, and the entire task of doing so appears patently absurd.” The media’s depiction of relationships under capitalism — Carrie Bradshaw palavering over the decline of available men left in New York, for instance — operates through inherent competition; in a college environment like Emory University specifically, students gasp when a boy finally posts the girl he has been hooking up with on social media and roll their eyes at the couple who has been together since the first week of freshman year.
Over winter break, I found myself on a mission to find visual media outside of the mold of prescribed notions of connection, showing how realized desire persists through a rejection of the generic. In interrogating your perceptions of desire, I implore you to watch these films to connect with an inner sense of eros.Director Halina Reijn’s “Babygirl” (2024) represents a resurgence of the erotic thriller, a genre critical to evoking widespread discourse of sexual empowerment for American women in the ’80s and ’90s. While the media industry understands the profit-generating impact of sex, few mainstream films use sex as a receptacle for more uncomfortable conversations surrounding less mainstream desire. “Babygirl” is a universal testament to women reckoning with the guilt of desire, telling the story of Romy (Nicole Kidman), a high-pow-
ered CEO, who begins a charged affair with her 20-something intern (Harris Dickinson). The film represents the notion that our deepest desires often remain buried because, when clawed to the surface, they can often uproot entire lives. Romy’s affair occurs at middle age, a stage of life in which she is seemingly content, with a doting husband and two daughters. Her story shows how so many tenets of a successful life are built around uninterrogated wants.
Just as Generation X women have been reacting to the film by processing their own buried fantasies, I believe that a majority of Emory students require an impetus to think outside of prescribed binaries — a high-powered, lucrative job in New York is recited as too universal a goal for it to be representative of a deep-seated desire, and I would like to believe that our most fervent dreams do not revolve around labor. The film preaches that discomfort is the vessel necessary for understanding our visceral gravitations and makes viewers question just how easily a facade of self can break under the right conditions. If you want to double the eroticism, watch this in movie theaters while you still can. Sex scenes that show the awkward transition from nervous fumbling to orgasm feel an hour long when you are sitting between a shell-shocked middleaged couple and a giggling old man. “Babygirl” represents a burgeoning cultural shift to prioritizing discomfort, pointing to the larger sentiment
of consciously choosing the media we consume as an act of desire.
“Carol” (2015), directed by Todd Haynes, shares the same dynamic of an age-gap relationship and extramarital affair as “Babygirl,” but little else. Set in the ’50s, young Therese (Rooney Mara), is immediately enamored at first sight by Carol, (Cate Blanchett), a sumptuous older woman whose every move reverberates in mystique and glamour. Queer love, in history and this movie, is a testament to desire as a driving force for connection outside of the binary and the right to experience said connection. To me, this slow burn brings about the timeless question so many women I know ask: “Do I want to be her or be with her?” Carol becomes a vessel for Therese’s selfdiscovery, showing how so many of us are programmed to move through life waiting for something profound to happen instead of seeking experiences that challenge who we are and what we want. The film, following a lesbian relationship in a time period when this desire was socially prohibited, shows the capacity for the erotic to manifest as a lingering touch or a glanced goodbye — the foreplay of lust that a generation used to the idea of sex as the embodiment of desire has lost.
Quite differently, the horror film “Shivers” (1975), directed by David Cronenberg, revolves around a parasite that gradually infects people in an apartment complex, turning tenants into erotic-obsessed hosts who infect others through violent sex.
Cronenberg used the grotesque and the inhuman as vessels for showing the fear associated with confronting one’s most buried desires. In a review, film critic Becca Rothfeld praises the parallelism of parasitic metamorphosis to how humans can transform through love and sex.
The ability to change each other through a state of desire, whether through a long-term relationship or a single kiss, relies on surrender. This genre-melding film symbolizes the mind-bending moments characteristic of the erotic. In a media society deeply desensitized to the mainstream showcase of intimacy as mechanical, heterosexual sex, “Shivers” shows that desire can be ravenous. In experiencing the fine line between Cronenberg’s inclination towards the grotesque and the intimate, viewers can’t help but ask themselves if they have ever had an experience so undefinable.
Audre Lorde, the muse behind this column, advocated for desire as a physical state of being. Like a muscle that needs to be worked, the places, people and rituals that bring us to this state require a commitment to experimentation. Questioning presentations of mainstream intimacy means questioning which romantic and sexual inclinations are imbibed and which are self-realized. This Valentine’s season, I advocate for interrogating your desire for a facade of the erotic.
— Contact Saanvi Nayar at saanvi.nayar@emory.edu.
HA-TIEN NGUYEN/SENIOR STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
Emory Wheel Demographic Report | Spring 2025
By Dei tasK Force
The Emory Wheel’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) task force distributed its fifth annual demographic survey to assess inclusivity and representation in the newsroom. The task force asked contributors about their identities and experiences in the Wheel’s work environment. The DEI task force uses these results to develop and implement initiatives that address inequalities within the organization.
Methodology
The task force emailed the demographic survey to the 130 students who contributed to the Wheel during the 2024 calendar year, marking a decrease from last year’s 176 contributors. Of the 130 students, 68 responded, yielding a 52.3% response rate. This was 1.7 percentage points greater than 2024’s 50.6% response rate. All responses were kept anonymous.
There are limitations to this data, as 47.7% of students who qualified to take the survey did not complete the form, limiting the task force’s ability to ensure fully representative data.Editors constituted the largest number of respondents at 38.2%. Wheel contributors — students who produced less than five articles, photographs or illustrations — made up 27.9% of the respondents. Lastly, staff members who published five or more pieces of work followed at 16.2%.
Race and ethnicity
In the past, if a respondent selected multiple races, the Wheel counted them twice — once for each race. However, this year the task force decided to create a “multiracial”
pants who selected multiple races, all selected white or Asian as at least one aspect of their identity.
The Wheel continues to lack Black or African American representation, with only 4.4% of respondents identifying as such. Under the previous categorization system, 6.7% of respondents identified as Black in 2024, while 3.2% identified as Black in 2023. Further, 4.4% of respondents also identified as Latinx this year, while 5.6% and 1.6% identified as Latinx in 2024 and 2023, respectively. According to the Office of Planning and Administration, 9.9% of undergraduate students identify as Black or African American while 11.8% identify as Hispanic or Latino, demonstrating a continued underrepresentation of these groups in the Wheel’s newsroom.
Gender identity
The majority of respondents were cisgender women at 61.8%. This marks a continuing decline from 2024 and 2023, when 69.7% and 78.7% of respondents identified as cisgender women, respectively. The proportion of cisgender men, 26.5%, increased from 22.5% in 2024 and 13.1% in 2023.
The percentage of respondents identifying as nonbinary, 2.9%, marks a decrease from 4.5% in 2024 and 4.9% in 2023. While cisgender women continue to dominate the gender composition of the Wheel, 2025 represents a more balanced distribution in gender identity compared to previous years.
Sexual orientation
Similar to the new approach to analyze the Wheel’s racial demographics, the task force decided to establish a “multiple sexual orienta-
years, followed at 16.2% this year. Respondents who identified as gay and queer each made up 4.4% of the students who completed the survey. Lastly, lesbians comprised 2.9% of the respondents.
The task force aims to improve the diversity of the Wheel’s coverage, create equal opportunities for all contributors.
First-generation status
This year, 7.4% of respondents identified as first-generation college
category to avoid misrepresenting respondents’ identities. Under this new categorization system, 44.1% of respondents identified as white and another 44.1% of respondents identified as Asian. Under the previous categorization system, 53.9% of respondents identified as white in 2024 and 56.5% did so in 2023. According to the Office of Planning and Administration, 29.3% of all undergraduate students enrolled in fall 2024 were white and 25.8% were Asian. Of the 5.88% of partici-
tions” category to avoid misrepresenting respondents who feel more than one label best represents their identity. Under this new categorization process, 11.8% of respondents selected multiple sexual orientations. This year, 51.5% of respondents identified as only heterosexual. Though a slightly different methodology, this suggests at least a slight decline from the 66.3% of heterosexual respondents in 2024 and the 56.5% in 2023. Bisexual, the second most common sexual orientation in the prior two
students. This percentage is slightly greater than the 6.7% of respondents who identified as first-generation in 2024 but smaller than the 7.9% who did so in 2023.
According to the Office of Planning and Administration, 14.4% of undergraduate students identified as first-generation in fall 2024. Therefore, this year’s survey underscores a consistent lack of representation of first-generation students at the Wheel as they remain under 10% of respondents.
Low-income status
In this year’s survey, 13.2% of respondents identified as low-income. This is similar to 2024, when 13.5% of respondents identified as lowincome, but a slight increase from the 11.1% who reported the same in 2023. Further, 32.4% of this year’s respondents receive need-based aid and 30.9% of respondents are federal work-study students.
Comparatively, the Office of Undergraduate Admission reports that 52% of undergraduate students receive financial assistance, highlighting consistent underrepresentation of low-income students on the Wheel.
Disability status
This year, 8.8% of respondents identified as disabled or indicated that they are registered with the Department of Accessibility Services. This is consistent with 9% in 2024 but lower than 19.4% in 2023.
Religion
Religious background is a new category added to the 2025 report and is therefore not comparable to previous years. The majority of respondents reported that they were either atheist or agnostic at 35.3%, with Christianity following at 22.1% and Judaism coming in third at 14.7%.
Wheel culture
Reflecting sentiments expressed in the Wheel’s 2024 Demographic Report, respondents of the 2025 demographic survey noted that the Wheel’s culture was “welcoming.” Others responded that the environment was also “fun” and “inclusive.”
However, others noted that the Wheel’s culture could be “intimidating” and “overly serious.” Respondents also expressed concerns about the Wheel being too cliquey and bureaucratic. One contributor mentioned siloed communication from the top down, writing that the culture tends to be “exclusive” and does not “expand to staff or contributors.”
Many respondents suggested that members of the Wheel should reach out to different student organizations and underrepresented groups on campus to diversify the voices fea-
tured in their coverage. One contributor shared concerns about distrust in the Wheel following content published about the Israel-Palestine conflict. Another respondent expressed concern about the lack of conservative voices on the Wheel.
DEI efforts
The task force aims to ensure an inclusive and accessible environment at the Wheel that equitably represents the student body at Emory University.
This year, increasing the representation of historically underrepresented communities on campus, particularly Black and Latinx contributors, has been a key focus of the Wheel’s recruitment initiatives. The task force spent time this year building the foundation for collaboration with the Belonging and Community Justice centers on campus and journalism workshops. This March, the task force will host a journalism education workshop entitled “Spinning Stories,” which will provide information on how to get involved with the Wheel, highlight professional journalists of color and offer interactive learning activities.
Simultaneously, the DEI task force has tracked the content published in each print edition to recognize trends in coverage and determine which topics need more attention. This year’s content tracker was improved from last year’s to include more readily available data and be more digestible for editors. In the future, the task force hopes to publish the content trackers on the Wheel’s website.
The DEI task force also plans to create centralized communication networks, such as a Slack channel, where interested student organizations can contact the Wheel about coverage concerns, story ideas and leadership updates. The task force aims to improve the diversity of the Wheel’s coverage, create equal opportunities for all contributors regardless of background and improve the overall culture of the newspaper.
This demographic report lies at the core of what the taskforce aims to accomplish by ensuring the utmost openness and transparency of the Wheel’s internal operations.
The task force encourages any member of the Emory community to reach out with questions or feedback at emorywheeldei@gmail.com.
Managing Editor Clement Lee, DEI Editor Wendy Pelayo, Kayley Kim, Kristen Seo, Kunjal Kothari and Halle Wulff contributed to this report.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, a visionary dance company known for sweeping pieces like “Revelations” (1960) that celebrate the African American experience, came to Atlanta’s Fox Theatre as a stop on its 2024-25 tour.
Performing in Atlanta from Feb. 12-16, the dance company presented new works including “Sacred Songs” (2024) by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, “Finding Free” (2024) by choreographer Hope Boykin and “Many Angels” (2024) by choreographer Lar Lubovitch, in addition to iconic older pieces.
Founded in 1958 by groundbreaking choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has been dubbed a “Cultural Ambassador to the World”
by a U.S. congressional resolution.
Ailey, who built a legacy in the field of modern dance, earned the Kennedy Center Honors in 1988 and a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.
The Ailey company was founded on values of social justice and inclusivity, with its performances showcasing themes of Black, American and queer identity. Current dancer
Jesse Obremski discussed the importance of those values to him as a dancer.
“I’m half Japanese and half white, but I identify as this minority figure,” Obremski said. “To be able to be a part of a company that supports and exudes and sustains the legacy of artists that have really really created platforms for incredible artists of today and of the future is something that is a dream.”
While the company is constantly evolving and looking forward, the
current tour is an homage to a vital figure in the Ailey dance theater’s past: former Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison, who Ailey selected to run the company before his passing in 1989.
Jamison was more than just an employee — she was widely considered Ailey’s muse. The tour honors Jamison’s legacy by performing an excerpt of the dance “Cry” (1971), a piece Jamison originated, which Obremski said remains “renowned and revered” around the world.
Obremski noted that although he only joined the company three months before Jamison’s passing, he felt her presence “ripple” through the organization.
He described her presence as “massive,” describing how people would stand up when she entered the room.
THEATER REVIEW
‘SAW The Musical’
reimagines horror through queer lens
By PAige hogAn Film & Live Art Desk
In the heart of Atlanta’s characteristically quirky Little Five Points neighborhood, horror and drama combine in a subversive theatrical production. Showing at 7 Stages Theatre until Feb. 23, “SAW The Musical: The Unauthorized Parody of Saw” brings a gruesome and campy twist to the 2004 horror film. Premiering in New York in September 2023, “SAW The Musical” slashed its way onto the Atlanta stage on Jan. 31 as part of a national tour.
As the curtain rose, the stage glowed a fluorescent turquoise, complementing the set’s industrial stark white. Sounds of wind and scraping metal played over the speakers as Billy the Puppet (Morgan Traud) sat on center stage, watching the audience members as they took their seats. The stage illuminated as Billy the Puppet welcomed the audience in a burlesque and energetic song, “I Wanna Play A Game” — a fitting opener for a darkly funny production.
The musical was created by Cooper Jordan and written by his sister Zoe Ann Jordan, both of whom were inspired by the queer subtext of the original film. In an interview with NPR, Cooper Jordan emphasized that Jigsaw’s (Tobin Bell) mantra of “nourishing your life and living your life to the fullest” starkly contrasts with the divisive -
ness they see in America today. This nihilism brings depth to what might otherwise be just a silly parody.
“SAW The Musical” is psychologically complex, too, following a legacy of combining slasher gore with mind games set by the film franchise. In the movies, serial killer Jigsaw forces his victims to confront their vices through self-inflicted torture to survive his games. “SAW The Musical” dives deeper, asking its audience to draw its attention away from flashy traps and gore and toward the victims themselves.
While the “Saw” franchise often skims on characterizing its victims, the musical reimagines new, well-written characters from the bleak and empty originals. Lawrence Gordon (Adam Forward) is a bisexual oncologist who revels in the sadism of his job. Adam Stanheight (James Lynch) is a bubbly and airheaded photographer. Amanda Young (Morgan Traud) is a destitute heroin addict turned empowered apprentice to Jigsaw (Morgan Traud). Even the iconic Billy the Puppet is parodied as a quippy, fourth-wall-breaking puppet who creates his traps based on the motto “cleanliness is next to godliness.”
The campiness in the parody shines in the actors’ over-exaggeration of the original characters’ defining personality traits. Lynch speaks in a high-pitched and squeaky fal-
See AILEY, Page 10
Photo Courtesy of K night foundation/WiK imedia Commons
The Alvin Ailey Company toured in Atlanta from Feb. 12 to 16, performing in the Fox Theatre.
Sabrina Carpenter asserts herself as confdent, care-free pop princess
By AmeliA Bush Asst. Arts & Life Editor
Sabrina Carpenter released a Valentine’s Day treat for her fans: a deluxe version of her Grammy award-winning album, “Short n’ Sweet.”
The deluxe version, which dropped on Feb. 14, also includes a different version of her hit song, “Please Please Please” (2024), this time featuring country superstar Dolly Parton, in addition to four new tracks.
“Busy Women,” one of the new songs on the deluxe album, debuted during Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet Tour,” where she played a version of spin-the-bottle onstage to decide what surprise song to sing.
It’s no surprise why this deluxe track was featured on tour before its release; with suggestive lyrics paired with good humor, the song fits perfectly with the album’s original songs.
Carpenter doesn’t take herself too seriously, leading to a constant stream of unexpected new work. The singer combines confidence and a hint of sass in “Busy Women” singing, “I’m flexible, so just tell me what you like / Tantric yoga, baby, namaste.” Carpenter also adds laugh-out lyrics, such as, “If you don’t want me, I’ll just deem you gay.”
This song is nothing if not outof-pocket, elevating otherwise
questionable lyrics filled with double entendres like “My openings are super tight.” On the other end of this humor is pure, undeniable confidence.
Here, Carpenter asserts herself as too busy for those who don’t want her. Carpenter isn’t afraid to show her humor and sexuality, which, paired with the song’s upbeat nature and catchy chorus, makes it an exciting listen.
Starting with a guitar intro, “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder” is the first slow song on the deluxe section, and it does not disappoint.
The notes on the line “You say you can take it / But you don’t know how hard I can make it” will scratch your brain, and the sound of the chorus, which is reminiscent of Olivia Newton-John’s “Hopelessly Devoted To You” (1978), is delightful.
Compared to the confident nature of Carpenter’s other songs, this one provides a new glimpse into how she thinks, showing a surprisingly vulnerable side. She starts by singing, “Oh, what I’d give to be / Meeting you as the glass-half-full version of me / I was easier than I am now.”
Carpenter longs for connection but recognizes the complexities within her current state of mind.
The double meaning of “easier” is not lost, especially as the song circles back to the reference at the end with the line, “You’ll want someone that makes it easy.”
The song continues to detail how and why she believes herself to be hard to love.
In the bridge, she blames this on the boys “you’ll never meet” who created the “graveyard in my stomach / filled with pivotal formative comments” — a line that reveals the consequences of her past relationships described in other songs on the album.
In “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder,” Carpenter doesn’t end on a happy note, but rather something bittersweet, recognizing how, despite her yearning for the song’s subject, “One day, believe me / You’ll want someone that makes it easy.”
Carpenter closes out the album with track 17, “Bad Reviews.”
Like “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder,” the song starts slow, but this time builds into a spunky beat before the chorus.
The lyrics in this song are reminiscent of “Slim Pickins” (2024), which includes similar themes of accepting love because it’s convenient rather than because it’s good.
In “Bad Reviews,” the line “If I close an eye, it’s almost like your red flags are blue” exemplifies a similar willing choice.
The song combines all the songs before it, where Carpenter is aware of her flaws but doesn’t judge herself for it: “I’m intentionally careless, least I got self-awareness.”
In “Bad Reviews,” Carpenter isn’t
worried about sounding poetic. She is vulnerable and shares her feelings in a way that makes the song charmingly relatable.
On “Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe),” Carpenter continues to embrace her sexual humor, but this time pairs it with a whiff of confidence.
Carpenter doesn’t let the audience forget that she is busy and reinforces how she doesn’t have time for people who aren’t serious about her. It’s sultry, it’s spunky, it’s purely Sabrina.
–Contact Amelia Bush at amelia.bush@emory.edu
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ ushers in new Marvel paradigm
By ABBy Brown Contributing Writer
The newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), “Captain America: Brave New World,” marks a triumphant return to glory for the franchise.
Directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Julius Onah, the film hit theaters on Valentine’s Day and is the big-screen debut for Anthony Mackie’s Captain America.
The film follows Sam Wilson (Mackie) as he navigates a global conspiracy with a mysterious source. Working tentatively alongside the American government, Wilson aids the president in finalizing an important treaty regarding adamantium, a newly harvested and highly versatile substance.
As the plot unfolds, questions emerge about the intentions and his-
tory of the recently-instated president, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford), leading to new, larger-than-life challenges.
Wilson is fighting under the Captain America moniker for the first time since “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021), a Disney+ series that followed him immediately after he accepted the title of Captain America. In the film, Wilson’s struggles with a controlling government and the Blip — when Thanos wiped out half of all living things on Earth — are less than two years behind him. He is barely adjusted to his new role.
Perpetually aware of the gargantuan shoes Steve Rogers, the former Captain America, left him to fill, our newest Captain grapples with his identity.
But evil does not plan on waiting for the former Falcon to figure him-
self out.
The audience is immediately thrust into action alongside the new star-spangled hero. Fitted out in an intricate white super-suit with his trademark wings and the classic shield, Wilson is fighting right off the bat.
Featuring well-choreographed hand-to-hand combat and intense stunts, these fight scenes inject substantial visual appeal into the film and are some of the best Marvel has produced in recent years.
They also contain the quick quips and lighthearted humor we can expect from a good Marvel fight as Wilson and his allies bicker throughout the battle. The movie is not just an action-comedy, however.
The emotional core of the story — the theme of self-doubt — becomes an important through line for the plot.
In the moments when Wilson needs it most, well-timed cameos from familiar heroes such as Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) relieve his doubts.
Hitting intentional, heartwarming notes, the interactions between old and new characters in this film were the right amount of sappy without diverging too far into tacky territory.
Ford’s character, President Ross, is a standout in the newest installation of the MCU catalog. Played by William Hurt before he died in 2022, Ross has a tumultuous past with the Avengers, including delegating the Sokovia Accords that all but disbanded the team.
Ford’s fresh portrayal of the character made quite an impact, however, and it was entertaining to watch him blend Ross’ complicated emotional background with a light-hearted attitude in his enthusiastic performance as Red Hulk, Ross’ alter ego.
Ne additions to the MCU also shine in this film as Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) and Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) make their MCU movie debut. Featured in the Disney+ series, these characters have a history with the new Captain America.
Bradley is an older supersoldier haunted by his past traumas, whereas Torres is a young and rowdy Falcon-in-the-making, suited up in the same wings Wilson wore before picking up the shield.
Both are connected to Wilson in meaningful ways: Bradley shares Wilson’s struggles as a Black hero in an oppressive state while Torres reminds him of his beginnings.
The duo is also capable of pushing Captain America’s buttons, making interesting, riotous scenes whenever all three characters are together. Out of all the new cast mem-
bers, Ramirez is a personal favorite. His character, Torres, best exemplifies the next generation of Marvel standouts.
His meaningful presence in the film indicates that the franchise hopes to emphasize emerging heroes as the MCU kicks off Phase Six, the third wave of the Multiverse Saga, with the release of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” in July.
However, the movie doesn’t only look toward the future, it features references, characters and plot points that connect back to the first MCU movies.Most notably, references to “The Incredible Hulk” (2008) — a largely forgotten piece of the MCU puzzle — resurface with the inclusion of Betty Ross and direct mentions of her past romance with the Hulk, allowing long-dimmed storylines to re-enter the limelight.
While needing to brush up on past plots may be tiresome for some viewers, Marvel’s decision to honor canon progressions is notable. These callbacks will be appreciated by true MCU lovers who have criticized the franchise for catering toward the general public and box office too heavily in recent films.
Almost like an apology, these details reinforce Marvel’s determination to return to their roots.
“Captain America: Brave New World” is certainly a step in a desirable direction for the MCU. Falling back on tried and true themes of self-discovery, misunderstood villains and redemption arcs, coupled with the introduction of new, spunky characters, this movie hits a mark Marvel has missed multiple times in recent years. Ushering in a new paradigm, Captain America has set the right tone.
–Contact Abby Brown at abby.brown2@emory.edu
Photo
Horror, campiness blend in ‘Saw’ musical
Continued from Page 8
setto to mimic Stanheight’s obnoxiousness, while Forward randomly swaps to a British accent to accentuate Gordon’s overly professional attitude. Stanheight and Gordon are the main sources of the show’s overthe-top humor, from Stanheight pulling many strips of condoms out of his pocket before finding a clue, to Gordon dancing a tango with a lifesized doll.
“SAW The Musical” is both a parody and a love letter to the original flm.
Each actor is versatile in their portrayals, seamlessly blending comedic timing with an intensity that captures the absurdity of the original film. Traud is a dynamic presence on stage, blending confidence with wittiness in her roles as both Billy the Puppet and Amanda. Lynch masterfully balances his character’s whiny obliviousness with an endearing charm, making him both relatable and amusing. Nowhere is this more evident than when he earnestly bursts into song about his deep desire to take Gordon to Applebee’s Grill and Bar once the trap ordeal is over.
The score, composed by Patrick Spencer and Anthony de Angelis, also features a blend of vaudevillian show tunes, power ballads and love duets. Most of the musical numbers
revel in raunchy humor and playful jabs at the original film, with one number dedicated to Gordon’s wife easily beating her captor by “pull[ing] some unexplained combat skills out of her a--.” Yet, amid the absurdity, the musical surprisingly elevates the central theme of the “Saw” franchise: what it means to value your life.
While the “Saw” franchise focuses more on the victims’ trauma following their traps, the musical uses the traps more as a metaphor for the characters to confront and embrace who they really are. This is best embodied when Gordon kisses Adam before leaving to find help. After struggling with his sexuality for most of the runtime, between despising his wife and kid to having an affair with a female coworker, Gordon embraces his desire for Adam — which he confined to his internal dialogue for most of the show.
“SAW The Musical” is both a parody and a love letter to the original film, represented best by the depth contributed to each character. While the show is best described as campy and raunchy, the nuanced message of embracing yourself to live life to the fullest is undeniably relevant, especially in today’s social climate in which self-expression and authenticity are often challenged by the current political system. In an era of increasing advocacy for personal identity and acceptance, this musical serves as both a witty take on the original film and a celebration of unapologetic individuality.
–Contact Paige Hogan at paige.hogan@emory.edu
7. Desires 8. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”
9. Warning 10. Many Mayan structures 11. Aptly named Usain 12. “Much ___ About Nothing” 13. Morning moisture
21. Enjoy the slopes
22. Zilch
25. Touchdown, e.g.
26. Run up
27. Turn follower
28. Even a little
29. Go-aheads
31. Beginning 32. Singer Frank with a 10 minute song titled 10 Down
33. Collective
34. Assistant
35. In the style of 36. After taxes
38. The New World
41. Sierra ___ (soft drink)
42. Twisted doughy snack
45. Post-op stop
47. Frighten
48. Demean
49. Headliner
50. Was aware of
51. Actress Chaplin or O’Neill
52. Vexillologist’s interest
53. List of future actions
54. Cabinet dept.
55. Tear
56. Workout unit
57. Exist
Ailey dance company brings tour to Atlanta
Continued from Page 8
“Every single day, the Ailey organization strives to live up towards her legacy, the same that we do with Mr. Ailey himself,” Obremski said.
While Obremski has been at the Ailey company for seven months, his roots with the Ailey name go deeper.
When Obremski was a kid, he saw Clifton Brown — a former Ailey dancer who now maintains the assistant rehearsal director role — perform Ailey’s masterpiece “Revelations.”
“I turned to my mom afterwards and I said, ‘I wanna dance. That’s what I wanna do,’” Obremski said. “And so Ailey was the reason I started to dance…It’s very full circle.”
For eight years, Obremski trained at The Ailey School (N.Y.), an experience that made Obremski know that the group was “the company of [his] dreams.”
He continued his education at The Juilliard School (N.Y.) before joining the Ailey company in July 2024.
“It has been sort of a homecoming for me, but I’ve always had Aliey as an ideal that has come to fruition,” Obremski said. “It has absolutely
drawn me into dance.”
Obremski also has a personal connection to works beyond “Revelations,” including “Many Angels,” which gave Obremski his first job, and “Finding Free,” which represents hope and optimism for him.
“There’s this sense of examining the challenges and restrictions of life’s peaks and valleys and how to carry your burden with you to move forward rather than just pushing it away and ignoring it,” Obremski said.
The theme of connection carries onto the stage, showcased in the ways the dancers perform together.
The piece “Many Angels,” for example, is based on theologian Thomas Aquinas’ famous question, “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” Obremski elaborated on how the piece doesn’t have a theological connotation with “angels” but a broader theme of “connection” and the sentiment is exhibited through how they dance with each other.
There’s this sense of community, where we’re able to feel each other in each movement,” Obremski said. “There’s no specific counts, so we’re
able to see each other.”
The sense of community in the works reflects the community Obremski feels both on and off stage.
“Those small moments where, even though we’re on tour, we can still be real humans with each other and build a beautiful culture within the dance, within the dancers,” Obremski said. “That’s one thing that I am really appreciating,” Obremski said.
Even though the touring life is new to Obremski, there have still been moments that stick out to him. One of the most memorable happened after a closing performance in Paris when he went outside to meet the audience.
“There was this young Asian individual that wanted autographs from the whole company,” Obremski said. “And I was like, ‘This is why I do it. This is why I do it.’ There’s this inspiration for individuals, giving them a bit of soul, giving them a bit of heart, giving them hope and purpose.”
– Contact Amelia Bush at amelia.bush@emory.edu
On a roll!
By ethAn Altshul
Photo Courtesy of the White house/WiK imedia Commons
Members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater meet with former U.S. President Joe Biden in The White House.
Indoor track prepares for postseason competition
Continued from Back Page
Invitational a week later. Freshman thrower Ari Klasky also set a new men’s program shot put record with a distance of 15.06 meters at the Tiger Indoor Open on Feb. 1.
Senior runner Marcus Cheema said these regular season meets are important for helping the team prepare for the postseason, including the upcoming UAA conference meet and the NCAA championships.
“It’s kind of rare at these regular [season] meets that you go out and see people taking a complete win,” Cheema said. “Sometimes you go against some DI schools, sometimes you go against competition that maybe you’re not used to, maybe you’re not ready for. That is something that is going to help when the time comes to actually go to UAA meets and national meets.”
Cheema is primarily a middledistance runner for the team, with a heavy focus on the 800-meter run, one of the more strategic events. He said the indoor season presents its own set of challenges, especially with tighter turns on the track.
“One of the things that I always try to do is position myself right on somebody in the top half of the race,” Cheema said. “It is really difficult for people behind you to get around unless they want to go into lane three or something. So [my] biggest strategies that I incorporate are making sure I’m racing smart, making sure I’m kind of in control of my own emotions during a race.”
This year, both teams added a large freshman class, including jumper Emerson Sobich. Sobich said the upperclassmen have helped the freshmen complete a smooth transition to the college level for their first indoor track season using a buddy system.
“You’re a baby Eagle, they’re a big Eagle and you get split into groups,” Sobich said. “We eat together and they’re really nice and they give you good advice about classes and they help you during lifts and practice if you’re confused, so that’s been really nice.”
Freshman sprinter Ethan Lu said the school records provide motivation for him to push himself during his Emory track career.
Historic trade will increase NBA ratings, engagement
Continued from Back Page
Dončić’s trade can have an even greater impact on a downwardtrending NBA.
The NBA has recently seen a 25% drop in viewership across all channels. The reason for this decrease seems to be a culmination of several factors. For one, fans are frustrated with the comical amount of 3-pointers every team takes in today’s league.
The lack of unique offensive approaches have left average viewers with little to look forward to while watching a game. However, modern analytics show that this method is the most efficient way to play the game, and the NBA cannot force teams to take a different approach.
“We have never seen a league’s best player dealt to another franchise while in their peak.”
Secondly, the NBA is currently in a transitional period of superstar players, as the cornerstones of the league such as Lebron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are beginning to show their age on the court. Stars drive the NBA, and without their biggest names running the headlines, audiences are quickly losing interest.
However, the rise in young talent leaves room for optimism. Players like Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards, Philadelphia 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey and Oklahoma City Thunder point guard and shooting guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander give hope that the league fans love is here to stay.
At the forefront of this new wave is Dončić, the Slovenian superstar with a one-of-a-kind isolation talent and a knack for filling up the
“It’s kind of far-fetched, but when I was coming into school, I was looking at the school records and I’d like to at least have one school record,” Lu said. “It doesn’t really matter what event it’s in, but it’d be nice if I could get one over four years.”
Riley, who competes as both a pole vaulter and sprinter, said the camaraderie of the teams across all events will play a very important role in shaping the rest of their indoor season.
“One of our team goals is to be very supportive of everyone this season,” Riley said. “Especially the field events and the throws feel very separate from track, so that’s definitely one of our goals as well as just to have a good season overall, work really hard and put up good performances individually.”
Emory’s indoor track teams will head to Sewanee: The University of the South (Tenn.) on Feb. 22 to compete in their final meet before the UAA Championships at the University of Chicago in March.
— Contact Charles Segal at charles.segal@emory.edu
stat sheet. In just seven seasons, Dončić has already accumulated five All-NBA First Team selections — one more than Curry, the pioneer of modern basketball, has accumulated in 16 seasons. Last year, Dončić led the Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance in over a decade. It is not an overreaction to regard Dončić as the best player in the league.
That brings us back to the trade.
We have never seen a league’s best player dealt to another franchise while in their peak — even Gretzky’s skill level was slowly declining when he was sent to the L.A. Kings. Trades like these have never seemed practical, but for the first time, this idea was disregarded with the DončićDavis trade. Dallas Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison took the gutsiest of chances while undertaking this trade, completely changing the identity of their franchise with one transaction.
A trade like this alters a league. While you can buy some Lakers tickets for $47, the cheapest price for the Mavericks vs. Lakers game on Feb. 25 is $250 on SeatGeek. No one expected the NBA to dominate the headlines in early February amid the Super Bowl and constant chatter about how the NFL still commands American culture, but the Dončić-Davis trade has sent the league back to the top of the news cycle, with over 100 million fans gravitating toward Charania’s social media posts. Group chats have exploded. Talk shows have gone ballistic. A feeling of shock has run through the sports community to an extent never seen before.
It is uncertain how this acquisition will change the outlook of the NBA, but there is no doubt in my mind that a trade of this level will kickstart a rise in ratings, fan engagement and overall success for the NBA.
— Contact Sammy Brodsky at sammy.brodsky@emory.edu
Women’s team claims title with fnal relay
and diver played a part in keeping the streak alive. The Eagles racked up 21 All-UAA swims and four firstplace finishes throughout the fourday meet, which wasn’t decided until the very last relay. Sophomore swimmer Katie Cohen said that heading into the final day, the team was “definitely nervous,” but they knew they had the support behind them to win.
“We knew from the beginning of the meet that it was going to be close, and we had so many people there to support us that we knew if we just got behind every swim, we could pull through,” Cohen said. “We had the home pool advantage, so I think that really carried us through.”
The Eagles kicked off the meet with second-place finishes in both the 800-yard and 200-yard freestyle relays. The 800-yard relay team made up of freshman swimmers Elodie Mitchell and Louisa Wendt, sophomore swimmer Katie Swan and graduate swimmer Penelope Helm was bested by a UAA recordbreaking NYU relay. The 200-yard relay team with senior swimmer Ava Kennedy, freshman swimmer Caitlin Crysel, sophomore swimmer Natalie Boorjian and Wendt swam a time of 1:32.61, 0.27 seconds shy of first place.
The team earned their first event win of the meet in the 200-yard indi-
vidual medley when Crysel swam a time of 2:02.62. She would later join three of her teammates, graduate swimmer Megan Jungers, Cohen and Kennedy, to claim her second event win in the 200-yard medley relay.
The Eagles entered the third day of the meet with only a 22-point lead, so the team could not let their foot off the gas. Cohen took first place in the 100-yard breaststroke, and her time of 1:02.47 was 0.05 seconds off of the UAA record. The very next event, the 100-yard backstroke, featured two Eagles on the podium. Jungers and junior swimmer Penny Celtnieks finished second and third, respectively, to secure vital points for Emory.
Even after a plethora of All-UAA finishes, the Eagles found themselves trailing NYU by an 18-point margin going into the final day.
Senior swimmer Jada Chatoor was the first to podium for the Eagles on Saturday, turning in a second-place 16:55.83 time in the 1,650-yard freestyle. In the 100-yard freestyle, the Eagles relied on their depth to take four of the race’s top six spots, helping Emory take a 67-point lead with three events remaining.
The fourth and final event win for the Eagles came again from Cohen. She swept all the breaststroke events at the meet, including a UAA recordbreaking swim of 2:15.38 in the 200-
yard breaststroke. Freshmen swimmers Maddy Lu and Sophia Joos followed close behind for second and fourth place, respectively. Cohen credited her teammates for her success in her races.
“I was swimming with my two ‘Breagles,’” Cohen said. “We call them the ‘Breagles,’ the breaststroke Eagles, my two teammates I train with every day. … Swimming with them was really awesome and helped me accomplish what I did.”
Even with a 23-point lead going into the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, the Eagles were not in the clear, with NYU following close behind in the standings. However, the relay team of Crysel, Wendt, Kennedy and Helm touched second and helped the Eagles clinch the UAA championship.
“We knew once the relay was over that we won, so we were super excited,” Cohen said. “We did our ‘It’s great to be an Emory Eagle’ cheer, which we do anytime someone wins so that was super exciting and fun to do.”
The Eagles will now set their sights on the NCAA DIII Swimming & Diving Championships, which will take place from March 19 to 22 in Greensboro, N.C.
— Contact Justin Guo at justin.guo@emory.edu
Natalie Sa N dlow/ViSual & web editor
Freshman Maddy Lu (left) and sophomore Katie Cohen (right) race toward encouraging teammates during the 200-yard breaststroke.
Continued from Back Page
The Emory Wheel
Sports
Swim and dive teams rally for 26th straight UAA titles
By Justin Guo Staff Writer
The Emory University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams extended their dominant University Athletic Association (UAA) title streak to 26 consecutive years on Feb. 15, but it took gritty individual and team efforts along the way.
After a relatively underwhelming first night of competition, the men’s team found themselves in fourth place but ended the meet almost 100 points ahead of second-place New York University (NYU). The women’s team entered the final day of the meet trailing NYU by 18 points, but rallied to outscore them by 21 points, the smallest margin of victory in UAA Championship history.
Men’s team rides upperclassman leadership, strong freshman class to decisive title
Despite entering the meet with a quarter-century-long championship streak, the Emory men’s swim and dive team knew that they would have to earn the UAA title. Senior swimmer and UAA record holder Jeff Echols said the team used the heightened conference competition this season as motivation.
“This year especially, on both the men’s and women’s sides, we knew that the meet was going to be close between us and NYU and the University of Chicago,” Echols said.
“We’ve known that all season so that really fueled us to come together as a team and work especially hard, especially the last couple of months
TRACK & FIELD
Senior swimmer Zachary Zhao competes in the 400-yard medley at the 2025 UAA Conference Championships.
leading up to the meet.”
Freshman diver Solly Berkenwald won the first event title of the meet, taking the 1-meter springboard win by almost 40 points. Later in the meet, Berkenwald clinched the 3-meter springboard title as well, this time by a margin of almost 100 points. Berkenwald was named UAA Diver of the Year, and Emory’s diving coach Tomasz Rossa earned the men’s Diving Coach of the Year.
UAA record. On the final day of the meet, Pritchard placed second in the 1,650-yard freestyle, securing decisive points for the Eagles. Pritchard cited the importance of preparation for his distance swim success.
“It’s really important to do those long sets in practice and put the work in,” Pritchard said. “That way you can go into the race on the final day of the meet, when you’re really beaten down, and you can go into it thinking, ‘I can do this because I put in all this work at practice,’ and at that point, it just comes down to executing it.”
Sophomore swimmer McKee Thorsen also came up big for the Eagles, winning the 200-yard freestyle. Following Thorsen’s win, Emory shifted the tide of the meet when Bonnault and senior swimmer Liyang Sun finished one second apart to take first and second place in the 100-yard breaststroke, shifting the tide of the competition. Sun also won the 200-yard breaststroke later in the meet.
After another historic conference championship, Pritchard said the Eagles will shift their focus to preparing for the NCAA Championship.
“We’re going to celebrate this for the next few days and then it’s time to start preparing for nationals in about a month,” Pritchard said.
Track and feld smashes records en route to postseason
By Charles Segal Contributing Writer
Emory University’s men’s and women’s track and field teams are looking to build on last year’s successful season and continue their forward trajectory ahead of the upcoming University Athletic Association (UAA) Indoor Championships on March 1. Last season, the men’s team earned a historic 10th-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships — the best in program history — while the women’s team finished 24th.
On Jan. 31, the teams traveled to the University of South Carolina to compete in the South Carolina Indoor Open, in which teams from all three collegiate divisions competed against each other. The men’s team placed highly in many events, including a first-place finish in the 600-meter dash from graduate sprinter Dawit Dean, who set the program record with a time of 1:20.70. Junior jumper Henry Brandstadter took first place in the long jump, and the distance medley relay team of sophomore runners Kirin Karver and Sebastian Kou and senior runners Chris Belz and Jonathan Orelowitz also claimed the top spot.
The women’s team also had a strong showing in South Carolina. Graduate sprinter Eva Carchidi set a program record by running a time of 24.77 in the 200-meter dash.
Freshman runner Rowan Miller and senior runner Liesl Scherrer finished first in the 800-meter run and 3000-
meter run, respectively. Junior runner Madison Tiaffay won the mile run with a time of 5:04.05.
Sophomore Hannah Riley had an impressive individual showing during the meet as well, winning the pole vault with a mark of 3.53 meters and earning a 5th-place finish in the 800meter run. Riley said support from her coaches has helped her succeed in balancing running and vaulting.
“It’s definitely sometimes very difficult but luckily the coaches kind of schedule me out,” Riley said. “This semester I pole vault Monday and
Echols, freshmen swimmers Zachary Spicer and Colin Zexter, and junior swimmer Henri Bonnault took first place in the 400-yard medley relay. Later in the meet, senior swimmers Nolan Lahmann and Dylan Yin worked alongside Bonnault and Echols to win the 200-yard medley relay.
Wednesday, and then I get to pick what I need to do for pre-meet … We definitely have had to work on it over the last year and figure out what really works.”
Since the South Carolina Indoor Open, the teams have continued to hit impressive marks. Junior pole vaulter Steven Ditelberg set the men’s program record in his event twice this season, breaking the record first at the Camel City Invitational on Feb. 7 with a 4.55-meter jump, then clearing 4.67 meters at the Bulldog
See INDOOR, Page 11
The Eagles also claimed podium finishes in both the 200-yard and 800-yard freestyle relays, and freshman swimmer Ben Pritchard won the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:24.61, just 0.27 seconds from the
NBA
Women’s team rely on each other to capture 21 All-UAA finishes
Every race was significant for the women’s team, and every swimmer
See WOMEN’S, Page 11
Dončić trade is the biggest that the sports world has ever seen
By Sammy Brodsky Asst. Sports Editor
Luka Dončić was only traded a few weeks ago, but his departure from the Dallas Mavericks is already being felt across the league following his first games as a Los Angeles Laker. Despite Dončić’s unexceptional performance in his Lakers debut, scoring 14 points in just 24 minutes, ratings for the game were 42% higher than the average NBA regular season game last year.
All eyes have been on Dončić since ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania sent shockwaves through the sports world 12 minutes past midnight on Feb. 2. Without any prior rumors, he reported that the 25-year-old superstar was being traded to the Lakers alongside two other players for 10-time NBA AllStar Anthony Davis, swingman Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 firstround draft pick. The trade was so unexpected that fans and spectators alike thought Charania’s account had been hacked. Never in the history of basketball has a player of Dončić’s magnitude, a once-in-a-lifetime talent, been traded. Immediate speculation arose that Dončić must have requested a trade or been unhappy with the Mavericks organization, but this was not the case. It was later disclosed that the trade was largely due to an uncertainty in Dončić’s conditioning in the wake of a potential supermax contract extension over the summer.
Regardless, what is certain is that Dončić will now be teaming up with LeBron James for one of the most storied sports franchises, making the Dončić trade one of the most impactful trades in the history of American sports.
“Never in the history of basketball has a player of Dončić’s magnitude, a once-ina-lifetime talent, been traded.”
In the history of American professional sports, there have been franchise-altering, league-defining trades. On Jan. 5, 1920, the MLB announced that Babe Ruth was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees, changing the trajectory of both franchises and leading to the evolution of the MLB and the sport of baseball as a whole. On Aug. 9, 1988, Wayne Gretzky was sent from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings, which popularized hockey in California and marked the first time an undisputed GOAT of a major sport was involved in a trade. These trades held significant weight on their respective leagues, increasing sales and moving the MLB and NHL forward. But
See HISTORIC, Page 11
Natalie Sa N dlow/ViSual & web editor
Natalie Sa N dlow/ViSual & web editor
Junior Henry Brandstadter leaps over the bar during a meet.
