The Emory Wheel
Graduation Magazine For Emory University's 174th Commencement
Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 2 3 6 7 8 9 11 12
Commencement Schedule Commencement Speaker The Defining Stories Since 2015 The Highs & Lows of 2015-2019 This Year in Emory Sports Class of 2019: A Musical Timeline Wheel Senior Surveys Crossword/Overheard on Cox Bridge Senior Reflections
Commencement Schedule Emory College of Arts and Sciences Diploma Ceremony Quadrangle | 10:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. College Dean Michael A. Elliott presides over the presentation of diplomas for graduating seniors.
reception at Patterson Green at the Goizueta Business School. The Masters Degrees/PhD Diploma Ceremony follows the reception at approximately 12:30 p.m. at the Woodruff Physical Education Center.
School of Medicine Medical Imaging Program Reception and Diploma Ceremony Jones Room, Woodruff Library | 11 a.m. Graduates and their guests proceed to the reception in the Jones Room, Woodruff Library, from the Quadrangle at 11:00 a.m.
Goizueta Business School Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Diploma Ceremony Woodruff Physical Education Center 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Graduates and their guests proceed from the Quadrangle to the BBA Diploma ceremony at the Woodruff PE Center. Following the Diploma Ceremony, a reception will follow at approximately 12:30 p.m. at the Goizueta Business School, Patterson Green.
School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Reception James B. Williams Medical Education Building | 1:30 p.m. Graduates and their guests proceed to reception following the diploma ceremony at Glenn Memorial Auditorium.
School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Diploma Ceremony Glenn Memorial Auditorium | 11:30 a.m. Dean Vikas P. Sukhatme presides in honor of the Class of 2019. The ceremony features honors, dual degrees, class accomplishments and the Hippocratic Oath.
Candler School of Theology Diploma Ceremony Glenn Memorial Auditorium | 2 p.m. Candler School of Theology graduates and their families gather for the 2019 diploma ceremony in the sanctuary of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on the Emory campus.
Candler School of Theology Commencement Brunch Candler School of Theology Atrium & Plaza | 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Graduates and their families are invited to brunch immediately after the Commencement Exercises on the Quadrangle.
Rollins School of Public Health Diploma Ceremony Woodruff Physical Education Center 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Dean James Curran will confer degrees upon all MPH and MSPH candidates.
School of Medicine Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Diploma Ceremony WHSCAB Auditorium | 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Graduates and their guests proceed to the ceremony from the Quadrangle. Reception immediately after the diploma ceremony in WHSCAB Plaza. Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing Diploma Ceremony McDonough Field |11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Graduates will line up outside of McDonough field immediately after the Emory University Commencement Ceremony on the Quad. Goizueta Business School Master Of Business Administration (MBA & MSBA) Reception and Diploma Ceremony Patterson Green | 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Graduates and their guests attend the
174th Commencement for Emory University Quadrangle | 9 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. University President Claire E. Sterk presides over the exercises. The ceremony includes the commencement speaker, the conferral of honorary degrees and awards and the conferral of degrees en masse. 1
School of Medicine Genetic Counseling Training Program Diploma Ceremony Whitehead Auditorium, Whitehead Biomedical Research Building 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Graduates and their guests proceed to the ceremony from the Quadrangle. Reception immediately following the diploma ceremony in the lobby adjoining the auditorium.
The Emory Wheel
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Commencement Address
Andrew Young to Deliver Commencement Keynote Address By Albert Zhang, Former Asst. News Editor Diplomat and political activist Andrew Young is set to speak at the 2019 Commencement ceremony. The civil rights icon has worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and helped draft the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 1972, Young was elected in Georgia to the U.S. House of Representatives and served until former President Jimmy Carter appointed him as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in 1977. He served as ambassador from 1977 to 1979. Young is the first African-American to hold the position.
when he delivered a talk on race, politics and what it means to be “ultimately human,” the Wheel previously reported. Young called for students to be active in politics and reflected on his time as Atlanta mayor.
“It’s pretty exciting to hear a speech from someone who worked alongside M.L.K.” — Sindoos Awel (19C)
Courtesy of Emory Photo
Young was elected as Atlanta’s mayor in 1981, where he championed the development of HartsfieldJackson International Airport and led the city’s effort to host the 1996 Olympic Games. In September 1999, Young was diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer and successfully treated at Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute. Since then, Young has supported Winship, including with its application to become a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. He was treated at Emory University Hospital in May 2018 after falling ill in Nashville, Tenn., with a fever and infection. Young visited and spoke at Emory in April 2018,
Young will receive a President’s Medal at Commencement on May 13, according to the press release. Emory awarded Young an honorary doctor of divinity degree in 1991. Students generally supported having Young as Commencement speaker and praised his political accomplishments. Sindoos Awel (19C) praised Young’s experience during the civil rights movement and tenure as mayor of Atlanta. “It’s pretty exciting to hear a speech from someone who worked alongside M.L.K.,” Awel said. “[Young] was very active during the civil rights era [and] has had past experience as mayor of Atlanta, so I’m pretty excited to see what he has to say to the students.” Former Student Government Association President Dwight Ma (17Ox, 19C) admired Young’s tenure as Atlanta mayor, citing his influence on several of the city’s landmarks. “I think it’s a great privilege for Emory to have him as our commencement speaker,” Ma said. “This is a great opportunity for Emory students to learn from someone [who] has a very unique experience as mayor, as a politician and as ambassador.” Last year’s Commencement speaker was Dollar Shave Club CEO Michael Dubin (01C).
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The road to 2019
THE DEFINING STORIES SINCE 2015 As we celebrate the class of 2019, read The Emory Wheel’s biggest news over the past four years.
2015
2016
Wagner to Step Down Next Year, Reflects on Legacy
Black Students of Emory: List of Demands In response to racial tensions and unrest on college campuses around the world, many Emory undergraduate and graduate students blocked Clifton Road. Student group Black Students of Emory released 13 demands to Univeristy administrators. "Forcing black organizationsto collaborate with predominately White organizations that are interested in surface level interactions and superficial celebrations of diversity is violent to the Black community," they wrote. 3
Emory Students Express Discontent With Administrative Response to Trump Chalkings The Wheel's most-read article of 2016 concerned a series of overnight pro-Trump chalkings across Emory's Atlanta campus. The chalkings sparked student protests and received responses from University administrators, College Council and the Student Government Association, provoking a national debate about the role of free speech on college campuses and the effectiveness of the University's response.
2016
Two Emory Students Killed in Bangladesh Attack Emory students and close friends Abinta Kabir and Faraaz Hossain were among 20 people held hostage and killed in the July 1 Dhaka, Bangladesh, terrorist attack. Kabir, a rising Oxford College sophomore, and Hossain, a rising Goizueta Business School junior, were remembered for their kindness and leadership. Hossain was posthumously awarded the 2016 Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice for reportedly refusing to desert his friends after the gunmen permitted him to leave.
2017
SGA Splits Into 2 Branches The passage of a University-wide referendum split Student Government Association (SGA) into the autonomous undergraduate SGA and graduate GSGA. The split was proposed in 2016, in response to concerns about graduate student representation within the former SGA structure. Current SGA legislators now blame the split for causing funding shortages.
Fradulent Agency Scams SPC Sterk to Serve as First Female Emory President The University Board of Trustees announced in June 2016 that Emory would be led by a female president for the first time in its 180-year history. The Netherlands native Claire E. Sterk assumed the role of Emory's 20th president on Sept. 1, 2016. Sterk previously served as the University's sixth provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. She stated that she anticipated "engaging with all members of the Emory community."
The road to 2019
Weeks after announcing hip-hop group Migos as the 2017 Dooley's Ball headliner, Emory's Student Programming Council realized that the third-party booking agency it had used to book the rapper trio was fradulent. The Office of General Counsel and Campus Life, which reviewed the contract, failed to realize the agency was phony until less than two weeks before the scheduled concert. After 13 unmet requests to student government leaders and administrators for public financial documents, the Wheel broke 65 days later that students had lost $37,500 to the fradudulent agency.
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2018 Law Professor on Leave After Allegedly Repeating Racial Slur Emory Law Professor Paul J. Zwier II, who was briefly suspended from teaching for saying the N-word in class in August 2018, was placed on administrative leave after the University received multiple reports that he repeated the same racial slur. Zwier remains on administrative leave as of April and is represented by an attorney.
Emory Grapples With Yearbooks Containing Openly Racist Photos The first line of Emory's alma mater used to sing "in the heart of dear old Dixie," a reference to the Confederacy. It was changed to "in the heart of dear old Emory" around 1995, but remnants of Emory's Southern antebellum roots still endure within the pages of its yearbooks. The Wheel reviewed Emory's yearbooks from the 1900s and found images depicting open displays of racism. The photos portray mock lynchings, Greek members dressed in Confederate uniforms and carrying Confederate flags, and students wearing Ku Klux Klan hoods.
2019 SGA Votes to Impeach Dwight Ma
The Student Government Association (SGA) voted 10-4 to impeach and remove former SGA President Dwight Ma (17Ox, 19C) following a seven-hour, closeddoor session. The legislature debated on whether Ma exhibited "unethical behavior." Ma stated that he had experienced difficulties working with other SGA members but did not believe he should have been impeached.
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Students Outraged Over Mock Eviction Notices Emory Students for Justice in Palestine (ESJP) posted mock eviction notices throughout residence halls, Clairmont Campus and Emory Point during its Israeli Apartheid Week as a protest against Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Office of Residence Life and Housing Operations approved the mock eviction notices to be posted in residence halls. Shortly after, ESJP held a "die-in" on Cox Bridge, where Jewish club leaders stated they felt intimidated. The mock eviction notices and die-in led to a campus-wide conversation about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The road to 2019
The Highs & Lows of 2015-2019 By Alex Klugerman, Editor-at-Large From the Fall of 2015, when this year’s graduating seniors first entered this institution as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed freshmen, to today, Emory has undergone four years of tumultuous change. And although all have been advertised as beneficial to the student body, the results of some of these transitions have yet to be seen, while others have surely been for the worse. Here are the best and worst transformations Emory has undertaken in the past four years.
The Good
The Bad
First Floor Library Transformation
Kaldi's at the Depot
A mixture of group study spaces, single-use pods and booths is surely a better neighbor for Peet's than the 329 microform cabinets that previously held court in the basement of Club Libs. What was once a dark and uninviting space reserved for the nerdiest of nerds is now home to the loudest and least on-task of Emory’s study groups. With the temporary lack of any main campus hangout spot (goodbye DUC, hello ESC), what better place to catch up on the latest gossip, while staring at the same PowerPoint slide for 45 minutes?
OK, no one is arguing that conforming to Emory’s sustainability and food quality standards, serving 100 percent fair trade coffees and teas, and buying local and cooking from scratch are necessarily bad. BUT, is any of that really on people’s minds when swiping away $9.49 for a minuscule flatbread at 1:46 a.m.? For those of us concerned with our late-night food options when returning to campus from evening extracurriculars, Kaldi’s holds an unfortunate monopoly. Sure, the replacement of Zaya’s meant better quality food, but that came at a price … literally.
Film Production at Emory Heats Up It’s becoming more and more common to catch glimpses of campus at your local movie theater, or if you’re lucky, spot celebrities right here on campus. Was that Millie Bobby Brown on the treadmill next to you in the WooodPEC? Maybe! “Stranger Things” shoots rights up the street at the Briarcliff Campus! Did you see the blink-and-you-miss-it cameo of a White Hall lecture hall in “Ant-Man and the Wasp?” That’s right, Emory is officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe! More recently, “After,” the 2019 rom-com based off a Harry Styles and Zayn Malik fanfiction (which holds a stunning 20 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), was filmed primarily on campus. Yeah, the movie might not be great, but at least you can spot Tessa and Hardin making out in the Reading Room! Dooley Dollar Purchase Nothing is worse than running out of Dooley Dollars one week before finals and having to reload a quick $75, knowing you’ll become your friend’s Dooley Daddy, just so Emory can’t reap the benefits of its fake currency that doesn’t roll over to the next year for some inexplicable reason. However, now that one can reload their balance in $25 increments, that worry is a thing of the past. We did the math — $25 is just enough for four meals or so at Twisted Taco, or maybe three items from the convenience store.
Endless Construction From the 10-story hospital tower, to the excavation of Asbury Circle, to the complete destruction of central campus in the name of the Emory Student Center, seniors’ time here has been marked by banging, hammering and drilling at all hours, every day. And the real stinger? Most of it won’t even open until after you’ve graduated! Oh, well — at least you can rest easy knowing your tuition went toward the enjoyment of future students. Be sure to check out the shiny new buildings at your next reunion. SGA Politics Turn Ugly So it seems that university politics were destined to mirror real life. Remember a time when thinking about the incompetence of this administration didn’t take up every waking moment of your day? Am I talking about U.S. President Donald J. Trump or the exSGA administration? Let’s hope the approval ratings (and general competency) of both governments rise sometime soon. I doubt they will.
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This Year in Emory Sports By Ryan Callahan, Asst. Sports Editor Once again, Emory University proved itself as a force to be reckoned with within NCAA Division III. Even though we can’t seem to move above that dreadful No. 21 spot in the U.S. News and World Report’s National University Rankings, our sports teams seem to have no trouble achieving their respective top10 rankings in the NCAA. Throughout the 2018-19 academic and athletic year, the Eagles repeatedly faced some of the best competition in Division III and persistently came out on top, racking numerous UAA Championships. Here are some of the most impressive feats completed by the Eagles this year:
Volleyball Serves Up Another National Championship The volleyball team won their second-ever NCAA Division III National Championship since 2008 this past Fall after defeating Calvin College (Mich.). To cap it off, senior setter and NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Mady Arles was recognized in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” section. For Emory, Arles is more than just a face in the crowd: She’s a star.
Saridakis Can't Stop Breaking Records Junior pole vaulter Isabel Saridakis has set the school record for pole vaulting … three times and currently ranks sixth in the nation. On March 23 at the Emory Invitational, Saridakis posted a 3.75m pole vault, breaking the previous school record (set by her) of 3.68m and putting her first in Division III at that time. Just a week later, she tied her record at the Emory Classic, and then she beat her record of 3.75m with a 3.80m mark at the Berry Field Day Invitational on April 13.
UAA Hoops Champ Decided On the Final Day of the Season
Life in the Fast (Swim) Lane The women’s swimming and diving team won their 10th consecutive and 12th total NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships on March 23. In addition to the tournament trophy, the Eagles brought home five individual event national titles, 19 All-America honors and 16 All-America honorable mentions. Look out 1990s Chicago Bulls, the women’s swimming and diving team is coming for the title of best dynasty of all time. 7
In truly dramatic fashion, the winner of the UAA men’s basketball championship came down to the last day of the season. Emory hosted the University of Rochester (N.Y.) on Feb. 23 — Emory’s Senior Day — and won a hard-fought game 92-82. Despite losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the team still had plenty to celebrate as four Eagles were named to the All-UAA Team and Head Coach Jason Zimmerman and his staff were named UAA Coaching Staff of the Year.
Jemison Can't Stop, Won't Stop Senior Jonathan Jemison of the men’s tennis team won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association South Regional Championship singles title this past fall for the second consecutive year and the doubles title with fellow senior and duos partner Adrien Bouchet for the second time. Someone should tell Roger Federer to watch out.
Class of 2019: A Musical Timeline By Devin Bog, Associate Editor
Throwbacks aren’t just for graduation caps. Here’s a musical run-through of your past four years at Emory.
2015 “Hotline Bling” — Drake. Completely ripped off from D.R.A.M’s “Cha Cha,” but people still post the Drake-pointingat-stuff memes. He won, as he always does. It’s become more like elevator music at this point, but it did once possess actual banger status. Salute, Aubrey. “I Really Like You” — Carly Rae Jepsen. “Emotion” was the best album released during your first year at Emory, flat out. I don’t make the rules. “I Really Like You” isn’t even my favorite off the record, but Tom Hanks doesn’t jump on the music video for a track that’s anything less than killer. Rolling gated drums, glitzy-glitter synths, all under one of the best voices in pop? I really, really, really, really, really, really like it.
gets me. Check out the Tiny Desk Concert version if you haven’t already. “Ultralight Beam” — Kanye West. Postmodern gospel from before he donned the red hat. Old Kanye jokes were running rampant in 2016 (see “I Love Kanye”), but his musical evolution from “College Dropout” to “The Life of Pablo” is more coherent than it’s been made out to be. On “Ultralight Beam,” the rough, evocative minimalism of “Yeezus” blends with the cut-up soul of his first releases to absolutely stunning effect. It’s the sound of a cathedral that doesn’t exist, but should.
2017 “XO TOUR Llif3” — Lil Uzi Vert. Lil Uzi Vert was one of the first cloud rappers to break into the hip-hop mainstream, and brought some insanely melodic production out with him. “XO TOUR Llif3” has that wonderful trifecta of off-kilter hi-hat rolls, washed-out synth leads and insane sub-bass rolls. Lil Uzi’s wails — “push me to the edge, all my friends are dead” — were a rallying cry to the next generation of rappers. “Despacito” — Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee. No JB (obviously). Literally irresistible reggaeton beats over, arguably, the catchiest hook of all time? Slapper, but I hardly even know her.
2016
2018
“FDT” — YG feat. Nipsey Hussle. From the music video: “As young people with an interest in the future of America, we have to exercise our intelligence and choose who leads us into it wisely. 2016 will be a turning point in this country’s history. The question is, in which direction will we go? ... Our opinion is that, in the age of a technologically empowered & nuclear armed planet, separation is the enemy. The next leader of America will be a most pivotal president for these reasons. Register ASAP and choose wisely."
“One Kiss” — Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa. It’s sort of impossible to go outside without hearing this song on at some point, and it tends to blend into the background. But “One Kiss” is subtly smooth with its bouncing kicks and retro synths. It’ll be one of those songs DJs inexplicably play at weddings for the next 8 years, but that’s fine.
“Broccoli” — D.R.A.M feat. Lil Yachty. Lush and green. Easily one of the catchiest songs of the past few years. That little whistling synth melody over the piano on the chorus always
“God’s Plan” — Drake. It’s a full circle of Drake. That makes sense — pop defines Drake as much as Drake defines pop. I, too, only love my bed and my mother. There is literally no way this song couldn’t become a hit, and I actually like the repetitive poptrappy synth chord progression on the beat. Don’t give the music video more views.
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Congrats Wheel Grads!
Michelle Lou Editor-in-Chief
Political Science
Alisha Compton Managing Editor
NBB/English
Comparative Literature/IDS
Chantilly, VA Emory Life Doggy Dogg
Sheboygan, WI Emory Life Late Night at Marcel's
Overpriced snacks
Paying for printing
Gamma Phi date parties
IDEAS lunches
Candler School of Theology
Woodruff Library
Life Writing: Trauma and Resilience Raising my hand in my chemistry class and introducing myself on accident because I thought the professor missed my name while calling attendance
Interdisciplinary Studies Tutorial Tripping on a tablecloth in front of Kevin Young
NAME HOMETOWN Irvine, CA FAVE WHEEL SECTION News FAVE FOOD IN ATL Sokongdong WHAT YOU'LL Group projects MISS LEAST ABOUT EMORY Playing anagrams
FAVE MEMORY AT EMORY FAVE SPOT Wheel offices ON CAMPUS Psychology of Political
FAVE CLASS Persuasion
MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT
Snoring really loudly during the B-School retreat
DOOLEY OR SWOOP? Dooley FAVE BATHROOM ON CAMPUS POST-GRAD PLANS 9
Leigh Schlecht Copy Editor
Oxford Road Building
Doolino Dooley Candler School of The- Convocation Hall ology
Duke Law School
Teach for America
MPhil in English Criticism & Culture at Cambridge
Brian Savino Senior Editor
Ruth Reyes Photo Editor
Brian Taggett Associate Editor
Chemistry
Media Studies/French Studies
Westchester, NY Arts & Entertainment Ledet & Fat Matt's Rib Shack Overpriced food
Miami, FL Photography WingNuts Chicken Wings Essays
Political Science/Latin American & Caribbean Studies Kalamazoo, MI Opinion Fox Bros BBQ
Going on walks in Lull- Walking around camwater alone and with pus and looking at the friends pretty scenery and the minutes before class with my friends Lullwater Inside of the shuttles Organic Chemistry I/II Photography II
Ryan Fan Editorial Board Member
NBB/Creative Writing Stony Brook, NY Opinion Lucky's Burger & Brew
*Opening email* People slamming the "Recent Canvas DUC Notifications" *uncontrollable sweating* Baseball games Chatting with my friends at the DUC
Chappell Park
The DUC
Sports and Politics
Robert Frost
First week at Emory, I heard hallmates having a conversation in the hall. I went out in the hall to join and make new friends. Ended up saying nothing, just listened for 15 minutes then awkwardly returned to my room. Dooley Atwood Chemistry building fourth floor private bathroom
When I walked into a Spanish class at 11:04 a.m., thinking it was my class, not realizing that my class actually started at 11:30 a.m. Then not understanding why random people were in the room.
A girl asked me if I was When my phone went off 100 times during a Cuban, and I didn't hear her correctly and Spanish 212 final. said in response, "No, I'm Brian."
Both Media Library bathroom at Club Libs
Swoop Lobby bathroom between bookstore/undergrad admissions
Swoop WPEC faculty and staff bathroom
TBD
TBD
Cultural Assimilation Intern for the Detroit Tigers
TBD
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Crossword DOWN 1. Cox Hall’s Mediterranean venue. 2. “____ ____, there’s no need to feel down!” 3. ... and be merry. 4. Emory’s soda of choice. 5. Don’t get a stick on yours. 6. To a high degree, extremely. 7. Played on horseback or in a pool. 8. Twice, it’s a lollipop brand. 9. Japanese; obsessed with computer culture. 10. Group supposed to perform at 2017 Dooley’s Week. 11. Console; Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart. 14. Linguistics; pair of consecutive written units. 19. Purpose of Emory’s SURE and SIRE programs. 20. Emory’s sports division. 21. First name; “Ghost Rider,” “National Treasure.” 25. You may have eaten this in elementary school. 27. Saturday morning
By Isaiah Sirois Managing Editor pastime. 28. Dubai, Abu Dhabi. 29. Jewish religious leader. 35. Spanish guy. 37. From the United States. 38. Opposite the editorial page. 40. Plural; where the abdomen ends and legs begin. 44. Japanese; fourthlargest telecommunications firm. 46. Holmes, Couric. 47. Under Kemp’s heartbeat policy, it’s harder to do this. 49. Emory’s bar of choice. 51. Biblical garden. 52. Pre-military program. 53. Japanese; “what?” 54. Microsoft SQL data processing service. 55. To see or identify. 57. Famously-failed law school in California.
ACROSS 1. The Wheel’s message to seniors. 4. Second-in-command of College Council. 8. Slang; late-night pizza joint.
12. K-Pop band: “Ace of Angels,” “Miniskirt.” 13. Milk’s favorite cookie. 14. “____ ____ my defense.” 15. Conjunction; except. 16. Marx, Lagerfeld. 17. Picture. 18. Commencement speaker. 22. Pro-Democrat Daily. 23. Graduate school standardized test. 24. Boeing competitor. 26. Prefix; indicates wrongness. 27. Dutch-controlled Caribbean island. 30. Chemistry suffix;
but-, hex-. 31. Roadside assistance organization. 32. Nordic Nasdaq. 33. Contemporary African art journal. 34. Confederates, Ole Miss mascot. 36. Language spoken east of Thailand. 39. Regiment. 41. 22 Eagle Row. 42. Baseball referee. 43. Derogatory; friends, associates. 45. Maiden name. 46. Educational quiz game, funny usernames.
48. U.S. securities database. 49. “Romeo and Juliet,” fairy. 50. Short-term jobs, often unpaid. 56. Atlanta nickname. 58. “____ ____” I say, not as I do. 59. Paired with a gown. 60. They just want to have fun. 61. Sicilian volcano. 62. Earlier than the present, before. 63. Groups of things. 64. Crime drama with L.A. and NOLA spinoffs. 65. “Nothing but ____.”
Overheard on Cox Bridge ... By Jesse Weiner, Associate Editor Whether students are looking to people watch or eat lunch, Cox Bridge is one of the best places on campus to let loose. As I sat on the well-traversed Cox Bridge, I couldn’t help but notice the variety of conversations that were occurring, ranging from topics like the arts culture at Emory to mysterious substances on a student’s shirt.
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I have four Eagle Dollars left, which is like hella paper.
He never smiles. All he does is talk about bio.
Have you seen “The Muppet Show?”
Look how luscious your eyebrows are. Me, Mario. You, Carlos.
You’re not artsy! Half the people at Emory aren’t.
Why can’t Emory Convenience sell Juul pods? I’d use my Dooley Dollars all the time.
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I want that blue stuff.
What a super cut they gave you! What’s that on your shirt? Cream cheese. Are you just listening in on our conversation?
Senior Reflection | Raetzman & Wilson
Community is Created, Not Found
Four years ago, I came to Emory closeted and alone. Luckily, in my time at Emory, I have had the immense privilege of building strong communities in which I feel comfortable living authentically. This began with my very first days on campus, beginning in my first floor meeting. I couldn’t tell you what policies were talked about, but I do remember one intentional action taken to make people feel included: asking for pronouns. Coming from a homogenous community, I had never heard anyone ask someone for their pronouns.
So, at first, I was somewhat taken aback that it had been asked without explanation. But, it had sent a powerful message: In our community, we intentionally make people feel welcome and included, without
disclaimer.
I found this message extremely powerful, and carried it with me when I applied to be a sophomore adviser. I was placed in what (at the time) I thought was objectively the worst place to live: Dobbs Hall. Knowing no one but my roommate and scared of small rooms, cockroaches and rumors of mold, I almost declined the position. Thankfully, I didn’t. During my two years at Dobbs, I helped create the strongest community that I had ever had. From long nights gossiping in the parlor to GroupMe messages begging for help killing roaches, the Dobbs staff actively and consistently sought each other out. This taught me a second lesson that I will continue to carry
with me: Community isn’t created on accident; it’s created by collective effort. I’ll forever be grateful for this collective effort, not only for the memories that I continue to cherish, but also for the close friendships that I continue to strengthen. During my four years at Emory, I’ve learned a lot. But the most valuable thing I’ve learned isn’t financial statement analysis or the history of Brazil – it’s that community isn’t something that you find on accident. It’s something that is actively created and that should be created intentionally to make everyone feel included. Whatever new, uncertain or scary context you may be facing next, know that you have some agency. It isn’t about trying to find where you fit in. It’s about creating that space and welcoming others into it. Wherever
Zach Raetzman you go in your future endeavors, actively create community, intentionally include everyone in it, empower others to create their own and, of course, remember to ask people for their pronouns.
Zach Raetzman served as a member of the University Senate Committee on Open Expression and the Emory Integrity Project.
A Quest for (Un)certainty an overwhelming abundance of ambiguous answers and perplexing questions.
Jenna Wilson
What are you looking for?
When I left home four years ago, I didn’t know what I was going to find in this tree-tucked, bigcity university. I knew I would be playing softball, and I knew I wanted to pursue the neuroscience major, but I stumbled upon so much more. Believing that my quest was for knowledge, wisdom and truth, I thought Emory would help me with this quest. I was partially right, but I was also utterly wrong. I didn’t realize it then, but my underlying quest was really for certainty; yet, all I found was
I have thoroughly enjoyed all my classes at Emory. As a neuroscience major and philosophy minor, I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to take classes covering a range of disciplines. Each perspective is valuable in the way that it enlightens and builds upon another. This is why a liberal arts education is so powerful: It presents a holistic picture of ideas and processes that cannot be revealed through only one field. Although I consumed as much knowledge as I could in each class, questions lurked behind every corner, and I began to wonder if I really knew anything at all. The climax of my questioning began in the Fall semester of my junior year, when I was taking two very thought-provoking classes: modern philosophy, which began in the age of skepti-
cism, and the cognitive science of religion. I began to question what I thought I knew. I went from believing that I knew who I was, to questioning what I believed, and then to doubting the possibility of meaning in life. In just a few months, I had found nihilism.
fleeting and thus impossible to attain. Uncertainty is what I most needed to find during my time at Emory. Despite all the research and evidence that claims to know it all, I had to wrestle with and accept that not everything can be figured out.
Along with this epistemological battle, I soon became entrenched in a mental one as the doubt dragged me into a dark space. At the same time, a chronic injury emerged as a physical struggle that pushed me further into the darkness. In just a few months, depression found me.
Although terrifying at first, it was this realization that granted me a newfound humility and peace that restored my hope in myself, my life and my faith. In acknowledging my ignorance and limitations, I am compelled to always search for more answers and greater truth, rather than to feel pressured or expected to have it exactly right. I must be willing to adapt my thoughts and ideas while maintaining the core of who I am.
While waiting in this place, wanting someone or something to rescue me, I considered what had gotten me there and what my options were to escape. I realized I had been looking for the wrong thing — I had been looking for certainty because I thought it would be a stable foundation for me to build my ideas, beliefs and life upon. Instead, I found that certainty is
I don’t know where I am headed or what I will find after I leave Emory, but I am excited for whatever my persisting quest brings. In finding uncertainty, I found not only more knowledge, wisdom and truth, but also perseverance, hope and strength.
Jenna Wilson is from Malvern, Pa., and played starting outfielder on the Emory softball team and as co-leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
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Senior Reflection | Elmubarak & Krishnaswamy
Making Emory Home always matter; my first time wearing hijab — and my first time being asked by a professor to take off my hijab; my first anxiety attack; and my first time going by my Godgiven name with pride (thank you, Nancy). My firsts were all here.
Asalam Ailikum Emory, As I reflect and experience all my lasts with you, I remember all of the firsts: My first Emory Muslim Student Association Art Gala, where I emceed nervously and stumbled on all my words; my first time falling asleep in class (seriously, why is astronomy held at 8 a.m. in a darkroom? What were y’all expecting?); my first protest and sit-in and die-in, where we fought to remind this campus and the world that black lives and black students
Yesterday, as I lay on McDonough Field eating free Zaxby’s tenders, I remembered running from Raoul Hall my first year during Dooley’s Week, and I couldn’t help but reminisce on the numerous times I have walked this field: from my very first Student Activities Fair, where I excitedly shuffled through the crowds looking for the Muslim Student Association table, to then being the one running the table and welcoming so many young, eager faces to an organization that I made my home away from home. Here’s the thing about Emory — it isn’t easy here in any way, shape or form. Emory, you saw me at my very
Nora Elmubarak
worst. You saw me when I felt like I couldn’t move forward, and sometimes, Emory, you were the one to push me into those episodes. Emory, you hurt me and you ignored community members like me because, as we all know, you were not made for Afro-Arab, Sudanese, Black, Muslim, lowincome Hijabis like me.
There was a Free Thought open mic night, where I could shed my soul of the exhaustion it felt after having to constantly validate my existence here but could also celebrate my existence here. There were offices and administration members that I could educate and check in with to ensure that progress was happening.
You just weren’t, and that’s okay. I was naive coming in to think that who I was did not matter and that college would be the great equalizer. It wasn’t, and it isn’t, and that’s okay. It is okay. It will be okay. You know why? Because every time Emory hurt me, it also built me. For every microaggression or challenge, there was a peer or a friend or a colleague or a mentor; there was a professor that would redo his syllabus to incorporate your motherland (thank you, Dr. Shomade) or a person that at the very least could listen, empathize and help orchestrate a way to push back and make this place home — make it a space I could value.
There were friends to remind me that my existence is both loved and necessary. And sometimes, there was just that free Xfinity subscription that honestly did more for my mental health at times than the months-long waiting list at CAPS. Emory, you broke me and built me and for that, I will never forgive you, and I will also never stop loving you and thanking you — you housed my firsts, and I made you home. So to the class of 2023, just remember that you too can make this place home. Wa Ailikum Wa Salam, Nora Elmubarak
Nora is from Huntsville, Ala., and served as a member of The Emory Wheel’s Editorial Board, Muslim Student Association president and Young Democrats of Emory campaign and community coordinator.
Easy is forgettable. Think about it. Go ahead, this reflection will still be here. Whether you are from the Business School, Nursing School or the College, it is likely that the most memorable experiences you have had did not come about easily. It could be that time you finally worked up the courage to respond to questions from your freshman-year orientation leader to the time you signed your job offer for post-graduation. If there is one thing that Emory has taught me over the past four years, it is that the tough experiences are the most memorable, and the most important. I am honored to be graduating with classmates that, despite the
odds, are willing to rise to the challenge. This is by no accident, of course. Emory molds a tenacious bunch. Whether it be uncomfortably dancing at Songfest or riding miniature bikes during the Oxford Olympics, from day one we were tasked with rising to the challenge. If you’ve had the opportunity to read this very newspaper in the past year, you might recognize my name from an effort to change the way our student activity fee is allocated. It was a certainly tough and grueling experience that in the end did not yield the intended result. Do I regret spending time on the effort? Of course not. It was not easy, but it was certainly not forgettable. After
graduation, I will take with me the stories of friends and peers who jumped every hurdle to make it to May 13, 2019. From the classmate who checked Twitter every morning to see if his immigration status had changed to the friend who worked a full-time job to send money back home, it is these challenges and the thousands of others that help define the Class of 2019. It is these same challenges that will mint the next generation of leaders, leaders who are unafraid to change the world for the better.
Easy Is Forgettable Jay Krishnaswamy
Congratulations, Class of 2019 — I can’t wait to jump the next set of hurdles with you.
Jay is from Duluth, Ga., and served as the 2018-19 BBA Council president. After graduation, he will be in Atlanta working for PricewaterhouseCoopers as a management consultant.
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Senior Reflection | Compton & Tseng
Notes from My iPhone 8 I sat down in my childhood bedroom January of 2015 after watching the movie “Boyhood” for the first time, pulled out my iPhone 4S and began typing up my thoughts on graduating from high school. “Movies and books often suggest that our childhood ends after high school, once we have begun to fully embrace a more nuanced career path. If that is the case, I am merely five months away from the end of my childhood … I love the between moments and I have an undeniable want to experience more of them. I don’t feel as though I only have five months left of childhood, I have so much left I want to experience and so much I want to hold on to,” I wrote. Save the slightly cringy grammar and teenage angst, I think I was on to something. For me, high school graduation marked the end of living in the home in which I’d grown up, seeing my parents everyday and adults overseeing my schedule. Although childhood may have ended in a lot of ways, youth definitely did not. I’ve had so many late nights where I’ve taken a second, looked up at the hazy Atlanta sky and felt so incredibly My last semester here at Emory has brought an onset of mixed feelings, ranging from nostalgia to relief to anticipation. But each of these emotions has been accompanied by and interwoven with one prevailing sentiment: a sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the opportunity that I’ve been given to experience the wealth of knowledge available only at an institution of higher learning like Emory (even if most of that knowledge came the night before each exam). For the beautiful campus I’ll miss dearly, one with glowing white marble buildings that reflect the orange sunset. For the space to grow and discover, whether through classes or activities or just everyday interactions. But most of all, I’m grateful for the relationships I’ve been able to develop during my four years here. So I just want to say thank you to all
Alisha Compton
happy, so alive, so young.
My roommate Savannah Ramsey’s grandfather told us that often people’s 21st birthday is the last birthday to which they look forward. After that, he said, people just want to be younger. In Marina Keegan’s final essay “The Opposite of Loneliness” which I reference far too often, she writes that after college ends she’s afraid to lose a sense of togetherness that we don’t have a word for, the web in which college puts all of us — the opposite of loneliness. I’m 21 now and graduating in a month and I’m scared. Scared to lose that undeniable sense of youth and that opposite of loneliness. I don’t know if those things end when college does, like childhood with high school graduation, but I really hope they don’t. I read Keegan’s essay just before coming to Emory and during my last four years it has inspired me to capitalize on the web of college as much as possible. My advice to you lovely reader is that in whatever time you have left to be involved deeply in this community, make the most of it. Write the obituary on the creative writing
these incredible people I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and spend time with — more faculty, friends, and peers than I can fit into this brief reflection. Thank you to my randomly assigned roommate, who has somehow stuck with me for all four years, and who has literally carried me to my bed. Thank you for showing me that, even on my worst nights, there’s still tomorrow morning, and that I don’t always have to get there alone.
professor who passes away, even though it will break your heart to hear professors you admire cry on the phone to you. Wake up for your 8 a.m. Friday research meetings even though it’s painfully early. Soak up every bit of advice from the mentors you have there. Stay in Atlanta one summer and fall in love with your college friends all over again. Take an English class (or a bunch) and connect with the professors who show you how deeply they care about you with every action that they take. Stay up until 3 a.m. in the library triple checking the layout you’ve done for a literary arts magazine just to make sure you’ve done everyone’s work justice. And then check it one more time. Live in a sorority lodge and learn what sisterhood means when you go through a break up and everyone makes sure the love in your life is tripled. Become best friends with the first girl you meet at Emory — she has a wise grandfather. Or do whatever else excites you at Emory while you can. Keegan ends her essay by saying that we don’t have to lose the opposite of loneliness after college. That we can preserve it if we try to
of class in the same office, asking the same question to the same adviser, and who I’m convinced is destined to be my lifelong (platonic) soulmate. You have partially restored my belief in fate and are proof that maybe, just maybe, some things are meant to be.
Thank you to my professor, who makes an effort to attend each of her students’ sports events and music recitals. Thank you for teaching me (besides the basics of tort law) the importance of passion and commitment and how to impact the lives of those around me.
Even though the road to graduation has been paved with uncertainty, demoralization and a good deal of sleep deprivation, these relationships are the most valuable gifts I’ve received in college, and are what have led me to cherish my Emory experience. And as I leave this charming little campus behind and venture into the so-called “real world,” I am grateful that I will carry with me these bonds that extend far beyond the confines of Clifton Road and Eagle Row.
Thank you to my friend, who I met on the first day
As a quote often misattributed to A.A. Milne says,
do so. I came to Emory expecting an education, but I also got more late nights than I could have asked for and a sense of belonging beyond what I could have imagined. I wouldn’t have it any other way and you shouldn’t either. Regardless of what post-grad life has to offer, I’m thankful I’ve had the opportunity to spend the last four years in the Wheel offices, in the lodge and on the first floor of the library. To my fellow seniors, thank you for making Emory one heck of a ride. And to the underclassmen, buckle up — I’m so envious of what lies ahead of you. Alisha Compton is from Chantilly, Va., and served as the managing editor of The Emory Wheel. After graduation, she will be a corps member for Teach for America in Baltimore.
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” For I do consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to spend four inspiring, stressful, demanding, wonderful years here with you all. Geoffrey Tseng is from Livingston, N.J., and served as the SGA BBA Liaison. After graduation, Tseng plans to work as a research associate at NERA Economic Consulting in New York.
Humans Of Emory Geoffrey Tseng 14
Senior Reflection | Zieser & Ma
Taking Calculated Risks Allison Zieser
Unlike the majority of students at Emory, my college experience didn’t start with Songfest or an English freshman seminar — instead, I transferred before my sophomore year from the University of Iowa. “You’ll end up transferring back,” “You should have a backup major; it’s much harder for transfers to get into the B-school,” “Your resume will never be able to compete with a non-transfer,” is what I was told when I began my first semester at Emory. Reflecting now, I wish I realized that there wasn’t a checklist for being successful. My sophomore year, I spread myself thin, spending all my free time doing work and increasing my organizational involvement, attempting to
check off everything needed to prove myself as a student, despite being a transfer. I joined or applied to any applicable club in the College and B-school, rushed a sorority and generally forced myself to integrate. Ironically, the only thing I actually needed to be successful was a strong ability to adapt to my circumstances — which I naturally obtained by being thrown into a new environment and giving myself no choice but to move forward. I embraced what seemed to be unfavorable odds, challenged myself and never stopped to look back. I switched my major from creative writing to finance, even though I was told it wasn’t
wise, and took the necessary steps to enter my aspirational career path, even though I was told that I started preparation too late. I was rejected from some organizations and internships because I didn’t have the same acumen as students who had been on campus the year before — but I took the rejection as motivation to seek acceptance. I knew the odds may be against me, but I decided to move forward as if they didn’t matter — which, it turned out, they didn’t. We wrap ourselves up in this idea of clarity — that we have to know everything that will happen next, and if we’re too unsure or think it’s too big of a
risk, our fear instincts kick in, and we immediately flee; that if we don’t fit prerequisites, then it’s not even worth trying. I consider transferring to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made because it taught me that this isn’t the case. Sometimes we need to take a (calculated) risk, ignore the odds and go forward with confidence. Sometimes if an opportunity induces fear, maybe that just signals it’s the opportunity we need to take.
Allison is from West Des Moines, Iowa, and served as the Goizueta Women in Finance co-president. After graduation, she plans to work as a leveraged finance analyst at Citi in New York.
Behind the Curtain of Student Government
Dwight Ma Since entering Emory, I have prioritized school involvement. During these four years, I have enriched my college life by devoting numerous hours in organizations on campus. During my time at Oxford, I was the vice president of Student Government Association, event chair of Business Club and president of International Student Association. I have learned more
from my involvement in campus life than I have in a classroom. What I am most proud of from my Oxford days is my facilitation of international students to become more involved on campus. We established the CrossCultural Peer Program by pairing domestic and international students on account of enhancing communication between the two groups. This program was a huge success as it eliminated the gap between domestic and international students. But for me, holding a leadership position in an organization dominated by American students is not an easy task. Although I was a student government president in high school, the management style is very different between China and the United States. When I became president
of the student union at my high school in China, I was appointed by teachers and the past president rather than being elected. Ever since I came to the U.S., I had to campaign for positions within the Student Government Association. In China, as the president, I could allocate funds directly and carry out activities without too much restriction. This is totally different in the U.S. I had to pass a bill through legislators in order to receive any funding or carry out a program. Sometimes, it could take several weeks and there could be lots of debate about the budget. In comparison, at the China Student Union, I implemented the program on the second day of my plan. Some people may think that the power of the president of the Student Union in China is
not bound. Though it is undeniable that such a system is faster and more efficient. Despite these differences, I do not think that one system is superior to the other. However, we must recognize each other’s differences and work hard to bridge the gaps caused by these differences. The Emory community cultivated my interest in school involvement and leadership. Working with numerous oncampus organizations taught me responsibility, community support and respect. In general, the experience and knowledge I have gained from Emory has prepared me for any future leadership positions. I am proud to be a part of Emory, and grateful that Emory offered me the opportunity to enhance others’ lives on campus as president of SGA.
Dwight Ma is from Wuxi, China. He served as Student Government Association president. After graduation, he will work for a consulting firm.
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Senior Reflection | Klein & Valiji
The Lessons I’ve Learned R K achel
In less than one month, I’ll walk with my classmates across Emory’s campus for the very last time. Some of us will smile and others will cry (I might do both) — but all of us will leave a different person than we were when we arrived, having been shaped by the people we’ve met and experiences we’ve had along the way. Four years ago, I walked into Raoul, a 17-yearold girl who was unsure of herself but eager to see what the future would hold. Now, looking back at my time at Emory, I realize that these past four years have somehow turned into a limited number of days. Through each serendipitous experience, I’ve developed a multifaceted understanding of what it means to be a great friend, a passionate learner and a community advocate. Reflecting on who I’ve become as a product of this community, I’d like to share some lessons I’ve learned in my four years: 1. Find something you’re passionate about and spend as much time as you can connecting with those in that community. Whether it’s a social group, religious community, extracurricular activity or volunteer opportunity — or for many of us, all of the above — find something you love and put your whole heart into it. 2. You will make mistakes during your time here — embrace them, accept them and figure out what you can learn. I’ve experienced tremendous growth from the lessons I’ve learned from previous mistakes. 3. Build strong personal and professional relationships with your community — friends, professors and roommates alike. Creating
lein
meaningful relationships early will lead to more advocates on your side later in life. 4. Be active on campus and meet everyone you can. You will be surprised at how many wonderful and interesting people you will meet; I know I was. Not to mention, your Emory network will follow you forever. 5. Think about the legacy you will leave behind and make your mark. I didn’t think of this before my senior year, and I wish I had. Starting the Executive Women Conference is an accomplishment I am so proud of. 6. Consider how you spend your leisure time. Netflix will always be there, but how many opportunities do you have left to walk in Lullwater, grab pizza at Fellini’s or go out to Maggie’s? 7. Some students get caught up in the competitive college environment. Don’t try and be better than your peers — show your individuality and be different. Long after the gold and blue, the people you’ve met, learned from and laughed with will hold a special place in your heart. This has been true for me; the people I will cross the stage with on May 13 are the people who have helped me grow, watched me get knocked off my feet and been right there to pick me back up every time. As graduation approaches, I feel humbled and exceptionally lucky for the lessons I’ve learned here at Emory that have shaped me into the person I am today: I am a person who is sure of herself, empowered by her peers and professors, and excited to take on what’s next. Rachel Klein is from Scarsdale, N.Y. She served as the co-president of Goizueta Women in Finance. After graduation, she plans to work as an investment banking analyst at PJT Partners in New York City.
I (Now) Like My Chicken Fried About four Augusts ago, I sang to “Panda” in a large enterprise van on my first of four SOAR trips with 15 strangers on my way to Lake Burton. On move-in day, I continued to hum the song as I posted pictures of myself with friends from home across my wall. My freshman year dorm door was open and the noise of country music flooded in. “I hope they don’t play too much country here,” I remember thinking. You see, I grew up in a Chicago suburb where I spent my days with many fellow first-generation students in high school. Many weekends I helped my single mom at her salon and ate traditional Muslim-Indian cuisine for meals. Freshman year, I tried grits for the first time. I started my second year with SOAR once again, except this time I was the one trusted to drive a 16-person van. Already, I had found so much meaning in my Emory experience whether it was through Emory Entrepreneurship and Venture Management
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(EEVM) meetings brainstorming startup ideas or catching up with friends over 3-hour DUC dates. Sophomore year, the spontaneous “Duc?” texts were replaced with planned meals with members of AKPsi. These conversations were filled with passion, and I felt secure in knowing I chose a school where everyone is driven toward something. I discovered my love for seafood after an upperclassmen made me a home-cooked salmon meal. Perhaps one of my most cherished memories from Emory is the 2 a.m. meetings leading up toward HackATL. I could be part of bringing people together from across the country to talk about the things I loved? I found my people. Subsequently, I spent a semester in an eastern European city and feasted on Hungarian soup and shared frozen parathas my mom had packed for me with more of my people. These individuals, at Emory or abroad, didn’t look like me, have similar
Alifya Valiji
hobbies or aspirations, but we connected. That’s at the heart of my Emory experience — meaningful connections that stemmed from the long Diwali line, Kegs or a Danube boat ride.
of Chicago waving to her family — but this time, I’ll be humming to a country song, wearing a gown that represents the journey of four years alongside the incredible people who made it happen.
About four Augusts later, my feet instinctively tap to Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried,” I order shrimp and grits at every Sunday brunch, and my picture wall has significantly expanded.
Alifya Valiji is from Des Plaines, Ill. She served as co-president of Emory Entrepreneurship & Venture Management (EEVM) and vice president of clubs on BBA Council. After graduation, she will work as an investment banking analyst at Perella Weinberg Partners.
I recognize what a privilege it is to be tasked with self-actualization versus survival, as many firstgeneration students are. I am grateful for challenges that college brings, the friends who exposed me to new perspectives, faculty that helped me overcome my fear of math and a university that served as a platform for self-actualization. As we walk across the bridge to transition to alumni, I know I’ll be holding the candle tight with glimmering eyes. On graduation day, it’ll still be me, the girl from the suburbs
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Senior Reflection | Taggett & Jones
Into the Wild and Into Post-College Life Brian Taggett I applied to Emory sight unseen. My prior exposure to this school only came from reading “Into the Wild,” where the protagonist Chris McCandless graduated from Emory and promptly wandered North America as a nomad until he met his ultimate demise in the Alaskan wilderness. I genuinely hoped my Emory degree would not leave me, like McCandless, in an abandoned school bus. Nonetheless, my conception of Emory and Atlanta was a bit driven by illusion. I thought the water fountains would spray Coke, the entire album of “TM:103 Hustlerz Ambition” by Jeezy would be blasting on every street corner and every other word of the local vernacular would be “y’all.” While I was wrong in much of that aspect, I was fortunately correct for why I chose Emory. This school was the only place where I could actively pursue all my passions academically and extracurricularly. In the classroom, I was able to double major in two fields that incredibly interest me, which
opened a door for me to study abroad. Outside of academics, I was able to pursue my passion of journalism by working at the Wheel in addition to my love of baseball by playing for the University’s team. However, it’s not to say that securing the experiences I so badly wanted in college did not come without hardships — in fact, those hardships shaped many of the most important lessons that I learned at Emory. I am certain that 20 to 30 years from now, when I look back at my time here, I’m not going to be thinking about the exact specifics of that essay I wrote about the relationship between authoritarian leaders and propaganda, but I will laughably recall all the reasons why not to procrastinate. It’s safe to say postponing a 20page essay for the night before it’s due will only destroy your circadian rhythm and allow you to witness both sunset and
sunrise from the eighth floor of the Woodruff Library. I will also be able to pinpoint the moment when I learned how to work efficiently under pressure. When recalling my time as the Wheel’s editorial page editor, I’ll remember scrambling around the office at 2:30 a.m., in an attempt to publish an editorial for the next day covering a result of the 2016 election we had not anticipated. Perhaps most importantly in my time at Emory, I learned how to deal with defeat — and how to use it as motivation. My freshman year, I was cut from the baseball team; I was so upset by it that I nearly transferred schools. However, after much thought, I decided to work my ass off to become a member of the team again. I am so proud to say that not only do I have a jersey with my name on it, but it’s finally getting good use for my senior season. Although we were separated by nearly 30 years, McCandless too worked in the Opinion section
A Night in October
One evening, my resident adviser Bahar asked if anyone wanted her friend’s tickets to an Aziz Ansari show. I had nothing to do, so I claimed them and invited a new friend of mine, Nate, to come along. A few hours later, Nate and I set out on our long Uber ride to Lakewood Amphitheatre. I was quiet, but luckily Nate was far from shy. He grew up on a farm in Arizona, and he told me all about the business, his family and how life at Emory compared to life back home. I told him about my childhood in Western Massachusetts. By the time we arrived at the theater, we
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had developed an easy rapport. The show started off well, but suddenly the sky opened up and a cold rain started to fall. It was 40 degrees out, but despite the miserable conditions, neither of us gave up on the show. As the rain picked up, we laughed at our situation and enjoyed the show even more. When we made it back to Turman Hall, we made plans to grab breakfast at the DUC the next morning and parted ways. After changing into dry clothes, I went across the hall to my neighbor Huri’s room and walked in without knocking. Huri looked up from his book and told me I could stay if I didn’t interrupt him. My room was directly across the hall, but it was a mess. There were clothes all over the floor and no room on my desk. In contrast, Huri lived in an impeccably clean single. I opened my book and, instead of reading, asked Huri what he had been up to that day. He put down his book, and that
became the first of many nights we spent together telling stories, talking about school and joking at each other’s expense. In a few weeks, I’ll be moving out of the apartment I share with Nate. Since that comedy show over three years ago, we’ve lived together for two years, travelled to Savannah, Ga., and Miami, and met up for drinks in New York. Huri has been home in Los Angeles for the past semester, but he’ll be coming back for graduation and joining my family for dinner. I’ll walk across the stage with Casey, who was my next-door neighbor freshman year, my roommate for two years, and my partner in countless school and extracurricular projects. We will be joined by Zack, another roommate of two years, whom I met as a freshman while playing basketball with Nate, and who accompanied me on a trip to
for the Wheel. It’s unlikely my time here will be documented in a Jon Krakauer book; nonetheless, I’m confident that the lessons I learned here will serve me for years to come, even if I can’t recall the details of every lecture, editorial or game. Brian is from Kalamazoo, Mich., and served as an associate editor and editorial page editor on The Emory Wheel and a pitcher on the Emory University baseball team. After graduation, he plans to intern with the Detroit Tigers as an ESL/Cultural Assimilation intern.
Sam Jones Israel. Luke, Nate’s roommate freshman year and mine junior year, who was the first person I went out with at Emory and who still keeps me up late at night, will also walk across that stage with us. Some of these friends will be joining me in New York after graduation, but I’ll have to say goodbye to the ones who are not. I won’t be able to walk across the hall to see them anymore, and it may be awhile before we’re all together again. Still, we will always share the memories of the past four years. Starting on the fourth floor of Turman Hall, and ending as we walk across the stage at graduation, our time at Emory will always have a special place in my heart, and I will always be deeply grateful for all the memories we have shared. Sam Jones is from Great Barrington, Mass., and served as Goizueta Finance Group chairman.
Senior Reflection | Hassoun & Verghese
The Other Kind of Peer Pressure necessary for a successful college career. As a particularly strong-willed person, people do not typically associate me with peer pressure. Yet, through this other kind of peer pressure, I have become a more reliable friend, better student, stronger employee and more.
Second semester freshman year I found myself in a state-of-the-art pressure cooker. I was well on my way to finishing the major requirements for political science. I started exploring a second major and the whispers began — the other kind of peer pressure.
Mustafa Hassoun When we think of peer pressure, fraternity houses and freshman dorms typically spring to mind. We understand peer pressure as something every parent and high school assembly cautioned against. Through this line of thinking, we ignore the other kind of peer pressure: the profound influence we have on one another’s development. The other kind of peer pressure facilitates the growth
I was told repeatedly that I needed to have a second major with more “marketability.” I slowly, albeit illogically, began to see the merit in my peer’s arguments. I drastically altered my schedule for the next semester, signing up for four business school prerequisites; I even convinced one professor to open more seats in her class. The following semester was miserable. I quickly realized that I was wholly dispassionate about the subjects I was studying. My GPA dropped and I prioritized “prestige” over mental health. Nonetheless, this experience taught me the invaluable lesson of following my instincts and sticking to my passions. Through peer
pressure I learned to trust myself more. Late sophomore year, the then presidents of the Emory International Relations Association convinced me to run for head delegate — something I neither would have considered without their efforts nor would have become president one year later. My peers, who hold wide-ranging political beliefs and come from across the world, taught me to see the nuance in political ideologies. Most importantly, because I had so much to learn from my peers, I improved as a listener. Both my extracurricular activities and my personal relationships demanded I strengthen my listening skills. Through years of practice with my peers in many avenues I developed listening abilities that will be a resource both personally and professionally. The other kind of peer pressure pushes us to challenge ourselves and grow as people. The other kind of peer pressure challenges our preconceived notions and deserves much more credit and attention than it receives. Before I conclude, I want thank my peers. Thank you for making me a better listener and more selfassured. Also, thank you to the ones who helped me write this reflection. To evoke something of the original peer pressure: cheers.
Mustafa Hassoun is from Huntsville, Ala., and served as Emory International Relations Association President.
The Scenic Route Last month, I helped interview finalists for the Emory Scholars Program. In addition to running the interviews, we were tasked with giving a brief “Emory elevator pitch,” intended to entice these prospective students into accepting their admissions offers. I had my spiel down pat; at the end of each interview, I rattled off Emory’s various resources, highlighting the wide array of opportunities I’ve received here — the internships, the leadership positions, the research experiences. During one of the last interviews, however, a girl raised her hand after my little pitch. “You talked about all the things you got to do at Emory,” she said. “But if you could tell your freshman self something to do differently, what would it be?” Caught off-guard — I’d practiced the spiel, but not much else — I answered spontaneously and honestly. “I’d tell her to slow down,” I said, surprising myself. The advice stood in stark contrast to my pitch, which emphasized the activities, the opportunities, the relentless drive. But, like most unprepared answers, mine was startlingly revealing. We’ve been taught to treat our time at college like a race. We start off sprinting, accumulating bullet points on our resumes at a rapid-fire pace, always hunting for the next thing — the next job, the next position, the next award. We compare ourselves to
Namrata Verghese
our peers, who are always, inevitably, doing better than we are, and so we tell ourselves to do better, to be better. To work harder. To optimize ourselves, in true millennial/Gen Z fashion. After four years, we arrive, finally, at the finish line, sweating, panting. Exhausted. In retrospect, I realize I could have treated my time here as a stroll instead of a race. A collaboration instead of a competition. When we amble through Lullwater with our friends on a lazy Sunday afternoon, we aren’t worried about finding our destination in the most time-efficient manner possible. Instead of panicking and trying to find our way out, we pace ourselves, enjoying the afternoon, the warmth, the company. Sometimes destinations are shrouded by trees, and detours are more interesting than linear progressions. Sometimes we need to get lost — to slow down, catch our breath and trust that, eventually, we’ll get where we need to go. When I look back on my time at Emory, the best moments weren’t scoring that big internship or winning that next prize. The best moments were the little ones. The ordinary ones. The ones spent in Peet's, where my friends and I promise to work but proceed to gleefully distract each other for hours. The ones spent in the Music and Media Library, putting the final touches on Model Minority Magazine, one of my proudest accomplishments at Emory. The ones spent in the apartment I’ve shared with my best friends for the past two years, eating takeout and drinking $6 Trader Joe’s wine under the twinkling glow of fairy lights.
Talking and laughing and being. College is long. It’s unpredictable. You won’t always know what you’re doing or where you’re going — and that’s okay. Take your time. Take a breath. Take care of yourself, and enjoy the little things along the way. Nothing captures my feelings about imminent graduation better than this quote from Arundhati Roy’s “The God of Small Things”: “Little events, ordinary things, smashed and reconstituted. Imbued with new meaning. Suddenly, they become the bleached bones of a story.” Namrata Verghese is from Houston, Texas, and served as co-editor-in-chief of The Emory Globe, co-founder of Model Minority Magazine, an IDEAS Fellow and a Fox Undergraduate Honors Fellow at the Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry. Verghese will pursue a master’s in English at the University of Cambridge under the Charles Elias Shepard Scholarship.
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Senior Reflection | Henry & Koné
Nyá:wę (thank you), Emory Klamath Henry California and the Tuscarora tribe of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
Nyá:wę. This means thank you in my indigenous tongue. I would like to open up my senior reflection by thanking the ancestral peoples of the lands upon which Emory University currently resides, and those who were enslaved and forced to build the infrastructure on Emory University lands. Emory University is located on the traditional lands of the Muscogee Creek peoples. The Muscogee Creek were forcibly removed by the U.S. government in 1834. This event would go on to be remembered as the Trail of Tears. Nyá:wę to those ancestors and modern-day Muscogee people who continue to care for the land. Nyá:wę to those who built Emory University. My name, “Klamath,” means “people of the river.” I am from the Shasta tribe of
The Tuscarora tribe I come from is a sovereign nation surrounded by the State of New York. My family currently lives in Northern Nevada, which is where I was raised. My family is my world. My tribes are my people. Nyá:wę to my Earth family and my ancestors. My Emory experience started on the softball field. If it were not for being recruited to play softball, I would never have been a student at Emory. Prior to being recruited, I did not know Emory existed! Playing college softball gave me confidence and allowed me to gain the experience that I will need to continue my coaching career. Two seasons into my college career, my spinal injury forced me to retire from playing but did not keep me away from the game. Nyá:wę to the Emory Athletics program, my coaches and my teammates for developing me into a strong leader. My activism has been filled with many unique and enriching experiences. Learning
Thank You. As I sit back and reflect on the last four years of my life, it’s amazing to think that something as “trivial” as where I decided to continue my education would shape who I am, how I think and who I consider to be my “forever friends.” I would never have guessed that I would come out of Emory the person that I am now. Two years ago, I definitely wouldn’t have thought that I would make it to the end. Something about sophomore year being the longest year, junior year being the hardest and senior year being the most rewarding added up to an experience that I could not be more grateful for. I think that’s what made my experience one worth having – it taught me how to have gratitude. All of the good, bad and bittersweet things that happened to me and around
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me left me a life changing and humbling perspective on my personhood. College encouraged me to decide for myself what’s actually important. And as I head towards the stage to collect my diploma, I look back most fondly on the intelligence and dedication of my professors; the diverse array of cultures, people and language that paint this campus in color; and my most welcoming and loving family of swimmers and divers. Graduating does not mean leaving behind “the best four years of my life”; rather, it means using those four years to catapult myself out of adolescence and into adult(ish)hood. I like to say that if you come out of college the same person you came in as, you did something wrong, because
from other students of color and marginalized communities has expanded the way I think about the world. Thank you to Emory administration for listening to me. Nyá:wę to the Emory activist community for teaching me how to persist. Nyá:wę to the Emory administration for listening to me speak. My professors have been exceptionally inspiring. Every professor I have had in my time at Emory has given me the tools I will need to excel. From them, I have learned how to think critically, deeply and intellectually. Nyá:wę to my professors for teaching me how to learn. I am happy to be graduating this Spring but excited to continue my journey. Y’all at Emory have grown, shaped, pushed, challenged, demolished and uplifted me. Nyá:wę, Emory. The past four years were amazing. Klamath Henry is from Fernley, Nev., and served as an intern at the Commission on Racial and Social Justice. After graduating, Henry will pursue graduate studies in cultural anthropology and work as a graduate assistant to the softball program at California State University, Fullerton.
Anya Koné too much is happening around you for you not to notice that you could be a better version of yourself, and because we can all be better versions of ourselves. So, no, I am not sad that college is over. I have immense gratitude for the people, education, experiences, toils, community and memories it afforded me. However, there is just one thing I am certain I will miss, and that is being constantly surrounded by 70 of my closest friends – the Emory University Varsity Swim and Dive team. Whether I’m walking across campus, studying in the library, or eating at the DUC, the team ensured that I would be bound to see a familiar face. I started and ended everyday of the last four years with this group, and that will always be my hardest goodbye.
Anya Koné is from Columbus, Ohio. She served as a member of the Emory swim and dive team.
Senior Reflection | Friere & Krishnamurthy
The Space in Between Willi Freire and Ashwini Krishnamurthy
In the midst of things, we seldom stop to think, to observe, and to question. This final spring semester, more than any other, is threaded with an unconventional emphasis on celebrating our college efforts. We thought these last four months would be a good time, not a long time. However, midway through class, midway through nights out, midway through work shifts, we always seem to find ourselves somewhere between lingering discomfort and full-blown identity crisis. Welcome to the world of Ashwini and Willi … and hopefully many more of you? One night, after our weekly excursion to our favorite neighborhood bar and grill, Brick Store Pub (surprisingly, not Maggie’s), we sat in Ash’s bumper-less car and decided to address the elephant in the vehicle. So, buckle up, folks! W: Ash… (15-20 seconds of silence) Are you feeling okay? A: Like tonight? Or like, in general? W: Second semester seniors, aren’t we supposed to feel an overwhelming sense of bliss right now? Are you by chance feeling that? A: If by bliss you mean a little bit of aimlessness with a hardy dash of uncertainty … then yes. People keep asking me if I’m ready to graduate, but I still can’t really wrap my head
around what these last four years have meant to me. I have the same questions I had as a first year.
massive paragraph panic texts and moments in isolation will be invaluable during this space in between.
W: Yeah, I can’t help but feel the same way, too. When I came to Emory, I was grappling with meeting the endless expectations I set out for myself. Throughout the years, I continued to feel the bar rising, but somehow always managed to find the next stepping stone. Now, at the final stage of college, there is no longer anything tangible I am seeking out. So, what’s left is somewhat of a void that pushes me to confront the present moment. Can we find comfort and confidence in the space in between?
This dialogue, much like our thoughts, is incomplete. While our time at Emory has not answered our questions directly, these last four years here have taught us to be comfortable with increasing ambiguity, to reflect even when it is difficult and to seek people who inspire us along the (bumper-less) ride.
A: In between the boxes, right? I’ve been chasing my identity and trying to check the boxes at the same time, looking for concrete answers to arguably impossible questions while figuring out what’s now and directly next. What do all of these boxes really mean when we are no longer in the process of checking any of them?
He claimed that one of the most frightening days of his life was his college graduation — he received his diploma, but he felt as though he knew nothing. Regardless, Ambassador Young firmly expressed his faith that there is no such thing as a meaningless existence.
W: I wanted to ask you the same question. I wholeheartedly believe the time we spend doing is important, but I am beginning to understand the value in the moments of silence. Saying goodbye to the various anchors at Emory has been a tough challenge, and I am glad this “off” semester exists. Undoubtedly, there are countless people and organizations that have been transformative in my personal and professional development. But how do we translate these insights into our own understanding of who we are as humans as we brace ourselves for change? A: I don’t know if we ever translate these insights fully. In the short year of our friendship, your compassion, strength and humility has changed who I am for the better. I am proud of the person I’ve become with the inspiration from you and my Emory mentors and plan to seek people in the next stage of my life who continue to shape me in the way that all of you do. W: Ash, you inspire me with your unique ability to express your sincere thoughts out loud, even when they aren’t necessarily complete. You’ve brought me a familial but different energy to my life, and I feel as though you’ve served as a compass for me, especially throughout these strange, uncomfortable past few months. Though we are still left with major questions about who one another is, I assure you these in-person conversations,
The same day we wrote this reflection, Commencement Speaker and former U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young came to speak to Ash’s global macroeconomics class.
We believe this, too. While we may never have the answers to large questions surrounding our identities, Emory has thoroughly prepared us with a support system to live our lives with meaning — even in the moments where we cannot articulate it. Note: We are aware that this reflection is essentially a love letter to each other, and to Emory; however, we cannot go without thanking Dr. Wesley Longhofer for his profound contribution to our journeys. Especially during a tough semester, Wes keeps the secrets, keeps it real and keeps supporting us through the space in between. Willi Freire is from Boca Raton, Fla. He served as the executive vice president of BBA Council and as the president of the Emory QuestBridge Scholars and Emory Miracle Dance Marathon, as well as the co-founder of the Undocumented Students of America. After graduation, he plans to work as a corporate functions development analyst at SunTrust. Ashwini Krishnamurthy is from Rolla, Mo. She served as the co-president of the American Mock World Health Organization and as the chief executive officer of the Emory Impact Investing Group. After graduation, she plans to work as an investment banking analyst at Centerview Partners in New York City.
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Senior Reflection | Lou & Reed-Guevera
On the Record About the Wheel Michelle Lou
I remember being the only student at the Q&A forums when finalists for College dean visited. The candidates’ faces fell a little when I told them I was covering it for the student newspaper and had to be there. I also recall being the only non-SGA person present while covering student government meetings during my sophomore year. At the time, the speaker of the legislature told me he was likely the only person reading my student government coverage. That changed when the Wheel covered the controversial Dwight Ma — and I saw the student body become deeply invested in its own student government for the first time in years. And most importantly, I will never forget a mother thanking me after I wrote an obituary for her son. I can easily say that I’ve learned more in the Wheel’s offices in the AMUC than in any classroom — to ask questions, to meet people I never would’ve encountered in class and to write stories that would have otherwise gone untold. The word “passionate” didn’t mean much to me until I experienced the thrill of covering breaking news, frantically stringing together words and sentences to meet a deadline, and sparking community debate and conversation when articles were finally published. I loved seeing reactions when we published a story,
An Argument For Classics Camila Reed-Guevara
whether it was about student government breaking its constitution or Cox failing its health inspection. As editor-in-chief, I received complaints from students and alumni about our socalled “negative coverage.” I’ve been called by a fake lawyer threatening to sue me if I didn’t remove an article. An alumnus told me I wouldn’t have a job after graduation because I was “out to get my peers.” What many people fail to realize is that while a student newspaper’s mission is not to make the University look bad, it’s also not a public relations machine that churns out fluff pieces. Its job is to inform the community and cover anything newsworthy. That encompasses if a student leader is arrested for possessing cocaine and revealing exactly how much Emory lost in the Migos scam. It also includes if a professor wins an award. We are lucky to attend Emory, where the student paper is editorially and financially independent from the University, so that the Wheel can write stories that scrutinize the University and its leaders. But like any other media organization or institution, the Wheel sometimes makes mistakes. Know this: the editors learn from every correction they have to run on an article. However, if you want to attend a school without an independent
Michelle Lou is from Irvine, Calif. She was editor-in-chief of The Emory Wheel. She is working at CNN until she starts at Duke Law.
While at Emory, I discovered the classics. In high school, I was never exposed to the ancient world. But on a whim, the first semester of my first year, I took a classics course that introduced me to canonical texts like “The Iliad,” “The Odyssey” and “The Aeneid.” I became fascinated with a world that no longer existed, that lives on through our fantasies about it. Having been bitten, so to speak, by this course of study, I began researching, again by chance, with the same professor who taught that course. His research subject was the Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger. He was in the process of writing a book about him, and invited me to read Seneca’s work and decide for myself if I found it interesting.
made a compelling argument for why we should consider education a universal human right, and it’s an argument we cannot afford to forget. What I learned from Seneca changed what I think about Emory as an institution. It is, in its most basic form, an institution of privilege. It is a private university that serves as a gatekeeper to knowledge. Not unlike my own discipline, which is the least diverse of all the humanities and has consistent problems with recruiting people of color as students and faculty. However, that does not mean we should abandon this institution or this discipline. Instead, I think it has never been more important to take advantage of the opportunity we are given to learn at Emory.
Within the course of a year, I had read all of Seneca’s surviving texts, looking at the themes of slavery and education in particular. What I found was that this philosopher lived in a world where enslavement was a common practice, in which a very small percentage of people were literate and social class determined access to education. While we now live in a different world, we don’t deal with dissimilar problems. In our country, millions are imprisoned and unpaid for the work they do. We are unable to provide an equal education to all people.
I have found kernels of invaluable knowledge about humanity resting in ancient texts that did not anticipate a world like our own and can yet still advise us about how to make ethical choices. I encourage all of us at Emory, graduating seniors or not, to use our gift to continue to fight for, and push for, more equitable and accessible education — not only on our own campus, but everywhere.
The richest among us can pay half a million dollars to bribe their children into college. Seneca
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newspaper, then you are choosing to turn a blind eye to the issues in that institution. If you have qualms about the newspaper’s coverage, write a letter to the editor. If you think the Wheel is missing the perspective of a demographic, let it know. If you feel passionately about a news topic, submit an op-ed. When readers engage with the newspaper, the content is better and more informed. When I first joined the Wheel, I did not fully comprehend a student newspaper’s ability or duty to check power, whether it be student leaders managing hundreds of thousands in student money or administrators spending millions on office renovations. Four years later, I firmly believe that each article the Wheel publishes creates a better, more informed community.
Camila Reed-Guevara is from Salt Lake City. She founded the Emory Classics Journal “Tesserae,” and debated for Barkley Forum. She received the Bobby Jones Scholarship.
Senior Reflection | Schlecht
Leigh Schlecht When I started attending Emory, I searched everywhere for to-do lists. I wanted a roadmap for college, but I didn’t find one. Instead, I created lists upon lists for myself, thinking that those filledin boxes would bring me closer to achieving my goals. They did. I quickly realized, though, that the professional advice I wanted was actually personal advice I needed. So here, I offer a few bullet points from my own to-do lists that shaped my Emory experience, and made me better for it. 1. Visit the National Scholarships and Fellowships Program Office — as a freshman. As early as possible, go talk to Dr. Friddle. She does have checklists, and she offers thoughtful advice for every stage of college life. Dr. Friddle encouraged me to explore my passions and advised me on becoming a competitive
Bullet Points for Success at Emory
applicant while remaining true to my interests. She helped me shape my trajectory and plan for the future in ways I could not have done on my own. 2. Keep a journal. So many great moments happen at Emory. While you hopefully have a resume recording the larger ones, write down the rest, too. Allocate a notebook for a joke your friend told, the latenight runs to Buford Highway and the dorm-room conversations you don’t want to forget. I started a journal the day I started college, and I’m so glad I did. Two thick notebooks later, I can flip through pages and pages of memories I might not otherwise recall. 3. Go to lectures. Even more importantly, attend lectures outside of your field.
Find another department’s talks that relate to your own interests and take notes. Odds are, those discussions will offer exciting new ways to think about your own work by putting it into a broader context. At the very least, seek out people who think differently than you. Don’t try to convince them of your opinions, but rather, use their arguments to inform, strengthen and reshape your own. 4. Find a non-Emory passion. Develop yourself outside of an academic, extracurricular or resume-building context. For me, those passions include exploring Atlanta, reading for pleasure and running. After making time for myself, I slept better. My mental health soared. For the majority of my time at Emory, I truly felt happy. If that isn’t motivation
enough, the anecdotes I share in scholarship interviews, grad school visits and office hours all come from these moments. By making time for myself through non-academic pursuits, I became a more interesting person. So, what makes you interesting? How have you challenged yourself recently? The answers to these questions will shape your time here for the better, as they did mine.
Leigh is from Sheboygan, Wis., and served as copy editor for The Emory Wheel, IDEAS fellow and Omicron Delta Kappa president. After graduation, she plans to pursue graduate studies in English Criticism & Culture at the University of Cambridge.
Class of 2019
To: Rosalind Sullivan-Lovett “from Knick-Knack to “”God Forbid,”” from Abram to, uh, playing yourself (congratulations); it’s been a wild couple of years. go get ‘em slugger, shoot your shot, don’t forget us when you’re famous. Don’t tell anyone but we love you. “”I would like to put somewhere that everything is going to be okay.”” Julia Byrne
“”This is easily the worst ad in here and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”” - Isaiah Sirois “”The lack of capitalization makes it a good joke.”” - Jake Thompson “”Uh.”” - Diego Romero” From: Isaiah Sirois, Julia Byrne, Diego Romero, Jake Thompson
Dear Hailey Hernandez, You're the best president Emory Reads has ever had. I'm so proud of you for finishing your thesis! Thanks for being my homie for the past four years. I can't wait to see all the wonderful things you'll do in the future. Love, Michelle 22
Senior Reflection | Barnes & Fan
Sometimes Academia is Toxic, But I Know Knowledge is Beautiful Claire Barnes We will leave this institution with seals burning marks on our right shoulders, but we will also leave with sleepless nights and tired souls. Talking with my friends about time, and time here, we all came to the same conclusion: WE ARE TIRED. The institution draws many things from us — our funds, time, energy, expectations and intellectual property. For some, this drainage is much more personal and monumental than others. Whether this exhaustion comes from the foreignness of the campus — for those whose lives were not prepped for success by the system — or from the sharp sting of rejection or unproductive criticism, it’s hard to say. We have each given in
our own ways, and we have been drained. The release of the drain goes “pop!” and the water circles from the sink into an endless oblivion of pipes and waterways. While my reflection so far has been critical of Emory, the sink holds us up. What is the sink, you might ask? For me, the sink is knowledge. Knowledge, despite the toxicity of academia’s production culture, is deeply beautiful. When I sit in class and become enamored with an idea or person, I feel excited. When I sit on the quad and think about the nature of humanity and the world, I feel hopeful. When I hear other young scholars speak and challenge existing hegemonic forms of knowledge production, I feel inspired.
The drive of our generation to constantly create, remake and critique knowledge gives me tremendous joy. The joy of producing new knowledge exists in our lives outside of the academic system. Our curiosity and creativity will persist, strong and dynamic, regardless of the measures that judge their validity. My buttress to the cruelty of the system exists in the embrace of this knowledge — which like all, is subject to change and growth. We are enough, and we are more than our resumes. Our joys and creativities are valid. Our lives are valid. Our feet do not always need to be running, dashing, towards the next thing. Taking a breath is okay. Our truths are different, but our conversations at the intersection of these differences are important. My (somewhat) wise heart seeks
knowledge. To invoke our University’s motto etched in the common space of Dobbs Hall, my first-year dorm, “I seek the future.” Claire Barnes is from Los Angeles and served as an IDEAS Fellow and senior resident adviser. After graduation, Barnes will pursue a master’s in international political theory at the University of St. Andrews under the Bobby Jones Scholarship.
My Most Valuable Gift of College: Mercy Kevin O’Neil defines mercy as “entering into the chaos with others.” Father Kevin had a gift for lightening the darkness around people who suffered, but he had one flaw: he was reluctant to minister to the dying. It tore at him too much.
Reflecting back on my past four years at Emory, there are certain things I am relatively certain I will forget about 10 years from now. That laundry list is extensive, and often involves all the numbers and accolades: The grades I earned, the number of political arguments I won and the number of community service hours I logged. Those will all lay in the trash bin of my longterm semantic memory in due time. The greatest thing I’ve learned in college, thanks to my peers, is the gift of mercy. In a 2012 New York Times article published on Christmas following the Sandy Hook shootings, Father
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He mentions that, although he has “never found it easy to be with people who suffer,” it is often the best Christmas gift to him, better than any wrapped packages. In his words, “I am pulled out of myself to be love’s presence to someone else, even as they are love’s presence to me.” I’m sure every college student can describe a time where the simple act of getting out of bed was overwhelming — due not to simple fatigue, but to emotions far more serious and devastating. For most of us, that’s just life. What gets me through those times are the lifelong relationships and friends I’ve made in my time at Emory. Whether it’s the person who sits with you procrastinating a paper due in 30 minutes, or the ones who help you get out of bed when you find out
about a loved one’s devastating illness, I speak for many in saying that the moments that build these friendships are the memories we will remember. The numbers and results matter at the end of the day, and they matter a lot. For every Emory student, there is so much at stake: overwhelming student debt, familial expectations and our professional lives after college. The human condition, at its most basic, is anxious and uncertain. There’s a reason why food, shelter and safety lie at the base of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs — we need to alleviate those insecurities. But we are not machines of production. I’ve spent a lot of time with people older than myself at Emory, and I recall the moments of their senior years that they cherish the most. Some of them didn’t have jobs lined up after graduation, none of them had everything figured out. But they always stepped, for at least a moment, from the need to prove themselves, to give the gift mercy. They spent time with the
Ryan Fan
people they learned to love in their time, and stopped to enter into the chaos of those people, to allow their friends to do the same for them. Those were the times that they value most from their college days, and I suspect those are the times that we will value, too. In the midst of a seemingly never-ending amount of midterms, papers, and job and internship applications, let’s not forget to give and receive the gift of mercy to the people we met along the way. My last semester here at Emory has brought an onset of mixed feelings, ranging from nostalgia to relief to anticipation. But each of these emotions has been accompanied by and interwoven with one prevailing sentiment: a sense of gratitude. Ryan Fan is from Stony Brook, NY., and served as president of The Odyssey at Emory and a member of The Emory Wheel Editorial Board. After graduation, Fan will teach high school english in Baltimore, Md. with The New Teachers’ Project (TNTP).
Congratulations Seniors!
Congratulations
Jonah Elyachar!
Jonah, On this special day, We would like to congratulate you for a job well done. We want to take this chance to encourage you in whatever you choose to do in the future. During this graduation weekend you must look ahead and dream of all the bright possibilities that your future holds for you. We love you very much! Mom and Dad
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Congratulations Seniors!
Alisha
Compton
Alisha, Congratulations! We are so proud of you and of all that you have accomplished in your four years at Emory. We wish you all the best as you begin the next chapter of your journey. Love, Mom, Dad, and Evan
BENJAMIN MEINER
CONGRATULATIONS ANNA GLASS
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To our Ben - It seems like yesterday....we are so proud of you! Congratulations!! We love you forever! Mommy, Daddy and Jake
Congratulations Seniors!
Jialu Sun
LOVING LIFE I don’t want to consider If I’ll be able to succeed Since I’ve decide to go to a distant place, I’ll try my best to make the trip. I don’t want to consider If I’ll be able to obtain love Since I’m deep in love with roses I’ll show my sincerity boldly
Lucy, Congratulations! We are so proud of you! To love your life, everything can be expected! Love, Mom, Dad & Joy Sun
I don’t want to consider If I’ll meet with the cold wind and rain Since my destination is the horizon I’ll leave a deep impression on the Earth I don’t want to consider If my future will be smooth or bumpy If only I love my life Everything is to be expected. (By Guozhen Wang)
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Congratulations Seniors!
CONGRATULATIONS AMARA! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU! LOVE, THE STOKES FAMILY
Brianna Rifkin CONGRATULATIONS !! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND LOOK FORWARD TO ALL YOU HAVE TO OFFER AS YOU BEGIN YOUR WORK WITH TEACH FOR AMERICA. AND ... ALWAYS REMEMBER: “DON’T BE ORDINARY BE EXTRAORDINARY !!” XOXO, MOM-DAD-BRAD-JOSH-PRISCILLA BUBBIE-ZADIEPOP-MAMA
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Congratulations Seniors!
Congratulations Kiran!
Wishing you warm memories of the past and big dreams for the future. So proud of your many accomplishments! Best of luck as you head off to medical school. Love, Mom, Dad & Arnav
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Congratulations Seniors!
Victoria Broderick Congratulations Victoria! We are so proud of you & love you so much! Love, Mom, Dad & Jillian
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Congratulations Seniors!
Congratulations Hannah!
Congratulations Hayley Moyer!
Enjoy this day you have earned it! We are so incredibly proud of everything you have accomplished!
We are so proud of you! We Love You! Mom, Dad, Lauren, Erin and CoCo & Douglas
Jeff Kraprayoon Congratulations!
Chase your dreams and follow your heart. Live life to the fullest and give nothing but your best! Love you so much! Dad, Mom and Ashley
Dear Paris, As the youngest of seven, you are our last child to complete college…our baby! Over the years, we have watched you forge your own path and make your parents and siblings incredibly proud. You were able to do it all…school, track, clubs, and even a social life!! Everything you did was done well, always striving for excellence. As you leave your Atlanta home, the next year will be filled with exciting opportunities followed by a law school somewhere. We always told you that college would be the BEST four years of your life. It definitely was! We couldn’t be more thrilled for you and your future!! Love, mom, dad, Brooke, Ryan, Jordan, Loren, Lane and Chase xoxoxo
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Congratulations Seniors!
Dilys Osei Congratulations on all of your accomplishments. Keep on being you. We are all so proud. Love, Mom and Dad 3rd one’s the Charm…
Congratulations, Hallie!
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Congratulations Seniors!
Congratulations Lee
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Congratulations Seniors!
Congratulations Madison! We’re so very proud of you and can’t wait to see your future unfold. The world awaits! We love you. Mom, Dad, John & Max
Maggie McMahon "Nurses may not be angels, but they are the next best thing." Congratulations to our own angel!
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Congratulations Seniors!
Claire Danielle Bookhoop Philippians 1:9-11
Caleb F. Hand Your mother, father and brother are proud of you.
"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God."
We love you, Gaga, Papa, Mama, & Cal
Graduating from Candler School of Theology Emory University with a Masters of Divinity.
Erin Mahoney
THIS IS YOUR MUSEUM
Congratulations!
Sign up for your free student membership at carlos.emory.edu/studentmembership
The rocky path builds character and you made it to the peak. We are so proud of you. Love, Mom and Dad
Emory 2019
#carlosmuseum
STAY CONNECTED EVEN AFTER YOU SELL BACK YOUR LAST TEXTBOOK
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Congratulations Seniors!
Congratulations Luxshman!
We are proud of you. Wish you great success in your future endeavors.
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Congratulations Seniors!
Jarett Rovner This is only the beginning of great things to come your way. We are so proud of your achievements. “Suma Cum Laude� We Love You Mom, Dad, Zack and Alec 36
Congratulations Seniors!
Congratulations Ryan Blum! Ryan, We are so proud of who you are and everything you have accomplished. You are an incredibly dedicated, hard-working, compassionate, easy-going, considerate, and loyal person who is extremely loved by family and friends. We wish for you only happiness as you graduate and move on to the next stage of your life. You will be successful in everything you do because of who you are! We love you always and forever! Mom, Dad, Zach, Katie and Chelsea
Class of 2019 37 1
sie
C as
ooo o o S hin ooo ing S o o tar uc oh h!
Congratulations Seniors!
A You we re O u r l ov
oo
e y o u oo m sooo o
To: Safa Tinaztepe
To: Alex Kohlman and Julia Durmer
Congratulations, you made it into the adult life! You are an amazing human being and there is no one who deserves all the good things in life more than you. You are the kindest, most loving, smartest but also the humblest person I know, and you have such a successful future without a doubt! You are a ray of sunshine that brightens not only my life but of everyone around you, and Emory will definitely not be the same without you. Keep on being this incredible person that you are. I love you!
Our Dearest Mom and Dad, Thank you both for loving us and being one of our greatest support systems this year. We adore you guys so much and are so proud of everything you have and will accomplish! Mom, we hope you’ll always be the life of the party. Dad, we hope you keep on vibing to great music. You’ve been our rocks and we don’t know where we would be without you! We would wish you luck... but y’all don’t need it.
From: portaPODy
From: Gizem Terzioglu
Class of 2019
Class of 2019
To: Martin Schreiner
To: Evan McGorty
Martin!!! I’m so happy I’ve gotten to know another awesome computer science musician such as yourself! We met back in Music 200 and CS 224 (I think?), and I’m really happy we’ve become good friends this semester. If by the time you are reading this we are somehow mortal enemies, I will destroy you. Otherwise I hope we had a fun time at the aquarium and were able to finish our final CS project! I’m going to miss you next year, best of luck leaving everything to move to the big city (lol). -Scrub
You are the strongest man I have ever met, not to mention auspiciously charming. You and Niko have molded Emory into the best environment possible. Come graduation, there will be a goober-sized hole in all of our spirits. As mars transcends retrograde, you shall continue to prosper. There are not enough words to thank your and Niko’s contributions as scholars, mentors, and friends.
From: Anonymous
From: Naomi Keusch Baker
Class of 2019
Class of 2019
381
Congratulations Seniors!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR BBA
CLASS OF 2019! From the BBA Program Office 39
Congratulations Seniors!
Peter
Steinberg
We heard the Buzz you created in Atlanta and are so proud to be along for the ride! Looking forward to Overwatching the next steps in your journey & seeing you make your dreams come true. We love you very much, Mom, Dad, Margot and Casey (and the cousins too)!!!
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Congratulations Seniors!
Emory University Class of 2019
Well Done For life to be a fairy tale, perhaps all you need is to believe.
You become what you believe.
Ruomu Liu
Congratulations
If there is anything you need, we will not be far away. Remember, near or far, you’ve got family to share your load. We love you as much as a human heart can, Kiddo.
We want you to be the best version of yourself. 41
Congratulations Seniors!
Caroline Henry
Caroline, YOU DID IT. Double majoring. Taking heavy course loads. Working. Volunteering. You found a way and made it happen. YOU ARE SO LOVED. We are so proud of you. Love, Mom & Dad Bonnie, Calvin, Helene & Sean
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Congratulations Seniors!
AnnaBeth Daley
Congratulations Anya!
From NICU baby to NICU Nurse We couldn’t be prouder. We love you, Momma, Dad, and Buddy
We Love You!
Daniel Weinberg
Cassie Newland Congratulations, Cassie! You've always been the coolest. We love you!
Congratulations Derek! We're so proud of you! Lots of success, good health, and happiness always. All our love, Mom, Dad, Carly, Tyler, Grandma, Nana & Pop
We are so proud of you, and all your accomplishments! Wishing you the best of luck as you begin this new chapter in your life. With all our love, Mom, Dad, and Sara
Congratulations Stephen!
Elizabeth H. Liang
We are so very proud of you and everything that you have accomplished at Emory. You are genuine, intelligent, humble, and you are always making us laugh. We know you are going to have an incredible journey ahead of you. You are such a hard worker, and looking back at all that you have done, you should really celebrate who you are! We love you so very much and will be with you every step of the way. Love, Mom, Dad, and Austin
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Emory University 2019
Congratulations Daniel on your college graduation! We are proud of your perseverance and dedication to your accomplishments and college degree! Love, Mom and Dad
Congratulations Sean!
Congratulations! We’re proud of your accomplishments and such a loving, kind and goal driven lady that you’ve become. Remember that you can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. Good luck with what the future holds. Love, Dad, Mom & Jonathan
Congratulations Seniors!
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Congratulations Seniors!
Marissa Noelle Robinson Congratulations on attaining this milestone. We’re proud of you. You’re going to ROCK the world! Love, Mom, Dad and Matt
Morgan Berenbaum
Congratulations on your graduation and your next step to Law School. We are enormously proud of all that you have accomplished, with your tenacity, hard work, and enthusiasm. Words can’t describe how proud we are of you. Xoxoxo We Love you, Mom, Dad, Kimberly and Lauren
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Congratulations Seniors!
Tommy Baumgartner
Thanks for 4 great Emory years! Best of luck in NYC Love, Mom, Dad, Rita, Billy, Grace and Jon
Yasmeen Johnson
Congratulations Yasmeen! We are all so proud of the woman you have become and all that you have accomplished. You're destined for great things to come! Love from all of the family
Tyler Harden
You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you know.
Signed with love, Proud Mom & Dad May 13, 2019 46
Congratulations Seniors! Sydney, For all you have achieved and will achieve in the future, for the excellent example you continue to set for your sister and brother, for the wonderful person you are, we love you and are always so proud of you. Congratulations. Love,
Justine Zimmerman Congratulations! FĂŠlicitations! We are so happy and proud to celebrate your accomplishment! Much love from your family 47
Jules, Myles, Joyce and Dad
Congratulations Seniors!
Sylvie Moscovitz
Congratulations! We are so very proud of you. We are proud of your strength, your determination, your creativity, your compassion and your many accomplishments at Emory. You never cease to amaze us. Now, go out and amaze the world! All Our Love, Mommy, Daddy and Sarah
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Congratulations Seniors!
CONGRATULATIONS Samfish Sestanovich Emory 2019 Graduate!!! We love you! We are very proud!! Stop and smell the flowers on the way to your next adventure .... With much love, Mom, Dad, Casey Jane and Harley the Dog (plus Nana and the cats)
Shen-Jie (Jay) Syz Congratulations! We very much look forward to continuing this journey with you Love Baba & Mama Steve , Kelly & Ryan
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Congratulations Seniors!
Sujith Swarna Class of 2019
Congratulations, Sujith on your great achievement! You persevered, stayed on course and prevailed, showing that you believed in the power of your potential. May God bless your journey with rewarding joy and your life with true success. We love you and are so proud of you! Love always, Dad, Mom, Grandpa, Grandma and Sumama
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Congratulations Seniors!
na Kate Stephens i r a M
CONGRATULATIONS!
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" Congratulations Kiran! May all your dreams come true Love, Didu, Anya, Unks & Aunty Anju
Kiran Bhutada
Congratulations Lauren!
We are so proud of all you have accomplished at Emory and can’t wait to see all the amazing things you are going to do in the future! Love: Mom, Dad, Cory, Oliver, Savta, Saba, Grandma & Papa
Lauren Azmon & Natalya Gomes Congratulations to two beautiful young women who picked each other as roommates freshman year, and stayed roommates and best of friends for all four years. Here’s to college friends forever! Love Linda & Dan
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Congratulations Seniors!
n Co
tions, A a l u t ma g ra
ra
Congratulations Lauren! We’re excited to see what you’ll achieve at U of Michigan and beyond! Love, Mom, Dad, and Kylie
Derek Zoock
“A ship in harbor is safe — but that is not what ships are built for.” — John A. Shedd. The past 4 years have flown by, but the memories of your adventures will last forever Oxford, Nerf Club, London, NYC, Gymnastics, Climbing and Clairmont! Now, go be a ship and start your next adventure, and remember that family will always be your harbor. We are very proud of you and we love you - Dad, Mom and Jordan
I love you Proud Mom
Maya Valderrama Class of 2019
Behind you, all your memories; Before you, all your dreams; Around you, all who love you; Within you, all you need. Congratulations Maya! With love and pride today and always, Mom, Dad, Ariana and Julian
Yusuke Congratulations!!! We are so proud of you. You are a wonderful son! We love you so much! Love, Mom & Dad 52
Congratulations Seniors!
a n H i t s i o r n h g C u t l a a tions r g n o ! C
Biology Faculty Award Winner Wishing you fun, laughter, love and happiness. You have a special place in my heart - always. Much Love, Your Mom
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Congratulations Seniors!
The Emory Music Department Congratulates its
Graduating Seniors! 9 1 0 2 Christopher Batterman*** Zola Berger-Schmitz** Anna Bing* Rachel Chan Xinran Chen Rachel Chon** Amanda Delgado Sahrudh Dharanendra Kathy Li* Patricia Lin
Catherine MacGregor** Cana McGhee*** Qifan Pei Joshua Pynn Claire Roesler** Allison Rose Alexander Sabol Martin Schreiner* Ryan Shacklette Danielle Staffin
Olivia Stam** Stephanie Zhang* Vinnie Zhang Leo Zhao* * ** ***
Senior Recital Senior Honors Recital Senior Honors Thesis
Sujith Swarna Class of 2019 Congratulations, Sujith on your great accomplishment! We love you and are very proud of you. Love and blessings, Uncle Keith & Aunt Donnie
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