GRADUATION MAGAZINE 2016
GRAD MAG PRODUCED | EDITED | DESIGNED: STEPHEN FOWLER COPY EDITED: BENAZIR WEHELIE FRONT PAGE PHOTO: JASON OH, STAFF | BACK PAGE PHOTO: BENAZIR WEHELIE, COPY CHIEF
CONTENTS
YEARS IN PHOTOS
SENIOR BUCKET LIST ON FIRE COMMENCEMENT BINGO CONGRATULATIONS
The Graduation Magazine is an annual publication for Commencement produced by one or more of the graduating seniors on the Editorial Board.
THE YEARS IN PHOTOS 2012-2016
Internet personality and performer DJ Khaled performs during Dooley’s Week 2016 | Albert Feng, Staff
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI
Emily Saliers (’85C) and Amy Ray (’86C) of the Indigo Girls perform on McDonough Field at Homecoming 2015 | Albert Feng, Staff
Former President Jimmy Carter speaks to the Emory community at the annual Carter Town Hall | Hagar Elsayed, Photo Editor
WORLD LEADERS
CELEBRATIONS
James W. Dooley, Lord of Misrule, raises his undead hand in celebration at the Emory Pride Drag Show | Julia Munslow, Executive Editor
ACTIVISM
Students protest outside the Administration Building in response to “Trump 2016� chalkings around campus | Julia Munslow, Executive Editor
Snow falls at Dobbs Hall | Tianzhang Shen, Contributing
The Emory Symphony Orchestra performs music from Star Wars | Wenyun Fan, Contributing
CULTURE
NATURE
FRIENDSHIPS
Two students take a selfie with Dooley during Wonderful Wednesday | Albert Feng | Staff
The Emory Women’s Swimming and Diving team celebrates winning the 2015 University Athletic Association Championships | Staff The Emory Women’s Softball Team huddles up on the diamond | Staff
CHAMPIONSHIPS
revisiting the sen Now that our time is up on campus, it’s time to take a look back at the Wheel’s Senior Bucket List to see what we’ve all accomplished.
Trick-or-Treating at the Lullwater House
Make a Mandala
The mandala is a sacred art Remember that terrible neigh- form and is created by Buddhist bor that always gave you Sun- monks in which they shave inMaid raisins for Halloween? dividual grains of colored sand. Fear not. This Halloween, The Tibetan Buddhist monks make your way down to Pres- studying here as part of the ident J. Wag’s gingerbread Emory-Tibet Partnership start castle in Lullwater for the re- this process at the beginning ally good treats. Word on the of Tibet Week, normally hoststreet is that he gives out full- ed in March, and extinguish sized candy bars. It’s probably the creation during the final one of the only opportunities ceremony to show nothing is you’ll have to see the inside of permanent ( just like your colthe house. All the money spent lege career). A separate manbuilding the place apparently dala is created to encourage didn’t leave room in the bud- student participation. Now is get for streetlamps, so expect your final chance to learn about a spooky walk. Don’t worry, your fellow students’ traditions though — the a cappella groups and gain insight into a part of singing at his house during the Tibetan Buddhist culture. the night will guide your way.
by fuad haddad college senior
Write Dooley Poetry Students may come and students may go — out of class, if Dooley allows it. The only way to win this skeleton’s heart is to write him some sweet, tender poetry. If you have not experienced the joy that is dropping the mic and swaggering out of your White Hall 201 class, put on your Shakespeare hat and fire your limericks away before it is too late. Plus, he generally hangs out for a bit afterwards so you can finally get your photo taken with him. Swim in the Medical School Fountain You look at it every day on your walk to Clifton for your Biology class. The water looks crystal clear, cascading down the steps. You think to yourself: “I could probably take some awesome “Friends” themed pictures for my Instagram in there.” Yeah, you could, if you go ahead and hop right in.
enior bucket list Go to Maggie’s For the 21-year-old and over crowd, there’s no place better to spend money on overpriced alcohol than Emory’s favorite dive bar, nearby Maggie’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill. Since 1994 when an Emory student became a bartender and invited all of his friends, Maggie’s has grown into an Emory staple. Located conveniently just far enough away from campus to require an Uber, check out the location in Toco Hills for a one of a kind experience you’ll hopefully remember. Be on a First-Name Basis With Pasta John “Pasta John” resides in his humble abode at Cox Dining Hall. Apart from cooking delicious pasta dishes, he has spent over 15 years working at Emory and always offers a smile, advice or good food. He built such a great reputation among students that he was asked to man his own restaurant in Cox in fall 2014.
Sleepover Party at Woodruff Library Who hasn’t spent a long night at club libs? Whether it is upcoming tests, long essays, finals week or a free weekend with friends, why not spend a full night with all your bedding, pillows and blankets at Woodruff? Study lounges could become pillow forts. That weirdly quiet Matheson Reading Room could become a hide-and-seek battleground. Give a new, positive meaning to the conventional term, “all-nighter” — this one could finally be on your own terms, and a lot better than cramming for a chemistry final. Visit Oxford During Spirit Week There is no better time to explore Emory’s original home in Oxford, Ga., than during Spirit Week. The Student Activities Committee (SAC) showcases a full week of fun activities, such as a field and spirit day, culminating into their spring concert. In previous years, SAC has invited artists such as T-Pain and Big Sean. For interested adventurers, Spirit Week falls during the spring semester, usually around but not coinciding with Dooley’s Week. It’s not that far away, guys, and you’re not truly getting the Emory experience until you’ve visited both campuses.
Attend Diwali Harder to get into than any frat party and with lines longer than Superman at Six Flags, Diwali — hosted by the Indian Cultural Exchange (ICE) — is one of the most coveted events of the year. The “Festival of Lights” earns its title through dance entertainment, ethnic food and an awesome venue, meriting ICE the program of the year. Experiencing and sharing in other cultures is why many of you came to a diverse university like Emory, and this is one of the few times a year the entire community comes together to celebrate such a unique experience. You’ve told yourself for three years now that next year you’ll face the lines, get your ticket and see what Diwali is all about, but this is your last shot. Leave a Legacy For many of us, whether we like it or not, today we will be crossing that stage, transitioning from our collegiate to postgraduate lives. Whether it may be the knowledge you have gained, the fruits of your extracurricular activities, the hearts of friends you have touched or even some items on this bucket list, we challenge the senior class to leave a unique legacy so that we may walk away from this university proud to hail the gold and blue.
ON FIRE
On Fire is a semi-regular anonymous column that graces the Sports section with clever insights, witty repartee and, occasionally, sports Hello, your loyal On Fire Correspondent, here! Actually, that sounds too formal. How about: "Howdy," "Ayyyyy" or "Yo"? Either way, I digress. It has been a while since I have graced your eyes with my wisdom, humor and irreverent takes on all things sports (and not sports). Today, your noble On Fire Correspondent(s) is(are) graduating, and he(they) would like to share some different wisdom than normal before crossing that stage. I’m sure you’re all familiar with this oft-quoted line from the writers of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It represents the hope of a new nation, a new start and a promise to better the world. Today, those of us graduating are here at the commencement of our own Declaration of sorts - the culmination of our years of exploration, application and inspiration. If I were to take my red pen and edit this for the present day, I’d have to say that about 240 years later, the words of our Founding Fathers ring true – with one exception. You see, our purpose in life is not to live in the “pursuit of happiness,” but rather “Happiness in the Pursuit.” We are here today because we are in the pursuit of something. Knowledge. A pathway to a better life. A chance to change the world. The word ‘pursuit’ hearkens back to the French word porsuir, whose definition is not only “to seek,” but also “to continue” “to claim” and “to possess,” and all of these definitions are evident in our purpose in life. Pursuit is evident in Emory’s motto, “cor prudentis possidebit scientiam,” or “The wise heart seeks knowledge.” Sitting on this Quad today, pursuit is evident as we symbolically and literally take the steps to continue on into the rest of our lives. Pursuit is evident as we have claimed our ambitions, affiliations and affectations that comprise our iden-
tity, and it is evident in the passions we all possess. We have pursued many things in our time here at Emory: through research and relationships, extracurriculars and existential life questions, triumphs and tribulations. Yet no one I have met here has actually reached pursuit’s end. Here in this bastion of inspiration, we have been instilled with an inquisitive nature of pursuit as a never ending means, a constant push to know more, grow more and to show more of who they are. Happiness, in the Aristotelian sense, has been defined as flourishing, or “living the good life.” In our time here, we have all found our own ways to live the good life – big or small – that have affected us for the better. Happiness manifests itself in the dancer with a passion for poetry or a biologist moonlighting in economics. It’s the student leader with a heart for change making a lasting impact on the community. It’s freshman year mischief evolving into senior year memories. Happiness is not some end goal we hope to check off our life’s to-do list before we die. It’s not something tangible we can seek, continue, claim or possess. Rather, in the process of the pursuit of our passions, we find our own life worth living. Happiness comes from a shared human condition of always pushing to see more, do more, be more. It’s something that everyone in the world experiences in their own way, at their own pace. So in leaving you these final words, I hope that you look back on your time so far and pinpoint things that make you happy. Find the things you love to do and do them until the end of time. As we enter into the next stages of our lives, we hold the reins to control how our story develops. With that, share your passions. Love more freely and openly. Eat good food, make good friends. Articulate your purpose, embrace your passion and find happiness in the pursuit. xoxo.
COMMENCEMENT BINGO! SOMEONE FAINTS FROM GEORGIA HEAT
YOU (OR YOUR PARENTS) ARE HUNGOVER
CRYING, OF A HAPPY SORT
CRYING, OF A SAD SORT
SOMEONE NEXT TO YOU FALLS ASLEEP
CAP IS DECORATED SENTIMENTALLY
CAP IS DECORATED IRONICALLY
AIRHORN
SPEAKER MENTIONS THE FUTURE
POST ON FACEBOOK ABOUT DAY
SPEAKER MENTIONS THE PAST
CRYING, OF A BABY SORT
FREE (READ: 60K TUITION) SPACE
ACTUALLY FINDING THE RESTROOM
SPEAKER QUOTES SHAKESPEARE
NEEDING TO USE THE RESTROOM
THINK ABOUT LUNCH, POST-10 A.M.
THE WORD “PASSION” IS MENTIONED
THREE HOURS OF TRAFFIC TO ARRIVE
READER BUTCHERS A NAME
SHOW UP LATE AS A GRADUATE
THREE HOURS OF TRAFFIC TO DEPART
GOOGLE “KILT” “BAGPIPES” OR “IS IT OVER YET”
THINK ABOUT LUNCH, PRE-10 A.M.
SHOW UP LATE AS A PARENT
The Dooley statue rests eternally overlooking Asbury Circle | Hagar Elsayed | Photo Editor
CONGRATS CLASS OF 2016
#blessup