The Emory Wheel
index
Emory Events Calendar, Page 2
Police Record, Page 2
Arts and Entertainment, Page 9
Crossword Puzzle, Page 8
Staff Editorial, Page 6
Sports, Page 11
Since 1919
The Independent Student Newspaper of Emory University www.emorywheel.com
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Jones Wins 2015 McMullan Award The College of Arts and Sciences selected Jovonna Jones as this year’s winner of the 2015 Lucius Lamar McMullan Award, which grants $25,000 to a College senior who exhibits leadership skills and a penchant for community outreach, according to an April 3 College press release. Faculty members who nominated Jones, an African American studies major and philosophy minor from just outside of Boston, highlighted her revamping of the Black Student Alliance (now the Black Student Union), her work as an intern at the Center for Women and her research for two fellowship programs. Faculty and staff write recommendations for McMullan nominees — “exceptional members of the senior class” — and send their nominations to a committee of College faculty members who select a recipient, according to Associate Director of the Honor Council Jason Ciejka. Jones will officially receive the accolade, an endowment given by corporate lawyer William L. Matheson (’43C, ’47G) that was first awarded in 1996, at this year’s College diploma ceremony during Commencement on May 11. When she heard the news last Tuesday, Jones said she was shocked, as McMullan recipients aren’t notified when they are nominated — only when they’ve won. On Monday, March 30, Jones received an email from Andrea Lentz, the assistant to Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Joanne Brzinski, requesting that she meet with Brzinski and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Robin Forman without specifying the reason. “When I sat down with Dean Brzinski, she asked, ‘Do you know why you’re here?’” Jones recalled.
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Every Tuesday and Friday
taste of africa
awards
By Lydia O’Neal News Editor
Volume 96, Issue
Jones mentioned several ways she might use the money: a vacation for her parents’ wedding anniversary in May, a foundation to support photography education and scholarships, traveling and simply saving most of the $25,000 prize.
Jovonna Jones, College senior and 2015 Lucius Lamar McMullan Award recipient While Jones plans to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in photography at Georgia State University and received highest honors for her thesis on the work of black women photographers last week, much of her time at Emory has been rooted in social activism. As a sophomore and president of the Black Student Alliance (BSA) in 2013, she allied the group with other campus organizations, changed its name to the Black Student Union, helped redefine its goals and mentored its new leaders. Following University President James W. Wagner’s controversial reference to the three-fifths compromise in a column that year, Jones wrote a Wheel op-ed from the BSA’s perspective and later joined a livestreamed discussion with three other speakers for a Huffington Post video debate. “That was remarkable, the way she turned [the BSA] around,” said African American Studies Professor Nagueyalti Warren, one of the nine faculty members and administrators who nominated Jones. Warren added that, at the time, the BSA came close to becoming obsolete.
See McMullan, Page 3
A
Courtesy of Cam St. Julien
byssinian Experience performs various traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean dances on Saturday evening at the Emory African Student Association’s annual “Taste of Africa 2015: So You Think You Know Africa?” in Cox Hall Ballroom. The event featured food, dancing, music and performances from groups such as Samba Diallo, An Ka Fo Drum & Dance, Zuri African Dance Troupe and others.
Campus life
Survey Examines Emory’s Response to Sexual Assault By Sarah Husain Staff Writer
Just a few hours after the Division of Campus Life and the Office of the Provost released a survey on Tuesday, March 31 on the University’s sexual misconduct policy and sexual assault prevention, more than 600 students had already completed it, according to Carolyn Livingston, senior associate vice president of Campus Life and Title IX Coordinator for Students. As of Monday evening, April 6, Livingston said that 1,109 students have taken the survey. This survey is the first of its kind
at Emory and is part of an initiative by the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs and the Division of Campus Life, according to Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life Ajay Nair. Nair explained that this survey is not in response to changes in policy or any new issues with sexual assault at Emory University. “Simply put, we want to better understand the thoughts and perceptions our students have about these critical issues on our campus,” Nair wrote in an email to the Wheel. “Our goal is to be a prominent resource on violence prevention, advocacy and
response.” Nair said that he wanted to know student views of Emory’s sexual misconduct policy, assault prevention programs and response initiatives. Last year, Emory was included in a list of 55 U.S. colleges released by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights that are under federal review for the handling of sexual violence allegations. Last year the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault also released a report detailing recommendations for dealing with sexual assault on college campuses. It recommended that universities conduct a “campus climate”
relay for life
student government
New SGA Sworn In, Speaker Elected
survey to understand the extent of the issue on its campus. The Association of American Universities worked with the White House task force to develop a survey for member schools, such as Emory, to use. According to Livingston, Emory opted out of using that survey because the administration wanted a survey tailored to the Emory community. Last summer, the Sexual Violence Prevention Visioning Task Force, a committee that includes Emory faculty, staff and students as well as scientists from the Centers for
See CAMPUS, Page 3
Commencement
Berman Selected as 2015 Class Orator
By Luke White Senior Staff Writer
By Lydia O’Neal News Editor
The 49th Legislature of the Emory Student Government Association (SGA) gathered for the first time on Monday evening, marking the transition between new and old SGA regimes. SGA also elected Sophomore Representative and College sophomore Crystal McBrown as its Speaker of the Legislature for the upcoming year after a quick vote. College junior and new SGA President Raj Tilwa was sworn in at the meeting as the outgoing president, College junior Jon Darby, looked on. There was little to discuss at the meeting, which was largely ceremonial. However, the one important procedure that took place was a vote to determine who would replace outgoing Speaker of the Legislature and Goizueta Business School senior Luke Bucshon. McBrown and SGA Sophomore Representative and College sophomore Cameron Duncan were the only members of SGA who ran for the position, and they both gave brief speeches explaining their credentials
A selection committee chose College senior Orli Berman as this year’s class orator, who will speak at the College of Arts and Sciences’ diploma ceremony as part of Commencement on May 11, according to a Friday press release from the College.
See attendance, Page 4
S
Erin Baker/Staff
tudents participated in shaving cream wars on McDonough Field during Relay for Life’s main event on Friday evening. Proceeds from the event went towards funding cancer research. The event included games and activities such as an Easter egg hunt, kickboxing, tiedyeing and a bouncey house.
lecture
Professor Lectures on Chinese Rituals By Emily Lim Staff Writer
University of Michigan Anthropology professor Erik Mueggler used death rituals by the Yi ethnic minority in southwest China to show how this group subjects the dead to a form of politics on Monday evening, as part of the anthropology department’s Distinguished Speaker
News College senior Orli Berman chosen as 2015 class orator ... PAGE 4
Series. More than 30 faculty members, undergraduate and graduate students attended the lecture, “Songs for Dead Parents: the Politics of a Minority Literature,” which was sponsored by the Confucius Institute at Emory, the Hightower Fund, the Russian and East Asian Languages and Cultures department and East Asian Studies. Mueggler’s research focuses on
OP-EDs Columns:
caffeine and the nuclear deal
...
PAGE 6
ritual, religion, science and nature in China’s border regions as well as social and cultural theory, according to University of Michigan’s website. Mueggler stated that the Yi in the 1950s in Zhi Zuo, China facilitated relations among the living. The dead were considered social beings and were thus subject to politics, he said. Mueggler distinguished three main types of songs that describe the
A&E Atlanta Film Festival
explores cinema and the moviegoing experience
...
PAGE 9
Orli Berman, College senior and 2015 class orator
stages of death: first, the “cradling” of the soul until it is lifted; second, the “clothing” of the soul by monkey skins; third, the “return songs” in which the soul is returned to life. The songs, according to Mueggler, illustrate the fundamentals of the politics of death, in which the dead must be controlled in order to give
The only speaker at the diploma ceremony, Berman, an international studies and economics major from Bethesda, Maryland, applied for the opportunity to serve as class orator and, along with 25 other applicants and students nominated by College seniors, wrote a 500-word version of her speech to the committee. She and several other selected finalists then auditioned for the position by revis-
See mueggler, Page 3
See ORATOR, Page 4
Sports Track & Field
D1 athletes at High Point ... Page 11 competes against
Next Issue
President Carter’s lecture on Ebola ... Friday
2
The Emory Wheel
News
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
news roundup
Corrections
National, Local and Higher Education News
• Responding to an attack on Garissa University on April 2 that left 148 people dead, Kenyan fighter jets bombed two camps of al-Shabaab, the militant group responsible for last week’s attack, in neighboring Somalia on Sunday night. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta vowed that the counterattack on the militants would continue beyond the recent airstrikes. • A Zhangzhou, China plant producing the flammable chemical paraxylene exploded and sparked large fires on Monday night for the second time in two years. The plant’s location has caused protests
from residents who fear pollution from the plant could be a health hazard. • The Coast Guard rescued a sailor stranded in the Atlantic Ocean for more than two months on Friday. Louis Jordan, 37, had been surviving on raw fish he caught with his clothes and rainwater for 66 days after a storm caused his sailboat to flip. He suffered a shoulder injury and dehydration. • On Monday, the University of Virginia’s Phi Kappa Psi fraternity announced plans to sue Rolling Stone magazine, which
in November published and then quickly retracted a story describing a brutal gang rape committed by several fraternity brothers in the Phi Kappa Psi house. The announcement followed the magazine’s publishing a damning external review of the reporting used for the November article. • Several members of two small rock bands, including the former drummer of Lynyrd Skynyrd, were killed when the driver lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree off of Interstate 85 early Monday morning. The two bands, Wormreich, of Spartanburg, South
• On March 31 at 1:28 a.m., an individual was arrested for trespassing on Emory’s Briarcliff Campus. The individual was identified as Grant Powell. Powell had been arrested by EPD on previous occasions. When officers met with the individual, he said that he did not know he was on Emory property. He was transported
to DeKalb County Jail. • On April 1 at 3:04 p.m., EPD responded to a call regarding a dispute between two Sodexo employees. The fight occurred in the kitchen area. One employee threatened another individual while holding a pot of hot water. Both of the individuals made physical contact with each other. The employees have had prior altercations. Information regarding the case was turned over to an investigator.
— Compiled by Asst. Digital Editor Writer Brandon Fuhr
The Emory Wheel Volume 96, Number 44 © 2015 The Emory Wheel
Dobbs University Center, Room 540 605 Asbury Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322 Business (404) 727-6178 Editor-in-Chief Dustin Slade (404) 727-0279 Founded in 1919, The Emory Wheel is the financially and editorially independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University in Atlanta. The Wheel is a member publication of Media Council, Emory’s organization of student publications. The Wheel reserves the rights to all content as it appears in these pages, and permission to reproduce material must be granted by the editor in chief. The Wheel is published twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions. A single copy of the Wheel is free of charge. To purchase additional copies, please call (404) 727-6178. The statements and opinions expressed in the Wheel are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Wheel Editorial Board or of Emory University, its faculty, staff or administration. The Wheel is also available online at www.emorywheel.com.
• A large DeKalb County apartment fire sent flames shooting out of the building’s windows and displaced 20 people on Sunday. Firefighters will continue to investigate the cause of the blaze, which they believe started in a vacant unit.
— Compiled by News Editor Lydia O’Neal
• In the last issue of The Emory Wheel, Laura Emiko Soltis was quoted in paragraph 17 of the article “Emory To Offer Aid To Undocumented Students” as saying that she was working with schools in Georgia to pursue policies similar to Emory’s. This is incorrect, as the schools mentioned are public and therefore cannot have similar financial aid policies. • In the last issue of The Emory Wheel, a photo of the Zeta Beta Tau charity ball had an incorrect photo credit. The photo was taken by staff photographer Erin Baker. • In the last issue of The Emory Wheel, a graphic displaying admissions statistics for the Class of 2019 was incorrectly attributed. The graphic, as well as the data, was provided by Emory Admissions. The Wheel reports and corrects all errors published in the newspaper and at emorywheel.com. Please contact Editor-in-Chief Dustin Slade at dustin.slade@emory.edu.
Events at emory
police RECORD • On March 30 at 3:55 p.m., Emory Police Department (EPD) was notified of an arrest of an Emory student at Princeton University. The individual was arrested for underage possession of alcohol. Information regarding the arrest was turned over to Campus Life.
Carolina, and Kult ov Azazel, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, canceled their Monday night Atlanta show.
• In the last issue of The Emory Wheel, paragraph 17 of the story “Emory To Offer Aid To Undocumented Students” incorrectly stated that Freedom University Executive Director Laura Emiko Solitis works with student groups for undocumented student advocacy at the University of Georgia and the Georgia Institute of Technology. There are no such advocacy groups at those schools.
TUESDAY Event: Emory Farmers Market Time: 11 a.m. Location: Cox Bridge Event: Building Online Exhibits Time: 2 p.m. Location: Emory Center for Digital Scholarship, Robert W. Woodruff Library Level 3 Event: Dr. Aric Hagberg Time: 2:30 p.m. Location: Mathematics and Science Center E300 Event: International Transient Study Open Office Hours Time: 3 p.m. Location: CIPA Office, Candler Library 200
Three
Event: “Love Beyond Reach: Mughal Paintings of Indian Heroines” Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Michael C. Carlos Museum Event: Guest Lecture — Molly Emma Aitken Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Carlos Museum, Reception Hall Event: Emory Chamber Ensembles Time: 8 p.m. Location: Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Emerson Concert Hall
WEDNESDAY
Event: Queer & Asian Discussion Group Time: 5:30 p.m. Location: Office of LGBT Life, Dobbs University Center 232E
Event: IACUC 101 Series Atlanta Conference — IACUC 101 Time: 7 a.m. Location: Emory Conference Center Hotel
Event: Dr. Mzwandile Ginindza Talk Time: 5:30 p.m. Location: 201 Modern Languages Building
Event: Toastmasters@Emory weekly meeting Time: 8 a.m. Location: Room 231 of Health Sciences Library Building
Event: Mughal Painting Lecture Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Michael C. Carlos Museum, Reception Hall, Level
Event: The Liberation Theology of Ferguson Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Rita Anne Rollins Building, Room 252
Event: Korean Culture Fair Time: 11 a.m. Location: Dobbs University Center Main Floor Event: EndNote Introduction Time: 11 a.m. Location: Room 312, Robert W. Woodruff Library Event: Meet the Editor & Agent Time: 12 p.m. Location: Room 162, Center for Ethics Event: How Do We Know A Good Election When We See One?: Challenges in Measuring Electoral Quality and the Potential for Academic/Practitioner Partnership Time: 12 p.m. Location: Carlos Museum Reception Hall, 3rd Floor Event: Learning Analytics Speaker Series: Hail to the Data: What We’re Learning from Learning Analytics Time: 12 p.m. Location: White Hall, Room 103 Event: IQTM Event of Interest: Is ‘Big Data’ a Cause or an Effect? Filtering Signals from Noise Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: GBS Room W304
Event: Marisol, by José Rivera Time: 7 p.m. Location: Mary Gray Munroe Theater, Dobbs University Theater Event: Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), film screening Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Atwood Chemistry Center
THURSDAY Event: 8th Annual Ira Ferguson Lectureship: Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Time: 7 a.m. Location: Emory University Hospital Auditorium Event: Former Pres. Jimmy Carter: Ebola, Democracy, Human Rights and Public Health Time: 2:30 p.m. Location: MSC E208 Event: Korea Night Live: Identity Talk Show Time: 5 p.m. Location: White Hall 208 Event: Jazz on the Green Time: 6 p.m. Location: Patterson Green, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts
The Emory Wheel
Mueggler Explains Yi’s Politics Surrounding Death
Continued from Page 1 life to the living. Throughout the lecture, Mueggler played clips from a recording of a rendition of part of a death ritual by an àpjp’ò — a “man who speaks” or a shaman. The death ritual example, in the form of a 72-verse speech, would have taken eight hours to perform and would have delivered a “massive construction project” at least once a year to build a world for the dead. “The dead must be subjected to a regime of exchange and sacrifice,” Mueggler said. “It reflects the imperialism of life by which political and economic regimes keep the dead in control under the eyes of Ya Luo Wang [the king of the underworld].” Although the tradition of reciting the poetic verse disappeared after the Great Leap Forward in China in the late 1950s, other funeral rituals still remain, Mueggler said. The anthropology department invites at least two guest speakers from outside of Emory every academic year, according to Jenny Chio, an assistant professor of Anthropology and co-organizer of the Committee for the Distinguished Speaker Series. She explained that the department invited Mueggler as part of its seminar series, which invites one cultural anthropologist and one biological anthropologist. “[Mueggler] is one of the most active and dynamic scholars of Chinese anthropology,” Chio said. “We invite guest speakers, because it is important for students to engage with the scholar, as opposed to just reading their works.”
Mueggler has published two books on the cultural history of China including The Age of Wild Ghosts: Memory, Violence and Place in Southwest China (2001) and The Paper Road: Archive and Experience in the Botanical Exploration of West China and Tibet (2011). Chio said he hoped that the lecture would not only invoke students’ interest in modern Chinese culture but would also represent an anthropological perspective fused with different areas of learning. “The first goal is that the lecture will increase the conversations and discussions on studies of contemporary China,” Chio said. “Secondly, it will present an anthropological perspective on religious texts, fusing ideas from the religion and East Asian studies departments.” College sophomore Abbie Zhang, who attended the lecture for an anthropology class she is taking, described the lecture as interesting and new but also confusing. “I was a little confused as [Mueggler] introduced terms I do not understand,” Zhang said. “The culture was very new to me and helped me to know more about minorities.” College junior Joyce Guo said she found the talk personally relatable because of her nationality. “I’m Chinese, but I have never heard of these people and learned a lot of new information,” Zhang said. But like Zhang, she also expressed her confusion. “There were so many terms, some of which I did not understand.”
— Contact Emily Lim at emily.lim@emory.edu
News
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
3
Campus Sexual Assault Survey Contains Trigger Warnings asking if students have been in situations where they or their friends have Disease Control and Prevention intervened. If students have reported (CDC), worked together to use a pub- sexual violence, then what was their lic health approach to implement vio- perception of their ability to report lence prevention, according to Ryan and if it was helpful.” Sutherland, a former task force intern A parallel survey on sexual vioand College junior. He explained that lence prevention will also be sent following the White House report, out to faculty and staff, according Nair and Claire Sterk, provost and to Livingston. They will be asked executive vice president of academic similar questions tailored for a suraffairs, charged the task force with vey responder who may handle situcreating subcomations in which a mittees such as the student reports he or Campus Climate “Being able to add my she has been sexuSurvey Committee ally harassed. The voice to this discourse committee wants to to create the survey. Other and participate in this address the actions sub c om m it t e e s faculty and staff evolving movement focused on proshould take in such ... has been incredibly situations, Livingston gram prevention rewarding ... ” and evaluation, said. Title IX collaboraNair wrote that tion and academic — Ryan Sutherland, he and the task force and community College junior want to be aware of engagement. student perceptions of Livingston these topics so that and Rollins School of Public Health they can continue to develop relPh.D candidate Kathleen Krause evant policies and programs that will chaired the Campus Climate Survey resonate with the community in both Committee, which included faculty, practice and spirit. The survey will staff and both undergraduate and help the task force understand the use graduate public health students. They of sexual assault prevention resources designed the survey to address any they already provide, how effective experience falling under the realm they are and what further prevention of sexual misconduct, such as sexual strategies to take, according to Nair assault, sexual harassment and stalk- and Livingston. Following the White ing. The committee wanted a com- House report, the task force published prehensive review of every prevention its own report on recommendations effort on campus and student experi- for sexual assault prevention last ences. Some areas of review include October. It gave recommendations awareness and utility of resources for existing programs and resources, the University offers, according to such as training for Sexual Assault Livingston. Peer Advocates (SAPA) and steps “We are asking about being a to address bystander discomfort for bystander, if they’ve felt uncomfort- matriculating students, according to able saying something in a bystander Sutherland. For the first time this situation,” Livingston said. “We are year, the task force also implemented
Continued from Page 1
Haven, an online education module object and forced penetration prior on sexual assault that all incoming to asking questions regarding any of students are required to take. those. “We are making history,” College sophomore Sammy Karon Sutherland said. “Being able to add thought the trigger warnings were my voice to this discourse and par- necessary for the survey. Karon said ticipate in this evolving movement that when asking people to reflect alongside survivors and advocates back on and translate memories into has been incredibly rewarding — we their own language, trigger warnings are rewriting policy and creating vis- are needed. ible reforms...” “You never know how some peoCollege junior Elyse Lee said she ple have come to terms with what’s took the survey immediately after it happened,“ Karon said. “They might was released March 31. She said that not call it sexual assault, but you’re though she is not a survivor of sexual asking them to consider using that assault, she took the survey because language.” she cares deeply about the issue. She said that the survey writers However, she is not sure how recep- do acknowledge that they are asktive other students will be towards ing respondents to step out of their the survey. comfort zone by reminding them that “They may take they can stop at any it and not finish it time. However if they because some quescan continue, this is “I was struck by how tions could make the information they you feel uncom- prevalent those instances would like to know. fortable,” Lee said. The survey also [of derogatory or sexist touched “If you were sexuon personal ally assaulted, this references] have been in beliefs regarding sexsurvey is going to ual assault, preparedmy Emory career.” make you reflect on ness as the friend of a your negative expe— Rifat Mursalin, survivor and general riences so some use of derogatory College junior students could get language toward any to that point and sex. just not finish it.” College junior The survey includes multiple Rifat Mursalin said he was surprised warnings that survey questions may by the questions on derogatory and cause respondents to feel triggered or sexist references to males, females upset. The survey writers stress mul- and transgender while taking the tiple times throughout the survey that survey. respondents can skip questions and “I was struck by how prevalent sections that they feel uncomfortable those instances have been in my answering and give a list of resources Emory career,” Mursalin said. “I was to contact if they are feeling upset. taken aback and realized, wow, this The survey also provided definitions actually happens a lot, and we don’t of forced touching of a sexual nature, stop and think about that.” — Contact Sarah Husain at oral sex, sexual intercourse, anal sex, shusai5@emory.edu sexual penetration with a finger or
McMullan Award Emphasizes Importance of Faculty Mentorship, Jones Says Continued from Page 1 “Given the history of black students on Emory’s campus, what a loss that would’ve been,” she said. As an intern at the Center for Women since fall 2012, Jones brought the American Association of University Women’s “Elect Her: Campus Women Win” campaign, a training session for college women
interested in running for student government positions, to Emory in February. She also helped organize the Center for Women’s weekly discussions for black women, called “The Kitchen Table.” Back in Boston, she’s been working for Visions, Inc., a non-profit diversity and inclusion consulting organization. In the classroom, according to those who nominated Jones, she
excels equally well if not more. Associate Professor of African American Studies Dianne Stewart said that though she believed the ability to think deeply and articulate those meditations in writing “seems to be disappearing,” the same could not be said of Jones, who took Stewart’s “African American Religion” course as a sophomore. “Jojo just soared — I think the
paper I assigned was 12 to 15 pages long, but she wrote 17 pages,” Stewart said, using Jones’ nickname. “She has that unique ability to push deep into academic inquiry. Jojo has that rare ability to translate theory into practice.” Jones said the McMullan Award represented, to her, the importance of finding and learning from mentors — in her case Stewart, Warren and
many others — as an undergraduate student. “This award makes it really evident how necessary mentorship is — to really be vulnerable to the people who help grow you,” she said. “This award makes me really thankful for that.” After earning her master’s degree, Jones said she wants to pursue a Ph.D, though she hasn’t yet decided
on the subject, and to become what she calls a “public scholar.” “I think ‘public scholar’ takes on a lot of meaning,” she said. “It just means taking all this knowledge, all this processing, and taking it out of the ivory towers and seeing how you can use it to make a difference in the world.”
— Contact Lydia O’Neal at lmoneal@emory.edu
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Tuesday, April 7, 2015
The Emory Wheel
News
Orator to Discuss Social Justice, Decreased Apathy Continued from Page 1 ing their original address for a fiveminute speech before the committee. For her address, Berman said she reached out to 50 seniors involved in various campus groups and asked them questions about their feelings toward the University as a way to draw on their experiences and produce a more wholesome, comprehensive speech. Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Joanne Brzinski and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Robin Forman informed Berman that the committee
had chosen her as the class orator on March 25. Since her audition, Berman said, she has reorganized the discussion to focus on what most seniors believed to be the most dynamic aspect of the Emory community. “The major responses were social justice, decreased amount of apathy and increased school spirit — not Emory as a whole, but for a lot of smaller communities within Emory,” she said. “When I revised the speech, it became a lot more organic and had a lot more weight.” Berman is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and Mortar Board honor
societies and Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She has served as president, vice president and treasurer of Emory Model United Nations; an Orientation Leader and Orientation Captain; an executive member of the Jewish student organization Hillel and a research fellow for the Center for the Study of Law, Policy and Economics, according to the release. A Spirit of Emory Award winner, Berman will serve as a business analyst at the Atlanta-based consulting firm Deloitte after graduating.
— Contact Lydia O’Neal at lmoneal@emory.edu
Attendance at Meetings Important, Duncan Says Continued from Page 1 and advertising what they would do if they were elected.Duncan emphasized the importance of improving the attendance at SGA meetings, and he said that he would make this a priority by focusing on transparency and accountability. McBrown, meanwhile, highlighted her passion for the community and her experience as a legislator. Both candidates then left the room, and a brief debate took place during which SGA members discussed the merits of the respective candidates. Darby also gave a short description of what the job of Speaker entails.
“The Speaker sits on both the Executive and the Legislature, so it’s a very unique role,” Darby said. “The Speaker works to assemble the agenda, control the flow of meetings and conduct them. They have to verify that legislation is writing correctly and little technicalities like that. It’s an important role.” After a short period of deliberation, the vote was held, and the majority of SGA members selected McBrown to be Speaker. Bucshon handed over his gavel to McBrown, and she then used it to adjourn the meeting.
— Contact Luke White at william.white2@emory.edu
The Emory Wheel
News
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
5
Editorials The Emory Wheel
Tuesday, April 7, 2015 Editorials Editor: Erik Alexander
Our Opinion
Laudable Move to Provide Aid to Undocumented What does it mean to be an undocumented student in Georgia? You cannot get a license, apply to state schools, receive in-state tuition or receive federal need-based aid. You may apply for the 2012 federal immigration policy Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), but the policy will prevent your deportation for just two years before you must seek a renewal. Last week, the student advocacy group Freedom at Emory with the help of Georgia-based advocacy group Freedom University succeeded in lobbying Emory University to make private financial aid available for undocumented students. We at the Wheel applaud Freedom University and Freedom at Emory for their vigilance on the status of undocumented students at Emory for the past few years. Their efforts have certainly paid off. This is the best step that Emory could take at this moment. We applaud the University’s swift response, especially given the Georgia University System’s ban on undocumented students from attending the state’s top public schools and applying for in-state tuition. Still, the details of the framework to grant private aid to undocumented students are not yet known. We hope this financial aid will come in the form of a grant rather than simply a loan. The program must also be sustainable. The University must find a donor or a series of donors to establish a significant and broadly-defined endowment. If too many undocumented students are eligible in a single year, there is a risk that the fund will drain. Furthermore, the University has not yet announced a likely donor or foundation for this fund, yet has promised to establish it in time for undocumented first-year students who will enroll this fall. While the University has not yet made clear the specifics of its decision, this recent decision shows us that Emory has become a thought-leader in the push to reform immigration policy at the state and federal levels, joining other southern institutions like Berea College in Kentucky and Tougaloo College in Mississippi, which openly accept undocumented students and offer them need-based aid. Some ask why undocumented students have suddenly become eligible for aid when American students at Emory struggle to get need-based grants and scholarships. This question assumes that the University has somehow given undocumented students an advantage over students who are American citizens, which simply is not the case. They must still meet the same admission standards and must demonstrate genuine financial need. Considering the fact that most undocumented students were brought here before turning 16 with no say over the matter, it is unfair not only to suggest that they are undeserving of needbased aid opportunities, but also to attack them as un-American. Students from across the globe travel to Atlanta for an Emory education — why would we exclude a group of students whose coming to the United States was completely outside of their control? It is important to keep in mind that those who immigrated to this country as children are de facto citizens. Those who qualify for DACA have lived a significant portion, if not most, of their lives here. They and their parents contribute payroll and sales taxes but do not receive Social Security payments. While the Georgia University System’s policies may satisfy local voters and taxpayers, Emory is not a state school; it is a private institution. Its commitment is not to the locals of Georgia — its commitment is to the global community as a whole. The above staff editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel’s editorial board.
Editorial Roundup
College editorials from across the country The Harvard Crimson Harvard University Monday, April 6, 2015 Nearly two weeks ago, Germanwings flight 9525 crashed in southern France, killing all 150 passengers, pilots, and cabin crew aboard. Four days ago, al-Shabab affiliated gunmen stormed Garissa University College in eastern Kenya, murdering 147 primarily Christian students. The difference in media coverage has been stark: a quick search of the New York Times website reveals over 300 separate pieces about the crash; a similar search for the Kenya attack returns far fewer. To be sure, an aviation accident is serious news—it wreaks destruction on human lives and affects a mode of transport that over 650 million people use annually in the United States alone. Yet fundamentally, as Americans, as people, and as college students, we should care just as much about 150 people who die in East Africa, in China, or in the Ukraine—especially when they are students—as we do when the tragedy involves 150 air travellers. The juxtaposition of these two events of such similar death tolls and at such similar times makes the contrast even clearer. The Kenyan incident would seem to have all the markings of a riveting breaking news story: terrorism, a school shooting, and a bloody outcome. Were this same tragedy to befall an American or European university, it’s hard to imagine any other story so much as making the evening news. Indeed, if 12 murders at Charlie Hebdo could bring two million Parisians and dozens of world leaders to the streets of Paris, what would the deaths of 147 students do? As we have opined in the past, not all
terrorist attacks and major crises are treated equally. To the credit of the Western press, the attack on Garissa University has been given some degree of prominence. Still, the balance is far from ideal. It is imperative that equal coverage be given to equally significant events. Ultimately, however, the problem lies with us. As consumers of media, our clicks and views decide where news agencies go, where they devote their coverage, and what they highlight. In an era of BuzzFeed and Upworthy, when CNN devotes an entire month to endless where-is-MH370 speculation, and where even the The New York Times posts a post-Germanwings crash article devoted solely to begging readers to write in the comments section about their personal feelings on air travel, news organizations know that the surest route to our page views is through sensational news. News agencies are motivated by advertising dollars, and advertising dollars are motivated by us. When society clamors for minute-by-minute updates on Germanwings, that it shall get. We must be less parochial in how we view the world, instead caring just as much about far-flung injustice as backyard drama. If we want investigative journalism instead of top ten lists, we must read it. If we want serious international coverage instead of a 75-to-1 ratio of Germanwings to Kenya coverage, we must subscribe to it. And if we want journalistic depth instead of clickbait, we must opt to click on the substance. The differences between the coverage of Kenya and Germanwings are just a microcosm of the broader media landscape, but they offer an opportunity for a way forward: an equal focus on similarly tragic events.
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Volume 96 | Number 44 Business and Advertising Chris Tsui BUSINESS MANAGER Maggie Daorai Sales Manager Alyssa Posklensky Design Manager Account Executives Bryce Robertson, Lena Erpaiboon, Salaar Ahmed, Christopher Przybylski, Annabelle Zhuno Business/Advertising Office Number (404) 727-6178
The Emory Wheel welcomes letters and op-ed submissions from the Emory community. Letters should be limited to 300 words and op-eds should be limited to 700. Those selected may be shortened to fit allotted space or edited for grammar, punctuation and libelous content. Submissions reflect the opinions of individual writers and not of the Wheel’s Editorial Board or Emory University. Send e-mails to dustin.slade@emory.edu or postal mail to The Emory Wheel, Drawer W, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga. 30322.
Zach Elkwood
Zach Elkwood is a member of the Class of 2015. His cartoons appear in every Tuesday issue of the Wheel.
Netanyahu Not Reason to Cut Israel Ties Andrew Alter On March 17, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party won a plurality of seats in the Knesset (Israeli parliament), practically ensuring his fourth premiership. Since the election, much of the international community, including the United States, have begun reevaluating their relationships with the Jewish state. Many conclude that Netanyahu is not a serious partner for peace with the Palestinians but rather a war hawk determined to prioritize Israel’s security at unreasonable costs. In an op-ed published in the Wheel on March 24, author Ben Perlmutter describes the declining relations between Israel and Europe/United States, stating, “The action and rhetoric of the Netanyahu government risk turning Israel into an international pariah that the United States and Europe will not support if new existential crises emerge.” Perlmutter concludes that in the face of this “indigenous Jewish extremism” from Netanyahu, Jews have a responsibility to distance themselves from the Prime Minister. I find these sentiments troubling for two reasons. First, the US-Israel relationship should not be contingent upon who wins the premiership. Israel and the US have always shared core values, including striving for an inclusive democratic system, ensuring basic rights to all citizens and working toward a terror-free Middle East. The relationship has moved through several disagreements between American presidents and Israeli prime ministers but has remained durable nonetheless. Today, the relationship clearly enters another rough patch. President Obama and Netanyahu have fought over a wide array of issues, ranging from accusations that they each attempted to influence the other’s election toward their opponents to disputes over settlement construction in the West Bank. Regardless of how one feels about these conflicts, the response of American leaders should not be to distance themselves from Netanyahu. He won and will lead the coalition that determines Israel’s policies until the next election. Distancing from him means distancing from Israel. To be clear, I am not recommending blind adherence to Netanyahu’s opinions and policies — they should definitely be open to criticism. But rather than reject the Prime Minister, American Jews should remind leaders of the necessity of maintaining the strong relationship with Israel, despite any personal politics. An obvious question arises: at what point should American Jews distance themselves from Israel? I agree with Perlmutter that if Israel elects a party that spews extremism similar to that of the Spanish Inquisition, Eastern European pogroms and Nazism (the examples he lists), American Jews have an obligation to reject Israel. Luckily, Israel has failed to elect such a party. The Likud party, the center right, secular party of Israeli politics, is in no way shape or form extremist in the likes of the aforementioned entities. This fact is the second and predominant reason why I find Perlmutter’s article troubling. One possessing minimal knowledge about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could get the impression that, like assailants of the Spanish Inquisition, pogroms and the Third
Anna Mayrand | Contributor
Reich, Netanyahu has spent the last six years systematically torturing and murdering people. Labeling Netanyahu’s acts as this kind of extreme is exceptionally dangerous when the majority of his policies, especially the ones Perlmutter lists, are essential to Israel’s security, not acts of “extreme militarism towards the Palestinians.” Perlmutter asserts that the blockade of Gaza is inhumane and that Israel acted excessively in the 2014 summer conflict in Gaza. The blockade, which was implemented in September 2007 while Netanyahu was not in office, serves to fulfill Israel’s responsibility under United Nations Resolution 1373, which requires nations to prevent terrorist organizations from obtaining military materials. The terrorist organization Hamas’s election in 2006 and launching of 3,307 rockets into Israel in 2007 spurred the creation of the blockade and economic sanctions. Israel transports food, water and electricity into Gaza daily, and four out of five medical treatment requests are granted (denials only occur when applicant poses a significant security threat). Since coming to office, “extremist” Netanyahu actually oversaw several reductions in the sanctions, limiting the prohibited items list to dual-use materials and weapons in 2010 and letting construction material into Gaza in 2012. This resulted in renewed capabilities for Hamas to indiscriminately launch rockets at Israel and to construct “terror tunnels” using the material Netanyahu let in for schools and hospitals. Under Netanyahu’s “inhumane” sanctions, Gaza has achieved a life expectancy of 74.64 years, higher than that of Russia, India and Brazil, and a literacy rate of 95.3 percent, higher than in much of the world. History has shown that rather than totally crippling Gaza, the sanctions are necessary to prevent Hamas from attacking Israel. In terms of the exceptional use of force over the summer, sheer body counts understandably angered the international community. Rather than condemn Netanyahu, however, American Jews should explain to leaders why the death toll was so tragically high. An independent group of American military officials concluded that Hamas intentionally
placed military targets near civilian areas to increase civilian casualties and garner international support. In an effort to reduce these casualties, Israel dropped flyers notifying residents of an attack. I do not recall learning about pogrom rioters notifying Jewish villagers that they were coming. Next, Perlmutter argues that Netanyahu’s expansion of West Bank settlements, as well as his dismissive rhetoric of a two-state solution, isolates Israel from the international community and America. Again, I agree that this trend is occurring. The response cannot be, however, to allow it to happen, especially in America. Netanyahu’s promise against a two-state solution was clearly rhetoric to mobilize voters before the election. His policy, like that of America and most Israelis, is that a two-state solution can only occur if Israel’s security can be maintained, but that it should occur. I assure you that, in the present climate, not even the leftist parties would have moved for a two-state solution. Also, while his continued expansion of settlements is definitely not conducive toward the peace process, let us not forget that he willingly froze settlement construction for 10 months in 2010, during which the Palestinian Authority barely attempted peace talks. His “extreme” settlement construction only occurs in about 2 percent of the disputed territories, and the settlements employ 35,000 Palestinians. Perlmutter describes the rise in global anti-Semitism but concludes that Israel is in a strong position to defend itself. I agree, and in order for Israel to maintain this strong position, it must continue to prioritize its security. American Jews should lobby leaders to oppose the positions with which they disagree, be it Netanyahu’s policy on Iran or in the West Bank. But Netanyahu is definitely not the extremist that necessitates a significant change in the US-Israel relationship, and saying as much completely undermines Israel’s security. The largest threat to Jews is still growing anti-Semitism and radical Islam; blaming Netanyahu only exacerbates these realities. Andrew Alter is a College sophomore from Houston, Texas.
The Emory Wheel
Ben Perlmutter
Iran Deal: A+ Last Thursday, when I saw that the United States, Iran and other world powers finally established a framework nuclear agreement I felt a rush of joy — a swelling of mild euphoria rushed from my chest throughout my body, reaffirming to myself what a giant politics nerd I am. This nuclear agreement is big. For over 30 years, since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the United States and Iran have been bitter foes. After the expulsion of the Shah and the subsequent hostage crisis, the two countries have meandered from diplomatic conflict, to shadow fighting, back to diplomatic conflict, rinse and repeat. Iran’s nuclear program has been of particular contention in recent years. Last Thursday’s framework nuclear agreement is a vital first step for normalizing relations between the United States and Iran. The framework nuclear agreement is a rough blueprint (baby-blueprint?) for reigning in Iran’s nuclear program in return for United Nations relief from sanctions, which had been imposed for the country’s noncompliance with nuclear treaties. The agreement is a strong framework for a final deal to be established by June 30. Many details still need to be worked out, such as the specifics of inspections for compliance and how to lift sanctions. But nothing in the framework seems impossible to build into a concrete deal by the final June deadline. Experts agree that the terms of the framework are as favorable to American interests as realistically possible. Iran’s nuclear program will be effectively neutered, leaving it a vestige of its present robustness. The breakout time for Iran to produce a nuclear weapon will increase from two to three months right now to a full year, the amount of time that the Obama administration believes necessary to stop Iran if it does in fact decide to build a nuclear bomb. This nuclear deal, if it moves from framework to reality, is much more than a resolution to the conflict over the Iranian nuclear program. It would be the first stepping stone to normalizing relations between the United States and Iran, a long overdue diplomatic necessity for any chance of a peaceful Middle East.
... the powers can work together to resolve the myriad of Middle Eastern conflicts. The United States needs to engage Iran, if not as an ally, at least as a frenemy. Iran is too powerful to overcome. It is a large country with a rich cultural history and a population of almost 80 million. And Iran is one of the most influential, if not the single most influential, states in the Middle East, with its support to the Assad regime in Syria, Shiite sectarian militias in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Unless the United States were to go to war with Iran, we could not overcome it in the geopolitical power games of the Middle East. And we do not want another war in the Middle East. Let me repeat that: WE DO NOT WANT ANOTHER WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST! President Obama cited avoiding war with Iran as the primary motivation for the deal. In Obama’s speech about the agreement, he asked those who will inevitably criticize the deal (looking at you, Republicans, Saudis and Netanyahu), “do you really think that this verifiable deal, if fully implemented, backed by the world’s powers, is a worse option than the risk of another war in the Middle East?” This deal is the least-worst option. The only other alternative to stopping Iran’s nuclear program, besides war (no! no! no!), would be to hope that the UN sanctions eventually force Tehran to give up its nuclear aspirations. But we have been sanctioning Iran for decades, and while the sanctions have slowed nuclear development, they have not come remotely close to fully stopping it. With war off the table and AmericanIranian relations normalizing, the powers can work together to resolve the myriad of Middle Eastern conflicts. To be sure, Washington and Tehran have radically different interests. The nuclear deal will not be a panacea for the manifold problems of the Middle East. But the deal would establish a détente that would allow the powers to have constructive dialogue working toward solutions, rather than the shadow conflicts and diplomatic crises that currently plague American-Iranian relations and further tear apart the Middle East. If the framework nuclear agreement were to become reality, it would be one of the seminal accomplishments of the Obama presidency and an axial in American foreign policy for the 21st century. The framework is fairly robust, with great potential to become a solid deal by the June 30 deadline. Let’s just hope that hawks in the United States and hardliners in Iran do not find a way to destroy this transformative diplomatic development before it becomes a reality. Ben Perlmutter is a College junior from Chappaqua, New York. His column appears in every Tuesday issue of the Wheel.
Op — Ed
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Scientific Atheism Has Its Pitfalls
Mariana Hernandez | Staff
Alex Chen I feel a great sense of awe whenever I meet somebody who claims to work by reason alone, who claims that all things will eventually be knowable by means of the human rational faculty and who is only too happy to be removed from the religious impulse of vesting faith in higher and more perfect things than we. Those scientific materialists and atheists who fain hold that all phenomena are naught but emergent properties from the matter of the world and who would deny that there exists any Divine, in accordance with which the world of appearance is determined. After meeting such people, I often had half a mind to prostrate myself before them and beg them to teach me how not to believe: how could I, possessing faith in absolutely nothing, remain as unfettered as they? But lately, I have come to reflect more dispassionately upon the bold assertions of men and women of this sort, and have since concluded that perhaps it is they who are mistaken about the Divine. I have begun to consider the possibility that scientific atheism is a dubious way of apprehending the world. Before we look into the problems attendant upon worldview of the scientific-materialism of the atheist, it would behoove us to examine a crucial distinction between what I identify to be the two modes of belief. The first form is the “belief-that,” and this is the one proper to every human being; not even atheists would deny that they “believe that” some things are determined in some way or another. The belief-that has two major conditions proper to it alone. In the first place, it must refer to a belief that is falsifiable: and by a “falsifiable belief,” I mean to refer to a situation in which holding the belief becomes impossible in light of contradictory evidence, or one in which the consequences of holding the belief work against pre-determined and accepted axioms and definitions. In this way, the adherence to a scientific theory is a belief-that it is valid, for the scientific theory must of necessity allow for the potential of its falsifiability given the existence of contrary evidence, or else risk no longer being deemed scientific. The second condition, following logically from the first, is that the belief-that aims only at determining the object of belief in respect of its qualities. I believe that the object is round, or blue, or in Massachusetts, for instance. Therefore, the belief-that is fundamentally relative, for it is simply the belief that the descriptions predicated to the underlying thing are determined in one way or another. The “belief-in” exists solely under the purview of religious faith. There will be some who quibble linguistically and say that even the atheist can speak of “believing-in” America, for instance, but it is clear that this
form of believing-in is really nothing more than a form of short-hand and reducible to a series of belief-that’s: for instance, the beliefthat America is powerful, moral, free and so on. As any opinion is reducible to a set of definitions (e.g. “strong” = “the ability to fight wars” = “having a large army” = “having 40,000 soldiers” etc.), even the opinion remains a falsifiable belief-that, after the underlying assumptions of the opinion are revealed. The object of the belief-in is believed-in absolutely; the belief-in aims at the underlying and essential Being itself, and not at any of the descriptions predicated to it. The belief-in further aims at something that is not falsifiable, and indeed, it aims at something that is not even an object of knowledge. The belief-in is acquired not through reason or empirical observation, but only by means of a “leap-of-faith,” for contrary evidence and logical contradictions are only able to affect the attitudes of those who hold belief-that’s about the object. The atheist of materialism and scientism cannot believe in things, for this individual asserts that all beliefs are at bottom falsifiable. As a result, this atheist can only believe that things are determined relatively, for a belief-in demands of the individual that the object of belief be surrendered into the realm of the forever unknowable. The thing being believedin, as being beyond the object or purview of knowledge, becomes the unqualified qualifier that qualifies qualification itself. It is necessary, therefore, that we believe in a fundamental sense of Being, which, for convenience’s sake, I ask that you allow me to refer to as the Divine. Insofar as the belief-that can only apprehend the observable descriptors attached to the underlying-Being, it remains unable to apprehend the Divine, which is simply Being stripped of all its accidental qualities. Thus, the Divine is unqualified since it cannot be understood relatively (we would be foolish to call the Divine small or large, red or blue), but it qualifies qualification, in the sense that it is the underlying Being to which predicates are able to be “attached,” and it primordially conditions the act itself of predication, for without this Being, nothing can be said to be. The atheist, in denying their belief-in this Being, does nothing but deny the conditions of existence itself. To be fair, I am not in favor of organized religion either, for I feel that many organized religions involve themselves in too many belief-that’s. (Note well: I am not attempting to argue that religion is harmful or that it ought to be extirpated; I am well aware that religion builds community and is often a force of moral good, for which reason I am more sympathetic to believers than I am to atheists.) I shall name no particular religions, since almost all are guilty of these problem. But let us, for example, address the problem of voli-
tion. How is it that people can believe-that the Divine, for instance, wishes us to be “good”? If the Divine has such volition, it must be imperfect. The Divine must lack for something, if it possesses wants. I shall clarify my more fundamental objection to the problem of volition below, but let this objection suffice for now. For, at present, I would rather assert that the Divine ought to be apprehended in the following way, as being the simplest. I speak of the way of the up-building of things. Go to a house, and look at a brick. The brick is both one and many: for it is, on the one hand, made up of atoms, and yet the emergent thing from these atoms forms the one entity we call the “brick.” The brick in turn, with other bricks, forms the house. The house is one and many, for it is both made of bricks and yet is considered a thing itself. Continue to up-build: the house is part of the earth; the earth is one and many, for there are houses, and people, and soil of which it is comprised, and yet we say the earth encompasses all of these things. Continue to up-build, higher and higher, until we reach the level of the universe. Here, then, we have reached a sense of the universe as encompassing all things in the objective and material world. And yet at the same time, the Divine, as determining the universe and as containing it, must also encompass the objects of thought: for everything that has been thought to exist, if not in the objective world, exists at least in the world of the mind (for example, the objects of our dreams “exist”, even if not materially). And so the Divine carries within it the pre-condition of all things that both actually are, as being in the objective world, and things that only potentially are, as being in thought. That is the reason why the Divine must be believed-in: because it must contain and precondition both everything that is actually and potentially. Allow me the following example. As shown earlier, we cannot believe that the Divine wills us to be good. But similarly, we cannot believe that the Divine does not will us to be good. We may continue to attach such qualities to the Divine ad infinitum: we believe that the Divine is only blue; we believe that the Divine is anything other than only blue. From these contradictions, it is clear why we cannot have belief-that’s about the Divine: it is because every belief-that is a definition or determination of its object. As any definition or determination is at base a form of limitation (for the red thing cannot simultaneously be blue), we cannot qualify the Divine — doing so would prevent it from being other than the quality we have attached to it — and so we must believe in it itself, absolutely and without qualification. Alex Chen is a College sophomore from Palo Alto, California.
From the Archives: U.S. Refugee Policy The following editorial written by Chris McCandless appeared in the Tuesday, April 7, 1987 edition of the Wheel under the headline “Sanctuary will solve nothing.” Surely it is most unfortunate that innocent people fall victim to men driven by greed and corruption. When we hear of various incidents, such as the exploitation and murder of Guatemalan campesinos by government forces, our ears swell with compassion and we are filled with the urge to save these people from such disasters. However, this compassion should not lead us to form irrational conclusions which ignore the fundamental laws governing the earth’s ecosystem. Every nation on earth has a “carrying capacity,” that “upper limit of a population which a given environment can support.” The carrying capacity of the United States is directly influenced by the high standard of living which our citizens have come to expect; i.e. – Our “need” to possess plush estates, fast cars, and various other “unnecessary necessities.” In order to maintain a high standard of living, the citizens of the United States have always elected representative[s] who favor numerical limitations on immigration. It is these representatives which passed the Refugee Act of 1980, whose states objective was to provide a “permanent and systematic procedure for the admission of
refugees who are of special humanitarian concern to the United States.” The emphasis on “United States” is meant to show that we are most interested, obviously, in immigrants to the establishment of a preference system governed by the immigrant’s relations to American citizens and the immigrant’s labor value. For example, first, second, fourth, and fifth preference is reserved for those immigrants who have various genetic relations to United States citizens. Central American immigrants are much less likely to have relatives in the United States than immigrants from European countries such as Poland. Third preference is reserved for those immigrants who are “persons of exceptional ability in the sciences and arts.” The poor quality of education in Central American immigrants. Sixth preference is reserved for those skilled and unskilled immigrants whose services are in short supply inside the United States. The simple agrarian related skills of most Central American immigrants are unneeded in our highly industrialized society. These laws have been designed in the best interest of American citizens and were passed by people who have a much greater knowledge of economic organization than ourselves. Nonetheless, the Emory Central American Network (ECAN) would have us
ignore these carefully planned laws and admit refugees who have a small chance of successfully contributing to our society. Their arguments appeal strongly to our emotions, usually following such a form as... “Carlos and his family are harrassed by government soldiers... Carlos tries to save his family from political persecution by applying for immigration to the United States... Carlos is blatantly rejected by the Immigration and Naturalization Service... Carlos and his family are massacred by government soldiers a week later.” Of course, this tragic story leaves most people shaking with rage, wondering why those “stupid immigration people” didn’t save Carlos and his family. What one must realize is that there are over ten million people just like Carlos scattered all over the planet. Our government does try to help these people by admitting a certain number of refugees each year. However, it is impossible to admit them all. Therefore our government has established the above enumerated laws in order to admit the best and most deserving of the lot. It is unfortunate that most Central American immigrants are ill-suited for these laws, and it is a tragedy that these people live in such miserable conditions. However, the ECAN sponsored referendum, although well intentioned, does absolutely nothing to rationally resolve either problem.
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Somnath Das
Caffeine And You I, like many college students, have developed quite the addiction to my daily Starbucks. Walking in, I’m not shy in telling the baristas that I am, again, ordering my “usual” — a venti iced coffee with sugar-free caramel syrup and milk. However, like any substance, caffeine could possibly have some long-term side effects. What are both the short-term and long-term effects of caffeine consumption? Namely, what does research have to say about caffeine and its addiction? Caffeine is one of the most consumed psychoactive substances in the world. Surprisingly, people consume caffeine by ways other than coffee: cocoa nuts, colas and even concentrated caffeine pills are also popular. Older adults consume more coffee than college students, with the Food and Drug Administration reporting that adults ages 50-59 consumed the most caffeine among any age group. Males in this age group consumed roughly 300 mg/day in 2005, which is the equivalent of two to three cups of coffee daily. While this quantity may not seem like a high consumption to college students in the middle of midterm season, it’s important to understand that such a high daily dose of caffeine could have long-term health effects outside the realm of dependence.
One of the biggest health concerns is that it dehydrates the body. The biological mechanism of caffeine is rather interesting — as opposed to “activating” metabolic processes in the human body, caffeine actually works as an inhibitor of an enzyme called phosphodiesterase. In the body, phosphodiesterase is an enzyme that cleaves a messenger in our cells called cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), shutting down communication signals. By inhibiting the enzyme that inhibits communication, you create an “enemy of my enemy is my friend” situation, in which you end up increasing communication. This effect leads to the “buzz” caused by caffeine. Caffeine has been connected to some adverse effects, most of them lying outside the biological pathway mentioned above. One of the biggest health concerns is that it dehydrates the body. Current research, however, suggests that this effect is more myth than fact — caffeine has not necessarily been proven to actively cause the secretion of fluid from the body. That being said, relying on a cup of coffee to hydrate yourself still remains inferior to a cup of water. A more significant body of research has been focused on the addictive effects of caffeine. Two types of dependence have been assessed: physical and psychological. Physical addiction generally describes when the body generally needs caffeine to optimally function, but not for normal psychological function. This type of addiction can be best understood through withdrawal: if one notices that they haven’t drank coffee all day and are feeling fatigued, but not really thinking about drinking coffee as if it’s urgent, then they may have developed a physical addiction. This type of addiction should draw some concern for coffee drinkers.
Two types of dependence have been assessed: physical and psychological. A physical dependence on coffee, as with any substance, isn’t exactly considered healthy. Generally, physical addictions disappear over time, with the most prominent symptom being a headache. The growing body of literature has seemed to focus on the psychological implications of caffeine addiction, specifically clinical syndromes of caffeine dependence. However, despite some evidence that caffeine addiction is a psychological syndrome, scientists are still unsure whether the body of evidence is sufficient to really justify caffeine’s inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a resource that psychiatrists use to diagnose psychiatric illness. Therefore, even though substances like alcohol have been clinically proven to produce addiction (i.e. alcoholism), the same effects haven’t been found in caffeine. In summary, a cup of coffee every now and then or even daily isn’t unhealthy by any means. In fact, coffee consumption has been linked to some health benefits, such as increased antioxidants and less likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. That being said, the physical dependence aspect caffeine has on people should draw some concern, and coffee’s health benefits only kick in if you drink it without added sugars and milk. So maybe your coffee craze isn’t so bad after all. In moderation, coffee is wonderful and can be enjoyed in many different ways. Black coffee’s health benefits too have a lot to offer the curious connoisseur. Drink healthy, drink happy. Somnath Das is a College sophomore from Warner Robins, Georgia. His column appears in every Tuesday issue of the Wheel.
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Tuesday, April 7, 2015
The Emory Wheel
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Crossword Puzzle The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 Treat similar to a Yodel 5 What RuPaul dresses in 9 Extent 14 Big name in computers 15 Gentle hill 16 “Congrats!” 17 Shoulder muscle, informally 18 He played one of the lead roles in the film version of 50-/55-Across 20 Gambler’s last words? 22 Tattled 23 Writing style popularized by 35-Across 30 Native Nebraskan 31 Flagmaker Ross 32 Misrepresent 33 Fragrant neckwear 34 Bone below the elbow 35 Author of 50-/55-Across 42 “Looking at it differently …,” to a texter 43 “___ kleine Nachtmusik”
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How some right turns are made 46 One who sniggles 47 “Toy Story” dinosaur 50 See 35-Across 53 Some Wharton degs. 54 Image on the last page of an alphabet book 55 See 35-Across 61 Flimflam 62 Aussie known for sleeping most of the day away 63 Elegance 64 Leviathan-like 65 Physicist Mach 66 Something cooked in a slow cooker 67 Summers on the Seine Down 1 Tried 2 Spotted cat 3 “Not a chance!” 4 Baseball slugger David known as Big Papi 5 N.B.A. star who started in the A.B.A.
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE
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6 1982 doubleplatinum Duran Duran album 7 Bat wood 8 Aristocrats 9 Space station that crashed in 1979 10 Get cozy together 11 Laudatory verse 12 Punch in the face, informally 13 Subj. of a thought experiment 19 Result of a 1995 Québec secession referendum 21 Aristocrat 24 Razz 25 Soulful Redding
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Company that built the Unisphere for the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair
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Woes of society
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___-Japanese War
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Signify
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Foot for the Greek god Pan
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___ Reader (alternative magazine)
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Romance novelist Roberts
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Long johns
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Big city on the Big Island
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Draft classification
puzzle by kristian house
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Neighbor of the Ricardos on “I Love Lucy” 45 Pats lightly 46 Famous flops of the ’50s 47 Barbecue beef choice 48 Make hot under the collar 49 Event featuring motocross and snocross 51 Maritime org. 52 Pronoun with a slash 55 “Likable” prez 56 Neither’s partner 57 PC linkup 58 Eviscerate 59 Give the boot 60 Darn, e.g.
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The Emory Wheel
Arts Entertainment Tuesday, April 7, 2015 Arts & Entertainment Editor: Samuel Budnyk (samuel.ross.budnyk@emory.edu)
Film festival
Theater Emory
2015 Atlanta Film Festival Features Premieres, International Films ‘Marisol’ By Ellie Kahn Staff Writer When I go to see a movie, I go alone. It’s not to say that staking out a row in a theater with my friends and perching our legs on the seats in front of us while plunging ours hands into cardboard containers of popcorn and continuing the conversations we had in the car ride there about last night and exchanging glances that send us howling isn’t a valuable experience — because it is — but there is something about walking into a dark theater, alone, and leaving by myself two hours later that holds an incredible amount of power. The theater is a place of no light, no productivity and no obligation. Individuals become an audience, a group of friends become strangers and everyone is reduced to a set of eyes in the dark. Although I went alone to the 39th annual Atlanta Film Festival — to three theaters and to six different films — there was a kind of camaraderie among festival-goers that was impossible not to sense. The same woman with an afro (that seemed to have expanded every time I saw her) chatted with me in line each evening about what she’d seen, and a man with a backwards Atlanta Hawks cap bought a round of cold beers for everyone waiting to view “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck”. The lobby of the Plaza Theatre buzzed after each film let out. No one rushed to get home. The festival ran from March 20 to 29, spanned nine different venues across the city and received a record number of submissions this year. It featured films from over 100 countries, contributing to Atlanta’s emergence as an entertainment hub, and placing it on the map with cities like Los Angeles and New York. Not only were there narrative features, documentaries and shorts shown over the nine-day event, but the festival offered workshops, conferences, happy hours and opportunities to explore the nooks and crannies of Atlanta.
Television review
Courtesy of Gaumant
The 2015 Atlanta Film Festival featured director Mélanie Laurent’s drama “Breathe,” starring Joséphine Japy (Left) and Lou de Laâge (Right), an adaptation of the novel of the same name.
The festival was a celebration, not just of cinema, but of a city coming together. I went alone, and yet I felt like I was a part of something. “The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards” Based on a collection of short stories by Robert Boswell, seven directors took command of their own medium that ultimately formed a truthful portrayal of Boswell’s text of heartache, growing pains and grief. Actor and filmmaker James Franco, who produced and created the project in collaboration with students in his filmmaking class at UCLA, said on Wednesday, March 25 at the Rialto Theatre that he was looking for material that could stir his college students to make something moving. “I look for something that, hopefully, they can capture better than anyone,” he said in a Q&A segment after the
screening. “There are certain subjects and themes I think younger filmmakers are better adept at.” The film’s narrative, which features Franco himself as well as names like Jimmy Kimmel, Natalie Portman and Kristen Wiig, hardly feels familiar or Hollywood at all. In the chapter entitled “Miss Famous,” Wiig appears as Monica, a cleaning lady from Albuquerque, with heavy eye shadow and tanned skin who longs to write a novel. In “Guest,” Charlie Foster (Rico Rodriguez) suffers stares and shoves and flying dodge balls on the playground as he struggles to cope with the reality of his wheezing, dying father at home. The film closes with a chapter in which a group of 20-somethings realize, after a night of psychedelic mushrooms and acid, that they need a change. “Each section depends on the oth-
Movie review
ers, so this piece has its own kind of rhythm,” Franco said. The pieces work together to conjure a feeling of fantasy while staying grounded in human realities. “Breathe” (“Respire”) In the French film “Breathe” (“Respire”), directed by Mélanie Laurent, the viewer doesn’t see 17-year-old protagonist Charlie’s (Joséphine Japy) face for the first few shots. The camera first shoots her feet getting out of bed and then cuts to her bobbing shoulders as she walks downstairs, then to her face as she holds a bowl of cereal to it. When we do see Charlie’s face, it becomes obvious that Laurent set out to capture beauty. Charlie is beautiful, and the image of her dominates the camera. In every subsequent moment, Laurent continues to use beauty to tell the story. Charlie’s iso-
lation and distance from her feuding parents can be seen in her solitary walks to school in pristine, suburban France, her passing through the hallways without anything nor anyone else in focus, and the few words she exchanges with her mother in the evenings. Laurent evokes a strong empathy in the viewer from the film’s beginning, which is only heightened when Charlie meets Sarah (Lou de Laâge), a new student who lets her hair go wild, hops on the backs of motorcycles and dances like she is possessed by some kind of spirit. Despite the film’s stunning aesthetic, the lighting and complexity of Laurent’s shots imply Charlie’s own sense of fear, and a beautiful film soon turns ugly. Laurent’s film is meticulously made, but manages to express a deep kind of chaos in the narrative’s characters, resulting in a kind of psychological tension that is hard to watch, but equally hard to turn away from. The sound of Charlie’s heavy, asthmatic breathing which marks the film’s ending leaves the audience too, struggling for air.
Is Chilling, Powerful By Kelsey Klosterman Staff Writer
Maura Strauch’s documentary “Sunshine Superman” tells the story of Carl Boenish, a filmmaker and adventurist whose life work took the form of hundreds of BASE (an acronym meaning “building, antenna, span and earth”) jumps, or skydives from each of these surfaces and platforms in the 1960s and 70s. Boenish, who never jumped without a 16 mm camera attached to himself and who would never let others jump before he could first climb out on a ladder protruding precariously out to the side in order to film their jump, had reels and reels of footage begging to be developed into cinematic story. Strauch, who got a hold of Boenish’s collection, created a film that equally valued the thrill of the dive with the mystery of Boenish’s character and his marriage with his wife, Jean. The documentary
The post-apocalyptic world is a cluttered area in the world of fiction, but when it’s done right, the result is just beautiful. This is precisely what playwright José Rivera achieves with his crumbling version of New York City in Marisol. Marisol, a revitalized 1992 production, opened in Emory’s Mary Gray Munroe Theater on Thursday, April 3. The show, put on by Theater Emory, was the winner of the OffBroadway Obie Award for playwriting just a year after its premiere. Rivera is the recipient of numerous playwriting awards and in 2005 received an Oscar nomination for his film “Motorcycle Diaries.” The show takes place in postapocalyptic New York City, following the journey of the title character Marisol Perez, a twenty-something woman trying to survive in a world that decays more and more with every passing day due to the existence of a senile God. The God that has for so long watched over the Earth is old and dying, and the world as a result is falling apart. The climate is changing, governments are being overthrown, and everyone is suddenly spending every moment of their lives in fear of each other. Marisol, played by Emory College senior Natalia Via, endures unbelievable trauma over the course of the performance. Marisol is told that her guardian angel has silently saved her hundreds of times from the dangers of New York City. Without her, Marisol would have died many years ago. And death isn’t
See film, Page 10
See Post, Page 10
“Sunshine Superman”
Sci-Fi
‘Kimmy ‘Furious 7’ Hits Home, We Need ‘Star Trek’ Back On TV Schmidt’ Tribute to Late Actor Hilarious, Engaging By Samuel Ready Staff Writer
By Annie McNutt Staff Writer
By Julia Munslow Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor While many college students dream of living in New York City after graduation, the transition may be more difficult for some than for others. However, it likely won’t be as challenging as it is for Kimmy Schmidt, a 29-year-old woman who must adjust to New York City after living in a cult. The “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” is an original Netflix series that follows the story of Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper), who is rescued from a doomsday cult after living in an underground bunker for 15 years. The comedy follows Schmidt as she transitions to a new life in New York City, working as a nanny for a wealthy socialite. Created by Tina Fey (“30 Rock,” “Saturday Night Live”) and Robert Carlock (“30 Rock”), the 13-episode series premiered on Netflix on March 6, 2015. Despite the comedic prowess of the two writers, the first fifteen minutes of the first episode left me unsure (though certainly amused). The show seemed so ridiculous that it was unclear whether it could succeed as more than a show merely with absurd characters and a great deal of funny jokes. However, as the series progressed,
See Netflix, Page 10
James Wan’s “Furious Seven,” the seventh installment of the “Fast & Furious” franchise, is a phenomenal action-packed, emotional journey that you absolutely cannot miss. The “Fast & Furious” films are built on the foundation of family and loyalty. These films have been able to strike a balance between action, drama and comedy that remains untouched by any other franchise. This film in particular was made especially emotional by the death of one of the main actors, Paul Walker, on November 30, 2013. Walker’s death devastated both fellow actors and fans alike. Walker passed away while the film was still in production and, as a result, his two brothers acted as stand-ins for him for the remainder of filming. For those who are die-hard “Fast & Furious” fans (I am unashamed to admit that I fall into that category), the scenes not filmed by Walker which used Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) technology along with Walker’s brothers as stand-ins looked and felt different. Despite this, the crew does a remarkable job of completing the film without one of its leads. A quick franchise synopsis for those of you who have missed the previous films: an LAPD officer named Brian O’Conner, played by Paul Walker (“Hours”), is tasked with taking down a team of incredibly skilled drivers who target oil trucks to steal and sell the oil on the black market. The LAPD officer goes undercover to infiltrate the group led by Dominic “Dom” Toretto, played by Vin Diesel (“Fast & Furious 6”).
The LAPD officer falls in love with Dom’s sister and ends up becoming a member of the crew. For a while he struggles with whether he is on the right side of the law but he ends up living by Dom’s philosophy of family. The previous film ended with an unidentified man played by Jason Statham (“Transporter”) calling Dom and threatening him after his killing of a beloved member of Dom’s family.
Walker passed away while the film was still in production and, as a result, his two brothers acted as stand-ins for him ... This film begins with that unidentified man identifying himself as the brother of Owen Shaw played by Luke Evans (“The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug”), the “bad guy” of the previous film. A few minutes into the current movie, you see Dom get the call from Deckard Shaw that ended the previous film. This gathers Dom and his team together for “one last ride.” Long story short, the journey takes Dom and his crew to Abu Dhabi and then comes full circle back to Los Angeles, where the film ends. The action-packed sequences top anything that the franchise has done before. Two scenes in particular stand out. First, when attempting to get the God’s Eye software back, Dom and his team drop out of a plane to ambush a convoy.
See Wan’s, Page 10
Several weeks ago on Feb. 27 we lost Leonard Nimoy, best known for his role as Spock of the “Star Trek” franchise. Nimoy had a complex relationship with his iconic character. In 1975, he published the book I Am Not Spock and then later retracted said statement as his relationship with his beloved, conflicted, half-Vulcan, half-human alter ego changed over time. Whether it is Spock or Nimoy whom we remember, we look back on a man of honor who changed television. He also changed the way in which we think about one another with his important role in 1960s allegorical storytelling and its impact on society’s acceptance of current events and issues such as civil rights. But much like he did on screen when both were alive, Nimoy is arguing with the late DeForest Kelley, now. That Nimoy’s acting career became consumed by the bowl cut and devil ears that he first donned in 1965 might explain why, when we look back at his contributions to society, we think of Nimoy’s “Star Trek” reel rather than, say, production stills from his stage run as d’Artagnan in “The Three Musketeers” or, even, his unusual but memorable rendition of “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” on his second novelty musical album Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy. However, that when fans reminisce about Spock, they remember his campy television work rather than his films is not just a matter of footage. Spock and all things “Star Trek” may explore the big screen from time to time, but the franchise’s real final frontier is and always will be the small screen. Since 1979, eleven “Star Trek” movies, most recently director J. J. Abrams’ shiny original crew reboots, have proved that “Star Trek” can
Courtesy of CBS Television
Leonard Nimoy (Left) and DeForest Kelley (Right) in the television series “Star Trek: The Original Series.”
dazzle on the big screen. But creator Gene Roddenberry’s legacy is not a 120-minute action movie but a halfhour ethical “what would you do?” parable with legendary archetypal characters, coming to you on your couch every week to enlighten your mind. With the exception of Spock’s moving death scene in 1982’s “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” Spock’s complexity through torture, criticism and an underlying sense of camaraderie and brotherhood in spite of said traits only really comes across on television.
All of his best moments, and for that matter those of every character of any “Star Trek” cast, have been on television, telling intellectual stories and using the fantastical veneer of the space western genre to smuggle ethical questions and lofty egalitarian hopes past our prejudices and preconceived notions of race, gender, and nationality. “Star Trek: The Original Series” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation” will forever stand as icons of television — the subtlety definitely
See Nimoy’s, Page 10
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The Emory Wheel
arts & Entertainment
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Netflix Comedy Is Well Written, Addresses Current Issues Continued from Page 9 I realized that there was more to the “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” — in both characters and plot. While the show does include some characters that seem to fit stereotypes, from the gay best friend who aspires to Broadway fame, Titus Andromenon (Tituss Burgess), to the elderly, eccentric landlady, Lillian Kaushtupper (Carol Kane) and the ditzy Manhattan socialite, Jacqueline Voorhees (Jane Krakowksi), the series manages to bring complexity to each character and elicit empathy from their dynamism. The audience gets the chance to watch Titus try to survive as an artist in New York City, Lillian fight to save her neighborhood and Jacqueline struggle with her relationship with her husband. While all of their difficulties are portrayed in humorous manners, the underlying realities of their troubles are impossible to ignore. However, it is Kimmy who is especially compelling — rightfully so, as the titular character. Her naivety, though off-putting at times, is also what drives her motivation to change the world. Of course, this is due not only to the writing of Fey and Carlock, but also to Kemper’s excellent performance. As Kimmy, she brings a quirkiness beyond that of her days in “The Office” as Erin Hannon (a naive receptionist). She plays the perfect balance of innocence and wisdom; through many moments of cluelessness, at times, we get the sense that she has a wisdom beyond her years. In addition to the the complexity of each character, the comedic expertise of Fey and Carlock shines through in the writing. The theme song is reminiscent of the viral video “Bedroom Intruder.” It’s a remixed song of the news inter-
Nimoy’s Death Stirs Nostalgia in Fans
Continued from Page 9
dropped off in a big way in the projects made after Roddenberry’s passing, sion and of progressive thought. And then there’s also the “Star Trek” films and also programs “Deep Space Nine” and “Voyager.” And of course the often overlooked “Star Trek: The Animated Series.” And that other one that we don’t talk about. But, I digress. “Star Trek” in its original television run held our hand through feminism, the Civil Rights movement and the politics of the Cold War, then later returned for the fall of the Berlin Wall and wars in the Middle East, and so much more.
Courtesy of Netflix
Tituss Burgess (Left) and Ellie Kemper (Right) star in the original Netflix series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” The comedy tells the story of a woman rescued from a doomsday cult.
view of a neighbor who witnesses Kimmy’s rescue from the underground bunker. “They alive, dammit!” the song proclaims. “It’s a miracle!” From the theme song to the ridiculousness of the characters and situation (only these two would introduce an underground doomsday cult in a comedy), the “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” will easily bring its audience laughter. However, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” does not merely function as a comedy. While, at first glance, the show’s cast of characters seems so bizarre that it would be impossible for the series to address any serious topics, part of the genius of the show is in its
ability to create characters and situations that are both funny and relevant in today’s world. One such instance is when Titus walks around New York City dressed as a werewolf. “I got treated better as a werewolf than I ever did as a black man,” he says, in a simple off-hand remark. “That’s messed up.” While his statement is clearly funny, it also gives the audience the chance to recognize the truth in his words — the reality of the potential dangers of being a black male in today’s society, particularly considering the recent cases of police brutality toward black males. Another instance is an exchange between Kimmy and a construction
worker, who catcalls her in the city. While her obvious lack of understanding creates a humorous situation, later in the series, we learn that her naivety forced the worker to confront his own catcalling tendencies, affecting real change in his habits. While this is not to say that we should dress as werewolves in New York City or confront construction workers in an attempt to solve all of the world’s problems, perhaps it is in the ridiculous and comedic that we can best tackle the realities and truths of the world — the “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” in all its hilarity and quirkiness, certainly succeeds in doing just that. — Contact Julia Munslow at julia.munslow@emory.edu
If there were ever a time for a topical, allegorical serial with a disamingly shiny premise ... it would be now. But we haven’t had a “Star Trek” television program on air since 2005, and we haven’t had a real “Star Trek” television program with regard to continuity and canon since 2001. This is unacceptable. We are in the year 2015; the internet age has made information more readily available to more people than ever before, issues of freedom of expression and religious fundamentalist terrorism continue to pervade and some of us have started not only rethinking the way we perceive sexual orientation, but also the way we navigate the confusing waters of gender identity. If there were ever a time for a topical, allegorical serial with a disarm-
ingly shiny premise to help us adapt to a confusing new world, it would be now. Recent rumors speak of a new “Star Trek” television show in the works with a premise controversial to many fans. It is tentatively titled “Federation.” But there’s a new rumor of an up and coming “Star Trek” television return every year. By the Great Bird of the Galaxy, we need something more substantial! Other programs, especially those of the always cutting-edge science fiction and fantasy genre, have attempted to fill the gaping void that is our dearth of new “Star Trek” episodes. Unfortunately “Torchwood” tried too hard and came off as too pushy, the ever-expanding “Star Wars” franchise has consistently fallen short of standing for anything, and don’t even get me started on the clumsy, unfollowable mess of the unplannedpregnancy allegory “Kill the Moon” in the most recent series of “Doctor Who.” The only serial of recent years that holds water is the online fan series “Star Trek Continues,” which is modeled after the original. Simply put, we need small screen “Star Trek,” maybe now more than ever. Actor Zachary Quinto and his peers do an excellent job of keeping the original characters alive: Spock, Bones, Kirk, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu and Chekov and the whole Constitutionclass crew live on in the new movies. However, the true essence, not just of Spock, but of the entire franchise, cannot fulfill its purpose in summer blockbusters alone; it mandates a regular time slot on network television the way “Rod” intended it, so we as a nation can sit back and think.. — Contact Samuel Ready at sready@emory.edu
Wan’s ‘Furious 7’ Is Action-Packed, Tops Previous Films in the Series Continued from Page 9 This wasn’t just any regular parachute mission; Dom and his team parachuted out of the plan in their cars. This scene was spectacular and exciting because it looked possible. The second scene that stands out is when Dom drives a car through three skyscrapers simply driving from one to the next. While this scene is not as believable, it is visually stunning regardless. Focusing in as the car landed in each building and zooming out to see the car fly between buildings allowed viewers to see the whole picture. In addition to the action, there is incredible comic relief. Some of the best lines come from O’Conner’s friend and member of the crew, Roman, played by Tyrese
Gibson (“Transformers”). Roman is known for being selfabsorbed, a little thick-headed and afraid of everything. He provides much needed laughs throughout the film. The character of Hobbs, played by Dwayne Johnson (“G.I. Joe: Retaliation”), also provided comedic relief in the form of one-liners. Johnson delivers the funny lines wholly deadpan, without smiling or blinking an eye, which makes them even funnier. For example, when telling Dom about Deckard Shaw, he says he will hurt him so badly that Shaw would “wish his mamma kept her legs closed.” Statham’s performance was also noteworthy. Statham plays a phenomenal “bad guy” with a constant frown
Post-Apocalyptic Play Leaves You With Chills Continued from Page 9 the only peril the city poses — since the destruction of the world began, and a few times on stage, Marisol endures countless instances of sexual assault. And then Marisol learns that her guardian angel is leaving her to lead the war against God. If they kill God, the Angel tells her, the world will be saved. When her Angel leaves her, Marisol must suddenly face an entirely new reality: without the angel to protect her, what chance does she have of surviving in this terrifying city where she must kill or be killed and every step brings new vulnerability?
By the end of the first act on opening night, the audience was absolutely captivated. Her world is turned upside-down, and the dangers she meets are even more daunting, the risk of walking out her door even higher. The audience follows her through the chilling new Bronx, where every moment is treacherous. Although Marisol was written over twenty years ago, the issues that it deals with are still relevant today. The altered reality that Rivera creates from horrific climate changes, police-state brutality and poverty is eerily relatable to problems the world endures now. The show is very dark and unsettling, intended for a mature audience. These serious issues are prevalent throughout the performance, but
they’re interspersed with moments of sheer absurdity, putting the audience in stitches for a moment before yanking them back into the dark reality of the play. The characters are so bizarre at times that they’re almost unbelievable, but they somehow fit into the decaying world Rivera has shaped. Their insanity is understandable in a world where the moon has disappeared, all the crops taste of salt and people are being hunted on the streets. By the end of the first act on opening night, the audience was absolutely captivated. Chatter filled the house during intermission; in particular, they couldn’t seem to stop talking about professional actor and performance artist Danielle Deadwyler’s performance as Marisol’s angel. “She’s intense,” said an audience member between acts. “She can command a stage.” In the second act, the absurdity of the crumbling Bronx heightens, and Marisol faces bigger and more daunting issues, which leave audience members tense up until the very end. In many scenes, I found myself sitting rigidly as I watched, terrified for Marisol, urging her to prevail. Marisol runs until Sunday, April 12. Rivera, who is in residence on campus this week, will hold a postshow conversation on April 8. The show is captivating, and with a limited amount of performances, tickets are going fast. A beautifully-rendered urban fantasia, Marisol is a stunning, powerful performance that will leave audiences with chills. — Contact Kelsey Klosterman at kkloste@emory.edu
on his face that says “don’t mess with me.” He is so matter-of-fact and so unconscionably evil that viewers love to hate him.
Though hints for an eighth film have been dropped, Universal has not officially made an announcement. Statham is also very skilled at the fight scenes and though his fights with Dom and Hobbs happen fast, each punch is precise and calculated. Finally, one of the best performances of the film is that of Diesel.
Diesel’s deep husky voice is his trademark and it suits this character perfectly. Diesel’s character cares about his family to a fault. He even states at one point in the film, “I don’t got friends, I got family.” Dom protects his family at all costs. Diesel is perfect for this role because, although he has biceps the size of his head and fists that could punch through a wall, he has a soft heart. Diesel and Walker were the heart of the franchise. The actors were friends on and off the screen and Diesel refers to Walker as “his brother.” Though hints for an eighth film have been dropped, Universal has not officially made an announcement. If the rumors are true, it is unclear how another “Fast & Furious” movie will
be made without Walker; but this film did him proud. At various points throughout the film it was almost as if each actor had the chance to say goodbye to Walker and his character in their own way. These scenes particularly hit home with audience members who are familiar with the franchise and the death of Walker. The film ended with a touching tribute to Walker, which showed his scenes from all of the films while Diesel read a touching voice-over to the song “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa, featuring Charlie Pruth. The scene begins with O’Conner pulling up in a car next to Dom and saying “Hey, you thought you could leave without saying goodbye?” It then cuts to clips of Walker in the previous six films while Diesel
reads a voice over. Diesel’s character states, “I used to live my life a quarter mile at a time, and I think that’s why we were brothers; because you did too. No matter where you are, whether it’s a quarter mile away, or halfway across the world; you’ll always be with me, and you’ll always be my brother.” The scene ends in the present with O’Conner’s and Dom’s cars heading down separate roads. Whether you have seen all six movies before it or this is your first taste of this incredible franchise, you cannot miss this film — it truly has something for everyone. If you can, do yourself a favor and start from the beginning of the series. I promise you, it will be worth it.
— Contact Annie McNutt at amcnutt@emory.edu
Film Festival Brings City Together in Celebration of Art Continued from Page 9 introduces the world to a couple that didn’t fit well in the constraints of the working world but fit well together. Neither Carl nor Jean worked a 9-5 job, and their friendship and marriage stayed rooted strongly in their shared love of BASE jumping. The raw footage of the Boenishes and their friends soaring through the air off mountains and jagged cliffs and Houston skyscrapers gave the film a kind of life that sustained the 100 minute viewing experience without lag. Boenish’s last jump, which cost him his life, changed the mood of the film from a very high high to a profoundly low low, but Strauch managed not to make his death the film’s focus. The documentary celebrated the work of two individuals who tested the limits of mankind and dedicated their lives to truly living. The film appeared to already have been made by Boenish, which speaks to Strauch’s ability and vision as a filmmaker to tell a story. “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck” The last film shown at the festival was one that was added only three days before the festival’s start. Atlanta Film Festival Programming Director Kristy Breneman said that the trailers of “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck,” a documentary on Nirvana’s band leader Kurt Cobain, who died in 1994, had generated such a powerful response that it needed to be included in the festival’s lineup. The documentary, directed by Brett Morgen, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, was made possible by Cobain’s family who provided footage, journal entries, art and the rest of his personal archives to the filmmaker. The heavy
Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
Jared Simmons (Right) and Marah Strauch (Left) jump off of a cliff in “Sunshine Superman,” a documentary about Carl Boenish, the father of the BASE jumping movement.
weight of the documentary kept the raucous crowd completely still and quiet in the theater for the 132 minute run-time. Interviews with Cobain’s parents, siblings, stepmother, old friends and his widow, Courtney Love, illustrated Cobain so vividly and with so much detail that he seemed almost to come back to life for a few hours. Morgen made a bold choice in his filmmaking with his decision to animate. He told some of Cobain’s story through animation matched to audio of Cobain’s old, privately recorded telephone calls and personal anecdotes. Morgen treaded the line between Cobain’s lasting vigor and impact
and his death in a way that perfectly represented him; while Cobain was a voice of his generation and a martyr for art and for self-expression, he was also a symbol of desperation and self-destruction. The most jarring and intimate part of Morgen’s documentary was the inclusion of Cobain’s personal journals that felt equally an invasion of privacy as a way of understanding. In the entries were thousands of song lyrics, poems, lists, letters to Love and violent images that act as representations of all that went on in Cobain’s head. Morgen’s documentary gave Cobain an identity beyond that of the musician or artist or leg-
end; through the chronology of the film, he became human. Despite its heaviness, the documentary closed the Atlanta Film Festival, not with solemnity, but with appreciation. When the film let out on Sunday March 29, it was some time before anyone exited and walked to their car; the energy from the theater stayed locked inside as festivalgoers talked and reflected. There was a mutual feeling of respect, both for Cobain and for the documentary art form itself that made the film a sturdy anchor to a festival that proved Atlanta’s best yet. — Contact Ellie Kahn at elinor.kahn@emory.edu
E
The Emory Wheel
Sports
agle xchange Thurs 9
Fri 10
vs. Skidmore vs. Tufts 4 p.m. 10 a.m. Middlebury, Vt. Middlebury, Vt.
Golf
Continued from the Back Page
vs. Maryville College 4 p.m. Maryville, Tenn.
vs. Oglethorpe 7 p.m. Atlanta, Ga.
Softball
Baseball
Catamount Catamount Classic Classic All Day All Day Western Carolina Western Carolina Univ., N.C. Univ., N.C.
vs. Berry College 3 p.m. WoodPEC
Track Runs Against D-1 Teams
Softball
Sat 11
Track & Field
Wed 8
Men’s Tennis
Tues 7
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
vs. Agnes Scott 3 p.m. & 5p.m. WoodPEC
vs. Georgia Highland 12 p.m. & 2 p.m. WoodPEC
Emory Spring Invitational Barnsley Resort Adairsville, Ga.
Courtesy of Emory Athletics
Sophomore corner infielder Tara Fallahee eyes the pitcher. Fallahee and the Eagles split two games at home this past Saturday.
Softball Splits at Home Against Birmingham By Jacob Spitzer Asst. Sports Editor
Courtesy of Emory Athletics
Senior Danielle Truitt prepares to serve. Truitt, along with seniors Catharine Harris and Rebecca Siegler, celebrated Senior Day last Thursday.
Squad Prepares for Division II Competition Continued from the Back Page play in our lineup and they played great.” Junior Beatrice Rosen explained how important it was for athletes to receive recognition after their four years of hard work. “It’s a really big deal to be on an intense program, like Emory’s tennis team, and their commitment should be honored by the time they’re seniors,” Rosen said. “We get to know them so much, so it was very emotional to reflect [on] how they’ve changed as players, teammates and friends.” Due to lightening nearby part way through the doubles competition, the event was moved to indoor courts in the Woodruff Physical Education Center (WoodPEC). The shift in scenery didn’t change any of the athletes’ playing intensity or attitude, according to Bryant. The team of freshman Anna Fuhr and sophomore Michelle Satterfield went first, starting off the doubles match with an 8-4 win over Sewanee’s Lindsey Liles and Bronte Goodhue. Goodman and Rosen played second doubles, continuing the winning streak with an 8-0 win over the team of junior Kate Johnston and Clementina Davila. In the third doubles match, Truitt and Siegler fell 8-5 to Sewanee’s Annie Veron and Maggie Crumbliss. Emory won each singles competition against Sewanee. Rosen started the competition, defeating senior Goodhue 7-5, 6-4. Satterfield defeated junior Liles 6-2, 7-5. Sophomore Melissa Goodman defeated Sewanee freshman Christina Merchant 6-1, 6-0. Sophomore Katarina Su won against freshman Crumbliss 6-4, 6-2. Junior Madison Gordon won 6-2, 6-0 against freshman Davila. Harris finished the singles competition, winning against junior Veron
4-6, 7-6 and 12-10. “We already knew we won the match at this point, but after [Harris] won, we all rushed the court,” Bryant said. “It was such a special night to share with each other. Our team is so close, we’re like a family.” Emory improved their overall record this season to 12-3, while Sewanee dropped to 12-4 after the loss. Emory’s win also marked the 21st-consecutive win at home for the Eagles. The Eagles were scheduled to play Columbus State University (Ga.) on Saturday, April 4, at Columbus State, but the match has been postponed until Thursday, April 16 at 3 p.m., at home in the WoodPEC. Later, on Saturday, Emory will face Johns Hopkins University (Md.). Columbus State is part of the NCAA Division II and ranked number nine in the nation. Johns Hopkins is ranked number two in Division III, right behind Emory. The Eagles have a week off from practice to rest before they will begin preparing for their next games on Tuesday, April 14. “Throughout the next week, we still have weights and conditioning and will hit the ball in our own time,” Rosen said. “But, it’s a nice, needed break before our next games.” Rosen explained that the team always gets a week off during the season to give the team a mental break to help prepare for University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships and Nationals. “Having a week off in our training schedule is really important,” Bryant added. “We need to rest before we start preparing for our upcoming games against Columbus State, which is Division II and Johns Hopkins, which is one of the best in Division III.” — Contact Elana Cates at elana.cates@emory.edu
The Emory softball team split its doubleheader against the Birmingham-Southern College (Ala.) Panthers this week at home, winning the first game 5-2 and losing the second 0-7. Emory’s record now stands at 26-4 for the season, as their team maintains its ninth-place national rank. In the first game, sophomore centerfielder Taylor Forte, senior catcher Micah Scharff, sophomore third baseman Tara Fallahee and freshman right fielder Gracie Taber drove in the team’s five runs. The team hit well, with junior infielder Hannah Sendel hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the third to bring Scharff home. Fallahee hit a strong double RBI in the fifth inning, allowing Scharff to score her second run of the night. In the bottom of the sixth, Fallahee once again was able to secure runs for her team, hitting a solid two-run RBI single that allowed Forte and Taber to score. Sophomore pitcher Brittany File was the relief pitcher in the first game, throwing three scoreless innings and striking out nine batters. Sendel brought her total home runs for the season to 11, the most on the team. Fallahee drove in two solid RBIs and brought in three runs for the Eagles. In the second game against Birmingham, the Panthers drastically shifted momentum with their pitcher sophomore Taylor Harkins shutting out the Emory offense and giving up just two hits the entire game. Harkins was able to secure seven strikeouts throughout the game. The loss marked Emory’s first home loss in 16 games.
“The difference between the first game and the second game was definitely a lack of hitting adjustments,” Alyssa Pollard wrote in an email to the Wheel. “When they switched pitchers, we didn’t adjust well to the different styles of pitching.” In the first three innings, each team kept up the pressure defensively, with the Panthers allowing the Eagles to get on base once and the Panthers reaching first twice. In the top of the fourth inning, the Eagles defense stumbled and Birmingham took advantage. File walked three players, loading the bases. A walk RBI with the bases loaded gave the Panthers the lead in the game and set the precedent for the rest of the game. Junior Sydney Carpenter then replaced File, but the Eagles continued to struggle. Panthers senior utility player Bethany Fronk hit a tworun single RBI followed by a single RBI from freshman infielder Micaela Beck, bringing the score to 4-0. The Eagles defense was never able to recover. A fielder’s choice followed by an error in the fifth inning allowed Panthers sophomore infielder Alex Skene to reach second, bringing in an unearned run. In the sixth inning, after Fronk drew a walk, Beck hit a two-run homer and brought the score to a final 7-0. In an email to the Wheel, Scharff wrote that she really enjoyed playing against Birmingham. The team is excited to play them again when they compete for seeding in the NCAA tournament. The Eagles will return to action at home on Thursday, April 9 to face Agnes Scott College (Ga.) at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. — Contact Jacob Spitzer at jacob.alexander.spitzer@emory.edu
hurdles, recording 13th place with 15.34 seconds. Freshman Zoe Fowler contributed top marks, as well, claiming 12th place in the hammer throw with 41.86 meters. In the 400-meter dash, sophomore Erica Goldman placed ninth with her time of 1:00.37. Freshman Gabrielle Stravach recorded 10th place in the 1,500meter run with a 4:48.65 time. Senior Katie Wilson tied for ninth place in the high jump with 1.55 meters. In the 4x400-meter relay, the Emory women’s team, made up of sophomores Elizabeth Magno and Alexa Young, Goldman, and Williamson, placed eighth with its 4:04.95 time. “We had all just ran for a while, so we were pretty tired, but it was fun to get a team together and practice,” Williamson said of the 4x400-meter relay team. “The wind was also a factor, if it wasn’t there a lot of times would have probably been better. But, it was still great practice.” On the men’s side, freshman Max Brown led the Eagles after he claimed sixth place in the 1,500meter run with a time of 3:55.27. His time was good for the seventhfastest in the program’s history, and the eighth-fastest time by a NCAA Division III athlete this season. Sophomore Grant Murphy added a 17th-fastest time by any NCAA Division III athlete this season with his 15th-place, 3:58.01 finish in the 1,500-meter run. Freshman Phillip Greenfield claimed a season-best time for the Eagles in the 100-meter dash, placing 14th with 11.10 seconds. He also competed in the 200-meter dash, claiming 24th-place with a 22.92 time. Junior Jack Seigel also added a best mark for the Eagles this season in the discus throw, placing 15th with a 42.80-meter throw. In the javelin throw, junior Spencer Koh placed fifth with a 51.09-meter throw. He also claimed an eighthplace finish in the pole vault with 4.17 meters. Freshman Shane Sullivan placed eighth in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 15:09.89. Senior Kevin Delaney placed eighth in the 8000-meter run with a 1:59.51 time. Freshman Daniel Pietsch claimed sixth place in the 400-meter dash with his 49.01-second time. The men’s 4x400-meter relay, like the women’s, also placed in the meet’s top-10, claiming seventh-place with a time of 3:24.30. The team consisted of freshman Zach Lamb, senior Zachary Rosenberg, sophomore Ian McIsaac and Pietsch. “Looking ahead, we just need to tweak some small things and get the squad the best we can before [University Athletic Association (UAA)] Championships,” Harunk added. “The next to weeks will be all about perfecting and preparing.” The Eagles are scheduled to return to action on Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11 at the Catamount Classic at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C. — Contact Elana Cates at elana.cates@emory.edu
Eagles Prepare for Home and Cross-Town Game Continued from the Back Page wild pitch lead to an unearned run for the Eagles along with a RBI by sophomore infielder Phillip Maldari to bring the score to 8-2. The Eagles continued to play well both offensively and defensively, giving up only two more hits in the following four innings. The Eagles were unable to make anything happen in the fifth inning, but continued their offensive onslaught in the sixth and seventh innings. Maldari hit a two run double in the sixth, followed by a ground out RBI by senior infielder Jordan Selbach bringing the score to 11-2. Two walks in the seventh inning allowed Lake to bring Coble and Young home with a two run double, bringing the game to its final score of 13-2. “It feels really nice to win a game putting up such big numbers,” Peacock said. “But really a win is a win. The score doesn’t really matter. But it is nice to put up such big numbers.” The second game against Huntingdon was much closer. Once again, the Eagles had a terrific opening, with five hits and four runs in the first inning. It appeared as if Huntingdon’s unreliable defense would lead to another high-scoring
Eagle blowout with the second inning beginning with bases loaded, no outs. Coble was able to secure Emory’s first run due to Vizvary’s RBI single. Maldari then hit a RBI single, allowing Eisner to score. Peacock was able to bring Vizvary home on a sacrifice fly. Chambers finished up the inning with a RBI single, bringing the score to 4-0. The Eagles continued their run in the second inning with Vizvary hitting another two-run double bringing the score to 6-0. “[Maldari] has been killing it this year,” Lake said. “He doesn’t stop putting up doubles. [Eisner] also had a great year. It wasn’t a surprise they continued to perform so well.” Huntingdon had a solid third inning, scoring three runs and bringing the score to 6-3. However, they were unable to continue the momentum and defenses remained strong for the rest of the game with a total of four hits from the bottom of the third to the bottom of the sixth. In the seventh inning, Emory’s defense faltered. With the assistance of a wild pitch, Huntingdon was able to score bringing the score to 6-4. Off a throwing error, Huntingdon was able to secure runners on first and second base. However, it was unable to convert and the score remained 6-4 in the
Eagles favor. The final game was once again dominated by the Eagles’ offense, with Emory winning 6-1. After an uneventful first inning, Emory was able to score two runs in the second. Selbach brought Vizvary home with a ground out. Maldari scored off a fielding error. Both teams played solid defense, not letting either side have any real scoring chances until the bottom of the fifth, when Eisner was able to a hit a RBI double, and bring the score to 3-0. Emory had a strong sixth inning, scoring three runs. Chambers hit a single RBI, as did Morgan. Chambers was able to score Emory’s final run by scoring on an attempted steal. Huntingdon scored a run in the bottom of the sixth, but couldn’t catch Emory’s six-run lead. “What we need to focus on is playing consistently,” Lake said. “We need to make the routine play and hit the ball. If we can continue doing that and if we get to play offs, we can make a real run at it.” The Eagles are set for a home game against the Berry College (Ga.) Vikings, at 3 p.m. today, and will travel to Oglethorpe University (Ga.) tomorrow, April 8, for a 7 p.m. game. — Contact Jacob Spitzer at jacob.alexander.spitzer@emory.edu
11
On Fire
“Basketball is the MTV of sports.” - Sara Levinson
As any reader of On Fire knows, your On Fire correspondent is an exceptional human being. As you might have guessed, he (or she) is equal parts hilarious and intelligent and extremely charming. Which is why when your On Fire correspondent comes across another individual whom he considers his or her near equal, that person is worth writing an entire On Fire column about. That person is of course Mitt Romney. Many of you, my loyal readers may disagree with Mitt’s politics. Some of you may feel he contradicts himself or that he is out of touch with average Americans. Some of you may hate his guts. But what you can’t argue with is, Mitt Romney knows how to make an NCAA bracket. According to the Huffington Post, out of the 11.57 million brackets filled out on ESPN.com, Romney is in 25,485th place, which puts his bracket is in the 99.98th percentile. Mitt Romney is a man who has had many facets of success in his life. He co-founded Bain Capital, a billion dollar company and was governor of Massachusetts, one of the country’s wealthiest states. However, despite his success, he’s never been part of such a select group of people. In your On Fire correspondent’s humble and valuable opinion he (or she) believes Romney has found his true calling. Congratulations Mitt Romney, well done. In response to Mitt Romney’s unexpected talent, your On Fire correspondent has kindly compiled a list of athletes whose true calling is off the court. 1. Sean Avery: NHL icon who played for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars and New York Rangers, Avery is most known for his easily agitated demeanor, his violence in the rink and his controversial comments to the press. Only after several seasons in the NHL did Avery realize his true calling; Avery’s love of fashion became so consuming that in 2008, he took an internship with Vogue magazine during the summer offseason. 2. Joel Zumaya: retired American baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. He is known for having a 100-plus mph fastball, breaking the record for the fastest pitch ever thrown at the time. Zumaya found his true calling in the 2005 hit video game “Guitar Hero.” He played the game so much that he suffered a wrist injury which kept him out of the 2006 American League Championship Series (ALCS). 3. Serena Williams: tennis icon, thought by many to be among the greatest women players of all time. She is currently ranked number one in the world, and has won over $60 million in prize money. She has won 34 grand slams, including 19 in singles. Additionally, she is tied for the most single grand slam titles of all time. While this is certainly not unimpressive, her true talent lies off the court. She is an expert seamstress who has been sewing since she was two or three years old and has honed her skills by making clothes for her dolls. 4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: American basketball player who played 20 seasons in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. He was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) for a record six times. What many people watching him on television and cheering for him at games really wanted to know, however, is what his thoughts on Iran becoming a nuclear power were. Today, the public can learn about this and more as Jabbar found his true calling as a blogger reviewing everything from politics to HBO’s “Girls.” 5. Dennis Rodman: This Bulls dynasty power forward made a name for himself as a defensive monster. He was named the NBA defensive player of the year twice and won five National Championships. However it wasn’t until after he retired that he found his true calling. He has travelled to North Korea becoming a professional diplomat and plausable best friend to Kim Jong Un. In your On Fire correspondent’s opinion, Rodman is an example of a true American hero.
Sports The Emory Wheel
Tuesday, April 7, 2015 Sports Editor: Elana Cates (elana.cates@emory.edu)
Baseball
Column
Cricket: An Evolving And Exciting Sport
Shalvi Shah
Mark Spicer/Staff
Junior Dylan Eisner prepares to hit the ball in a game against the Huntingdon College (Ala.) Hawks. Eisner and the Eagles won all three games against the Hawks, one at Huntingdon and the other two at home.
Baseball Takes Three Against Huntingdon By Jacob Spitzer Asst. Sports Editor The Emory University baseball team swept a three-game series against the Huntingdon College (Ala.) Hawks with scores of 13-2, 6-4 and 6-4 this weekend. The Eagles have been on a strong streak lately, despite a bumpy start to their season, winning six of their last seven games and bringing their record to 19-10 for the season. The first game was held away, at
Huntingdon, and on Saturday, both teams traveled back to Atlanta to play at Emory for the last two games. In the first game, sophomore outfielder David Coble, senior catcher Dylan Eisner and senior outfielder Brett Lake scored the bulk of the team’s runs, each with three. Junior corner infielder Ben Vizvary, senior outfielder Wes Peacock, sophomore catcher Chris Young and freshman outfielder Nick Chambers each scored a run as well. The Eagles started the game
strong. In the top of the first, Lake hit a single RBI to bring Coble home. In the second inning, Emory’s offense combined with a lackluster Hawk defense allowed the Eagles to pick up five more runs. With three walks, a wild pitch and a passed ball, it wasn’t hard for Emory to have a high scoring inning. Emory’s offense was impressive, as well, with Chambers and Vizvary each hitting RBIs. The bottom of the second through the bottom of the third looked as if the momentum might shift toward
the Hawks. Hawks junior outfielder Anthony Spivey hit a one run home run and the Eagles failed to score. Hawks junior outfielder Patrick Kucera hit a solid RBI in the bottom of the third to bring in another run for the Hawks. Despite a solid offensive two innings, the game’s momentum shifted back to the Eagles in the top of the fourth due to the weakness of the Hawk’s defense. A walk and a
See Eagles, Page 11
For those of you who follow the International Cricket Council (ICC) and support the Australian team, the 2015 Cricket World Cup must have been an absolute blast. Jointly hosted by New Zealand and Australia, the 11th World Cup was won by the Australian team for the fifth time since the tournament’s inception in England in 1975 — a new record. Now, if you’re familiar with the intricacies of One Day International (ODI) and Test cricket, plow on. Firstly, let me tell you why Australia deserved that win against New Zealand, even if they had to defeat the Indian team — who are my favorites — in the semis. Australia was undefeated for a record 34 World Cup matches until 2011, when they lost to Pakistan by four wickets (getting a wicket is similar to striking out in baseball). The current Australian team has an amazing line-up, starting with its captain, middle-order batsman Michael Clarke. The way he organized the field during the final matches left very little room for the opposing teams’ batsmen to sneak in fours and sixes. More often than not, if the ball went up in the air, it would be caught. He also made an impressive 74 off 72 balls in the final match. Unfortunately, the final was his last ODI, as he announced a partial retirement earlier this year. In any cricket team, left arm fast bowlers are highly prized, and Australia’s Mitchell Starc holds the record for most wickets taken during this World Cup. Umpires have hardly found fault with his leg-by-wicket (lbw) pleas, and the final was no exception. New Zealand was bowled out in 45 overs (over is the bowling
period), with a meager total of 183 runs, and Starc was the one who took a wicket in the very first over of the match. Australia has had a good history with this sport; they are the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played the first Test match in 1877. Other teams like South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and West Indies have also had a good run; the Indians were the defending champions during this World Cup. Not many people in the United States are interested in cricket, as baseball is the only sport played with a bat that Americans tend to care about. Whenever one attempts to introduce cricket in the States — apparently there is a national team — he or she is met with societal conditions like a lack of sponsors and people who complain that the sport is too slow to enjoy or be excited about. For those of you who wish for a more fast-paced, delimitating version of a cricket, you may want to check out Twenty20 International cricket, where once again, Australia is one of the dominant teams. Meanwhile, cricket is the secondmost popular sport in the world, with somewhere between two and three billion fans in the United Kingdom, India and Pakistan, to name a few countries where the sport is popular, according to sporteology.com. In Twenty20 cricket, there are only 20 overs, compared to the 50 overs in ODIs. The rules on the field and on the pitch are more flexible, if not a little vague. There are power plays, where the fielders have to loosen their circles, and in this way, more runs can be scored by the batsmen. There are many businessmen and celebrities who sponsor such matches, because they are cost-efficient, yet drag out maximum entertainment and skill from the players. If you’re looking to have a new perspective on cricket, or are done with basketball for a bit and want to look at something different, then check out the next big qualifier tournament starting on July 6, 2015 for the 2016 ICC World Twenty20. — Contact Shalvi Shah at shalvi.shah@emory.edu
Track & Field
NCAA Division III Week This week, April 6 through April 12, Emory University is observing NCAA Division III Week. The week marks an opportunity for all 450 member schools of the NCAA Division III program to celebrate the impact of athletics and student-athletes on college campuses. During this week, every Division III school nationally will be participating in outreach activities that fall under three categories: academic accomplishment, athletic experience and campus leadership or community service, according to ncaa.com. At Emory, more than 400 students-athletes participate in 18 intercollegiate sports. Emory holds a total 18 Division III National Championship titles and 167 University Athletic Association (UAA) Conference Championship titles. During the 2013-2014 school year, the Eagles produced 41 All-American athletes, increasing the total to 801 since 1983. Emory’s student athletes have also claimed 92 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships to date. This week, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the athletic department will be conducting programs to celebrate Emory Athletics. On Wednesday, Emory Athletics will be hosting at table at Wonderful Wednesday. On Thursday, athletes will participate in the main focus of the week, the “Think-a-Thon,” in which they will thank donors, current and former coaches, teammates and professors for their support.
Women’s Tennis
Courtesy of Emory Athletics
Senior Hannah Smith competes in the steeplechase. Smith was the lone Eagle first-place win this past weekend at the VertKlasse Meeting in High Point, N.C.
Track Competes at VertKlasse Meet By Elana Cates Sports Editor
Courtesy of Emory Athletics
Senior Rebecca Siegler hits the ball back to her opponent. Siegler and the Eagles won their match against Sewanee: The University of the South (Tenn.) last Thursday.
Tennis Celebrates Senior Day By Elana Cates Sports Editor Last Thursday, April 2, the topranked Emory women’s tennis team celebrated Senior Day and an 8-1 win against the number 12-ranked Sewanee: The University of the South (Tenn.).
Before the match began, the team honored the three graduating senior athletes: Catharine Harris, Rebecca Siegler and captain Danielle Truitt. The three Eagles have collectively helped the team go 77-16 over the past four seasons, including an NCAA Division III National Championship in 2014 and three straight top-three
finishes in the NCAA Division III Tournament. “[Senior Day] was so special, two of our athletes’ parents were there to celebrate, and it was a memorable ceremony,” Head Coach Amy Bryant said. “All three seniors were able to
See Squad, Page 11
This past weekend, the Emory track and field team competed at the VertKlasse Meeting in High Point, N.C. While there was no team scoring recorded at the event, the Eagles turned a number of strong performances to continue their outdoor season. “This was a really successful meet for us,” said sophomore Kellie Harunk, who competed in the 100meter and 200-meter dashes. “We loved traveling to High Point because it’s a Division I school, giving us more competition to challenge us that we don’t get at other Division III meets.” Harunk explained that the condi-
tions in High Point were very windy. “Usually that would be really bad,” she said. “But, we were still able to have a great meet with a lot of personal records.” Senior Hannah Smith contributed the lone first-place win for Emory. She won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:07.73, ranking 10th among all NCAA Division III runners this year. Junior Julie Williamson added a sixth-place finish in the 800-meter run. With her 2:14.66 time, she recorded her second-best time of the season and tied for the eighth-fastest time in the Emory program’s history. “Everyone did a great job,” Williamson said. “We were up against a lot of great Division I teams, so it was great practice to get us
closer to the times we need in order to qualify for Division III Nationals.” Freshman Julia Leventhal recorded the top times for any Eagle this season in her two events, the 100meter dash and the 200-meter dash. In the 100-meter, she recorded a 12.59 second time, good for 11thplace. For the 200-meter, her time of 26.03 seconds earned her 26th-place. Other top marks on the women’s side came from senior Madison Hoeninghausen in the javelin throw, claiming seventh place with 33.93 meters, freshman Kora Dreffs in the shot put, with 11.06 meters good for 24th place. Freshman Caitlin Cheeseboro also earned top marks in the 100-meter
See Track, Page 11