November 9, 2022

The Emory Wheel

Abrams falls to Kemp, Senate likely advances to runoff

By MAtthew ChupACk Executive Editor

Incumbency prevailed in Georgia’s 2022 gubernatorial race, with Republican Gov. Brian Kemp emerg ing victorious, securing his second term in the governor’s mansion. In Georgia’s Senate race, incumbent Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Republican hopeful Herschel Walker are projected to advance to a runoff.

“It looks like the reports of my politi cal death have been greatly exagger ated,” Kemp said in his victory speech on election night. “It is a great night to be a Georgian.”

Kemp outperformed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams by 7.6 percentage points, with Kemp garnering 2,104,084 votes (53.4%) and Abrams winning 1,805,610 votes (45.8%), as of Nov. 9 at 4:00 a.m. Abrams conceded to Kemp Tuesday evening.

“I am doing what is clearly the responsible thing — I am suspending my campaign for governor,” Abrams said in a speech on Tuesday evening. “I may no longer be seeking the office of governor, but I will never stop doing everything in my power to ensure that the people of

Georgia have a voice.”

According to various polls, Abrams' weaker performance this election cycle may be due to a decrease in support among Black male voters and a general lack of excitement surrounding the mid term elections among Black voters.

Emory College Republicans Chairman Robert Schmad (23C) wrote in an email to the Wheel that he was not surprised Kemp pulled off a comfort able win.

“Governor Brian Kemp ran on a pol icy record of putting the interests of Georgians first, Stacey Abrams ran on a bourgeois progressive culture war,” Schmad wrote. “We look forward to Governor Kemp continuing to protect life and prosperity in the state of Georgia for the next four years.”

Young Democrats of Emory President Ash Shankar (23B) did not respond for comment by press time.

Other key Georgia races resulted in favorable outcomes for Republicans.

Georgia State Rep. and Democratic Secretary of State candidate Bee Nguyen conceded to Republican incumbent Brad Raffensperger Tuesday evening.

“The past years haven’t been easy in Georgia — I’m grateful to be in [a]

race where we can have a phone call & wish each other well,” Nguyen tweeted. “Thank you to the voters in the state of Georgia. You inspire me.”

by 9.2 percentage points as of Nov. 9 at 4:00 a.m., with Raffensperger winning 53.2% of votes and Nguyen receiving 44.0% of votes.

Additionally, Rep. Nikema Williams (D-5) was reelected to represent Georgia’s fifth congressional district, where Emory University is located. She leads Christian Zimm (15Ox, 17C, 20B, 20L), her Republican opponent, by 64.9 percentage points as of Nov. 9 at 4:00 a.m.

Kemp and Abrams previously faced off in the 2018 gubernatorial election, when Kemp won his first term as gov ernor by just 1.4 percentage points. Abrams subsequently refused to con cede, flagging alleged voter suppres sion. Abrams then established Fair Fight Action, a nonprofit dedicated to combat ing voter suppression in Georgia and across the United States.

tions in Georgia after six weeks, and approved legislation allowing permit less carry of a concealed handgun in public. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he passed the Unmask Georgia Act in March, which prohibited public schools from requiring masks. Kemp also imple mented a $5,000 teacher pay raise, the largest in Georgia’s history.

Georgia’s economy expanded dur ing Kemp’s tenure. During fiscal year 2021, investments grew by 46% and job creation increased 5% above previous Georgia economic development records.

Warnock outpaced Walker by 0.5 per centage points, with Warnock receiving 1,941,020 (49.2%) votes while Warnock accumulated 1,922,977 (48.7%) votes, as

of Nov. 9 at 4:00 a.m. However, neither candidate has received over 50% of the vote, so the race will likely advance to a

Several controversies defined Walker’s campaign, including urging and offering to pay for his ex-girlfriend dren and faking a law enforcement background. Walker — who proudly claimed he does not know how to spell “politician” — has also been endorsed by numerous controversial figures, including Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Walker is most known for his football career, where he played on the University of Georgia’s 1980 championship team, as well as for the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. Although he does not have a formal background in poli tics, Trump appointed Walker chairman of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.

Emory community reflects on first election cycle under SB 202

By Ashley Zhu Politics Desk

The Election Integrity Act of 2021, also known as SB 202, was adopt ed by the Georgia General Assembly and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in March 2021. The bill instituted numer ous changes relating to voter eligi bility, voter registration and election processes.

The 2022 midterms are the first election cycle since SB 202 was enact ed, which was deemed an “anti-voter law” by protestors and an “election integrity” protector by supporters.

Changes under SB 202

Adam Byrnes (21Ox, 23C), a politi cal science major, conducted research on changes implemented under SB 202 alongside Lauren Huiet (21Ox, 23B). According to Byrnes, a major part of the bill was the centralization of state authority, manifested in the alteration of the powers of the secre tary of state, the State Elections Board

and the General Assembly.

Under SB 202, the General Assembly — composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate — will now appoint the head of the State Election Board, a position that was previously filled by an elected secre tary of state.

The change is listed in section five of the bill, stating that a majority vote in each chamber of the General Assembly is sufficient to fill the position. The chairperson is barred from participat ing in partisan political activities — including campaign contributions or participation in political party organi zations — during their time as a chair, as well as in their two years prior to appointment.

“My concern is what happens if, at the county level, you have bad actors who want to disqualify voters for partisan reasons,” Byrnes said. “I think it went too far in terms of centralizing state authority and cre ating more avenues for bad actors if they get power to make a negative

Emory faculty donates $58,997.07 to Warnock, $399.90 to Walker in 2022

By Andrew roisenBerg Contributing Writer

Over the course of 2022, Emory employees have thus far made 5,909 individual donations to U.S. Senate and congressional candidates as well as

related political organizations and politi cal action committees (PACs), totaling $679,760.30.

Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) received $58,997.07 through 531 indi vidual Emory faculty contributions through Warnock for Georgia and the

Warnock Victory Fund, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) data. Of these donations, 525 contri butions totaling $55,707.47 went to Warnock for Georgia.

Far fewer Emory employees donated

Emory University’s Independent Student Newspaper

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons (left and right) and offiCe of the g overnor (middle)

Jainee shah/Contributing illustrator

Senate runoff election likely to be held Dec. 6

On the campaign trail, Walker has advocated for lowering taxes, increasing security on the United States and Mexico border, bolstering military spending and advancing pro-life policies.

When Warnock was sworn into office less than two years ago, he made his tory as the first Black U.S. senator from Georgia and the first Democratic Black senator from the South. He was also the first Democratic Senator elected in Georgia in 20 years. Like Walker, Warnock does not come from a political background — he is the pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. preached.

Warnock was elected in a special election to decide who would complete the remainder of former Sen. Johnny Isakson’s (R-Ga.) term after he resigned from office in December 2019 due to

health concerns. Kemp appointed for mer Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) to fill the seat until the special election was held. The special election advanced to a runoff between Loeffler and Warnock, with his and Sen. Jon Ossoff’s (D-Ga.) eventual victories flipping the Senate blue.

While in office, Warnock co-spon sored the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act, which aimed to facili tate the United States’ transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy by offer ing tax credits for solar energy pro duction. His campaign also emphasized many bread-and-butter Democratic initiatives, like expanding Medicaid, advancing women’s reproductive rights and protecting the Affordable Care Act and the Equality Act.

— Contact Matthew Chupack at matthew.chupack@emory.edu

Majority of faculty donations given to Democratic candidates

from Page 1

to Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker — Team Herschel, Inc. received 15 donations from an Emory employee, totaling $399.90. Employees did not donate to Walker through any other organizations, includ ing Team Herschel’s People’s Champion Committee, Team Herschel Victory Committee, Run Herschel Run PAC and Herschel Walker for Georgia Victory Fund.

In total, Warnock and Walker’s campaigns directly received $59,396.97 from Emory employees, divided among 540 individual contri butions. No Emory employees donated to Libertarian Senate candidate Chase Oliver.

Emory staff contributions follow state-wide trends between the two candidates for Senate. Donors across Georgia and beyond contributed more than $26.3 million to Warnock between July 1 and Sept. 30, while Walker trails behind, having raised $12 million in the same time period.

Emory affiliates are the fourth larg est contributor to Warnock’s campaign, beating those of Microsoft, Apple and Amazon.

Emory employees also donated to PACs representing Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.) and Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams in Georgia’s gubernato rial race.

In Congressional races, Emory employees contributed the most to can didates Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan (D-13), Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath (D-6) and Georgia Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-7) since Jan. 1, 2022. Kelly received $31,810 across 33 donations, while Ryan raised $22,061.32

with 40 donations. McBath followed with $8,250 through 32 donations. Bourdeaux received $1,200 from seven donations.

Emory Professor in the Practice of Business Law Allison Burdette said she donated to John Fetterman, who is the Democratic candidate in Pennsylvania’s Senate race, Ryan and Warnock. Over the course of 22 individual donations since the start of 2022, Burdette has given $650 to Tim Ryan for Ohio and $1,147.50 to ActBlue, a PAC and online crowdfund ing platform for funding left-leaning candidates.

In total, Warnock and Walker's campaigns directly received $59,396.97 from Emory employees.

When asked why she donated to these candidates, Burdette noted her attraction to their character. She said Fetterman “seems like an ‘everyman,’” Ryan “cuts through politics and talks with heart” and Warnock “has done an exceptional job representing Georgia.”

Although she did not donate to his campaign, Burdette admitted to hav ing a soft spot for Walker because she received an autograph from the former NFL star during a high school track meet.

David Howard, an associate pro fessor at the Rollins School of Public Health, was similarly motivated by candidates’ character but donated to Republican campaigns. Howard said he donated to Wyoming Rep.

Elizabeth Cheney (R-at large district), South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace (R-1) and Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. He gave one donation of $250 to WinRed and one donation of $250 to Nancy Mace for Congress.

“I’m worried about the direction of the Republican Party,” Howard said. “I gener ally support moderate Republicans who don’t kowtow to Trump.”

Howard added that he appreci ates candidates like Cheney and Raffensperger who “put the right deci sion above party line” and are not afraid to make decisions that may be unpopular and threaten their upcoming elections.

George Mitchell, a histocompatibility technologist for Emory Healthcare, is the only Emory employee who is list ed by the FEC as donating to Team Herschel, Inc. Mitchell did not respond for comment.

Among Emory faculty, the larg est contributors were Charles Howard Candler Professor and Chair of African American Studies Carol Anderson, who donated $41,847.05, Professor of Classics Christine Perkell, who donated $2,368.59 and the Goodrich C. White Professor of Film and Media Studies Matthew Bernstein. Bernstein led the pack, donat ing $389,827.02 throughout 2022 and over $1 million during the course of his tenure at Emory.

“My wife and I care deeply about ensur ing democracy continues in America, a woman’s right to choose, sensible gun safety laws and the climate crisis,” Bernstein said.

— Contact Andrew Roisenberg at andrew.roisenberg@emory.edu

Emory polling station is accessible, fast on Election Day

By sArAh dAvis Managing Editor

There was no line when Emory University’s 1599 Clifton Road polling station opened on Election Day at 7 a.m. Michelle Tucker (25C), who voted for the first time in the midterm election, was the first to enter the polls.

“I’m really excited,” Tucker said. “I think I made some good choices.”

The 1599 building only recently started being used as a polling center, beginning operation for the primary election on May 2. While managed by DeKalb County, Emory’s Office of

Government and Community Affairs collaborated with Emory Votes Initiative (EVI) to provide volunteers to oversee the site.

“I came really early because I thought there was going to be a long line, but there isn’t,” Chen said. “I don’t know if it’s because it’s the morning and no one’s awake, but it was really easy.”

Joyce Korir (23B), who works in Emory’s Center for Civic and Community Engagement, said “the voting went fast” and gave a shout out to Gebresilassie for her work oversee ing the polling center.

Voters praised the polling station for its easy-to-follow instructions and said the connected parking deck, which was free during voting hours, made the site more accessible.

More than 14,000 people voted at the polling site during the early vot ing period, according to Assistant Vice President of University Communications and Marketing Laura Diamond. EVI Program Coordinator Hannah Joy Gebresilassie said the volunteers stepped in when the line went out the door during the last day of early voting on Nov. 4.

“Their job with operations is to make sure that there’s a line structure and format,” Gebresilassie said. “We corre spond with the poll workers to make sure everything’s running smoothly and then we get students involved.”

On Election Day, however, voters had little to no wait times to enter the polls. Within the last hour of voting, turnout was sparse, with only about 20 people coming in and out of the precinct to cast their vote.

This surprised Fiona Chen (25C), who visited the polling station around 8:30 a.m.

“They made it really idiot-proof, in a sense,” Christine Zhu (23B) said. “All the directions were there, and it was really easy to follow … I’m hoping it stays that way for this election day.”

This election, many students voted for the first time in Georgia. Kaleb Branch (24C), who is originally from Arkansas, changed his registration to Georgia for the midterm election.

He said that the states’ elections were “important for me, especially being a minority in both.”

Branch, who voted on Nov. 8, said he received a warm reception at the polls and reported that the “process was pretty simple.”

“I did a little research before I got here, and then they just kind of guided me on what to do,” Branch said.

On Election Day, students, poll work ers and staff at the 1599 Clifton Road precinct worked together one last time to finish out this election cycle.

“It’s so powerful to see everybody

working together,” Gebresilassie said on Tuesday morning. “It’s kind of emotional: you’re seeing a multi-gen erational, inter-generational mobi lization movement, and I’m excited to see what happens tonight and

tomorrow.”

—

Alan Na (26C) contributed reporting.

Contact Sarah Davis at sarah.davis@emory.edu

sarah davis/m anaging editor

Anish Nashine (24B), Ash Shankar (23B) and Christine Zhu (23B) hold up their stickers after voting at the 1599 Clifton Road polling station on Nov. 8. The polling station opened in May ahead of the primary elections.

Continued

Chau a nh nguyen/Contributing illustrator

Despite political scientists previously forecasting a red wave nationwide, many Democratic candidates have fended off their Republican opponents.

sarah davis/m anaging editor

Kaleb Branch (24C) poses with a sticker saying "I'm a Georgia Voter" on Election Day. This is his first time voting in Georgia.

“I came really early because I thought there was going to be a long line, but there isn't.”

— Fiona Chen (25C)

SB 202 disproportionately affects voters of color, lawsuits say

difference.”

Co-Communications Director of Young Democrats of Emory Virginia Brown (23C) also expressed concerns about the shift from an elected to an appointed position, saying it will allow the state legislature to take over and turn it into a partisan role.

“The chair of the Elections Board is appointed by the majority of the House and Senate, so in effect [it's] going to be a Republican nominee, whereas the Secretary of State is directly nomi nated,” Brown said.

SB 202 also banned mobile poll ing units, which are RV-sized buses large enough to house eight to 10 voting stations. Under the bill, Fulton County will only be able to use mobile voting units during a declared disaster.

Nichola Hines, the president of the League of Women Voters of Atlanta-Fulton County — a nonparti san, nonprofit organization dedicated to informing and educating voters — noted that SB 202’s ban on mobile voting units “stripped away” citizens’ ability to vote early.

During the pandemic in June 2020, Hines described a “debacle of prima ries,” which the county decided to cir cumvent by booking large venues and building mobile units to increase vot ing access. Fulton County was the only county in Georgia to utilize mobile voting units, which created a “simple, secure” voting experience for voters of all ages and disabilities.

“Other counties were actually look ing at this and saying, ‘This is a great idea, this is access to more people,” Hines said. “Fulton County was the only one who was thinking outside of the box — how can more people access the polls, less lines?”

When Hines used the mobile unit, she discovered that it was almost iden tical to walking to a regular precinct. The mobile voting unit had multiple polling units, with a poll supervisor and multiple poll workers.

According to Hines, the buses trav eled throughout Fulton County on Saturdays and Sundays, spanning from North Fulton all the way to South Fulton. Additionally, people could eas ily access listings of the 24 scheduled bus stops.

Many of the bus stops reached iso lated areas, where polling places may have been inconvenient. Hines added that, even as a resident of Atlanta, she isn’t able to walk to her county polling location.

“Go back to the name,” Hines said. “What does it have to do with integrity? The machines are the same machines, the workers are the same type of workers. Just now, instead of it being in a stationary building, they brought the machines to the voters.”

SB 202’s changes swing both ways, Byrnes added.

“This strikes me as a combination of fairly common sense smaller changes and more overbearing regulations that I don’t see a compelling need for, in terms of protecting election security,” Byrnes said.

Byrnes said that some of the chang es outlined in the bill were under standable, such as IDs being required for absentee ballots. He said that the new rule — and the ability to use social security numbers instead of IDs — makes sense because IDs are required at polls.

However, Brown noted that Young Democrats of Emory faced challenges with the new require ment of including a photocopy of government ID, front and back, during registration. As the organi zation helped register students to vote, they had to make sure that the form was filled out correctly, print out the ID photos, match the photos with their registration and send them out.

“It was kind of a tedious process,” Brown said. “Although it was some thing we were able to do, it disenfran chises a lot of Black and Latino voters, or older, immunocompromised, dis abled or low income people who don’t have access to printers.”

The bill also limited the number of days people can apply for an absen tee ballot from 180 days to 78 days before an election. Absentee ballots could previously be requested up until the Friday before Election Day, but are now cut off 11 days before the election.

Additionally, there is a new limit of one absentee ballot drop box per

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it harder for most people who tra ditionally vote Democrat to register to vote. Black, Hispanic and Asian individuals, as well as lower-income individuals, who lean Democrat, over whelmingly vote blue.

Georgia lawmakers were hit with several lawsuits in 2021 alleging that SB 202 disproportionately harmed voters of color as a means to achieve a partisan end. Both the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Legal Defense Fund filed law suits in March 2021 against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and the Georgia State Election Board on grounds of racial discrimination against voters.

The Lawyer’s Committee’s lawsuit alleges that race was a “motivating fac tor” behind SB 202.

100,000 registered voters in each county, and the drop boxes must be indoors under surveillance. The boxes, which were previously outside under video surveillance and accessible 24 hours a day, are now limited to early voting hours.

Under SB 2020, Fulton County’s number of dropboxes fell from 38 to eight. Hines added that all other major counties were limited to five dropboxes.

“I had to find a parking spot for my car, get out of my car, then go in the building and drop it off, instead of having somewhere where it was accessible for me to stay in a car or just quickly park, drop and go,” Hines said.

She added that the drop boxes help people who don’t have time to go into a building to vote.

“If counties want to establish more dropboxes that are within state regu lations … in a building, secure, with regulations on who guards and inter acts with it, if they want to incur that cost, why can’t they?” Byrnes said.

Additionally, SB 202’s new voter challenge provision states that any individual voter can submit an unlim ited number of challenges to the eli gibility of voters. At the county level, Byrnes said that there might be “bad actors” who seek to disqualify voters for partisan reasons.

“This is kind of just a net negative, as a bill,” Brown said. “One of the fundamental principles of being in a democracy is that every person has the right to vote, and this is just under mining that.”

However, Brown noted that she believes there are parts of the bill that help promote fair elections. Under the bill, poll workers who reside in different counties are allowed to work in metropolitan areas, meaning Georgians from rural areas will be able to help run elections elsewhere.

This year’s midterms

Redistricting, the redrawing of new congressional and state legisla tive district boundaries, occurs every ten years. Kemp signed Georgia's con gressional map into law in December 2021, removing Democratic precincts in DeKalb County from Georgia's sixth congressional district and adding in more conservative counties.

According to Georgia Public Broadcasting, the new boundaries are likely to elect nine Republicans and five Democrats, compared to the

eight Republicans and six Democrats elected in 2020.

“You want to make sure, because of new-drawn lines, that you’re poll ing in the right place, you know who you’re voting for,” Hines said. “Your state senator, representative, even your commissioners could have changes. You want to make sure before you get in there that you’re not shocked.”

Hines introduced the idea of “sexy candidates,” such as the sena tor, governor and secretary of state, who make people more “excited” to vote due to greater knowledge about the candidates. However, one of her organization’s goals is to inform people about the candidates further down the ballot.

“SB 202 was enacted at a time when Black voters and other voters of color were making increasing use of means of voting,” the lawsuit states. “SB 202 was enacted immediately following elections in which the size of the popu lation of Black voters and other voters of color, particularly when compared to the diminishing share of the white vote, had become larger in statewide elections.”

The Legal Defense Fund’s lawsuit also lists Kemp as a defendant.

“Specifically, SB 202 interacts with historical, socioeconomic, and other electoral conditions in Georgia to pre vent voters of color, and particularly Black voters, from having an equal opportunity to participate in the politi cal process on account of their race or color,” the lawsuit reads.

Three months later, the U.S. Justice Department filed a law suit against the state of Georgia, Raffesperger and the Georgia State Election Board for on the grounds that “the cumulative and discrimina tory effect of these laws — particu larly on Black voters — was known to lawmakers and that lawmakers adopted the law despite this.”

However, Brown doesn’t think that it will depress turnout, because people “see how important it is” to vote.

Virginia Brown (23C)

For example, the state superin tendent — the elected officer of the State Board of Education — can’t necessarily write legislation, but they still have considerable influence on the legislators who write bills. More recently, the “Protect Students First Act” requiring school administrators to limit how race can be discussed in the classroom was passed in April 2022, along with other proposed bills to censor classroom conversa tions and strip funding from Georgia students.

Another important position is the labor commissioner of the Department of Labor, which showed its “antiquat ed” infrastructure during the 2020 pandemic, according to Hines. She said that, as thousands of people were laid off from their jobs, some Georgians weren’t able to receive checks and other necessities due to lack of a sys tem in place.

“The lower the candidates are on the ballot, the closer they are to every day life,” Hines said. “We’re stressing to fold to pay attention, don’t just vote for those top two.”

Brown noted that SB 202 is making

“They see that there’s people trying to actively take away their ability to vote, and they’re trying to counteract that,” Brown said. “That’s something we’ve been trying to do as an organiza tion, to make sure these changes don’t affect how many people are able to turn out.”

Byrnes also said anger at the bill’s passage might incentivize people to turn out to vote. Georgia voters set an all-time high during early voting, with turnout concluding at 2,288,889 voters casting their ballot by the end of last Friday.

Additionally, Byrnes doesn’t think the bill will impact the 2022 mid terms elections as much as it might alter future events, expressing con cerns with the provisions outlined in the bill “being in the hands of bad actors.”

“What if people get in the State Election Board who want to take over county election boards and replace supervisors they don’t like, for political reasons?” Byrnes said.

Emory College Republicans Chairman Robert Schmad (23C) and Vice President Paul O’Friel (23C) did not respond for comment by press time. Professor of Sociology and Emory College Republicans Faculty Advisor Frank Lechner declined to comment.

“One of the fundamental principles of being in a democracy is that every person has the right to vote, and this is just undermining that.”

—

m attheW ChupaCk/exeCutive editor

Emory community members line up for the last day of early voting at the 1599 Clifton Road polling station.

W��������,N�������9,2022|OpinionEditor:SophiaPeyser(speyser@emory.edu)

AmidAbram’sdevastatingloss,fightforapurpleGeorgia

itshouldbeareminderto keepGeorgiapurpleand continuetosupportgrassrootsmovements,even thoughGeorgia’sgovernor maypushthestatefurther right.

environment.

StaceyAbramsconcededtoGov. BrianKemponNov.8,afterlosing theelectionby7.7%ofthevote.Her lossonElectionDaythreatensthe rightsofGeorgianmarginalized communities,wholostachanceata governorwhowouldprotecttheir rights.

KempwillnowserveasecondtermasGeorgia’sgovernor,ashe beginstoenactpoliciesleftoverfrom hislasttenureandbringforwardnew ones.Marginalizedcommunitieshad manyrightsatstakeduringthe2022 gubernatorialelection,butAbrams’ lossleavesanopen-endedfuture.

Asastate,Georgiabarelyturned blueinthe2020electionfollowing Abrams’effortstoincreasevoter turnoutthroughherorganization, FairFightGeorgia.In2018,they aimedtoincreaseturnoutinunderrepresentedcommunitiesand youngervoters.,afterAbramslost her2018bidforgovernor.The2022 gubernatorialracecameataconsequentialtimeforkeyissuesincluding abortionrightsandcriticalrace theory(CRT),buttheresultsofthis electionshouldnotdeterAbrams’ supportersfromcontinuingtofight fortheseurgentcauses.Ifanything,

Gov.BrianKemp’swin likelymeanshewillbe enactingpoliciesfromthe latterhalfofhisprevious tenure.Hisoppressive stanceoncriticalracetheorycouldmeanthecompleteomissionofraceasa topicofdiscussioninGeorgiaclassroomsafterhe declaredthesubjecttobe “anti-American”and “indoctrinating.”Many Georgianschoolsalready begantotakethisstance priortoKemp’sauthorization,likeagroupofCoosa HighSchoolstudentswho facedsuspensionafter protestingagainstblatant racism;studentsalsocommentedhowtheywere unabletowearshirtssupportingBlackLivesMatter andtheLGBTQcommunity.Studentsofcolorwere alreadyunabletodefend themselvesinlightofracismanda statewidebanmayfurthercomplicatetheseprocesses.

Kempalsosignedaheartbeatbill in2019,forbiddingthetermination ofapregnancyonceaheartbeatis detected,whichisusuallyatsix weeksafterconceptionorless.This billrecentlytookeffectfollowingthe overturningofRoev.WadeinJune andseverelylimitsaperson’sability tochooseiftheywantachildornot, settingaprecedenttocollectively limitbodilyautonomy.Thislegislationtargetspeopleabletohave childrenandfurthersananti-consent

Alongwithplacinglimitsonbodily autonomy,Kempisalsoexpectedto continuehisassaultonhisown constituents’rightstovote.In2021, hesignedSB202intolaw,establishingextensivelimitstohowandwhen peoplecanvote,includingnarrowing thewindowforabsenteeballot requests,creatingnewIDrequirementsandlimitingthedistribution offoodandwatertovotersinlines. UnfortunatelyforvotingGeorgians, Kempdoesnotplanonstoppinghere —votingaccessibilityisamerehoax tohim.

JustasAbramslosttoKemp, otherliberalpoliticianswereoutvotedbytheirconservativecounterpartsinseveralotherstates,like Texas,wheregubernatorialcandidateBetoO’Rourkealsolost.Feelingsoffrustrationanddiscouragementfromvotersareunderstandable attheresultsoftheseelections. However,itisessentialforvotersto notlosetheirpassionorsupportfor meaningfulissues.Thefightsfor reproductiverights,theenvironment andaraciallyjustU.S.arenotover.

Georgiansshouldnotfeellimited byagovernorthatwon’tadvocatefor theirsharedprogressivepositions. Tosome,grassrootsmovementsmay soundineffective,time-consuming orjustplainirrelevantwhencomparedtonationalpolitics,butthatis notthecase;historically,grassroots movementshavehadthepowerto changepolicyandaddressimportant issues.

Thebestwaytocounteractthis lackofrepresentationistogenerate buzzaroundandadvocateforissues likeguncontrolandhealthcare reformsthatstillmaintaintheir importanceinthefaceofopposition. Forexample,ifyourpassionliesin improvingnationaltransportation andmakingtheUnitedStates

greener,thenperhapsfirstget involvedwithreformstargetingthe MetropolitanAtlantaRapidTransit Authority(MARTA),hereinAtlanta. Afterthiscitywideapproach,move ontostatewidetransportationissues, suchasexpandingaccesstomore environmentallyfriendlyvehicles; startingsmalliskeytobuildingupa people-basedmovement.Another exampleiscontinuingadvocacyfor reproductivejusticeinGeorgia.At institutionsliketheFeminist Women’sHealthCenter,community memberscanparticipateinworkshops,volunteertolobbyatthestate capitalorsimplyattendeducational andadvocationalevents.

Whiletheanticipatedactionsby Kempwilllikelycontinuetobreak downmanyGeorgianrights,itis essentialtocontinueupliftingreproductivejustice,votingrightsand otherimportantissues.Thisyearsaw thehighestrecordedturnouteverof youngvotersfortheearlyvoting period;thebestwaytoutilizethat passionandenergycreatedbythe 2022midtermsisthroughsupportinggrassrootscampaignsorlobbying governmentofficials.Itmayhave beendishearteningtoseeAbrams loseonElectionDay,butitisessentialtorememberthatpoliticians don’talwayssaveus.Weempower ourselvestotakeaction.Movements arehardlyeversubstantiatedby politicians—theyareputintoeffect bypeople.

Takethesesentimentstoheart andkeepadvocatingforyourbeliefs, evenifKempdoesnot.Georgiawon’t turnblueovernight,sowemustkeep Georgiapurpleandnotallowthe issuesthatAbramsandhervoters standfortodisappear.Proactively championyourbeliefs,anddonotbe broughtdownbyleaderswhoyou feelmisrepresentyou.

TheEmoryWheelwelcomeslettersandop-edsubmissionsfromtheEmorycommunity.Lettersshouldbelimitedto300 wordsandop-edsshouldbeatleast500.Thoseselectedmaybeshortenedtofitallottedspaceoreditedforgrammar,punctuationandlibelouscontent.SubmissionsreflecttheopinionsofindividualwritersandnotoftheWheel’sEditorialBoardor EmoryUniversity.Sendemailstoemorywheelexec@gmail.comorpostalmailtoTheEmoryWheel,DrawerW,EmoryUniversity,Atlanta,GA,30322.

HAYLEY POWERS/CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR

Preprofessionalismunderminesacademicdiscovery

SaanviNayar

WhenIvisitedEmoryUniversityin Aprilafterofficiallycommitting,my informationsessionleadertoldus—a mixofnewlycommitted,relieved seniorsandanxious,anticipative juniors—thatwewereeachexpected tohaveaboutfivetosixdifferentcareer paths.Andthenshesaidthathalfof thosecareerpathshavenotevenbeen createdyet.Ourgenerationisunique forhavinggrownupalongsidethe burgeoningdigitalage;withaninterdisciplinaryliberalartsapproach, Emoryisadvertisedtofosteraboundless“visionofchange.”Iexpectedthis visiontobeprojectedthroughthe studentbody,andyet,somanyofmy interactionsconcerningacademicdiscoveryhavebeenconfinedtounenthusedconversationsaboutpre-professionalplans.

Reflectingatthemidpointofmy firstevercollegesemester,Ifindmyself conflictedoverwhetherEmoryis responsibleforthemountingpre-professionalculturethatI’veexperienced, orifthiscultureisaramificationof America’sbroadercapitalistsocial structure.Irecentlyworkedonapiece withtheWheel’sEditorialBoardon NewYorkUniversity'sdecisiontofirea professorbasedonstudentshaving receivedbadgrades.Ashisorganic chemistrycourseisanotorious“weedout”classforpre-medicalstudents,itis reasonabletoassumethatatleastsome ofthestudentswerefalselymotivated toprotestthisclassbecauseofpreprofessionalrequirements.Thisarticle allowedmetoconsiderjusthow pervasivepre-professionalismisat Emory,especiallyconsideringthereare applicationprocessesintotheGoizueta BusinessSchoolandNellHodgson NursingSchoolduringsophomore year.Americanuniversitiesarebecomingincreasinglyprogrammedasa collectivetofunnelstudentsinto pre-professional,long-termtracks— thisdangerouslyrejectsalternate careeravenues,interestsandany

semblanceofnicheindividuality.

Asasociologymajorwithno semblanceofacareerplan,Iamapart oftheminorityofEmorystudents.Iam beginningtounderstandjusthow difficultitistonotbe onapre-professional track—afterall,Iused tobeonone.Iwentto avocationalSTEM highschoolandwas convincedat14to pursuecardiothoracic oncology.Thereisan unparalleledsecurity thatcomeswiththe pre-professionalformulaofmedical school,residencyand fellowships.Thereis alsosecurityinknowingthattheoutcomeis atangible,well-respectedandfinancially stablecareer.In2012, theWheelidentified thecruxofEmory’s pre-professionalcultureastheneedfor financialstability.The costoftuitionhasgone uptremendously acrossprivatehigher educationinstitutions inthepasttwentyyears,withan averageannualincreaseof6.2%,andit isconsistentlyrising;Iunderstandthe needforjustifyingthepriceofthis universitywithapre-professionaltrack thatwillguaranteeacertainsalary. Thereisanundeniableprivilegetacitly associatedwithboundlessacademic discovery,butwhatIstruggleto understandisacompleterejectionof exploringoutsidetheboundsofpreprofessionalculture.

ContentWarning:Thisarticlecontainsreferencesofsexualassault.

Onethingyoushouldknowabout meisthatI’mknownfortheclothesI wear:theneonpants,chunkyDoc Martensbootsandcolorful,dramatic printedsweaters.MyInstagrambio evenproclaimsthatI’m“chronically overdressed.”Myfriendssometimes questionwhyIalwayshavetobethe mostoverdressedpersonintheroom —Ihavenoanswerotherthanthefact thatmystylemakesmefeellikeme, andI’munrecognizablewithoutit.

Manysurvivorsofsexualassault immediatelydisposeoftheclothing theyweredressedinwhentheywere assaulted.There’ssomethingsymbolic tothrowingawayapieceoftheevidence,riddingyourselfoftheremnants ofatraumaticevent.Youcan’tstandto touchsomethingthatyourassaulter weaponized.Butforme,theclothesI waswearingwereapartofwhoIam. ThegreenjeansIworearebelovedand Icouldneverfathomgettingridof them.I’mwearingthemasIwritethis. Andyet,theEmoryUniversitystudent

AtEmory,thiscultureissopervasivethatitultimatelysuffusespersonal identities;Ihavewitnesseditamongst mypeersinthefreshmenclass,who havebecomesoenthralledbytheirpreprofessionaltrackthateveryextracurricularandclassrevolvesaroundit.

Studentswhoarenotpre-professional areoftenlefttograpplewithanotorioussenseofimpostorsyndrome.Itis difficulttofeelacademicallysupported, despitethemultitudeofEmory’s academicresources,whenyouracademicinterestsdonotcorrespondtoa clear-cutcareerpath.Interestingly, pre-professionalismpathsintegrate interdisciplinarylearning,likepre-BBA tracksthatcombinearthistoryorfilm andmediawithmanagement.While theopportunitytoexplorethesetracks isaprivilege,theysimultaneouslyand inadvertentlypressurestudentstofit theirpassionsintothepracticallensof siness,ratherthanexplorebeyond Emory’smainstreamintolessadvertisedmajorsandjobs.

to“sell-out”whensomuchofthe studentbodydictatestheiracademic experiencebyalong-termcareergoal insteadofunhinderedinterest.Internationally,about50%to75%ofall undergraduateswill changetheirmajor once.Yet,Ihavebeen mostsurprisedtowitnessthatfreshmen havehadconcocted pre-professionalplans sincetheclubfairin August,attheconceptionofafreshdiscoveryperiod.Inapreprofessionalsociety,it isdifficulttorender practicalitywith majorsinlinguistics, humanitiesorthearts. Collegeexperiences thuscoalesceintoa merestepping-stone toyourcareer,rather thanaperiodforintellectualdiscovery. Emoryasaninstitutionisamicrocosmof America’scapitalist economy.

Pre-professionalismisnottheenemy;theenemyisthelackofliberty inchoosingtopursueapre-professionalavenue.

“Sell-out”isaphrasecoinedto describestudentswhooverridetheir ethicsforthesakeofpersonal,ormore specifically,financialadvancement. Frankly,itisdifficulttoresisttheurge

Myacademicadvisorrecentlytoldme thatyourundergraduateexperienceistheonlyguaranteed timeinyourlifewhenyoucanstudy whatyouwant,boundlessly.Healso recentlytoldmethat,onaverage,a personwillhold12jobsintheir lifetime.Andfinally,hegavemethe bestpieceofadviceanynonpreprofessionalstudentcouldhear:your majorisneverthedefiningfactorof yourcareer.Itistheskillsyoulearn throughclasses,extracurricularsand hobbiesthatdiversifyyouasan applicanttoprospectivejobs;the analyticalprocessesandinterpersonal relationsacquiredfromfaculty research,theimmersiveculturalexperiencesencounteredfromstudyabroad opportunitiesandthelanguageor codingskillsbornoutofboredom.

Theinformationsessionleader’s wordsbackinAprilhavereverberated withmeamidbeingintheminorityof studentsatEmory;Iwantfivetosix vastlydifferentcareers.Iwantinterdisciplinaryexperiencesintheworkforce thatleapboundariesofmainstream pre-professionalavenues,rejecting narrowrolesandastagnantday-today.

Passionateindividualsandpreprofessionalonesarenotmutually exclusive,butratherentitiesthatrarely intersectbecauseofadauntingculture withinhighereducationandthe broaderAmericaneconomy.Itisa capitalisticculturethatdefineswealth asthepinnacleofsuccess,underminingart,discoveryandjoyasunprofitablenicetiestobesetaside.

Iurgestudentstoindividually relinquishbeliefscenteredarounda “practicaleducation”thataresoferventlypressedonus—itisnot impracticaltolearnoutsideofthe requirementsforanexpectedcareer. Academicdiscoveryisdirectlycorrelatedtopersonaldiscovery.Yes,there isanundeniableinsecurityinnot knowingwhatIwanttodo;simultaneously,thereisanindisputableexcitementsurroundingthelibertyof boundlessavenues.Attheleast,Iknow thatbygrantingmyselfthegracetofeel lostandfrustrated,Iamlearningfrom avarietyoffieldsandcollectingan arrayofbothacademicallyandpersonallyfulfillingexperiences.

Pre-professionalismisnotthe enemy;theenemyisthelackofliberty inchoosingtopursueapre-professionalavenue.Idon’tthinkthemajorityofEmory’spre-professionalstudentshaveitallfiguredout,butrather thattheyarefearfuloftheinsecurity thatcomeswithhavingnoplan.Ihope thatyouatleasttrytoexperiencethis entanglementofuncertainexcitement onceduringyourfouryearshere.You oweittoyourfutureself.

SaanviNayar(26C)isfromMarlboro, NewJersey.

whoassaultedmesaidinhisreport thathedidn’trememberwhatIwas wearingthatnight.Heremembered thatIwasn’tthatdrunk,thatIwasthe onewhokissedhimandthatIdidn’t runawayorphysicallyassaulthim.But notwhatIwaswearing.

Iwassexuallyassaultedinmysleep onMarch18,2022.Itwasbysomeone Iknew,inmyownbed.Ittookmea monthtorealizewhathadhappenedto me.OneAprilday,asIputonmygreen jeans,Ifinallyletthememoriesfloodin andletmyselfbegintounravelthe eventsofthatnight.

Minutesaftercomingtotermswith whathadhappened,IsubmittedaTitle IXreport.MyguttoldmeIhadtodo something;Ihadtoseehimface repercussionsforhisactions.Most importantly,Ihadtoteachhimabout howtotreatothers—especially vulnerable,intoxicatedgirls.

Withindays,myinvestigation began.LittledidIknowthatIwas signingupforaseven-monthlong processthatwouldretraumatizeme overandoveragainandleaveme feelingmorebrokenthanIalreadydid. Iwasforcedtorelivemyassaulttime andtimeagaininfrontofapathetic, distantadvisors,readthroughreports

bymyassaulterclaimingthatIwasan attention-seekingliarandwitness photosandvideosofmyassault.I enduredsevenmonthsofthiswithno lawyer,nocounselor,noadvisorand nosupportfromEmory.Ididitallby myself.

Atthebeginningoftheinvestigation,Ihadmeetingswithmycase coordinatorandwassentdocument upondocumentoutliningtheprocess ofFormalResolution,theTitleIX resolutionoptionthatoftenendsin disciplinaryconsequenceswhenthe respondentisfoundresponsible.Iwas thrownintothedeepend,forcedto weedthroughpagesoflegalterminologyandbureaucracy.Iwascontinuouslytoldbytheofficethatthiscase wouldlikelybeoverbythetimenext semesterstarted.Thatwasmyfinish line:thedayIwouldbehealedand justicewouldbemine,andthat’swhat theTitleIXofficeledmetobelieve.I wasnaivetobelievethatmytrauma wouldhaveadeadline,butIneededa lightattheendofthetunnel.

Whatfollowedintheinvestigation wasthehardestpart.Ihadtotellmy storytoacasecoordinatorandwriteit outinexcruciatingdetail.Ihavenever toldmyfullstorytoanyoneelse,even

myclosestfriendsandfamily,andnow Ihadnochoicebuttotellitoverand overtostrangerswhofranklydidn’t seemtocare.

Throughouttheinvestigation,I sporadicallyreceivedreportsandevidenceprovidedbytheboywho assaultedmeoveremail.Ibecame conditionedtopanicwheneverIheard therecognizableemailnotification sound.ButeachtimeIgotareport, weeksofradiosilencewouldensue.I didn’treceiveasingleemailover summerbreak.Iwasonlygivenmore informationoranextstepfromthe officeifIadvocatedformyselfand emailedwhichevernewcasecoordinatorEmoryhadhiredatthetime. Throughouttheprocess,Ihadthree differentcoordinatorsoverseeingmy case.Thequickturnovertimemeans I’veneverseentwooutofthosethree coordinatorsfacetoface,andthey’ve neverheardmystorybeyondaclinical retellingonpaper.Maybeit’snotthat theydon’tcare.Butit’shardtotrusta strangerwiththemostpersonalinformationI’veeversharedwhenI’venever receivedsomuchasa“we’reherefor you.”

Icouldgoonandonabouthow Emoryisfailingitsstudentsthrougha

processthatservesnooneexcept abusers.Icouldwalkyouthroughevery namethatI’vebeencalledbymy assaulter,everypanicattackI’vehad whenseeinghimoncampusandevery cluboreventI’vehadtoskipsoI wouldn’trunintohim.ButtheimportantthingisthatEmoryhasdone nothingtoprotectmefromthis.Emory hasnotensuredthatIamphysicallyor emotionallysafe.Emoryhasdone nothingtocomfortorsupporta 19-year-oldsurvivorwhohasendured thetraumaofalifetime.

Emoryisfailingeverysurvivorthat isbraveenoughtocomeforwardwith theirstory,andthisfailurecostsus weeks,monthsandyearsofourlives. I’vehadsomanypartsofmycollege experiencestolenfrommebymy assaulterandtheschoolthathasfailed tokeepmesafefromhim.Wemust demandbetterforourselves,our friendsandthesurvivortooscaredto speakupbecauseofthelegacyofTitle IXoncampus.It’stimewegetthe protectionwedeserve.Butuntilthen, I’llkeeptellingmystoryandwearing myneongreenjeans.

AmandaWendler(25C)isfrom Westfield,NewJersey.

AmandaWendler

ANUSHA KURAPATI/CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR

Publicbacklashshouldnotbechangingart

SafaWahidi

Contentwarning:thisarticlecontains mentionsofeatingdisorders.

TaylorSwiftrecentlypresentedher listenerswithacollectionofbrand-new synth-pop,dreamysongs.“Midnights,” hertenthstudioalbum,isdescribedby thesinger-songwriterasaconcept album,a“collageofintensity,highs andlowsandebbsandflows.Lifecan bedark,starry,cloudy,terrifying, electrifying,hot,cold,romanticor lonely.JustlikeMidnights.”Thereceptiontothealbumhasbeenastounding: lessthan24hoursafteritsrelease, “Midnights”broketherecordforthe most-streamedalbuminasingledayin Spotifyhistory.It’sevidentthatSwift stillknowshowtomaketheentire musicindustryshimmer.Pun intended.

Noteveryreactionhasbeenpositive, however.Whilethemusicvideofor “Anti-Hero”hastakentheInternetby storm,accusationsoffatphobiahave cloudeditsrelease.Theclipbeginswith Swift—theindividual—openingthe doorforSwift™,anideathatseems largerthanlife.Thelatterservesasa sortofmanifestationoftheformer’s late-nightfears.“Everyonewillbetray you,”shewarnshercounterpartinone scene.Inanother,viewersseeSwift steponabathroomscalewiththeword “FAT”displayedinvividletters,while theothershakesherheadindisapproval.Theuseofthewordfatasa descriptorforsomethingnegativehas ledaudiencestowonderifSwiftwas righttousetheterm.Criticsinsistthat Swift’sfeelingsaresignificantlyinfluentialandthatbysharingherown “fear”offatness,sheiscontributingto bodysizestigma.

Thisperspectiveisreductivegiven thefactthatSwifthaspreviously sharedwithfansthatshestruggledfor alargepartofherlifewithaneating disorder.Thiswasaprevalenttopicin her2019documentary,“MissAmericana,”andinalaterinterviewwith “Variety,”sheelaborated,recounting anearlyexperiencewithatabloidcover thatlabeledheraspregnantat18.She hintedthattheencounterwasformative,alteringherfuturepsychological relationshipwithfood.Swiftfully reservestherighttotellherownstory howeversheseesfit.Asasociety,we

shouldn’tgatekeepwhocanandcan’t experienceissueswithbodyimage,nor shouldweinvalidateanother’spain. It’snotourjobaslistenerstotellthe artisthowtopresenthisorhercraft.

Regardless,“Anti-Hero”wasedited onAppleMusicandYouTube.While viewerscanstillseeSwiftonthescale, theword“FAT”hasbeendeleted altogether—amovethatsignifiesthe rolethatpublicopinionplaysintoday’s musicindustry.Thisdemonstratesa wateringdownofexpressionreminiscentofBeyoncéandLizzobothbeing forcedtochangetheirsonglyrics earlierthisyearamidmediacontroversy.Somecriticscontinuetocontend thatthereareotherpossibleword choicesthatwouldhavebetterconveyedSwift’smessagewithouthurting thosewhoarealargersize.Butit’snot thepublic’sjobtodecidewhichwords Swiftemploysinhermusicvideo,nor isitherjobtoalwaysbepolitically correct.Herjobhasbeenthesamefor 16years:toexpressherinnermost emotionsusinggood,catchymusic.

Aftertheedit,someindividuals spokeoutagainstthedownsidesof cancelcultureandtheimpactofmedia censorshiponart.“Thistrendofpublic backlashcausingarttobechanged afterit’sreleaseddoesn’tsitrightwith me,”oneTwitteruserposted.

He’sright.Howcanweexpect songwriterstocraftandsharetheir deeplypersonalexperienceswhile simultaneouslyrebukingthemfor feelingacertainway?Swiftdidn’tearn thetitleoftheAmericanMusicAwards ArtistoftheDecadeforjustanyreason. Shehasalwaysbeenreveredforher honeststorytelling.Hertalentfor evokingfeelingsthataudiencescan relatetoisunparalleled;it’swhatsets herapartfromeveryothersingerinthe industry.Ifwebegintocensorthat, aren’twedestroyingthepurposeofart itself?Theroleofmusicistoserveasa mediumforpublicexpression,yetthe phenomenonofartistssuchasSwift, BeyoncéandLizzochangingtheirwork duetopublicperceptionseemslikea cheapcop-out—awaytocatertothe massesforfearofcancellation.Artis meanttoevokeemotion;arousing controversyisinherent.Insteadof givingintothebacklash,Swiftshould haveheldhergroundandkeptthe videoinitsoriginalformat.Viewersare nowleftwithnotonlyaminimized accountofherstruggle,butalsowitha videomuchlessgenuinethanthe

incrediblyrawlyricsandoriginal imagestheywouldtypicallyexpect fromher.

“Anti-Hero”isintendedtobeabout self-criticism.Thiswasmadeevident bySwiftinpromoforthesong,and viewersshouldaccountforcontextand intentionwhenabsorbingagivenpiece ofmedia.Further,havingbodily insecuritiesisbothrealandnormal. ThisisclearlywhatSwiftattemptedto depictinthevideo’soriginalcut.Of course,wecouldtalkaboutwherethese insecuritiesstemfromandcouldcertainlylinkthembacktoafatphobic culture.Butsimplyhavingdoubts aboutyourappearanceandchoosingto sharethoseanxietiesonlinedoesn’t makeyouanabhorrentenemyworthy ofonlineexile.Swiftisn’ttheproblem; she’sonlyapieceofit.Theprimary issueisnotSwift’sfearofbeing perceivedasfat;it’sthefactthatsociety gaveherthisfearinthefirstplace.The sequenceonthescaleillustratesthe immensepressurethatwomenareput undertoconform—tomoldthemselvestoasizethatisdeemedas acceptable.“Anti-Hero”bringsattentiontothesearbitraryparameters, callingthemoutfortheirimpacton self-image.It’sashamethatthishas beenmisconstruedasanendorsement ofproblematicbeautystandards.

Finally,ifchronicallyonline,woke culturecontinuestopersist,weare deprivingartfromtheverythingthat makesitauthentic:flaws.Weallhave them,andtryingtopretendthatartists areperfectfundamentallydevalues theircareersbystrippingthemoftheir humanity.Singershaveflawsjustas muchasyouandIdo,andit’stimethat hyper-wokeactivistsstopcagingtheir artisticfreedoms.Everyindividual— regardlessofsize—isworthyoffeeling beautiful.Ourcultureneedstodoa betterjobofensuringthat.ButdemonizingTaylorSwiftforsharingher negativepastexperienceswithher weightwon’tsolvetheproblem. Instead,weshouldfocusonwhatshe hasgivenuswith“Midnights”:an otherwisehonest,shiningexamplethat inyourdarkesthours,it’sokaytofeel insecurity—tofeelhauntedbyyour pastfears,eventheonesthataretoo scarytovoicealoud.Therearesimply biggerproblemstosolveintheworld thanSwift’sbathroomscale.

SafaWahidi(24Ox)isfromSugar Hill,Georgia.

GeorgiaSenateelection dragson.Braceyourself.

sightoftheactualpolitics.

Georgia’ssenatorialelectionwas oneofthemosthotlycontestedraces inthemidtermsthisyear.Incumbent Sen.RaphaelWarnock(D-Ga.)and RepublicancandidateHerschel Walkerboastedoneofthemost expensiveracesinhistory,withboth candidatesspendingmorethan$241 millioncombinedonthecampaigns.

Despitethequarterbilliondollar bill,theNYTasof2:30a.m.predicts atossup,withover95%ofvotes counted.Warnockjustbarelyedges outWalkerwith49.34%ofvotesand Walkertrailingslightlybehindwith 48.60%.

Warnockjustbarely edgedoutWalker earning49.34%of votesandWalkertrailingslightlybehind with48.60%.

Walkerhasfacednumeroussexual assaultallegationsandabortion controversiesduringhiscampaign, butitneverdeterredGeorgiavoters fromcastingaballotforhim.The storiesthemselveshavebecome memesandinternetlore,diminishingtheseverityofWalker’sactions anddemonstratingtheneedfor criticalthinkingonthemoralcompassesofourpoliticalleaders.

TheSupremeCourtrepealofRoe v.Wadehasprovidedaheated opportunityforaDemocratictakeback.However,duringtheneck-andneckelectionbetweenWarnockand Walker,therehasbeenaconsiderablelackofdebatebetweenthetwo, limitingvoters’awarenessand understandingoftheirplatforms.

VotersknowthatWarnockisa preacherandWalkerisanalleged perpetratorofdomesticviolence; thatWalkerlikesTrumpand Warnockdoesnot.Georgiahaslost

Insteadoffocusingonindividual platforms,WarnockandWalker reducedcampaigntacticstosmearingeachother’snames.Theiractions havefarednobetterthantheyearly StudentGovernmentAssociation electiondebacles.Thiselectionhas beenapopularitycontestepitomized byrumorsandtheories.Walker’s campaignlargelypromotednegative advertisementsaboutWalkerrather thanfocusingonhisplatformand prominentissues.Warnockand Democrat-affiliatedgroupssupportinghimhavespentatotalof$36 milliononportrayingananti-Walker stance.

Thehighlypolarizedpolitical environmenthasalloweddirtypoliticstoslipintoelections,likespreadingfalseinformationthatcreates distrustofacertaincandidate, promotingdeceitfulopinionsofa candidateandmuddlingvotersabout theelection.Inanagewherethe internetdominatesalargemajority ofcampaigningandinfluence,toying withemotionsworkmuchmore effectivelyandeasily.Adoctored video,ridiculousheadlinesand unreasonableconspiraciesproliferateatanunparalleledrate.To properlydistinguishbetweentwo equallycompetitivecandidates,there shouldbemorediscussionand debate.Ratherthanrelyingon headlinesandcontroversies,there shouldbeanincreasednumberof requireddebatesbetweenbothcandidatesthatallowsvoterstoevaluate candidates’policiesandgoals.

Iftheelectiongoestoarunoffon Dec.6givescandidatesampletimeto discusstheirplatformsinanoninflammatorymanner;toleavebehind nastyadvertisementsandsmear campaignsandinsteadreturntothe issuesthemselves.Regardlessofthe outcome,voters,too,haveextratime toeducatethemselvesonabortion rights,gunlawsandotherfundamentalrightsthatareonthelinein December—becauseifanything,the closestatusoftheNov.8Senaterace provedthataWarnockvictorywas neveraguaranteeandthatWalker cannotnotbewrittenoffasan unseriouscontender.

TheEditorialBoard

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MuchLuv4Smino’s‘Luv4Rent’: albumpreachesself-acceptance

BY KRISH PAMNANI ContributingWriter

Loveiscomplicated.Somuchgoes intocomingtotermswiththat intimatefeeling,orevenunderstandingwhatitisinthefirstplace.Smino meticulouslyandtastefullypieces togetherthemanyfacetsofloveinall itsphasesinhisalbum“Luv4Rent.”

withvariousaspectsoflove,from platonicrelationshipstoromantic connections.Sminowillbeco-headlininghistourwithDreamvillerapperJIDin2023.The“Luvis4Ever” TourwillbegininLosAngelesatthe endofJanuarynextyear.

Eythen’sBlu-rayemporium: horrorcomedies

BY EYTHEN ANTHONY Arts&EntertainmentEditor

Aquestionforallofyouhere: Canyoubothlaughandbeinfear?

Adifficultquery, Forafilmthatisscary, Yetalsostillfullofcheer.

Ilovehorrormovies,butsometimesIwanttobesuckedintothe spookyworldofafilmwithoutallof thescares.Sometimes,Iwishto watchafilmthatwillequallymake myskincrawlandmakemechuckle. So,frommyBlu-raycollection,here areafewofmyfavoritehorror comedies.

‘WNUFHalloweenSpecial’ (2013)

Ilovedgameshowsgrowingup.I rememberturningtheTVtoour localnewsnetwork,WSAZ,around6 p.m.,watching“NBCNightlyNews” at6:30p.m.andenjoyingdinnerto “WheelofFortune”at7p.m.and “Jeopardy”at7:30p.m.

Alongwiththefiercecompetitivenessbetweenmyfatherandme,one thingthatstandsoutfromthese gameshowviewingswerethelocal commercials,specificallythosefora cardealershipnamedDutchMiller. Rangingfromparodiestoabsurd bits,DutchMilleremphasizesthe artistryfoundinthelow-budget, localcommercial.And,it’sthis artistrythatcomestotheforefrontin thelostmediafilm“WNUFHalloweenSpecial.”

DirectedbyChrisLaMartina, “WNUFHalloweenSpecial”isa fictional1987newsrecordingfollowingreporterFrankStewart(Paul Fahrenkopf)onHalloweennightas heenterstheWebberhouse,wherea couplewasmurderedbytheirson andpossiblyhomesdemonicspirits.

WhileStewart’sinvestigationof theWebberhouseisengagingand hasalltheclassicstaplesof’80snews coverage,suchasunnecessarily-dramaticreenactmentsandawkward, forcedjokes,oneofthebestfeatures of“WNUFHalloweenSpecial”are

thecommercials.Giventhefilmis presentedasalostVHSrecording, theinclusionofvariousfakecommercialsreinforcesthatrealism.Not onlyaretherelocalpromotionsfor smallbusinesseslikePhil’sCarpet Warehouseandeventslikethe18th AnnualGreekFestival,butthereare alsoadsforfictionalseriessuchas thesciencefictionadventure“Galaxy PilotandtheLazerBrigade”andthe mysterycopthriller“Chicago Lightning.”

And,althoughthefontchoices andtheclassicvoiceoverscream ’80s,theaestheticisfurther strengthenedbythegritty,worn appearanceofthefilmthatmakes theviewerbelievethey’rewatching somethingthat’sbeenforgotten.

“WNUFHalloweenSpecial”isa masterclassinself-awarecomedy,as wellasfoundfootagehorroranda must-watch,especiallywiththe releaseofLaMartina’ssequel“Out ThereHalloweenMegaTape”comingoutthisyear.

‘PG:PsychoGoreman’(2020) Imaginethe“PowerRangers,”the action-packedteamthathasto protectEarthfromintergalactic invadersusingteamworkandtheir mechMegazord.Now,forgetabout thePowerRangersandfocusononly thesealienantagonists.Theones whocravecontrolovertheplanet, wearornate,vibrantarmorsand havesignatureappearances.

Imagineafilmthatfocusesonthe lifeofoneofthesealienconquerors. Addalotofgore,emphasizethe themeoffriendshipandyou’llend upwith“PG:PsychoGoreman.”

“PG:PsychoGoreman,”directed byStevenKostanski,tellsthestoryof Mimi(Nita-JoseeHanna)andLuke (OwenMyre),siblingswhoaccidentallyunleashanalien(Matthew Ninaber)byfindingareliccalledThe GemofPraxidike.

However,thealien,knownfor destroyingplanets,ispowerless withoutthegemandbecomesa servantandeventualfriendofthe children,whonamehimPsycho

Goreman,orPGforshort.

Tosaythat“PG:PsychoGoreman”isgoreywouldbeanunderstatement.Thefilmextensively wieldscartoonishviolenceand bucketsofbloodtostrengthena violent,butalsoentertainingnarrative.Eachdeathfeelsdistinctive, rangingfromheadexplosionsand facesbeingrippedofftocharacters beingdevouredbyPG.

Onthesubjectofdistinctiveness, thedesignofeachcharacterfeels originalandwell-crafted.Ofcourse, PGstandsout,givenhispurple-blue, scaly-armoredskin.

Yet,evensupportingcharacters possessindividuality,likePandora’s (KristenMacCulloch)angelicarmor, ahomagetoclassicmechaandDeath Trapper’s(RichEvans)rusty, mechanicalexteriorwithlooselimbs liningthetop.Mixthatwithpurposefullyawkward,yetlighthearted dialogueandyou’releftwithamovie thatisequalpartsendearingand brutal.

Forthoselookingforbothan action-packed,high-octaneadventureandastoryoffindingfriendship inunexpectedplaces,watch“PG: PsychoGoreman.”

‘FleshEatingMothers’(1988)

JamesAvilesMartin’s“Flesh EatingMothers”isprettystraightforward:asexuallytransmittedillness ispassedaroundasuburbinNew YorkthatonlyaffectsthosewithXX chromosomes.Asaresult,mothers startbecomingcannibalsandattackingthetown.

While“FleshEatingMothers”was writtentobeacomedy,ridingonthe coattailsofzombieflicksinafar morelow-budgetfashion,Ithinka lotofthehumordoescomefromthe factthatit’sa“sobadit’sgood”kind offilm.

Theactingiseitherdulloroverthe-top,neverin-between.Every characterlacksnuancetothepoint whereonecouldwatchthefirst15 minutesandsummarizetheremainingplot.

Thesetdesignisabitunder-

Hip-hopandR&BartistSmino puthimselfonthemapin2017with hisexceptionaldebutalbum“blkswn.”Hequicklyestablishedhimself asadistinctartistthroughhis melodicsound,smoothflowsand mellowproduction.Ayearlater,he releasedhissophomorealbum “NOIR,”arecordthathadafew notabletracksbutlackedoverall cohesivenessanddidnotliveupto thetalentSminodisplayedin “blkswn.”

Almost4yearssince“NOIR,” Sminoreleasedhisthirdstudio albumonOct.28,andhasreturned withadynamicandcanorousalbum thattransitionsbeautifullyfrom fronttoback.“Luv4Rent”isan artfullyconsciousR&Balbumthat showcasesavarietyofSmino’sskills, fromhissilkysoundtocleverwordplay.FeaturingJ.Cole,LilUziVert, MonteBooker,LuckyDaye,Doechii andotherartists,the15-trackLPnot onlyreassertsSmino’shighly-refined lyricaltalent,buttakeshissoundto anentirelynewlevel.Smino becomesvulnerablethroughoutthis albumbydisplayinghisexperiences

Thealbumkicksoffwithasoftintro leadinginto“NoLs,”whichpicksup thepaceandsetsthetoneforthe

albumincrediblywellbyshowingan internalconflictofvulnerability. Here,thethemeofthealbum emergesasSminograppleswith beingreservedandgivingintohis emotions.

Thistrackseamlesslytransitions to“90Proof,”featuringJ.Cole. Despitehislimiteddiscography, Sminohasbeenfeaturedinmanytop artists'music,suchasSZA,Khalid andDojaCat.J.Cole’sfeatureon “Luv4Rent”showsthemarkSmino isleavingandtherespecthehas

SMINO, Page 8

Sexualhealthartgallery showcasesmodernsexuality

BY SAMUEL BARTLETT ContributingWriter

Imagineasymposiumfullof dance,comedy,artandpoetry.Then, imagineaspacewherequeerand straightpeoplealikecanexpress theirideasaboutsexualhealthand pleasureopenly.Combinethosetwo, andyougetEmoryUniversity’s SexualHealthArtShowandExhibition(SHASE).

TheEmoryReproductiveHealth Association,LaAlianzaLatinXand theQueer/TransCollaborativeat RollinshostedSHASEattheHatcheryonOct.28tonormalizediscussionsaboutsexualhealthandpleasurethroughart.

SHASEincludedperformances frommultipledancers,comedians andapoet.Avisualartgallery featuredworkfromtwoartists, includingartworkcreatedbyTomorrowBowen(23PH).Bowen’s“Manifest/Outro”isamultimediapiece featuringimagesanddrawingsof Blackwomenaswellaswriting.

Theothervisualartist,Quasheba Allen(23PH) contributedtheir pieces“NippleThroughtheEyeglass”and“Blernde.”Whilethe formerexplorespleasureanderoge-

nousregions,thelatterhasmoreto dowithqueeridentity.“Blernde”was inspiredbytimewhenQuasheba helpedafriendwiththeirhair,but themeaningofthepiecegoesmuch deeper.

“Barbershopsareusuallysites[of] homophobia,canbetransphobi[c], [with]likealotofculturalshameand stigmaand,asqueerpeople,itcanbe hardtofindplacesthatarequeer affirming,”Quashebasaid.“Hair careiscommunitycare,sowe’rekind oftakingcareofeachother.”

Whilethevisualartwashighlighted,theshowheavilyfeatured queercomediansincludingCoryIsla, MiraMason,VandyBethGlenn, MinoriHinds,PeytonofTroy,Arden CampbellandGabrielaRamos Tavarez.Eachcomediantouchedon differentsubjects,allrelevanttothe themesofSHASE.

Whiledescribingafewridiculous ex-boyfriendsandherfoolish endeavorsasayoungerwoman, Masonaddressedgroomingin relationships.Masonwasalsovery interactivewiththeaudience;atone point,awomaninthefrontrowgot ononekneeandproposedtothe comedianaspartofabit.

HA-TIEN NGUYEN /STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

COURTESY OF ZERO FATIGUE AND MOTOWN RECORDS

On‘HerLoss,’Drakefosters lonelycollaborationwith21Savage

BY BEN BRODSKY SeniorStaffWriter

Chorus:Drake,ParodiedbyBen Brodsky,(21Savage)

21,canyoudosomethingforme? (21)Canyoudoacollabalbumwith me?(21)And21,canyoudo somethingforme?(21,21)Onlyrap on26%ofthecollabalbumforme. Then21(21)I’llunpackallmy baggage,thenI’llputfoursolosongs (21),andthenI’llreleasemybest albumsince2015.(21)

Theintroductiontothisreview wasmysimulationofDrakeversus 21Savage’sshareoftheirNov.4 collaboration,“HerLoss.”Although thekingofTorontohip-hopdoesn’t explicitlyproclaimthisinequalityon thefirstsong,hequietlymaintains thesentimentthroughoutthelength oftheLP.BothdescenantsofSouthernhip-hop,Drakeand21areamong themostprominentofthesubgenre’ssons.

Comparedtopasterasofhip-hop, whenregionalfeudsdominatedthe genre,thereislargelyaspiritof fraternitybetweenthemajorityof 2020srappers.Earlier,artistswould mentortheirprotégés,marketingthe futureoftheirlabel’stalenton albums.Recently,aship-hophas grownmorecommercial,mutual collaborationhasbecomemore common.However,ascanbeheard on“HerLoss,”thesepartnershipsdo

bleswithmystifyingeffect.Drake maintainsthehighenergyintothe heartofthesong,applyingintelligent lyricsandconfidentdelivery.Oneof myfavoritelinesonthealbum, Drakeraps,“Y’allbegoinginandout recessionsthesamewayIbegoingin andoutofTexas…orinandoutof courtrooms,mylawyer’slike‘objection.’”Astandoutline,hecompares hispresenceintheLoneStarStateto thevolatileeconomy,whichhethen additionallycomparestohisnotorietyintheformoflegalbattles.The “recession”mentionwasnewterritoryforDrake;hecontinuesto mentionothercurrentevents throughoutthealbum,tovarying degreesofsuccess.

Peytondelightedtheaudience withjokesaboutattractivewomen onTikTok.Peytonalsoaddressed howvirginityisoftennegatively viewed,andhowhermisconceptions aboutitwerechanged.

Campbell,atransgendercomedian,jokedabouthowtheirgender identitycouldcauseconfusionin hookups.

writingcomplimentedtheother performancesperfectly.

notalwaysbenefitbothartists equally.Thisinequalityistheproductofathemeinhip-hop:authenticityversuscommerciality.

Sincehis2009riseinthemusic industryasarapartistwithimmense mainstreampotential,Drakehas barrelledintoanupwardspiralwith nosignofstopping.Hisincreasing popularityhashadaninverserelationshipwiththequalityofhis releases;hismainstreamappealhas dilutedhisonce-novelstyle.Some questionthemoralandartistic implicationsofsuchabandonment, oftendisappointingcriticsandfans alike.21Savage’sauthenticpersona aidstheattemptsof“HerLoss,” supportingDrakewithhisthematic andculturalrelevance.

21hasmanagedtopreservethe qualityofhismusicwhilefinding commercialsuccess.Hissecret seemstobeafocusontheformer, acceptingthelatterasabyproduct. Hehasremainedaqualityfeature artist,withasimilarlycompelling personaldiscography.21andproducerMetroBoomin’teamedupon “SavageModeII”(2020),analbum narratedbyactorMorganFreeman. Thealbumwas21’sbestreleaseto date:athoroughlycomplex,funand evolutionaryproject.21bringsa similarspiritto“HerLoss.”

“OnBS”isanearlyhighlightof thealbum,instillingthebestofboth artistsintothetrack.21soundslike heneverleftthestudiofrom“Savage ModeII”(2020),bringingaflowto thehookthatslicesanddicessylla-

Drakehasdiscussedhislovelife indepththroughouthisdiscography. On“HerLoss,”loyaltyandromantic valuesareprioritized.Heaffirmshis supportforwomen’srightswiththe line:“Damn,justturnedonthenews andseenthatmenwhonevergot p-----inschoolaremakin'lawsabout whatwomencando.”Evenifthebar issomewhatforced,thesentimentis true.Asymbolicthrowbacktohis beginnings,ifDrakewasstillat DegrassiHigh,hisfictionalalma materon“Degrassi,”hewouldnow beamemberoftheFeministClub. Drakecontinuestoindicatethat genderequalityisakeyidealofhis, rapping:“I’magentleman,I’m generous,I’llspendahalfamillion onthesehoesI’mafeminist.”While heclaims,attimesfacetiously,to inculcatefeministidealsinthe music,thevaluesheembodiesare notalwaysofthehighestprecepts. Thisflippantdeliveryhasbeen criticized,mostnotablyforhis commentaryonartistsIceSpiceand MeganTheeStallion.However,asI dugdeeperintothealbum’snarrativearc,IfoundthatDrakeseemsto beplayingaflawedprotagonist,and 21representsthedevilonhis shoulder.

“MiddleoftheOcean”isthebest songon“HerLife,”andit’snot becauseDrakesingsbeautifully,nor becausehesaysanythingnew. Rather,thetrackisastandout becauseDrakereflectsonhiscareer andfindshimselfdrifting.Ashe reminisces,heraps:“Foryourbirthday,yourmangotatableatHibachi. LasttimeIatethere,Waynewas doin'numbersoffthecuplike Yahtzee…Quavomight'vesentmea songthathecalled‘Versace.’”This lineisheartbreakingbecauseofhow Drakeframeshisnostalgicintrospections.Toarriveattrueandvaluable moments,heneedstodegradehis formerlover’snewpartner,telling himselfthatnomatterhowmuchhe lovedher,it’sstill“HerLoss.”

IthinkoftheQuavomention,and howTakeoff,oneofthethreeMigos, passedawayrecently.How,nottoo longago,theywerejusttryingtoget asongwithaDrakefeature.Allof ouriconshavegrownuptoofast. Withthealbum,Drakedwellsonhis manhood,hiscareerandwhereitall wentwrong.Hewantstoappealtoa democracyoffans,expandinghis voicetoallofhumanity.

Instrivingtowardthisgoal,he seemstohavelosthimself.Allhe leavesuswithisacryforhelp, bettingthatwe’ve“neverseenathug cry,”andansweringourconcerns, concludingthathe’s“notfineatall.”

—ContactBenBrodskyat ben.brodsky@emory.edu.

Campbellhadplentyoffunwith wordplay,atonepointchangingthe wordfilibusterto “fili-bust-in-her,” muchtothedelight oftheyoungaudience.Campbell wasn’ttheonlycomedianwhotalked abouttransidentity. Glenn,whosedeliverywasmarkedbya hilariousmonotone,alsotouchedon heridentityasatranswoman.

“There’snotan issueofhumanity thatartcan’t havesomething tosayabout.”

Theperformances,whiledifferent,bothcenteredaroundthetheme ofconfidence.KaylaAnderson (23PH)gaveaperformancethat startedslowandinvolvedmany restingpositionsonthefloor,but finishedwithsuggestiveandexpressivedancemovesinfrontofamirror. Becauseofthispropandhercasual outfit,Anderson’sperformance exudedtheconfidenceof dancingaloneinyour bedroom.

VandyBethGlenn

Aftertheshow,Glennemphasized theimportanceofartasamediumof communication.

“Artisabouteverythingand everythingisaboutart,”Glennsaid. “So,there’snotanissueofhumanity thatartcan’thavesomethingtosay about.”

Betweenthestanduproutines, twodancersandapoetperformed. Thelatter,NeaSymone,gavea stirringperformanceofherpoem “PossessionCharge,”apieceabout womenwantingcontroloftheirown bodies.

Herpassionatereadingofthe wordswasasgrippingasthewords themselves.Thisfearlessfeminist

JennaParitee(24PH) dancedto“Iputaspell onyou”byNinaSimone. Herchoreography involvedmuchmore movementandtraditionaldancecues,such asthepirouette.IfAnderson’sdance wasaboutgainingconfidence,Paritee’swasabouttryingtokeepthat confidencethroughhardtimesand heartbreak.

PariteeandAndersonweregreat, butTrenéMonrōw,adragperformer,stoletheshowinthedance department.Afteraspokenmessage aboutresiliencethroughanHIV diagnosis,Monrōwdefiantly emergedinamagnificentandelaborateredoutfit.

Whiledancingandlipsyncingto FLOWERSbyKellyRowland,Monrōwhadseveralwardrobechanges throughoutherperformance.Asif Monrōw’ssexualanddefiantdance movesweren’talreadyenoughtoget thecrowdgoing,thedragqueen

RollinsstudentQuasheba Allen(23PH)displayedtheir digitalpainting“Nipple ThroughtheEyeglass”inthe sexualhealthartshow.

movingintothecrowdtoflirtwitha fewluckyattendeesgottheaudience evenmoreengaged.Monrōw’sperformanceperfectlyencapsulatedthe sexy,confidentandunabashed energyoftheevent.

SHASEwasadefiantexpression ofmodernsexualityandgender expression.Notingthepowerofart toevokeemotion,Glennrecognized theimportanceoftheshowcase.

“SexandGenderandsexualityare sobasicandcoretowhoweare,” Glennsaid.“It’stremendously importanttohavesomethinglike thistohelppeoplegetabetter understandingofthemselves.”

—ContactSamuelBartlettat sam.bartlett@emory.edu.

earnedfromestablishedartists.The trackisacatchy,andratherunconventional,lovesonginwhichSmino gainsthecouragetoexpresshis feelingsforsomeone,withthehelpof alcoholandmarijuana.Thesong openswith,“Takeabreakandroll thesticky,let'sgethigh/Nottoo greatatrelationships,atleastItry.” Beingintoxicatedto buildconfidence andbeabletospeak openlyisacommon copingmechanism, anditisadmirable forSminotodisplay itinthissongfor listenerstorelate to.Furthermore,J. Colelivesupto expectationsandspitshisbar-filled verseabouthisfeelingofself-assurednessandconfidence.Smino’s distinctivevocals,combinedwithJ. Cole’slyricalmastery,createsan addictivetrack.

Wefinallysee Sminoinhismost openand vulnerablestate, whereheshamelessly expresseshis compassion.

paced,high-energytrackabout physicalattractionandsexualintimacy.ThissongrepresentsSmino’s lackofvulnerabilityandtacklesthe ideaoflustoverlove.Themiddleof thealbum,includingtracksthatare stillaestheticallyenjoyable,like“Blu Billy”and“Modeinaminute,”feel repetitiveandordinary.Regardless,I thinkthatthey steadilyandeffectivelysetupthesecondhalftothe album’sending.The recordpicksupthe paceagainwith“SettleDown,”followedby myfavoritesong, “Pudgy.”Thetrack includesafeatureby noneotherthanLilUziVert,whose appearanceonthealbumanddeliveryofhisverseitselfisunexpectedin thebestwaypossible.

mostopenandvulnerablestate, whereheshamelesslyexpresseshis compassion.Therapperdoesan amazingjobofpiecingthetracks togethertotellastory.While“No Ls,”depictsareservedSminowhois unabletocometotermswithhimself andhisemotions,itendswithhim explicitlyprofessinghislovefora significantother,undernoinfluence ofanysubstance.Collectively,the albumisextremelyrelatable,yeta uniquepieceofworkthatflows effortlessly.

Thevivacityofthealbumstarted todwindleafter,“ProFreak,”afast

whelming,specificallyintheSTI testingcenterhoweverI’munsure howpurposefulitwas.Itlooksasif thecastisinashack,butweknowit’s atestingcenterbecausethere’stwo signs:onethatliststhe“warning signsofVD”andonethatlistsoff famouspeoplewhohadVD,suchas JuliusCaesarandNapoleon.

Thoughthefilmhasafewweaknesses,itdoesmakeupforsomeof themwiththepracticaleffectsand theanimation.Fromthemechanical

Thealbumconcludeswith“Lee andLovie.”ThesongisaquintessentialR&B/Soullovesong,featuring Reggie.WefinallyseeSminoinhis

Whiletherearemomentsinthe albumthatseemdraggedoutand don’tcontributemuchtotheartistry orstoryoftheproject,thetransitions andcraftingofthealbumiswhat makesitsospecial.Thisproject helpspushthenarrativeforSminoas anup-and-comingstapleinhip-hop andasanartistingeneral.“Luv4 Rent”solidifiesSmino’ssoundand doeshispotentialjustice.

—ContactKrishPamnaniat krish.pamnani@emory.edu.

unhingingofajawtoafacebeing rippedoff,thepracticaleffectsadded somestakestotheseantagonistic mothers.Intermsofanimation, therearesomenicegraphics,suchas thetitlecardthat’sbeingeaten duringtheopeningscene,followed bythesong“Suburbia”bySherri Lamar.Also,whilelookingforacure, there’sananimationofcellsthat’s veryreminiscentof“Schoolhouse Rock!”So,whileIwasamusedbythe inconsistentacting,Iwasdrawninto

theworldof“FleshEatingMothers” thankstothesesmallmoments.

“FleshEatingMothers”isjunk food;itprovidesnonutritionalvalue. But,sometimesyou’vehadalongday andyoudon’tfeellikeputting somethingonthat’s“enlightening”or “enrichesthemind.”Sometimes,you justneedamovieaboutcannibalistic mothers.

—ContactEythenAnthonyat eythen.aaron.anthony@emory.edu.

COURTESY OF OVO

COURTESYOFQUASHEBAALLEN

Emory Life

Emory students represent new generation of poll workers

By Sarah DaviS Managing Editor

Merom Arthur (25C) first signed up to be a poll worker as a junior in high school after her Spanish teacher told her about the opportunity to earn com munity service hours and get involved in politics. A Virginia native, she brought this experience with her to the Georgia midterm elections, working at Emory’s 1599 Clifton Road polling station.

In preparation for the midterm elec tions, Emory University students rallied to increase voter education on campus and encouraged their peers to vote. Part of this mobilization effort included stu dents who volunteered their time as poll workers.

Taking on a position typically filled by older employees, these students rep resent a younger wave of poll work ers dedicating their time to helping the voting process run smoothly. In 2018, 58% of poll workers were over 60 years old, while only 8% consisted of people between the ages of 17 and 25, according to Pew Research Center.

Ettan Patel (23Ox) signed up after seeing a call for Oxford College students to work the Newton County polls in Oxford’s newsletter on Sept. 12. Patel, who is registered to vote in his home state of California, viewed the poll worker position as an opportunity to get involved in the Georgia election process.

“I thought it would be a nice oppor tunity to get involved here in Georgia because I know I wouldn’t be able to vote to impact anything here, but helping with the polls would be a good way to contrib ute instead,” Patel said.

During his five-hour shift at Newton County’s Turner Lake Center polling station, Patel answered voters’ questions and ensured they were not violating any rules, such as using their phones in the polling room or attempting to influence others’ votes.

Similarly, Khegan Meyers (24B) worked two shifts during the early voting period as a line ambassador at Emory’s 1599 Clifton Road Building polling station, which opened last May. He first took on this role during the May primaries, providing voters with sample ballots and directing them to the polling room.

Meyers said he is used to being one of the youngest people in the room, with the exception of a coworker during the pri mary elections who was in high school.

“It’s people who want to give back,” Meyers said. “They’ve spent a lot of time out and they haven’t been able to volun teer because of their work-life balance.”

Although Meyers is employed by DeKalb County, he is also an Emory Votes Initiative (EVI) intern, an orga nization that promotes voting educa tion and helps this polling station run smoothly, alongside the University’s Government and Community Affairs Office and the Operations Office. EVI Program Coordinator Hannah Joy Gebresilassie expressed her gratitude for the volunteers.

“This site would not run if it was not for the staff, the students, the poll workers, the advanced polling staff,” Gebresilassie said. “It just speaks to the passion around elections, and a lot of times when you go to polling sites you see elderly people and they’ve been

holding it down for so many years, and I think it’s time for our generation and the younger folks to step in, and I think that’s what we’re seeing happen in real time.”

During her shifts last Wednesday and Thursday at the 1599 Clifton Road loca tion, Arthur’s role as a poll worker was limited to working a table and showing voters into the polling room, but she said it was still meaningful work.

“It wasn’t as time consuming, but it was still important that we were there to help guide people to where they had to go, where they had to exit,” Arthur said.

“It would just make the process of voting easier for people because some people come in and they’re flustered because they have to rush to work or they have to rush to their families afterwards.”

Meyers noted that many voters expressed surprise at how easy it was to cast their ballot when he worked the primaries and early voting.

“People kind of had the expectation that … voting would take a really long time,” Meyers said. “There were … more than a couple occasions where I’d be … sitting outside of the poll room and a couple people would come out and be like, ‘That was so fast,’ and so I think the broader picture for that is people are expecting a lot of delay, but it’s still very quick to vote.”

However, Meyers noted this is not the case everywhere, citing legislative barriers to voting access. One such legis lative change was the limited number of polling locations that accepted mail-in ballots. He recalled instances when he had to tell people attempting to submit their mail-in ballots that the nearest

drop-off point was a 15-minute drive away. Meyers said legislation like this can make it more difficult for citizens to cast their vote and “could have a huge impact on the election overall.”

Meyers also noted that some stu dents might be unable to cast their vote on Election Day because of their class schedule. Some students have advocated that the University designate election days as “days on,” meaning the Emory would cancel classes and instead pro mote civic engagement. The Rollins School of Public Health began hosting “days on” with the 2020 Presidential Election. Currently, the University pro vides faculty with the option to take four hours off to vote.

Meyers, who was unable to work the polls on Election Day because he has classes, said the University’s refusal to implement a “day on” is a missed oppor

tunity to mobilize students’ votes.

“You need to get people out and vol unteer and do a day of service,” Meyers said. “It’s been a little disappointing to see there’s been a call for an election day on and overall the University hasn’t moved much on that.”

Similarly, Patel was unable to work the polls on election day due to other respon sibilities. He said that suspending classes for the day would allow students more opportunities to cast their vote.

“It makes sense that … we would have a day off for that so people have a chance to vote,” Patel said. “It doesn’t become like a difficult thing where people don’t have a difficult time getting their voice out and making their vote count.”

— Contact Sarah Davis at sarah.davis@emory.edu.

Community members talk open expression amid midterm elections

By Chaya Tong Emory Life Editor

Robert Schmad (23C) walks around campus with his satchel, tap ing up flyers for his club. In the days before the election, the fliers have been getting torn down more than ever before. Schmad puts new ones up to replace them. Standing on a ledge, he tapes them to the highest possible part of announcement boards and lamp posts, out of reach. His flyers picture Richard Nixon and two anime girls with the words “all are welcome” in blue letters above them, announc ing the next general body meeting of the Emory College Republicans.

Tearing down a flier is a small action, but it is not insignificant. With this year’s contentious Georgia mid term election and its expected effects on hot-button topics like abortion and gun rights, political polarization is ris ing. As is, perhaps, an unwillingness among Americans to listen.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a national free-speech organization, ranks universities each year in terms of open expression on campus based on data from student surveys and universities’ free speech policies. Out of the 208 colleges in the U.S. surveyed for 2022, Emory ranked 82 overall. On the eve of the midterm election, politics were at the forefront of students’ minds and discussions. The Wheel spoke with students and faculty about the state of political discourse at Emory leading into this election.

Emory is no stranger to free speech controversies. In March of 2016, proTrump chalkings incited student pro

tests that made national headlines.

It was a free speech controversy in 2011 that prompted the creation of the Committee for Open Expression (COE) of the University Senate. The committee is an advisory body that interprets campus events in light of the policy. Over the years, it has heard a wide variety of on-campus controversies.

In all cases, Emory and the com mittee have taken strong stances in support of free speech, including Emory’s notable 2016 election chalk ing controversy.

“It’s absolutely unacceptable to treat any speech differently than any other because of the content or view point of that speech,” former COE chair Alexander Volokh said.

Last year, Volokh was entangled in a free speech controversy after using a homophobic slur in the class room while referencing Snyder v. Phelps. Law students called the action

“hurtful” and staged a walkout in September of 2021. Other students, who defended his usage of the slur, countered the protest with a walk-in.

One of the challenges of the COE is that their existence is not well known among students, according to current Chair Ilya Nemenman.

“If there are growing tensions, we might not even be aware of them sim ply because people do not know that we exist, and they don’t know that they can communicate those tensions to us,” Nemenman said.

On paper, Emory’s Open Expression Policy places few restric tions on free speech. Volokh praised the policy, calling it one of the “stron gest” among private universities.

FIRE gives Emory a “green” rating for its written policies surrounding student speech, the highest ranking possible for a university’s speech code.

“Some people are under the mis impression that the University did not

take any action in response to what I did, which is totally wrong,” Volokh said about his controversy. “The University very strongly supported my right to do those things.”

Volokh said the university officials backed him and that it was mostly students that called for more retalia tory action against him.

Emory ranked fourth in the nation in 2021 for FIRE’s college free speech rankings. The University dropped 78 places to 82 overall in the 2022 study.

Emory Free Speech Forum (EFSF) President Michael Reed-Price (24L) explained that controversial topics could come into play on the ballot this year.

“If there are issues that are gonna be on the ballot, those issues should be discussed, even if they might be uncomfortable or offensive to other people,” Reed-Price said.

Political discussions on campus look different, depending where stu dents fall on the political spectrum.

Emory Young Democrats coPresident Ash Shankar (23B) said that although many people on Emory’s campus align with the Democratic Party, there is still room for disagreement.

“We’re all very different politically,” Shankar said. “But, that’s also one of our strengths that we have this diver sity of opinion because people bring in different perspectives.”

Students outside of the club have come to Young Democrats meetings and disagreed on political issues.

“That’s something that’s really important, especially on Emory’s campus, to be able to have these dis cussions about differences of opinion, but to be able to have done so in a very

safe way,” co-President Divya Kishore (23C) said.

But for conservative students, expressing their ideals on campus comes with a price, even without an election on the horizon.

Schmad, the current co-Editor-inChief of the conservative and libertar ian newspaper, The Emory Whig, said he received substantial backlash from students through social media mes sages and spam texts for articles he wrote during the paper’s inception.

“There are a lot of people who have pretty conservative ideas, similar to myself and won’t necessarily express those,” Schmad said. “It’s just not worth it for them.”

Schmad came into college wanting to debate with his peers. He’s found that he hasn’t gotten that opportunity on Emory’s campus. Most organi zations College Republicans have reached out to have refused to partici pate in joint events or hold debates, Schmad said.

“It’s very strange because it’s not just that people want to punish us for our views,” he said. “They don’t even want to discuss them in a formal capacity.”

In terms of what comes after the election, Schmad said campus could be in need of free speech more than ever.

“With the way polling is shaping up, things are going to be pretty hot on campus after the eighth,” Schmad said. “I would hope that that makes people more disposed to talk with conservatives—more predisposed to engage in dialogue.”

— Contact Chaya Tong at chaya.tong@emory.edu.

Wednesday, November 9, 2022 | Emory Life Editors: Chaya Tong (ctong9@emory.edu) and Xavier Stevens (xsteven@emory.edu)

h ayley powers/contributing illustrator

Students cast their vote at the 1599 Clifton Road Building polling site, which opened last May.

First-time voters talk candidate research, poll experiences

By JorDyn LiBow Contributing Writer

As an eager first-time voter in the Georgia midterm elections, Kate Richardson (26C) did her research.

She went about her voting prepara tion “academically,” researching all of the candidates and issues on the ballot for this election from various websites to inform her vote.

Abby Charack (26C) did the same. Charack said she reads the news every day to stay up to date on candidates’ campaigns.

“The biggest thing I do is I kind of just pay attention,” Charack said. “I didn’t do anything super crazy before the election because I just kind of stay in touch on a regular basis.”

To prepare to make informed decisions on these issues, she used Ballotpedia, which provided a summa ry of the “smaller” things on the ballot.

“It really allowed me to be sure on the way I wanted to vote on those issues because they’re a lot smaller in terms of political scale, but they’re just as important,” Charack said. “Local stuff like that is very important and affects people so it’s important to stay educated.”

For Pranay Mamileti (26C), who has been actively engaged with politics for years and is the current Communications Chair of Fair Fight U, his first time being able to vote was long anticipated.

“I spent a lot of time in high school working on elections and working in politics, and I think it hit me when I was selecting a certain candidate from the poll that for the first time I could put my money where my mouth was, for lack of a better term,” Mamileti said. “I was actually able to vote for the people that I had been working so hard to get elected and actually do my civic duty in that way, and that was a very powerful experience.”

After hearing the “horror sto ries about the lines on election day,” Charack voted early at the 1599 Clifton Road polling site.

“It was very exciting to not have to just be like a spectator of politics any more,” Charack said. “If I had to use one word, I’d say gratifying, to be able to be a participant for the first time instead of having to spectate and go to the polling place with my parents.”

much work trying to get Georgians involved in politics and making sure they’re able to vote and registered to vote,” Charack said. “I think that all that work is super important.”

Mamileti also considered local and state issues that his vote could impact in Georgia.

“Making sure we access all the funds we are entitled to as Georgia residents that the Georgia state gov ernment does have access to so that we can actually help Georgia residents — that’s a big reason why I voted for Stacey Abrams,” Mamileti said.

the recent changes like Roe v. Wade being overturned in the South, I see a general regression in a lot of political precedents that we’ve set forward,” Richardson said. “I thought my vote would be really powerful, compared to if I was voting in California, which doesn’t tend to flip as much.”

Registered Georgia voters had the opportunity to vote early between Oct. 28 and Nov. 4.

It was the first year for Emory’s own designated polling place, which many students took advantage of out of convenience.

“I literally just walked over from my dorm to the voting site, I filled out a form and it took me five minutes alto gether to vote,” Charack said.

More than 14,000 people voted at the 1599 Clifton Road Building pre cinct during the early voting period, according to Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond.

Richardson also voted at the Emory polling location on Nov. 4, the final day of the early voting period.

“Since this was my first time vot ing, I was a little nervous about the process, so I thought that voting early would give me the best chance of really being able to ease into the process and not get too stressed out,” Richardson said.

Mamileti said.

He also recommended that more students utilize the resources provided by student organizations that put a lot of effort into providing “ballot break downs,” which contain information about all of the candidates from a nonpartisan view.

Mamileti is passionate about issues of voter suppression, something he kept in mind when selecting candi dates on the ballot.

“There have been a lot of policies that have not made much of an attempt to hide that their sole purpose has been to make it harder for minorities to turn out and vote,” Mamileti said.

“In a healthy democracy, everyone should have equal opportunity to vote and that should be the very baseline.”

However, Charack did note that she was not as well versed on the amend ments to the Georgia constitution on the ballot.

Charack said she voted for Raphael Warnock and Stacey Abrams because their campaigns resonated with her political ideology, and she said she appreciated their concrete plans to combat issues like voter suppression and abortion.

“With her own organization, Fair Fight, [Abrams has] been doing so

By Miranda Wilson

College is a very formative time in student’s lives, and often marks a lot of firsts—arguably one of the most memorable experiences is stu dents’ first time exercising their right to vote. Some Emory students, such as Richardson, changed their registra tion from their home state to Georgia, where they felt their vote would make a greater impact.

“Compared to California, Georgia is much more of a swing state, and with

Mamileti voted on Oct. 28 along side a group of Emory students who marched to 1599 Clifton Road for the “Party to the Polls” event, which was hosted by four student advo cacy organizations — Fair Fight U, Asian American Pacific Islander Desi American Activists, NAACP and Emory Votes Initiative — in an effort to mobilize the campus vote.

Mamileti said that the event was “great.”

“That’s exactly the type of stuff that Emory’s campus should be doing in order to turn people out [to vote],”

— Contact Jordyn Libow at jordyn.libow@emory.edu

courtesy of visual image photography

Abby Charack (26C) voted early and walked from her dorm to the 1599 Clifton Road Building polling site.

courtesy of lisa deneffe

Kate Richardson (26C) prepared “academically” to vote for the first time.

courtesy of amelia andujar Pranay Mamileti (26C) attended the “Party to the Polls” event on Oct. 28 to cast his first ballot.

Emory to host first round of NCAA Tournament

Continued from Back Page

After consecutive UAA losses to Carnegie Mellon University (Penn.) and Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) last weekend, the Eagles got back to winning ways against the Yellowjackets.

Senior forward Riley Brackin opened the scoring in the 17th min ute. Brackin controlled a cross from senior forward Kylie Hall and slotted the ball past Rochester goalie Grace Kuropatkin, giving Hall her 14th assist of the season, breaking her previous high.

Brackin acknowledged the team’s excellent play leading up to her goal.

“[The goal] was a team effort,” Brackin said. “It wouldn’t have hap pened if it wasn’t for Kylie Hall’s cross and our team working the ball up the field toward the goal.”

Graduate midfielder Mara Rodriguez doubled the lead for the Eagles in the 53rd minute with a pow erful shot reminiscent of Gomez’s in the game prior, but the Yellowjackets soon gained momentum. Junior for ward Claire Grover took advantage of an opening in the Eagles’ defense to

score in the 64th minute, and sopho more midfielder Natalie Kocsis’ shot 16 minutes later tied the game at 2-2.

The Eagles pushed for a winning goal in the final 10 minutes of the

teams to receive bids to the 2022 NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship. They will host the Piedmont University (Ga.) Lions in the first round at the Woodruff Physical Education Center on Nov. 12 at 1:00 p.m.

The Eagles defeated Piedmont ear lier this season during an impressive 10-game win streak. The final 1-0 scoreline was not reflective of Emory’s dominance of the game in which they outshot the Lions 42-3.

According to Brackin, Piedmont is “no team to be slept on” given that they beat Maryville College (Tenn.) to win the Collegiate Conference of the South Tournament Championship.

SWOOP’S SCOOP

Sport

Thursday Nov. 10 Volleyball

TimeOpponent

5:30 p.m.@ Bethany College (Playoffs - First Round)

Friday Nov. 11 W Basketball @ Sul Ross State University 9 p.m.

game. Freshman forward Michelle Davidson drew a foul inside the box and the Eagles were awarded a pen alty kick. Hall withstood the pres sure, scoring the winning goal with her fourth successful penalty kick of the season to put the Eagles up 3-2.

The win improved the Eagles’ over all record to 12-4-0. The team’s 5-2-0 conference record placed them third in the UAA standings.

The Eagles were one of four UAA

Brackin said that she hopes the Eagles’ win against Rochester will pro vide the team with momentum head ing into their first round matchup.

“We have a strong team and we can make it very far this year,” Brackin said. “I think every team member has that mentality and we’re all excited for what’s to come.”

— Contact Maddy Shapiro at madeline.shapiro@emory.edu

Saturday Nov. 12

Cross Country W Soccer W Basketball

Monday Nov. 14 M Basketball

@ NCAA South Regionals Championships Piedmont University (Playoffs - First Round) @ Colorado College

@ Sewanee: The University of the South

11 a.m. 1 p.m. 4 p.m.

7 p.m.

Young, talented USMNT has room to improve going into World Cup

Continued from Back Page

over Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League final in June 2021 was a major accomplishment. The U.S. came from behind twice to tie the game with goals from Reyna and McKennie, forcing the final into extra time. A penalty kick save from goalkeeper Ethan Horvath prevented Mexico from canceling out Pulisic’s 114th minute winner to give the U.S. its first final win over Mexico since 2007.

Since the pandemic disrupted the international soccer schedule, the U.S. had the rare opportunity to win anoth er trophy less than a month later at the 2021 Gold Cup. By the time the tour nament began, many players based in Europe had already returned for preseason training, so the U.S. was forced to compete with its MLS “B-team.”

With many of the team’s starters absent, other players were given a chance to shine. Matt Turner, the New

England Revolution goalkeeper at the time, produced several eye-catching performances in goal to propel the team to a second final of the sum mer against Mexico. An extra-time header from defender Miles Robinson claimed victory for the U.S.

The USMNT beat Mexico for a third time during the calendar year when the two teams faced each other in the World Cup qualifiers. Despite losses to Canada, Panama and Costa Rica, the U.S. earned enough points with other wins against Honduras, Jamaica and El Salvador to finish second in the CONCACAF group, ensuring qualifi cation to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

After the final game against Costa Rica, the team celebrated their overdue return to the World Cup. Players and fans were equally euphoric. Berhalter’s faith in young talent had paid off, and as a reflection of this success, the U.S. jumped to 10th in the FIFA World

Rankings, the team’s highest position since May 2006.

However, the excitement of qualifi cation papered over some of the team’s cracks. The U.S. lacked a regular goal scorer, and at times, the team’s play was lethargic and predictable. The three wins against Mexico helped boost morale, but the aging team the U.S. faced in 2021 was not the regional powerhouse of the past.

Most worryingly, the USMNT failed to score a single goal in their two most recent friendlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia leading up to November’s World Cup. The performances lacked creativity and decisiveness, leaving fans unsure of what to expect when the team steps out to face Wales in their first World Cup game in Qatar on Nov. 21.

At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the USMNT pulled off the unthinkable, escaping the “group of death” with

Germany, Portugal and Ghana. For the upcoming World Cup, the U.S. finds itself in a less intimidating group with Wales, England and Iran.

Fans are confident the USMNT will be one of the two teams from this group moving on to the knock-out stage, but I fear the country is overes timating the USMNT’s talent.

England’s national team is one of the best in the world, former Real Madrid star Gareth Bale is always capable of winning a game by himself for Wales and beating a solid Iranian team is not a given.

The USMNT is not a complete team, yet. If one or two key U.S. players, like McKennie or Adams, are injured dur ing the tournament, the chances of moving past the group stage will be significantly weakened.

A perfect run deep in the tour nament this fall isn’t likely. Despite several seasons of professional expe

rience, the team’s young talents are still inexperienced and untested on an elite stage. Fans should approach this upcoming World Cup with real istic expectations. The U.S. has a real opportunity to advance to the knockout stages and match their perfor mance in the last two World Cups, but it is also highly probable the U.S. will not make it out of Group B.

No matter the outcome in Qatar, the team has grown significantly dur ing the past few years, and this World Cup will provide the elite experience necessary to raise American expecta tions. As one of the hosts, the U.S. has already qualified for the 2026 edition of the tournament where, hopefully, a mature USMNT will have a better chance at fulfilling America’s high soc cer aspirations.

— Contact Maddy Shapiro at madeline.shapiro@emory.edu

Women’s basketball looks to secure NCAA Tournament bid

By Jackie Joyce Contributing Writer

Looking to obtain an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 2019, the Emory women’s basketball team is entering this season with more drive than ever. Last season, the team tied for second place in the University Athletic Association conference with a record of 8-6. This season, the Eagles are determined to fight for a confer ence championship and secure a bid to the national tournament.

The team faced challenges last sea son due to the effects of the COVID19 pandemic from the previous year. Many of the upperclassmen had not played since their freshman year as their season was interrupted in 2019 and canceled in 2020, head coach Misha Jackson noted.

“They were robbed a year of not only games, but for the upperclassmen, a year to grow into leaders,” Jackson said. “The last time the juniors played was their freshman year and now all of the sudden they have to run a team. I think we definitely underachieved and were capable of finishing higher than second in our conference.”

Despite these setbacks, Jackson said the team’s intensity increased throughout the 2021 season, some thing the team is looking to bring into 2022.

“I think we were capable of finish ing higher than second in our confer

ence; but moving into this season we just need to keep our standards of play high,” Jackson said.

The Eagles are looking to take more pride in their defense and become more versatile on offense. Junior cap tain forward Paige Gross knows that focusing on the mental aspects of the game can be equally as important. By focusing on communication and being vocal on the court, the Eagles hope to click right from the start.

“We play our best when we are ener gized and vocal, so those are two big focuses for us,” Gross said.

The Eagles had the opportunity to travel and compete last spring in Italy. This not only helped build their team camaraderie, but also gave the team an opportunity to learn and practice the playbook they will utilize this season.

The Eagles are hoping building chem istry far in advance of the first game will lead to success this season, espe cially with the arrival and departure of a few players.

The Eagles are entering this sea son with three starters having gradu ated: guard Kennedy Cater, forward Anna Arato and forward Tori Huggins. Jackson said that while she will miss the graduated starters, she is excited to welcome the team’s new members.

“I’m really excited for them,” Jackson said. “I think they bring in a lot of fresh energy, are extremely crafty and can score the ball multiple ways. I really believe they are going to

impact us in a big way.”

The Eagles are currently practicing, lifting and scrimmaging in prepara tion for their upcoming games. Senior captain Claire Brock recalled a few extremely energetic and vocal prac tices in which everyone was contribut ing. The returning players have been stepping up and becoming leaders meanwhile the freshmen are coming in eager to contribute and improve.

In order to achieve their goal of securing a bid to the NCAA Tournament, the team needs to win their conference. All of the Eagles conference matches are tough and cut-throat, which is why it is crucial that they are consistent with their playing. Last season, the Eagles had some tight conference matches, los ing to the University of Rochester (N.Y) 71-66 and Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) 68-61, while beating Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) 60-56.

The Eagles started off strong against LaGrange College (Ga.) on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Despite a slight falter in the third quarter, the Eagles maintained a strong lead throughout the entire game and won 79-57. The team has a grueling schedule, playing numerous top 25 teams, giving them the chance to face teams they hope to see in the spring at the NCAA Tournament.

— Contact Jackie Joyce at jacqueline.joyce@emory.edu

“We have a strong team and we can make it very far this year. I think every team member has that mentality and we’re all excited for what’s to come.”

— Riley Brackin, senior forward

Women’s soccer clinches fourth consecutive tournament berth

By Maddy Shapiro Contributing Writer

The Emory University men’s and women’s soccer teams ended their regular season with games against the University of Rochester (N.Y.) Yellowjackets on Nov. 5. Both games began in high spirits with senior day celebrations and ended with late goals that earned the men a 1-1 draw and a 3-2 win for the women.

Gomez leads Eagles to senior day draw

The Yellowjackets put the Eagles under pressure early in the first game of the day. Strong defensive play from senior defender Luke Price and junior defender Jake Atallah kept the game level until Rochester sophomore mid fielder Nate Lazzara scored from close range in the 28th minute.

The opening goal sparked life into

the Eagles’ attack. Junior forward and midfielder Alex Mills delivered a series of dangerous crosses, but the team struggled to convert them. Rochester junior goalie Santino Lupica-Tondo made an acrobatic save seconds before halftime to deny senior forward and midfielder Joe Beare a tying goal, leav ing the Eagles scoreless heading into the break.

In the second half, the Eagles strug gled to find a way past the Rochester defense. The breakthrough finally came with less than three minutes remaining on the clock. The Rochester defense retreated to the top of their 18-yard box, creating space for senior midfielder Alejandro Gomez to tie the game with a long-range strike.

With little time remaining to respond to the Eagles’ equalizer, Rochester threw all their energy into one attack. A Rochester forward found himself alone in the box on a break away play, but junior goalie Peter

Wagner rushed out and blocked the shot in the final seconds.

The men’s team ended the 2022 season with a 5-8-5 overall record and placed seventh in the University Athletic Association (UAA) division standings.

Despite the “tough” season, Gomez said that he is optimistic that the younger players will continue to raise the program’s intensity and competi tiveness standards in the years ahead.

“Qualifying for the NCAA Tournament is obviously the goal every single season,” Gomez said. “I think it’s slowly starting to become an expectation for the program . . . and the young guys overall are going to do a really good job with that.”

Women’s soccer secures NCAA Tournament bid

Why the USMNT still doesn’t know what they’re doing

By Maddy Shapiro Contributing Writer

The 2018 FIFA World Cup marked the first time in over 30 years that American fans were unable to watch the United States (U.S.) men’s national soccer team (USMNT) compete on the biggest global stage.

With one game remaining in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, the U.S. needed to beat Trinidad and Tobago on home soil to qualify. Fans were hopeful that the team would secure an eighth successive trip to the major tournament, but it did not take long for a string of unforeseeable events to chip away at America’s “football” optimism.

In the 17th minute of the game, U.S. defender Omar Gonzalez deflected a cross into his own net. Within 19 minutes, Trinidad and Tobago dou bled their lead. The 27th-ranked U.S. team’s only response to their underdog opponent was a second-half goal from emerging talent Christian Pulisic, but that was not enough to avoid the upset.

Dramatic wins from Honduras and Panama that night over Mexico and Costa Rica, respectively, meant that the U.S. did not make the inter-con federation playoff spot, preventing any further hopes of qualification.

It was a terrible outcome for men’s soccer in the United States. Taylor Twellman, a former U.S. men’s nation al team player and television com mentator, aired his frustrations on the following ESPN broadcast.

“This is an utter embarrassment,” Twellman said. “With the amount of money that is in Major League Soccer, you can’t get a tie [or] a draw against Trinidad? What are we doing?”

Twellman hit home with the ques tion, “What are we doing?” The United States has a population of more than 300 million people and often produces some of the world’s best athletes, such as tennis star Serena Williams and swimmer Michael Phelps. Therefore,

it was a frustrating reality when the country’s 23 best soccer players failed to qualify for the sport’s most presti gious competition.

The United States Soccer Federation knew major changes to the national team’s structure were necessary to move forward.

After more than a year of search ing, Gregg Berhalter, former manager of the MLS team Columbus Crew, was appointed as the new head coach. Berhalter immediately phased out older players in favor of younger tal ents like Pulisic, midfielder Weston McKennie and midfielder Tyler Adams, who play for top European clubs Chelsea F.C., Juventus and Leeds United, respectively.

Improvement is a gradual process. During Berhalter’s first year as head coach, the U.S. lost convincingly to Jamaica and Venezuela, and were defeated by rival Mexico in the 2019 Gold Cup final. However, with the addition of more rising talents like for wards Giovanni Reyna and Brenden Aaronson and the successful recruit ment of players eligible for more than one national team like defender Sergiño Dest and midfielder Yunus Musah, the foundations of a complete team started to form.

The promise of building a new team identity influenced Musah to commit his future to the U.S..

“I’m really into the project we have of building this new team, this new identity and trying to change the view of American soccer in the world,” Musah said in March of 2021. “That really inspired me and one of the things I really wanted to be involved in.”

An integral part of this new identity was proving that the U.S. could actually beat their regional rivals, most notably Mexico.

The USMNT’s dramatic 3-2 win

Men’s basketball eager to soar to new heights this upcoming season

By SaMir cooper aJy Contributing Writer

The Emory University men’s bas ketball team is set to tip off their 20222023 season this week. The Eagles are looking to build off their 20-6 cam paign last season, which ended with a second-round loss to Wabash College (Ind.) during the 2022 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament.

This year’s team will contain a melt ing pot of youth and veteran expe rience: six of the 14 players on the Eagles’ roster will be newcomers. The incoming freshmen will look to con tribute to the ongoing success and storied reputation the team has built.

Freshman guard Benjamin Pearce cited the culture as the ultimate influ ence on his decision to attend Emory.

“Everybody wants to work hard,” Pearce said. “We all just want to win. So that’s definitely what I was looking for coming into college, going some where where I’ll have the opportu nity to compete for championships immediately.”

Head coach Jason Zimmerman praised Pearce and the other newcom

ers for their hard work and effort thus far, noting they would play an essential role in the Eagles’ success this season.

“We’re going to be counting on those six guys this year to help our team and to be key contributors throughout the year at some point,” Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman is entering his 16th season as head coach at Emory. He has led the team to six University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships, nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments and is the coach with the most wins in school history with an all-time record of 256-114. Additionally, his staff has been named the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year six times.

A team can have all the talent in the world, but it won’t mean any thing without a strong culture as the foundation. Zimmerman credited the team’s alumni and current upperclass men for the lessons and leadership traits they have passed down to the underclassmen.

“It’s something that our guys take a great deal of pride in,” Zimmerman said. “We talk about [making] nine NCAA Tournaments in a row. The only way that happens is if you pass those

lessons down. It’s not just one class.”

The Eagles lost key seniors in guards Matthew Schner, Nick Stuck and Romin Williams. Zimmerman said it is essential for the current seniors to take what they learned from these teammates and pass them down to the current underclassmen. Senior guard Max Fried has fully embraced this responsibility and looks forward to taking on the leadership role.

“If we’ve learned anything from last year, it’s that we need to stick to what our culture does best, which is work hard, trust each other, commit to each other and care for each other,” Fried said. “That’s why you see anywhere that has anything to do with our pro gram, the letters TCC [Trust, Commit, Care] are present because that’s our code and that’s what we live and stand by.”

Fried also added that the team’s infusion of youth, size and athleticism will benefit them down the stretch, and Zimmerman agreed that the cur rent roster benefits from its versatility and range of playing experience.

The six newcomers will “bring ener gy and a new view of basketball and a

new energy to our team, a new energy to our program,” Zimmerman said.

Last season, the Eagles aver aged 16.8 assists per game and 40.8 rebounds per game. Additionally, winning games on the road and in neutral sites is something every team with championship aspirations must do if they want to achieve their goals. Emory’s head-to-head record and sec ond round appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season can be attrib uted in part to their road record, as they finished 8-4 away from Emory. They may not have the experience yet, but Zimmerman believes that will come along as the season progresses.

“They’re joining something that’s really special, but they also have spe cial talents to give to us and that we can give to them being part of the program,” Zimmerman said.

Other notable returners include sophomore forward Logan Shanahan, who averaged 7.6 points per game and started in 11 games, and senior forwards Mason Johnson and Greg Lawrence. Like Fried, they will take on larger leadership roles and contribute to the team’s success, both on and off

the court.

The Eagles opened their season with a 85-67 win against Piedmont University (Ga.) on Nov. 8 at the Woodruff Physical Education Center (WoodPEC). Players and coaches alike are excited for the rest of their games and looking forward to playing in front of their friends, peers and family.

“There’s been some outstanding crowds for athletic events this fall, and we look forward to continuing on into the winter sports . . . and keep[ing] that school spirit alive,” Zimmerman said.

Fried tied the team’s success at home to the culture at Emory and is ready for the season to start.

“We win – that’s what we do when we play at home, we win. That’s instru mental to what [Zimmerman] has built in his 15 years here now,” Fried said. “I’m excited. Since the loss last March we’ve been counting down the days until we got to open up against Piedmont. I’m excited to see all the fans there.”

Wednesday, November 9, 2022 | Sports Editors: Jenna Daly (jenna.daly@emory.edu) & Claire Fenton (claire.fenton@emory.edu)

C ourtesy of r iley BraCkin

The seniors on the Emory women’s soccer team were honored prior to their final match of the regular season on Nov. 5 against the University of Rochester (N.Y.).

SOCCER