EMORY LIFE
The Emory Wheel TEDX
Doolino Knows Best: Senior Celebrations
a liSha CoMPton/Managing Editor
‘Passion Pit’ Piques Student Interest
Once a year, about 200 community members swarm Eagle Row to pack themselves into a fraternity house with the intent of sharing ideas rather than partying the night away. Six students shared intimate stories related to their passions, from being an undocumented person in the United States to environmentalism, at Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) and TEDxEmory’s fourth annual salon event, “Passion Pit,” on Sept. 7. Matt Mach (19C), spoke about being an undocumented person in the U.S., during a time following the Trump administration’s announcement that it planned to rescind the Obamaera Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Mach said that the phase out of DACA is “probably the biggest human tragedy in this country, at least legally and politically in the last 50 years.” “I’m hoping that [audience members] will open themselves up a little more to the idea that human dignity and human freedom are not separated from each other, and, if you suspend the idea of human dignity, you put all human freedom in peril,” Mach said. According to Mach, most undocumented students choose not to speak out — rightly so, because it puts them at risk. Mach said that he feels obligated to do so because he has “been given some small privileges” in his life. He has family in Poland and a safe place to return to if he was deported. Furthermore, he could continue his education in Poland. While Mach’s speech silenced the room, with audience members glued to his words, Laura Briggs (19C) brought a lighter tone to the stage, inciting bursts of laughter from the audience with their occasional jokes. In a talk about relationships in college, Briggs refuted the “old college saying” that dating someone in college is like adding three credit hours to one’s class
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ADVICE
Matt Mach (19C) (r ight) speaks about the recently-announced DACA rescission.
By aLisha ComPton Managing Editor
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
schedule. Briggs talked about discovering polyamory, calling it “an umbrella term for anyone whose relationship exists outside the traditional boundaries of monogamy,” and embracing it in today’s world. Alexandra Monson (18L), the first graduate student to speak at ATO and TEDxEmory’s salon event, talked about changing her career path and deciding to attend Emory School of Law in order to study environmental law based on the negative consequences and realities of the animal agriculture industry. Monson said that 15 percent of greenhouse gases come from the animal agricultural industry. “[In] graduate school you kind of have a more narrow focus on what you want to do and what your goal is in your career, so it was exciting to share that with others and kind of show them how I turned my passion into a career choice,” Monson said, adding that she did not have the chance to participate in “empowering” events like “Passion Pit” during her years as an undergraduate student at Villanova University (Pa.). Similarly, Mehul Bhagat (18C) touched on how passion plays into one’s career. Speaking as the son of immigrant parents, he talked about how the work an individual pursues is a key part of who they are. Bhagat emphasized the importance of eradicating poverty in order to allow people to pursue the work they are passionate about because work is so closely tied with one’s identity. Hallie Lonial (19C) shared her passion for swimming and teaching other people to swim, and called attention to unintentional drowning, which occurs much more often in minority groups and among those with disabilities because swimming has traditionally been a sport of privilege. Like Bhagat’s, her talk was a call for action for those who come from less fortunate backgrounds. AHANA Dance President Catherine Messina (18C) shared her personal
experience with dance and the importance of following your passion. Messina said she wanted to forgo dance because of the toll it had taken on her, mentally and emotionally, in high school — she was frustrated that something “[she] loved didn’t love [her] back.” After a summer away from dance before her freshman year, Messina didn’t receive a call back from Emory’s Dance Company. However, she decided to stick with her passion and had success with AHANA that fall. Student Government Association (SGA) President Gurbani Singh (18B) said she was moved by multiple speeches at the event. “Something that I just take away from Emory every day — just like normal interactions we have with people — is that everyone has such different passions,” Singh said. “It is so cool to take it all in as you’re a senior and realize this is the last time you’ll be around a bunch of people who have such different perspectives.” According to TEDxEmory’s Director of Special Programs Robert Laxer (19C), the theme of the event changes every year. Laxer said that his hope was that the general nature of the theme would allow for a wider variety of more passionate talks this year. Laxer said the speakers were chosen through a hefty application process, which included submitting ideas, interviews and auditions. Messina said that the speakers started working on their speeches this past summer. After the talks, audience members stayed briefly to discuss the topics with the speakers and other audience members. “[There are] important things that are being talked about tonight I think that deserve more discussion,” Laxer said. “I think that everyone should walk away having learned something and with a new idea.”
— Contact Alisha Compton at acompt2@emory.edu
As most Emory students prepare for yet another semester of pumpkin spice lattes and knee-high boots, a few are gearing up for the final countdown. Graduating seniors are confronted with many endings and new beginnings. In this time of change and uncertainty they must honor the year’s past and truly finish in a grand fashion. Dear Doolino, I am a College senior and will be graduating in May. I am currently undergoing the extremely stressful job recruitment process. Most of my friends in the B-School have gotten return offers and are finalizing those five-figure salaries. As a non-business student, I’m obviously having a much harder time finding a consulting job. It is becoming very difficult to spend time with my friends, considering they only talk about recruitment and jobs. Should I find new people to hang out with? Yours, Defective Robot Dear Defective Robot, I see you have gone down the dark path and joined the rat race. It’s fine, I understand you need to pay off school loans. But now that you have decided on this path, you must also prepare for all the obstacles. While I have no personal experience with either finance or recruiting, I have a bunch of experience with networking (which my business friends tell me is important). Networking is all about testing your limits as well as your patience. You simply need to plaster a permanent smile on your face as you interact with recruiters, employees and alumni. Have a list of questions about the industry and the recruitment process. I believe the world wide web is also good place to make connections. You kids and your convenient gadgets. Now, as for your friends, be happy for those who obtained fancy jobs, but, if it bothers you that much, be honest with them. I’m sure they’ll understand. Either way, I guarantee that in the near future, you’re going to be happily employed. Who cares if you’re the last one of your friends to land a job? As they say, save the best for last. Sincerely, Doolino Dear Doolino, This is my last fall at Emory. I want to make the most of it and do all the things I promised myself freshman
year. But where do I begin? There’s so much to do at Emory and in Atlanta. Please give me tips on having a wholesome and enjoyable senior year. Yours, Eager Eagle Dear Eager Eagle, Now this question is right up my alley — I’ve been around for a while. Keep in mind that each person’s Emory experience is unique and special for different reasons. Find your reasons and stick on to them as you finish your term at Emory. Whether it’s your friends, your classes or your extracurricular activities. I love that you aren’t stressing about being a senior and are focusing on your last few months as an Emory student, a great time to avoid adulthood. Try to get as many free t-shirts, mugs and sunglasses from events around campus; you won’t be getting much free stuff outside my turf. My final suggestion is to say have a meaningful conversation with my dear friend Rick at Maggie’s, who, let’s be honest, you’ve already met. Also take the time to explore Atlanta as a city. Being in the suburbs, Emory students often forgo the fun activities Atlanta has to offer. Enjoy a hot dog at The Varsity in honor of President Obama, or get some sweet Southern delicacies at Mary Mac’s Tea Room. If you’re not an Atlantan, make time for the city-specific delicacies — you don’t know when you’ll be in the city with the same people again. Sincerely, Doolino
ALUM SPOTLIGHT
The Experience After Emory: Matthew Spritz
By moniCa Lefton Senior Staff Writer At Emory, Matthew Spritz (05C) lost the election for Student Government Association (SGA) president, but that loss didn’t stunt his love for politics. Now Spritz is back on the ballot. After he ran several local campaigns and worked as a legislative aid in the state capitol in Tallahassee, Fla., Spritz is currently running for Florida State Representative for District 89. He graduated from Emory with a double major in political science and history and received a law degree from New York University (NYU) in 2008. After law school he practiced law in New York City for a few years, then moved back to his home in South Florida and opened his own law and consulting firm.
With the primaries in August 2018 and the general election in November 2018, Spritz took time out of his campaign schedule to talk with The Emory Wheel about his Emory career and beyond. This transcript has been edited for clarity. I’m a big believer that if you’re at a four-year institution like Emory, take advantage of the world-class facility and the resources. College is a chance for you to learn about a lot of different subjects in a way that really helps you to think critically about the world around you. And have fun; make friends. You’re going to meet people that you’re going to be friends with for the rest of your life. Too many people get caught up in “Well, I have to study this because
then I want to do that and then that’s going to lead to this,” [but] life is all over the place. Very rarely do you go in a straight line, and I’m certainly a testament to that. You sort of wobble left and right and you figure it out as you go through, so don’t limit yourself. Just have fun and study what you like. Obviously I’m not preaching to take college lightly and not study anything. I worked extremely hard in college, but I was studying something that I really enjoyed and I was able to excel and I think that’s the lesson. If you do what you love and you’re passionate about it, you’re going to give [your work] your all, and you’re going to succeed. College is for studying subjects you enjoy, especially since you only get to do it once in your life. Worry about the “real world” in graduate school.
If I had it to do over again, I might consider taking a year or two off [before law school]. I may have deferred a year to gain a little bit more perspective. After seven years of school, there was certainly a fatigue, but I had a great experience at NYU as well. I was 22 years old, and I was in law school. Living in New York was a fun experience. I learned a lot and it certainly benefited me, opened some amazing doors and still opens doors. Sometimes it’s hard when you come in contact with a lot of different kinds of people and you’re trained in a way to accept authority and people that are older and supposed to be wise, [but] don’t just accept what people say at face value. You have to evaluate every situation — every person that you meet — through the prism of your own val-
ues and your own training. You have to have faith in yourself that even though you’re right out of school that generally your moral compass is correct and don’t ever question that. Always have faith in yourself. Believe that you have the character and the strength to persevere [through] whatever life adversity might be thrown at you. I knew then that government and policy and service [were] always my passion[s], and it’s really awesome to be coming back to that in the real world. I feel like now, for the first time in my life, I’m doing what I love. I’m doing what I feel I was born to do. I want to serve, and I care deeply about my community.
— Contact Monica Lefton at monica.lefton@emory.edu