12.2.2015

NEWS

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Students attend U.N. climate change conference in Paris

A&E

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‘And She Was’: Mixed-media and performance celebrates the female experience

SPORTS

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Women’s basketball extends winning streak to three games

Deadline approaches for black activist demands COMMUNITY REACTIONS VARY LEADING UP TO DEC. 4 UNIVERSITY RESPONSE

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Atlanta black student org. calls admin. response to demands inadequate

Black professionals in Campus Life express solidarity with black students

Student protestors misdirect blame at Emory for a societal issue

Professor calls for evidence of grievances before addressing demands

NEWS | pg. 3

OPINION | pg. 9

OPINION | pg. 8

OPINION | pg. 9

THE FULL LIST OF DEMANDS | PG. 12 VOL. 97 ISSUE 12 The Independent Student-Run Newspaper of Emory University Since 1919

December 2, 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS December 2, 2015

NEWS

OPINION

OPINION

3 students attend paris un climate change conference

8 student perspectives: perceptions versus reality

10 russia & turkey: a conflict of egos

4 atlanta black students united: emory has not met demand

9 faculty perspectives: a call for evidence

11 sense & sensitivity

6 emory student awarded rhodes scholarship

9 faculty perspectives: letter from black professionals

11 caption contest 12 Emory black student activists’ list of demands

7 film production companies seek emory’s campus

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

EMORY LIFE

SPORTS

14 ‘And She was’: love-affair with art, flirtation with femininity

18 Q&A with Adam scharf

22 women’s team gets back to winning ways

19 emory literary club writes a new chapter

16 adele soars with release of ‘25’

23 men stumble, fall to lAgrange and maryville

20 doolino knows best

17 ‘master of none’: authenticity at its best

24 have no fear, championship week is here!

21 changes to on campus housing receives mixed reviews

EDITORIAL BOARD DUSTIN SLADE | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RUPSHA BASU EXECUTIVE EDITOR Copy Chiefs Shalvi Shah Benazir Wehelie News Editors Anwesha Guha Emily Sullivan Opinion Editor Erik Alexander Arts & Entertainment Editor Julia Munslow

KARISHMA MEHROTRA EXECUTIVE EDITOR Emory Life Editor Hayley Silverstein Sports Editor Jacob Durst Photo Editor Ruth Reyes Video Editor Leila Yavari Senior Digital Editor Tarrek Shaban

ZAK HUDAK MANAGING EDITOR

Digital Editors Brandon Fuhr Morgan Roberts Editor-at-Large Samuel R. Budnyk Associate Editors Hagar Elsayed Loli Lucaciu Annie McGrew Lydia O’Neal Ryan Smith

STEPHEN FOWLER EXECUTIVE DIGITAL EDITOR business and advertising

ALLEN HSIN | BUSINESS MANAGER BEN MOORE | SALES MANAGER BRYCE ROBERTSON | BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Assistant Sales Manager: Brittany Fales Design Managers: Dami Kim, Alyssa Polskensky Sales Associates: Ifrah Khan, David Schupper, Celeste Leonard, Junior Hailu, Chris Diglio Office Assistant: Justine Schoenbart Business / Advertising Office Number (404) 727-6178

NEWS

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Students attend Paris UN climate change conference Lauren Balotin | Contributing Writer lauren.balotin@emory.edu

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his month, 10 Emory undergraduates and two faculty members have traveled to Paris, France for the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21).

The conference has started on Nov. 30 and will last until Dec. 11.

COP21 unites countries that share a common goal of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon neutrality to avoid the extreme consequences associated with global warming, according to its website.

The diplomatic conference is one of the largest in history, with 147 Heads of State and Government confirmed to attend as of Nov. 24, the website says.

Four Emory students are directly observing the climate change discussions and negotiations.

Other students are attending film screenings, conferences, discussions and exhibits to learn about issues related to climate change, according to Wesley Longhofer, assistant professor of Organization & Management at the Goizueta Business School.

At the end of each day, the students reconvene to share their experiences and produce materials that they then post on a website.

Students also observe meetings held by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and other Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs).

According to Eri Saikawa, an assistant professor in Emory’s Department of Environment Studies, students meet Emory alumni living in France and students from 25 other universities.

Emory was granted the opportunity to send students to COP21 with observer status in 2014, according to Longhofer, who then began to develop a class that would prepare students for the trip with the team of Saikawa, Senior Lecturer in the Journalism Program Sheila Tefft, College senior Mae Bowen and B-School senior Adam Goldstein.

“Paris is an Explanation: Understanding Climate Change at the 2015 United Nations Meeting in France,” was proposed in January and opened as a Coalition of the Liberal Arts (CoLA) course in fall 2015.

Along with Bowen and Goldstein, other students attending the conference include B-School seniors Taylor McNair and Mark Leone, College

seniors Savannah Miller, Siyue Zong and Naomi Maisel and College juniors Clara Perez, Caiwei Huang and Samuel Budnyk. McNair, Bowen, Miller and Maisel will directly observe the negotiations. Longhofer and Saikawa are accompanying them.

Longhofer introduced students to the COP21 negotiation process in his CoLA class by holding a Model United Nations meeting.

He worked alongside Tefft, who helped students explore methods of media communication, and Saikawa, who taught students about the science behind climate change.

Saikawa hopes that as a result of their exposure to the various facets of global warming, students will be able to perceive different causes of climate change and generate well-rounded potential solutions.

“[Because] climate change [is] such a complex issue, we cannot look at just one aspect of the problem.”

— Eri Saikawa, assistant professor, Department of Environment Studies

“[Because] climate change [being] such a complex issue, we cannot look at just one aspect of the problem,” Saikawa said. “It cannot be just a scientist or a businessman who solves the problem. We need different inputs to come up with an actual, feasible policy.”

In the CoLA class, students took part in various modules, including one that explored the various climate myths and their persistence, Saikawa said.

“There’s a lot of push right now to give students more opportunities for what we call experiential learning,” Longhofer said. “[COP21] is an amazing opportunity to connect with activists, scholars and people living on the front lines of climate

change.”

In addition to maintaining a website, the CoLA students are upholding various social media accounts to detail their various experiences at the conference, including accounts on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, according to Bowen.

Students are able to “connect with the Emory community on a personal level” through photos, podcasts, blogs and video diaries, Huang said.

Huang is a political science major and studies the regional politics of decarbonizing China’s energy sector. She hopes that by taking part in COP21, she can connect what she has learned about Chinese politics with her observations of the decision-making processes of Chinese leaders surrounding climate change and economic growth.

Maisel said that she was excited to work on the website’s podcasts.

She expects to find that her anthropology classes have prepared her to examine how climate change affects agriculture. “[The students on the trip] recognize that we are representing Emory at the event, so we really want the Emory community to see what we’re experiencing as it’s going on,” she said.

Saikawa is optimistic that students will be able to use the program’s social media devices to increase the Emory community’s awareness of local and global climate issues.

CoLA students will also continue to explore climate change issues when they return to Emory.

In spring 2016, the students will organize a “Climate Week” in partnership with Climate@Emory to engage students in climate change discussions.

The event will include panels, guest speakers, film screenings and art exhibits to relay the students’ experiences, Longhofer said.

While she was in college, Saikawa went on a similar trip to the UN Earth Summit. “[Attending the UN Earth Summit] was an eyeopening experience for me, and I think that’s why I really wanted to take students to this conference,” Saikawa said. “From my experience, it’s very different to see the conference with your own eyes.”

Editor’s Note: Editor-at-Large Samuel Budnyk, who will attend the conference, did not play a role in the reporting of this article.

NEWS

ANWESHA GUHA AND EMILY SULLIVAN | EDITORS

Atlanta Black Emory has n

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he Atlanta Black Students United (ATLBSU) Coalition, an organization with black student representatives from every school in the Atlanta region, has announced that it will hold Emory University “publicly accountable” for not satisfying its demand by the Nov. 30 deadline.

University President James W. Wagner said he intended to meet the demand with a campus-wide email about “diversity and inclusivity.”

On Nov. 18, ATLBSU publicly demanded that its respective institutions — Emory University, Morehouse College, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Spelman College, Kennesaw State University and Clark Atlanta University — release an official statement that the universities will “take necessary action to declare the safety, justice and equality of their Black students on campus, and the Black lives of this country.”

That same evening, the group led a protest of about 100 demonstrators who blocked major downtown Atlanta streets in the pouring rain.

Wagner intended to satisfy

“The next step is pressure.

The next step is strategic.

The next step is calculated.”

— Chelsea Jackson, College sophomore On Nov. 24, Wagner sent a campus-wide email titled “Statement of Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity” in which he described Emory’s “more effective way of addressing these issues” such as Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life Ajay Nair’s communication with the leaders of Black Students at Emory.

That same day, Wagner wrote in an email to the Wheel that this statement was intended to satisfy the ATLBSU demand. “[Wagner’s email] is an artfully crafted piece of marshmallow,” said College sophomore and ATLBSU representative Chelsea Jackson, calling it “sweet” and “full of nothing.” “It does nothing for me, for my community, for my safety … ‘Diversity and inclusivity?’ What does that even mean?”

Jackson said that her organization submitted a demand for a specific sentence so that ATLBSU could hold Emory accountable to a tangible

commitment.

She added that she didn’t realize that Wagner’s statement was intended to be his attempt to satisfy the demand.

In the Dec. 1 statement, ATLBSU said they were “now compelled to hold the administration of our institution publically accountable until a statement is received.”

“This is not a threat, instead, a promise of continued pressure, accountability and transparency in order to ensure black student lives truly matter past rhetoric,”

Video of ATLBSU protest at Emorywheel.com

the statement read, with an attached image stating that the organization will “initiate resistance.”

“The next step is pressure. The next step is strategic.

The next step is calculated,” Jackson stated. With the hashtag #ATLBSU, many on social media have been spreading the message, “They think it’s a game. They think it’s a joke.”

“But no one is laughing,” Jackson said.

According to Jackson, only Morehouse College satisfied the ATLBSU demand, while Georgia State sent a letter marking their commitment to all students

12.02.15 xx.xx.2015

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Students United: not met demand demand with campus-wide email Karishma Mehrotra | Executive Editor kmehrot@emory.edu

to the leaders of a campus organization.

The administration faces another upcoming deadline issued by Black Students at Emory, the collective leading much of the recent black activism on campus.

On Nov. 11, Black Students at Emory publicly released a set of 13 demands and a deadline of Dec. 4 for an administrative action plan to meet those demands.

That same day, roughly 50 student demonstrators gathered on Asbury Circle to voice their grievances and issue these demands. They marched to Clifton Road, where they blocked a major intersection during

rush hour.

In the email to the Wheel, Wagner wrote that Nair is representing the administration to the leaders of Black Students at Emory, and that there will be a meeting this week for an “intensive retreat” to address the demands. Assistant Vice President for Community Suzanne Onorato wrote in an email to the Wheel that the administration is working on a response to these demands that will be published on Dec. 4.

On Nov. 19, black professionals within the Division of Campus Life met to discuss their response to the

demands. After the meeting, they issued a letter in solidarity with Black Students at Emory.

“We seek to co-construct a plan of action to resolve structural and institutional flaws at Emory University,” the letter read. “We, too, wear the mask. We have silenced our voices in moments where we could have cried out.”

On Nov. 23, the BSA house hosted a “Black Emory Community Meeting” to discuss “issues and concerns with the institution and the administration that governs it,” according to the Facebook event.

Black students from Atlanta Schools Protest Downtown | kasjasdad

NEWS C

Emory student awarded Rhodes Scholarship

ollege senior Leah Michalove has been named a 2016 Rhodes Scholar, the 19th in Emory’s history and first in nine years, out of over 850 applicants.

“It’s very surreal, terribly overwhelming,” said Michalove, who was informed of her acceptance on Nov. 21. “I kept expecting them to call me and say, ‘Sorry, we read the wrong name. We didn’t mean to give it to you.’”

The Rhodes Scholarship, among the oldest and most prestigious international fellowship awards, is granted to 32 American students every year.

In addition to a full scholarship, winners are given an expense and travel stipend to pursue graduate studies for two to three years at the University of Oxford in England. This year, colleges and universities endorsed 869 out of about 2000 students who were seeking the scholarship, according to a Rhodes press release.

“The Rhodes Scholarship is one of the most competitive in the world,” Director of the National Scholarships and Fellowships Program at Emory Megan Friddle wrote in an email to the Wheel. She added that successful Rhodes applicants exhibit an exceptional combination of academic achievement, public service and civic engagement.

Michalove began the application process in the spring after meeting with the office for Emory’s National Scholarships & Fellowships Program about her eligibility for various scholarships. She then spent the summer working on her Rhodes application, which included a personal statement, curriculum vitae (CV), seven letters of recommendation, a photo and a transcript.

She was invited to interview with Rhodes alumni.

She said her interview went well, but her favorite part of the experience was getting to know her fellow finalists from District Six of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

At 6 p.m., three hours after Michalove’s time slot, the interviewers gathered the 12 finalists into the lobby to announce the two winners of the prestigious award.

“I stopped processing for like 30 seconds,” Michalove said. “My brain stopped. I thought I was going to pass out. I couldn’t believe it.”

Friddle, however, wasn’t surprised that the selection committee saw promise in Michalove.

“I’m delighted that the Rhodes committee saw in Leah the same extraordinary qualities that we’ve seen during her time at Emory,” she wrote.

Friddle noted that Michalove’s writing ability might

have distinguished her application from the rest.

“The theme that tied her Emory experience together was storytelling … She was able to show the connections between her campus leadership and her academic experiences in a compelling way,” she wrote.

Looking forward, Michalove said she feels most excited to meet her community of Rhodes Scholars and to explore the various opportunities that Oxford offers.

“The ethos of Oxford is so incredibly impressive,” she said.

When she arrives at Oxford, Michalove hopes to further the passion she cultivated at Emory for Middle Eastern studies and anthropology. Although she originally planned to be an anthropology major at Emory, she became addicted to studying Middle Eastern culture as though it was a “drug” after taking several classes in the department.

She said that her interests in Middle Eastern Studies and anthropology are intertwined, because much of her research has focused on the cultural anthropology of the Middle East. After spending a semester in Rabat, Morocco, she was inspired to research fashion and political identity in Morocco.

Specifically, Michalove plans to pursue either a twoyear master’s in anthropology or a one-year master’s in anthropology in conjunction with a one-year master’s in refugee and forced migration studies.

Afterwards, she hopes to return to the U.S. and work towards a PhD in anthropology. “I’ve been in school forever.” Michalove said. “I love school. I love college.”

She said she plans to eventually work for a think tank in Washington D.C. or at a non-governmental organization (NGO), become a college professor or all three.

“Either way, I’m going to be attempting to [positively affect] the world,” she said.

Only three Emory students applied to be Rhodes scholars and all of them received endorsements from the University, according to Friddle, and there is no limit on the number that the school can nominate. “We would love to see more students apply in future cycles,” she wrote.

Ultimately, Michalove feels incredibly grateful for the opportunity awarded to her, and she urges students considering scholarships not to feel daunted by the prestige of Rhodes.

“No one thinks they’re going to win the Rhodes Scholarship,” she said. “It just sort of happened [to me].

And it’s inexplicable and wonderful and serendipitous, and it shows that you never know what’s going to happen.”

Namrata Verghese | Staff Writer namrata.susan.verghese@emory.edu

“

No one thinks they’re going to win the Rhodes Scholarship. It just sort of happened [to me].

And it’s inexplicable and wonderful and serendipitous, and it shows that you never know what’s going to happen.

”

— Leah Michalove, College senior

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12.02.15

Film production companies seek Emory’s campus Emily Sullivan | News Editor emily.sullivan@emory.edu

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efore Thanksgiving break, Emory students crowded outside White Hall to catch a glimpse of Chris Evans as he entered the building to film a scene for Fox Searchlight’s upcoming movie Gifted.

Such events have become increasingly commonplace at Emory, as the school’s aesthetic appeal and Georgia’s tax incentives to film in-state have brought various movie crews to campus.

Film production companies’ general interest in filming at Emory has noticeably increased, said Bill Dracos, associate vice president for administration and chief Business Practice Improvement (BPI) officer for Emory.

Eddy Von Mueller, senior lecturer in the department of Film and Media Studies and faculty coordinator for the Film and Media Management concentration, said that he has noticed a similar trend over the past five to six years.

“Emory has been, very consistently, an attractive locale,” Von Mueller said, in light of the Gifted filming.

“The production sector in Atlanta is really exploding right now, and I think that’s bringing slightly more [filming] traffic [to Emory].”

Movies such as Hall Pass (2011) have scouted locations on Emory’s campus over the last few years, including the Lullwater Preserve and Eagle Row, Mueller said.

Into the Wild shot a scene during an Emory commencement ceremony and the Sleepy Hollow series sought out space to film in the abandoned Candler Mansion.

Denial, a film about Emory’s Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies Deborah Lipstadt, is set to begin filming on Emory’s campus this year.

It will be “interesting to see how much ‘real Emory’ shows up in a film about ‘real Emory,’” Von Mueller said, referring to Denial and its Emory setting.

Additionally, over the past few years, production companies representing Vacation, Divergent and the Ring series have requested to film on Emory’s campus, Dracos wrote in a document emailed to the Wheel.

The increase in interest toward filming in Atlanta can be attributed not only to the area’s aesthetics, but also to some economic incentives, including a tax incentive, that reduce the high costs of production, Dracos wrote.

For certain projects that are produced in Georgia, a 20 percent tax credit is awarded in accordance with the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

An additional 10 percent credit is awarded when a company embeds a Georgia logo in its projects and campaigns.

Gifted finished filming on Emory’s campus on Thursday Nov. 19. The production brought several key Hollywood figures to Emory’s campus over the course of Wednesday Nov. 18, and Thursday Nov. 19, Dracos wrote.

Several weeks before filming began, the production company for Gifted approached Emory’s BPI and ex-

pressed interest in scouting locations on campus for production, he added.

The cast and crew, including Evans, the film’s lead actor, and Marc Webb, the film’s director, shot several scenes for the upcoming movie in front of White Hall, Goizueta Business School and Emory’s School of Medicine.

“I think we’re accommodating about as much traffic as we can,” Von Mueller said.

He added that in hosting an increasing volume of productions, Emory must continue to emphasize its overall education mission.

He implemented Gifted’s production into his own teaching goals and also took some of his students to White Hall on Nov. 18 to observe the film’s cast and crew.

To his knowledge, movie extras had been pre-casted by an agency, but some Emory students were cast as background, Von Mueller said.

Even so, his students were able to observe the filming and had the chance to establish relationships with members of the production company.

“We have been able to create opportunities for Emory students to be observers, production assistants and occasionally to shadow members of the crew,” he said.

In some cases, production companies that have worked on campus have offered full-time employment to Von Mueller’s students.

None of Von Mueller’s students saw such a pay off during the filming of Gifted, he later added.

OPINION

ERIK ALEXANDER | EDITOR

In response to black

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

Perceptions versus reality Tomi Kalejaiye | College Freshman | Lagos, Nigeria

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s living as we do, upside down, and the new word to have is revolution.” This line from Gil Scott-Heron is perhaps the most befitting description of the current state of events in the United States. Catalyzed by the student demonstrations at the University of Missouri, students at multiple universities nationwide have demonstrated against what they believe to be injustices perpetrated by their respective administrations toward people of color.

Demonstrations have also taken place here at Emory, and a list of demands written, rather presumptuously, on behalf of “the Black Students of Emory University” has been sent to the administration.

The most poignant aspect about the demands rendered is that they reveal how much more powerful perceptions can be than the reality of a situation. Due to a rising tide of race related tensions on campuses around the country, students on Emory’s campus seem to be reacting to their personal experiences of race relations elsewhere by lashing out against the administration. I have seen students who previously expressed no qualms or dissatisfaction with Emory prior to events at the University of Missouri, and other colleges, suddenly begin to express dissatisfaction and anger about the racial climate on campus here. It is very possible that this dissatisfaction has long been held in. However, students seem to be attempting to hold the University administration responsible for problems that are not the result of the institution’s policies, but the result of external conditions in American society as a whole.

One prime example of this comes from the student demands calling for a higher percentage of black and Latino full time professors employed at the University.

This stems from a key assumption that the numbers we currently see for black and Latino professors are solely a reflection of Emory’s decisions about hiring professors.

However, as economist Thomas Sowell once eloquently pointed out, “You cannot say that numbers collected at the employer’s place of business reflect simply the employer’s policies. Those numbers reflect underlying conditions in the whole society, just as number’s col-

lected in the hospital do not show you that people are sick because they are in the hospital.”

Indeed it seems to be the case with black academia that their employment numbers are reflective of societal conditions. According to the most recent data collected by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education in 2007, the national average for the percentage of black faculty employed at all universities in America is 5.2 percent. At Emory University, this number is 6.8 percent. Furthermore, this percentage when compared to the percentages of the top 26 highest ranked universities in the country reveals that Emory employs the highest percentage of black faculty. Emory also has the highest percentage of black tenured faculty among the nation’s top ranked universities and the third highest percentage of black department heads.

The point of these statistics is not that we should give the university a pat on the back and say they’ve done well in hiring black faculty. However, we must have a sense of scale. This is not a problem specific to Emory, or due to Emory’s policies, but due to what is happening in society as a whole. The evidence dictates that the problem is, in fact, a larger societal problem. According to the National Center for Education statistics, of 63,712 doctor’s degrees awarded in the 2007-2008 academic year, 3,906 were awarded to black students. This means that only 6.1 percent of doctorate degree earners in that year were black. Of course, some proportion of these doctorate degree earners will not even go the academic route, leading to even lower numbers of black academia.

With numbers like this, it is not surprising that even a university like Emory with a dedication to diversity would have low numbers of black faculty. However, let’s assume the numbers of black doctorate degree earners mentioned above are more or less consistent from year to year. This means Emory, with 6.8 percent of its faculty being black, has a higher percentage of black faculty than there are black doctorates in the country. This certainly seems to me to indicate that Emory is taking its claims about diversity seriously. However, in times

when racial tensions are high, students who have grown up in such a racially charged society are perhaps all too ready to point the finger at the institution for problems not created by the institution but by external conditions. The problem is not that Emory is not hiring black faculty; the problem is that the percentage of black academia in the country is shamefully low to begin with.

This is a problem that Emory can not be faulted for as they do not have direct control over it. This is a problem whose fruits appear at Emory, but whose roots lie in societal problems. Students want to hold Emory responsible for a problem created by the inferior quality of high school education for minorities and a culture that does not encourage people of color to enter academia.

This comes from the fact that for young people, particularly students, “revolution” against institutions is often more attractive than grappling issues on a societal level, which is of course their source. If the numbers of black faculty at Emory were low due to discriminatory policies in Emory’s recruitment process, the obvious thing to do would be to confront the administration.

However, if the numbers of black faculty at Emory are low due to the already low numbers of blacks entering academia in the first place, it appears we have a much more complex problem on our hands that cannot be solved simply by policy changes in the institution. It is clear that there are racial problems in the United States.

The low percentage of black men and women getting Ph.Ds is one illustration of that. However, it is important to direct energy toward the source of these problems, and not institutions that may merely reflect the effects of these problems.

Activism should take the form of efforts to increase the number of black men and women that enter academia. Initiatives like the Melon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship are a prime example of the kind of action that must be taken. When energy is misdirected by demanding that Emory increase its percentage of black faculty, it inevitably causes conflict internally and leads to a stalemate between the administration and student activists that proves detrimental to both parties.

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12.02.15

activists on campus FACULTY PERSPECTIVES

A call for evidence Frank Lechner | Sociology Professor

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tudent protests around the country and here at Emory revolve around claims that institutions of higher education engage in discrimination, especially against black Americans. In Emory’s case, there is currently a lack of some important evidence needed to assess those claims. Before the administration responds to protester demands, it should collect and produce that evidence.

At the undergraduate level, we lack evidence in at least two key areas that might involve discrimination, namely admissions and financial aid. I call on the Office of Admission and the Office of Financial Aid to collect and produce all relevant data that would enable us to compare the experience of black applicants with other applicants. The work of Princeton University sociologist Thomas Espenshade — who found that, at selective institutions, Asian applicants typically need to meet higher standards than blacks and whites — suggests the hypothesis that Emory data will show no disadvantage to black students.

In their recent list of demands, black students claim that, “not all Black students are adequately prepared for the rigor of Emory University” and that they are at a disadvantage due to “ill preparation.” Since I have taught many talented black students who were well prepared for their studies here, I do not accept the point at face value. However, it fits UCLA law professor Richard Sander’s disputed “mismatch” hypothesis, which holds that the admission policies of selective institutions cause minority students there to be relatively less skilled than their peers. To test the hypothesis that such a mismatch exists at Emory, I call on Emory College to collect and produce all relevant data

that will enable us to compare the performance and well-being of black students and other subgroups.

Protesters here and elsewhere have also called for new diversity requirements. As a contributor to the Voluntary Core Curriculum, I have reservations about any involuntary core courses on diversity. But in order to proceed on the basis of evidence, I propose that any such new mandate be implemented in experimental fashion, first applying a new requirement only to a randomly selected treatment group of students and then comparing outcomes with those of a control group.

My hypothesis would be that, whatever form a diversity mandate may take, the comparison will not show any academically significant gains in the treatment group but may show adverse reactions similar to those provoked by administratively driven requirements.

Finally, protesters have called for higher compensation for minority faculty.

Since conditions in the current academic market, with many institutions pursuing “opportunity hires” and “diversity initiatives,” appear to favor minority scholars, I would expect empirical analysis to show no under-compensation for them at Emory. I call on the University administration to collect and produce all relevant data, taking into account academic control variables, to test that hypothesis.

In response to recent protests, some other institutions appear to proceed without much evidence regarding the issues at hand. At Emory, we can do better.

It would be unfortunate if at an institution “where courageous inquiry leads,” with a College focused on “the nature of evidence,” we fail to consider the best evidence we can gather in addressing these concerns.

Letter from Black professionals

We, the Black Professionals of Emory University, In solidarity with Black students at Emory University, convened on November 19, 2015, to examine the consistent multidimensional inequalities Black students experience on campus and in society. As a collective, we value coalition building in movements and understand the exhaustive nature of forms of progress needed to dismantle the cycle of oppression for the Black community. We want you all to know that we see you; we hear you; we feel you. Beyond that, we seek to co-construct a plan of action to resolve structural and institutional flaws at Emory University.

We, too, wear the mask. We have silenced our voices in moments where we could have cried out. We have adjusted our language and tone in an effort to be heard. We have stood idle when you needed our support out of fear of potential repercussions. We admire and are inspired by your courage, strength and boldness to evoke a much needed change.

As employees of a university that strives for excellence, we must not be content with acceptance and tolerance. Understanding the importance of action-oriented care, we are committed to supporting you, organizing with you and fearlessly advocating for you.

Yours in community, Courtney Jones-Stevens, Center for Community Engagement and Leadership; Courtnay Oddman, Residence Life; Des’mon Taylor, Residence Life; Arthur E. Doctor Jr., Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life; Natasha Hopkins, Center for Community Engagement and Leadership; Troizel Carr, Residence Life, Office of Health Promotion, Center for Diversity and Inclusion; Adrienne Slaughter, Office of Student Success Programs and Service; Pamela Epps, Emory Counseling and Psychological Services; Paula Scotman, Finance Service Center; Andrea Grant, Office of Multicultural Programs and Services; Bevin S. Carpenter, Center for Community Engagement & Leadership; Janelle Lopp, Residence Life; James Roland, Barkley Forum Center for Debate Education; Edith Simms, The Career Center; Brenda Robinson, Housing Operations; Rhonda Thompson, Center for Community Engagement & Leadership; Mildred Davis-Echols, The Career Center; Tricia Worrell, Campus Life Finance Service Center; Lillian Coleman, Emory Dining; Latoya Anderson-Reeves, School of Law; Felecia Hines-Carpenter, ECAS- Business Operations; Kalesha Hicks, The Career Center; Malcolm Robinson, The Office of Multicultural Programs and Services, Center for Community Engagement and Leadership; Raphael Coleman, Office of Health Promotion; Wanda Swan, Office of Health Promotion, The Respect Program; Mahlet Endale, Emory Counseling and Psychological Services; Carlton Mackey , Center for Ethics; Kayla Hamilton , Residence Life; Ed Lee, Barkley Forum Center for Debate Education; Marlon Gibson, Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life; Carla Sanders, Center for Community Engagement and Leadership; Asti Magby, Campus Life Finance Service Center; Thandi Chase, Emory Counseling and Psychological Services; Nichelle Frye, Office of Student Conduct, Office of Sorority & Fraternity Life; Kayla Tyson-Young, Dobbs University Center; Phillis Bryant, Campus Life Finance Center; Patricia Taylor, Office of Multicultural Programs and Services, Center for Community and Diversity; John Baker Brown Jr., Emory Campus Life Communications; Arie Smith, Conference Services; Chanel Tanner, Center for Women at Emory; Barbara S. Coble, PhD, Center for Community Engagement and Leadership; Leisa Stafford, Office of Student Support Services and Programs; Asti Magby, Campus Life Financial Service Center; Brian Cornelius II, Dobbs University Center/ Meeting Services; La Shanda Perryman, ECAS-Department of African Studies; Barbara Johnson, Counseling and Psychological Services; Erna Wikerson, Campus Life Finance Center

OPINION

Russia & Turkey: a conflict of egos

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ussia, via Twitter, has officially declared economic war on Turkey. President Vladimir Putin and his cabinet have imposed financial regulations on their new enemy. The targets of these regulations will include, but aren’t limited to, bilateral trade, tourism and investment between the two countries. This comes in response to the recent downing of Russia’s Su-24 warplane by a Turkish F-16 fighter jet. According to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russia had violated Turkey’s sovereignty by flying through its airspace without explicit permission. Most spectators, who expected a full scale Russian military throw-down on Turkey, see this subtler move as surprising. After all, Putin is not known for his discretion. Russian air force bombing of apparent ISIS locations marked the country’s entry into the Syrian war in September. While Russia stated that the attack was aimed at a specific ISIS location, the world’s political leaders saw it as an attempt by Russia to assert its dominance to further enrage local actors. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters, “I want to be careful about confirming information, but it does appear that they [Russian airstrikes] were in areas where there probably were not ISIL forces.”

Whatever the motives, the message from Russia was clear. They intend to be an active player in any forthcoming war, so the latest non-military response to Turkey’s bold actions confuse most onlookers.

In my opinion this is simply a bully-tantrum. Russia is used to getting its way with allies with no repercussions to its supposed authority. Turkey has clearly disrupted this duplicitous policy that Russia delusionally follows,but the disruption doesn’t settle well with the powerhouse.

While economic sanctions are a smart and less destructive play, their consequences, in the long run, can be quite drastic. If every country refused to do trade with allies that try to protect their sovereignty, international trade would come to an abrupt halt. Then why did Putin and his cabinet take such drastic steps?

The reasons for the economic war could be multifaceted.

This is the first time since the end of the Cold War that there have been hostilities between Russia and an active member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Perhaps Putin fears the invocation of Article Five of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states that an attack on one ally shall be considered an attack on

all allies. Such a result would definitely draw attention away from possibly the biggest security threat the world has faced since Nazi Germany: the Islamic State. Conceivably Putin has reached a level of maturity to realize that resources must be utilized to terminate the bigger threat at hand. The geographical and continental closeness between Russia and Islamic State territories present ISIS as a direct threat to Russia and its allies. And it would, without a doubt, please Putin to come out as the victor in this battle against ISIS. I assume he knows that the United States is doing its best to contain the situation but will not take the extreme measures that Russia can employ to terminate ISIS. Another more plausible reason for the economic war draws from Putin’s “big-daddy” attitude. Signing economic sanctions against Turkey merely shows Turkey and the rest of the world how much the small nation relies on Russia for exports, energy and other necessary resources.

A major sanction may be placed on Russian tourism in Turkey. Russians are second only to Germany in terms of the numbers visiting Turkey, bringing in an estimated $4 billion a year in tourism revenues, which Turkey needs to help fund its gaping current account deficit. Furthermore, Russia is discussing the possibility of limiting agriculture between the two countries. Russia is the world’s largest exporter of wheat and Turkey is the largest buyer of Russian wheat. Moreover, Russia has left Turkish trucks carrying food stranded at the borders or has asked them to turn back.

But the decision to restrict agricultural trade would equally impact Russia, which imports most of its fruits, vegetables and nuts from Turkey. According to Russian officials, however, Russia can always import from China, Azerbaijan, Iran, South Africa and Morocco.

Pranati Kohli College Sophomore New Dehli, India

Russia and Turkey’s energy relation is also in jeopardy following the hostilities. In the years leading up to the downing of the Su-24, Russia was in talks with Turkey about building a natural gas pipeline, called Turkish Stream, which would channel Russian gas underneath the Black Sea to Turkey and potentially further on to Southeastern Europe. The construction of the pipeline has, however, been delayed and won’t be completed anytime soon. Furthermore, Russia is Turkey’s largest gas supplier. Turkey imports a total of 20 percent of its gas supply from Russia. Last year, Gazprom Export sold 27.33 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey. The termination of this energy trade could have drastic consequences for Turkey.

The last possible reason could have to do with Putin viewing Turkey’s actions as a “stab in the back” and a “breach of trust.” The explanation is simple: since Russia no longer trusts Turkey, it will no longer do business with them or consider them an ally. This reason does highlight Putin’s more vulnerable side. But it also demonstrates the hypocrisy in the way Russia conducts its business.

While Russia conducts unauthorized activity in its allies’ territories, the same doesn’t apply to Russia’s allies. The mammoth nation expects to get away with actions it deems unacceptable if committed by anyone other than itself Over the past months, Russia has been constantly intervening in the Middle East with no clear motive and a zero success rate of containing the clash. This could be because Russia’s interests do not align with most of Syria’s neighbors. Russia wants to protect Syrian President Donkey Hotey | Flickr Bashar al-Assad and the Kurds in the region. However, Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries have no interest in Assad’s security. This conflict of interests in the region has not created an agreeable end result.

In conclusion, there is a clear tussle of power between the leaders of the two nations. Neither of them seems to be in a forgiving or relenting mood. This is a standoff to the end.

With Putin looking for a long and meaningful apology and Erdogan refusing to give one, any cooperation between Russia and Turkey to combat terrorism seems far-fetched. What needs to be considered is which country has more to lose at the end of the long-drawn disagreement? Whichever country that is should look at the bigger picture and adopt tactful diplomacy in the matter.

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Sense & sensitivity

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olitical correctness seems to be the hot topic of the year. Men with heads full of hot gas like Donald Trump continue to bluster away about how political correctness is overdone in order to justify their misguided, prejudiced beliefs and slanderous remarks. Comedians like Jerry Seinfeld refuse to perform at college campuses for fear of being denounced as racist or sexist with their jokes. This was an issue that I, however, had not really stopped and considered until recently.

While I consider political correctness to be a common courtesy that should be utilized in society, I find myself concerned that my contemporaries will use political correctness in order to create a more stifling environment that is less welcoming to divergent opinions.

I applied early decision to Emory University because I was excited about being part of a warm, welcoming community full of new, different people. I was fascinated at the idea of encountering new concepts and ideas and looking at the world from the point of view of my new friends.

However, I found myself frustrated at the feeling of political correctness invading parts of my life and stifling my voice, my own opportunities to speak. One such example can be found in my recent experience with a popular pastime — Cards Against Humanity.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the game, the objective of Cards Against Humanity is to come up with the funniest, most toxic combination of cards to create crude, vulgar and humorous statements — to be the worst human being in the room. As a Cards Against Humanity veteran, I found myself frustrated and angry at the most recent game I competed in, where some of my fellow players refused to read out combinations that they were uncomfortable with and immediately disqualified them, even going so far as to pick out combinations that were both unfunny and bland.

To illustrate, one individual picked the “Homosexual agenda” card because the combination would have cast the homosexual agenda in a positive light, and as a bisexual, she claimed, “the homosexual agenda trumps all.” I felt that such actions, every single time they oc-

Daniel Park | College Freshman |

curred, were missing the point of the game and often took the fun out of such amusements because we were arguing to get the cards read and groaning that the card selected wasn’t all that funny. What did it matter if I laughed at a Cards Against Humanity joke if it was funny?

Later, when I was invited to a late night showing of the new James Bond movie Spectre, I concluded that although the movie had been somewhat weak, that had not stopped it from being entertaining at times. But a distant acquaintance from the viewing party sharply criticized the movie for its sexualization of the Bond girl and an oddly grotesque title sequence. Others were quick to concur.

And I was left again, for the second time in 24 hours, unable to share my opinion because I did not want to put a damper on the social situation or be accused of supporting twisted ideals just because I found other elements of the movie entertaining. Yes, I acknowledge that it was overly sexualized, but James Bond is a highly sexual character, and one should have anticipated that such scenes could appear.

Now, you’re probably saying, “Oh, first world problems, boo-hoo, Daniel,” or asking, “why does this matter to you so much?” It’s because I feel that political correctness is encouraging a negative behavior in people that we see all the time online.

No one should have the power or the right to do that — to silence a person or make him or her feel afraid to speak out. If a person has prejudices or a twisted, uninformed point of view, they should be approached and educated so that they are informed of the actual situation.

Last year, my friend was locked in a debate about police brutality concerning the Michael Brown incident in Ferguson. He argued that the police officer rightfully shot Brown since Brown had put the cop’s life at risk.

He argued that since the police officer had already volunteered his life to protect his city, he had a right to pull the trigger to defend his own life. According to his argument, it must not have been an easy decision to pull the trigger, one that stemmed from fear and not prejudice. This opinion led to a lot of division in our

This Week

entourage during that year in high school, but we were not so blinded as to not understand the other party’s point of view, and we always heard them out.

That was an idea that we hadn’t stopped to consider before, and I admit to being so narrow-minded as to argue that the cop could have shot to wound rather than kill. I remember being so convinced that Michael Brown was killed because the cop was racist and considered Brown a threat because he was black. I am the perfect example of how one might not stop to consider other points of view. The media loves to seek out a villain, but things are not always as they seem.

Political correctness can definitely be a positive force against men and women who discriminate against race, gender and sexual orientation, against those who seek to gain power and political influence or wrongfully maintain it. However, there are times when it’s just not necessary. When a friend tells a joke you are uncomfortable with, there’s no need to rail about going against misogyny and broken ideals. Just tell them you are uncomfortable telling such jokes or back out of the game.

While it is important to instill and reinforce equality between races, genders and sexual orientation, it’s also important to remember that ultimately, these shouldn’t dominate or determine who you are. You shouldn’t have to constantly preach about your race or sexual orientation to others, since these traits shouldn’t matter. The individual person is the one who matters.

There is a clear difference between educating people and shutting their opinions down. Moreover, a situation like the one above was an instance that reminded me of something.

I am a human being. And I sometimes can look at the world and see that it is so beautiful and full of things to explore. Why else is science never finished?

Why else do we launch things into space? I look at my fellow human beings and find that they are beautiful, multifaceted, complicated beings with a point of view that is uniquely theirs. They have lived a life and own a soul that is entirely theirs, and that is what makes a human life and experience. And they have a right to share that, politically correct or not.

Winner A arti Dureja | Illustrator

Shalvi Shah | Copy Chief

Caption Contest

Ridgewood, New Jersey

Send your caption suggestion to wheelcaptioncontest@gmail.com

by January 1, 2016. The winning caption will be published in the next issue.

Security guard trying to bum a cig off Lord Dooley ­— Umar Khan, Freshman

OPINION

Emory Black Student Activists’ List of Demands Black Students of Emory University released this statement of demands on Nov. 11.

Preamble:

We, Black Students of Emory University, demand for Emory University’s administration to institutionalize a “Community of Care” for Black students, faculty, and staff by providing new and improved resources that substantively demonstrate Emory’s announced commitment to diversity and inclusion. The following injustices are only a few instances of the racism that we experience daily at Emory University: the sudden closing, or “phasing out”, of academic departments that contained higher numbers of Black faculty members; President James Wagner’s insensitive description of the three-fifths compromise (a “legal” establishment that degraded the Black person to be three-fifths of a person) as a “price” the nation paid “to form a more perfect union” in Emory Magazine; and the macro aggressions that we experience from Yik Yak (a social media platform that has become a hub for attacking students of color). We, Black Students of Emory University, will not wait until these injustices escalate to death threats towards us for the administration to be proactive. Instead, we have a list of demands that, when met, will make us safer and better able to succeed at Emory University.

The following list of demands of Black students at Emory University should be implemented in both policy and practice. The first draft of these demands was announced during a campus protest in solidarity with Yale University, the University of Missouri (Mizzou), and all schools that are expressing their experiences of racism. These demands have been created, reviewed, and updated by Emory University students in order to establish a foundation for conversations with administration who reached out to us hours after the protest. The demands are in no specific order. We expect a response with an action plan from administration, faculty, the Student Government Association (SGA), and College Council to these demands by December 4, 2015. If we do not receive a response, and our demands are not met, we will take appropriate nonviolent actions which will escalate until our demands are met. A response does not involve being redirected to various individuals who could meet our needs, but instead means that immediate action is taken on the part of the individuals who can incite tangible change in the administration. We will not hesitate to contact media to publicize our movement and our demands, and bring to light the maltreatment of students, faculty, and staff of color at Emory University.

Signed, The Black Students of Emory University 1.

Emory University must recognize traumatic events that Black students experience on campus via the campus-wide emails sent to Emory University affiliates with emory.edu email addresses. These events shall be reported to the Bias Incident report.

We demand that the administration of Emory University make the broad contexts and situations reported to the bias incident report known to the entire Emory community via campus-wide emails in order to increase awareness to every community within Emory University about racism, sexism, ableism, classism, and other forms of injustice. In order to create a community of care the entire Emory University community (including all school divisions, faculty, staff, and students) must know the community’s ills and collectively work together to combat them towards justice for all.

2.

The Bias Incident Reporting that Emory University has not been efficient because they have not thoroughly tended to the concerns of those who

have used the reporting system. The microaggressions and macroaggressions that Black students experience which lead to our trauma should not be regarded for the sole purpose of data collection but should be taken seriously and met with the highest level of urgency and care. In order to demonstrate this urgency and care, we demand that the Bias Response Team email a personalized email to the reporter (the person who used the Bias Incident Reporting) within 1-2 days of a Bias Incident Report receipt.

Also, we demand that the Bias Response Team send a personalized response (that includes action steps to take for self-care and details on how to properly sanction the offender to the reporter by the University administration) within one week of the Bias Incident Report receipt.

3.

Due to the systematic oppression faced by Black students throughout the world via colorism, racism, classism, mass incarceration, police brutality and all other injustices we need psychological services that cater to our unique psychological needs. Emory University prides itself on being responsive to the whole Emory University student (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally), therefore, in order to include the Black student, we demand for the Emory University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) to provide unique and alternative methods of counseling for Black students if they prefer to receive them. CAPS does not take into consideration that our psychic health is compromised due to systemic oppression (social, racial, economic, gender, etc). These alternative counseling methods include: Black spirituality methods, Black counselors, and counselors of color.

4.

We demand that the faculty evaluations that each student is required to complete for each of their professors include at least two open-ended questions such as: “Has this professor made any microaggressions towards you on account of your race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language, and/or other identity?” and “Do you think that this professor fits into the vision of Emory University being a community of care for individuals of all racial, gender, ability, and class identities?” These questions on the faculty evaluations would help to ensure that there are repercussions or sanctions for racist actions performed by professors. We demand that these questions be added to the faculty evaluations by the end of this semester, Fall 2015.

5.

Due to the historic and current systematic socioeconomic oppression of Black persons in America, we demand that Emory University institutionalize an academic support system for Black students. The history of limited educational attainment for Black students in America leads to the conclusion that not all Black students are adequately prepared for the rigor of Emory University. This ill preparation is not due to lower intelligence than their other racial counterparts, however; it is due to the limited resources (e.g. inability to afford private tutors, having to use outdated textbooks in their public schools, etc.) that most Black students have had to use when attaining their primary and secondary education. Therefore, we demand an institutionalized academic support hub for Black students to have access to and to receive tutoring, specialized study skills, and career mentoring. Emory University has not created a program in place to aid Black students who are unprepared for the academic rigor of Emory’s preprofessional academic track. In regards to the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, The Center for Science Education along with the Hughes Undergraduate Excelling in Science (HUES) program will be shut down in December. The Multicultural Outreach and Resources at Emory (MORE)

12.02.2015 program has a limit on how many students can participate to receive the academic support and social mentorship of its program due to lack of funding allocated to OMPS. Therefore, we demand increased funding for the MORE program for Fall of 2016.

6.

The Campus Life Compact which, yet again, came out of frustration with lack of response by administration to racialized experiences on campus and President Wagner’s compromise comment asked for a program that “engage[d] the campus community in training, discussion, education, and promotion of the challenges faced by students of color on campus.” One such diversity initiative that was implemented as a result of the Compact, Creating Emory, which has been ineffective in its execution of these pre-agreed goals. As a result, we demand that Black students and students/ staff/faculty of color should be consulted when making any university-wide diversity initiatives. These diversity initiatives, including Social justice Week by College Council and the like, have been surface level and even when the input of students of color is requested, their suggestions are still marginalized. Diversity initiatives should not be made from the standpoint of the dominant group (white men and women) or to ensure the comfort of the predominantly white student population at Emory. We demand that the purpose of these initiatives should be to ensure the comfort of the black students population at Emory and to enlighten white students about systematic oppression.

7.

Black staff, faculty, and administrators who advise Black organizations should receive an increase in their financial compensation or salaries. Changes should be made to the hierarchical structure of Campus Life which puts primarily white males at the top of the structure which lead to their increased compensation and salaries. Also, we demand an increase of Black staff, faculty, and administrators to be in higher positions of power so that they can implement the changes that black students wish to see in the university. We align ourselves with the letter/petition addressed to the Advisory Committee of The Board of Trustees and the Presidential Selection Committee signed by many members of the Emory University communities of color. The people who are currently in positions of power have done minimal or no work for Black students, therefore they are not thoroughly knowledgeable about how to implement diversity initiatives that help Black students. Black/POC administrators and staff are overworked and underpaid, but they are the most influential on campus. The staff needs to be paid more for the work and time that they spend ensuring that the Black community has what it needs in the areas of administration, food, maintenance and custodial services, etc.

8.

Black administrators are told to stand by racist and problematic faculty in order to preserve the positive image of the University to media and investors. However, the fact that these threats are made point to the job insecurity that Black faculty and administrators face at Emory University. We demand job security for Black faculty and administrators when they are earnestly working on behalf of Black students.

9.

Black student organizations are underfunded and over-policed. Forcing black organizations to collaborate with predominantly White organizations that are interested in surface level interactions and superficial celebrations of diversity is violent to the Black community at Emory University. Black student organizations are often told that their events are exclusive. These claims are unfounded because events are created specifically for Black students because they do not exist anywhere else on campus. Therefore, Black student organizations need more funding in order to help accomplish Emory University’s mission to create a “community of care”.

Also, throughout Black organizations have been severely policed which has led to their expulsion from Emory University’s campus for reasons that most organizations on campus are guilty of. We demand that there is a fair trial with a jury consisting of faculty, staff, and administrators of color, for each Black organization that may be suspended or expelled from campus. We also demand that there be a press release given to the entire Emory community (affiliates with emory.edu email addresses) after a Black organization is suspended or expelled from Emory University.

10.

Currently, Emory 6.8% of faculty at Emory are black. Most faculty of color are comprised of African American studies professors and lecturer/adjunct professors.The African American studies department has been a great resource to Black

13 students, however, they too can be overextended with their various appointments in other departments. Other faculty of color are adjunct professors/lecturers, who do not have job security and are not valued in their positions in their departments.

Thus, we need black professors in all disciplines, traditional and nontraditional. We demand that there be an increase in the amount of black and Latino full time, tenuretrack professors to 10% by the year 2017 in other departments/disciplines besides the African American Studies department. We also demand that better records are kept of faculty and staff of color demographics and are easily accessible by the student body.

These statistics of professor’s ethnicity are important for increasing accountability.

We also demand that Black professors when in non-traditional or traditional disciplines must not be abused by the overwhelmingly white academy. Professors, too, need protection for the violent, racist and sexist incidents that they endure from their white colleagues in their departments.

11.

Acknowledging foremost that all kinds of speech are not protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America which states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances,” Emory University shall not protect the privilege of students to vocalize hate speech. The social app Yik Yak has been utilized on Emory’s campus to post messages similar in sentiment to the following posts: “So Black people can complain about their fucking microaggressions and whatever but if I as a white person feel unsafe or uncomfortable for any reason, I’m ignorant. Fuck that”, “I’m about to jack off to ebony porn to help race relations”, and “Let’s be real. Black lives matter is a sham. It’s not because you’re black. It’s because you’re selling crack and ran from a police officer.” This is hate speech, which is defined by the American Bar Association as “speech that offends, threatens, or insults groups, based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or other traits.” Whereas, this fits the description of the aforementioned posts as it did to the Swastika painted on the fraternity house of Alpha Epsilon Pi (which was swiftly removed by the authorities), it is illogical for Emory to remain impartial in the matter at hand. On October 11th 2015, Emily Sacamoto was arrested on Emory’s Oxford campus for posting “I’m shooting up the school. Tomorrow. Stay in your rooms. The ones on the quad are the ones who will go first.” Though the federal Stored Communications Act (18 U.S.C. § 2701) prevents Yik Yak from disclosing the account information of a user without an official request from law enforcement, it is impermissible to allow racist students to terrorize Black people on any form of media and the anonymity that Yik Yak provides is a breeding ground for behavior of that sort. Hence, we demand that Emory University Information Technology Services formally request that Yik Yak, Inc. install a geofence covering the zip code 30322 in order to protect our students from subjection to intolerable and psychologically detrimental material.

12.

We demand that there be a student led GED program or opening Emory classes to black workers at Emory (DUC, Cliff, Maintenance). We would like for workers to take classes at Emory but understand that they have limited break time and other restrictions due to their demanding, undercompensated and under-rewarded labor. We, from our own observations, do not like the mistreatment and exploitation of DUC/Cox workers, who are also forced to endure extreme discomfort. We demand that there is better treatment of the DUC/Cox workers and more comfortable conditions for them to work under.

13.

Emory University does not currently have a General Education Requirement that focuses specifically on the histories and experiences of people of color.

The Campus Life Compact for Building an Inclusive Community at Emory (written Fall of 2012) states that the Office of the Provost and academic Deans will: 1) Consider creating a Global Citizenship & Diversity General Education Requirement and 2) Expand the range and quantity of course offerings specifically related to race relations, racism, ethnicity, etc.; encourage departments to make hires with these areas in mind whenever possible. This has not happened. Simply put, we demand that Emory University follow through on this recommendation and create a General Education Requirement for courses that explore issues significantly affecting people of color, and this course should be implemented in the fall of 2016.

OPINION

xx.xx.2015

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Love-affair with art

flirtation with

JULIA MUNSLOW | EDITOR

femininity Olivia Shuler | Staff Writer olivia.shuler@emory.edu

F

irst, let me be honest: I had no idea what to expect as I made my way to the Visual Arts building last Friday night for the mixed-media and performance exhibition And She Was: The Female Experience Explored and Celebrated, designed by Emory alumna and Schwartz Artist-in-Residence Megan Watters (11C).

My first thought: it’s a shame that the Visual Arts building is basically hidden behind fraternity houses and trees.

Inside the lobby, a small group of patrons waited for the doors to open, as the exhibition was a go-at-yourown-pace event, beginning at 8 p.m. each night from Nov. 19 through Nov. 21. From the lobby chairs, a sound inside the gallery seemed to rush like the a waterfall.

There was a laugh and the occasional clinking of metal.

My second thought: these are strange sounds. But I think the combination of those oddities while being in the dark about what exactly was in store just made me, and probably all the other people in the lobby, even more excited to see the exhibition.

After a few moments, Watters pressed through the closed gallery doors, saying, “The house is open.” Edith Piaf ’s “La Vie en Rose” and the smell of incense tumbled into the lobby, beckoning early-comers out of the dark, chilly air and into the curious, florid world that had overtaken the gallery.

The experience of walking through And She Was was powerful, the aesthetics nuanced and beautiful and the ambiance a sensory delight.

I was struck, however, by the fact that these compositions seem to overwhelmingly revolve around physical appearance, beauty and the conflict between societal projections of beauty and personal beauty. Generally, while a visual arts piece is inherently, well, aesthetic, I couldn’t help but wonder if the beautiful, stylistic component of that piece overtook its own potential for diversity of symbolism and meaning.

Inside the exhibition, a luscious scene greeted the audience: draped in thick fabric and leaves, a bronze mannequin stood overlooking the array of burning candles, flowers, orange peels, autumn crops and water pitchers that surrounded the two performers, College sophoCollege sophomore Wei Wei Chen spins during performance in art gallery “And She Was” | Jason Oh, Staff

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12.02.15

more Julie Spinner and College freshman Angela Jiang. The composition evoked a dramatic countryside, the necessity to gather fruits and berries for one’s livelihood and the feminine connection to the delicate beauty of flower petals, the fleeting scent of herbs and the hearth and home.

While this type of “feminine experience” is not one we tend to experience within the context of modern life, it spoke to a human heritage and time when people embraced a connection with the land as a necessity of life. The inclusion of this composition held an undercurrent of bravery, since it spoke to the more subdued, a-woman’splace-is-in-the-home past that we tend to, in accordance with modern views of feminine equality, shy away from mentioning. But this heritage is undeniably real, and thus the presence of such an illusion was both an intriguing surprise and a refreshing exploration of an aspect of femininity largely obscured by modernity.

Poised in the corner beside the doors was a more visually subdued display, featuring a mannequin adorned with the fabric of a baroque dress and pearls. She stood in front of a wall of mirrors and empty picture frames, surrounded by ornate masks as if she was preparing to go to a masquerade. The task that faced her, it seemed, was to decide which mask to wear, or rather which iteration of herself to fill the mirrors and the empty picture frames with. Or perhaps she had just returned from the masquerade, and, removing her outfit, realized that the masks are what fill the mirrors and frames, not the lady behind them.

She seemed to ask, simultaneously, “Who am I?” and “Who shall I be?”

Moving forward through the gallery, the next scene comprised of a mannequin dressed as a bride in overflowing layers of white muslin and a similarly clothed actress, College sophomore Kaeleigh de Silva, who floated around the mannequin, fanning her with circular leaflets of lace.

A layer of muslin covered their heads, concealing both of their faces as the performer moved about. From above, a projector cast flowers, water and greenery onto the two, bathing their white figures in images and color.

Periodically, the performer abandoned the mannequin and, gazing into the distance, removed the fabric that concealed her head. She untied her hair and let it flow down her shoulders, taking a moment’s respite, and then, retying it in a

bun and pulling the fabric back over her head, returned to tending the mannequin with a gentle sense of duty.

Despite the beauty and aesthetic nuance, the focus of the compositions began to drift further towards the ‘self-image’ aspect of femininity, which was a slight disappointment in light of the original scene because, in short, it felt predictable.

In the next composition, a dressing area with a vanity, a mirror and a mannequin with illuminated, Marie Antoinette-esque hair were a backdrop for an actress, College sophomore Wei Wei Chen, as she tried on different styles of hats, only to moodily toss them to the floor. As she opened her trunk in search of more outfits to try on, she came face to face with another actress, College junior Tracy Li, smiling and giggling like a childish fairy, who had been concealed inside of the trunk. A gleeful contrast to the other actress, she emerged from her hiding place in the trunk and danced around, suggesting dresses for her and gladly accepting the outfits she tossed aside.

The final composition featured an actress, College junior Andrea Echols, originally, in a white polkadot dress and high heels, who stood before a mannequin that was draped in dark fabrics, black lace and red lipstick. As the display progressed, the actress removed the dress, revealing a darker outfit underneath, and pulled the mannequin’s black lace around her. This powerful display spoke to a woman’s rejection of the ideas that society clothes her in and a momentary waltz with the taboos that she feels within herself.

Aesthetically, I loved it.

Looking at the group of five compositions as a whole, as well as the looping of “La Vie en Rose,” the exhibition was, for the most part, placed in a stylistically 1940s world. Even in a time frame before the rise of what we think of as modern feminism, I have to believe that there’s far more to explore and celebrate within the feminine experience than topics regarding our relationship with

“ Walking through And She Was was , the aesthetics nuanced and and the ambiance

powerful beautiful

a sensory delight."

beauty, and so And She Was calls into question the nature feminine experience itself. How do we interact with it in our daily lives? How did the women before us interact with it? What makes it unique from any other human experiences? What is, “the feminine experience?”

College freshman Angela Jiang (Top), sophomore Kaeleigh de Silva (Middle) | Jennie Sun, Contributing College junior Andrea Echols (Bottom) | Jason Oh, Staff

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Hannah Conway | Contributing Writer hannah.conway@emory.edu

e l e d a

s r a so

ase of e l e r h it W

T

here’s an old adage that high expectations always yield some sort of letdown — that disappointment rises from the preliminary acts of prediction and anticipation. Logically, the degree of truth behind this maxim is up for debate. But on a musical level, it has already been invalidated.

With the release of 25, Adele transcends any platitude set forth by the music industry and redefines what it means to fulfill one’s own precedent. For Adele, that precedent is overwhelming in its enormity — her 2011 sophomore album, 21, shattered records across the board, selling 30 million copies worldwide. As a result, Adele had positioned herself at the forefront of the music scene, standing at the intersection of soul and pop.

Since its release, the lovelorn vocals of 21 — or, rather, it’s two biggest singles, “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You,” are still rebounding off the bedroom walls of the newly broken-hearted, and will probably continue to do so for some time. In times of mel-

25

maturity

“Her is nearly palpable within her music.”

ancholy, people turn to music for answers and Adele’s vocals on 21 undeniably offer a sense of auditory solace through the stages of heartbreak.

However, in the four years between the fame of 21 and release of 25, Adele grew up. She relinquished her heartbreak and found a new lover, she became a mother and she pushed her music and fame to the sidelines of her life.

As if the titles of her albums, 19, 21 and now 25, do not do enough to signify the passage of time, her maturity is nearly palpable within her music.

“Hello from the other side,” Adele sings in 25’s opener “Hello,” a lyric that, in meaning, echoes that of Stevie Nicks’ famous “I climbed a mountain and I turned around.” From its beginning, Adele clearly establishes that this album is about growth and perspective.

Throughout the album, Adele sings as though she’s already over the hill: “I feel like my life is flashing by/ And all I can do is watch and cry.” 25 revolves around a coming-of-age theme, and in some sense, Adele exhausts the motif to an extreme. Her personal downfall is her fixation over her own nostalgia. Throughout the album, she wrings out every drop of her past. The titles of tracks “I Miss You,” “When We Were Young” and “Million Years Ago” all point backwards to simpler times, devoid of fame.

“I’m so mad I’m getting old/It makes me reckless,” she sings in “When We Were Young,” which she co-wrote with Canadian musician Tobias Jesso, Jr. Her gritty vocals reflect the sentiment of the lyric, and its meaning is augmented when Adele performs it live. Her hand gestures signal her frustration. The ballad is easily the strongest on the album, nuanced with dynamic background vocals and moments of intense, searing solos.

Adele’s ruminations on the past are not particularly graceful, and err on the side of formulaic excessiveness, but are emotional and raw nonetheless. She is on her knees, begging for the clock to stop — and when lis-

tening to the album, it’s hard to refrain from doing the same. The songs will make you want to wipe the dust off of your old school yearbooks and childhood photographs.

Adele’s tendency to wallow for prolonged periods of time is a mark of her emotional authenticity, but in 25 she proves that she can bask in things other than heartbreak and sorrow. In “Send My Love (To Your New Lover),” she showcases her ability to experiment musically.

The song is pop at its core, with a catchy acoustic beat.

Listeners are struck by its deviance from her traditional torch ballads. Though the song is not particularly representative of her vocal abilities, it is bound to end up as a rhythmic, radio single.

The album covers of 19 and 21 capture Adele with her head down, looking away from the camera. But on the cover of 25, her eyes are open, a pictorial display of her new confidence. This is where the success of the album is located. The warm undertones of the album rise from a place of joy and maturity, particularly from the insights that result from motherhood. “Remedy” is a tender ballad dedicated to her three-year-old son, Angelo, in which she promises him that “no river is too wide or too deep for [her] to swim to [him].” In the closing track, “Sweetest Devotion,” she features a recording of her son mumbling and laughing, and once again promises him unconditional love.

Adele is perhaps the most influential vocalist of her generation — both her belts of strength and her whispers of vulnerability never cease to be breathtaking. In 25, Adele is aware that there is no effective analgesic for lost time, but she also knows that she can be her own medicine if she continues to move in the direction of love and tenderness. Whether or not 25 lives up to 21 seems irrelevant to Adele. Surpassing herself isn’t the goal, however, but growth always is — 25 is a triumph because it arises from her newfound maturity and perspective.

Courtesy of Alasdair McLellan (Top) and Alexandra Waespi (Left)

17

12.02.15

‘Master of None’: Authenticity at its best

Grade: A-

Brandon Wagner | Senior Staff Writer bhwagne@emory.edu

I

n recent years, we’ve seen the rise of auteur-driven comedy television.

The basic idea is that the single most fruitful creative partnership in modern comedy comes about when a network finds a comedian with a strong creative voice, and then gives them a season of television to mold and create as they see fit. Netflix picked up on this, and made the wise decision of giving actor and stand-up comic Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation, Funny People) the space to create Master of None.

Co-created by Ansari and Parks and Recreation writer Alan Yang, Master of None follows Dev Shah (played by Ansari), a struggling 30-year-old actor living in New York City. He’s the son of immigrant parents and he’s not quite grown up. He’s in a world that, right now, isn’t requiring or even asking that of him.

His friends, Arnold (Eric Wareheim), Denise (Lena Waithe) and Brian (Kelvin Yu), are stuck in similar places, in the perpetual transitionary twilight of trying to make the decisions that are asked of you at the point when you really should be an adult. Master of None’s stock and trade is brilliantly personifying these struggles and making clear how muddled and difficult making any decision

about adulthood is.

Let’s, for example, look at relationships, which are quite possibly the most tread over topics in comedy. Ansari made much of his stand-up about the perils of dating, and his recent book, Modern Romance, is about how we date in an era of total choice.

Unfortunately, the material that’s just about dating is perhaps the weakest of Master of None. The show can’t seem to come up with more than saying that dating is difficult, and that you end up with a lot of crazy people until you find the single person with whom you wish to spend your time with.

When Dev finds that person, the material soars. She is music promoter Rachel (Noel Wells). For any fellow fans of Saturday Night Live (SNL), you’ll recognize her as the one season wonder with a solid Lena Dunham impression. Rachel is a phenomenally sketched character, a strong and independent one who has realistic chemistry with Dev. Their relationship becomes the foreground of the show’s most phenomenal and experimental episode: “Mornings.”

“Mornings” follows a year in the life of Dev and Rachel by looking at their various mornings. I don’t think any episode

READ UNABRIDGED AT EMORYWHEEL.COM

of television has ever so legitimately captured the ups and downs of a relationship in a captivating, sweet and wonderfully realistically human way. If you watch Master of None for no reason other than to get to this episode, then it’s time well-spent.

But if Master of None was only its take on relationships, it wouldn’t be great television. It’d be good television. It is the specific take that only Master of None can provide that pushes it into the world of great television. And that is, specifically, its take on race.

I wouldn’t say Master of None is about race, at least not in the same way that we’ve seen shows like Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat be about race. Race is not the forefront of the show’s identity; rather, it is a part of the tapestry. Master of None is not a show exclusively about an Indian man and the immigrant experience. It is a show where that story lies too deep in its DNA to be extracted.

It becomes foregrounded best in “Parents,” which is an episode most explicitly about the immigrant experience. In the opening sequence, Dev and his friend Brian both shrug off requests of their fathers to get to the movie they’re going to see early, causing each parent to

flash back on the journey that they took from their respective home countries to America. It’s a great and surprisingly poignant sequence that highlights the recurring theme of the sacrifices made for the luxury of the wealthiest first-generation immigrants, and more broadly, the very different struggles that Ansari feels his generation has with the comforts their parents have provided for them.

And speaking of parents, I want to give a shout out to Dev’s parents, Ramesh and Nisha, both played by Ansari’s real life parents, Shoukath and Fatima.

There’s something unfailingly authentic about the show as a whole. It’s a show that feels like it only could have come from Ansari, who shows an incredible amount of range here, and it feels unflinchingly like a comedic look at the real thought processes of his character Dev. Clearly influenced by Richard Linklater (Boyhood) as well as the work of directors who actually crafted episodes of this series Lynn Shelton (Humpday, Laggies) and James Ponsoldt (The End of the Tour, The Spectacular Now), Master of None cuts beautifully close to the bone. It feels as though there’s something for anyone and everyone to relate to, without ever feeling too broad.

Courtesy of Netflix

EMORY LIFE

HAYLEY SILVERSTEIN | EDITOR

Q&A Habitat for Humanity Emory Chapter Founder and President College sophomore:

Adam Scharf

Courtesy of Adam Scharf

Alisha Compton | Asst. Emory Life Editor alisha.bhatia.compton@emory.edu

H

abitat for Humanity Emory Chapter Founder and President and College sophomore Adam Scharf works both with other students and DeKalb County’s Habitat for Humanity to connect students and build sites, consequently helping families in need to build themselves homes. Those interested in becoming involved can join the Facebook page, contact an executive board member or send an email to a local Habitat for Humanity affiliate.

Q A

What is Habitat for Humanity at Emory?

Habitat for Humanity International is a program that helps partner with families that can’t afford traditional housing and works with them to create housing for them. A common misconception about Habitat for Humanity is that they give away houses, but that is definitely not necessarily what they do. Families have to go through an application and then form a number of, what they call, sweat equity hours.

They actually have to do the work to build the house that they will be living in. Providing housing for those in need and partnering with them to make that a reality is Habitat’s main goal. Within the Emory chapter, our goal is to help them with that by doing ‘builds.’

Why did you decide to bring Habitat for Humanity to Emory?

When I was in high school I was a big part of Habitat and I knew that I wanted to do it in college. When it got to club fair day there was no Habitat for Humanity. I was really surprised. I did like two laps around the McDonough field looking for Habitat for Humanity. Even though I was just a

Q A

first year [student] I talked to a couple friends as they were like ‘Yeah, I would really love to be part of Habitat [for Humanity]’ so we decided and that was the original executive board. I talked to a few people who were really active in trying to help and that’s how we began the club.

You’ve talked about the ways you’ve influenced Habitat for Humanity here, but how has Habitat for Humanity influenced you?

I think that coming to college is a completely new experience and you kind of left [high school] not entirely sure of what is going to be defining you throughout these next four years. What was defining me in high school was completely different than what’s now defining me in college. I think that Habitat has really been a large part of that. I’ve now focused a lot more on giving back to others because I think that’s a large part of who I am and I think that Habitat has really brought that out for me. One of the things I love about Habitat [for Humanity], as I was saying before, is that you’re often working with the exact people you’re building a house for. So at our build I got to talk with the father of the family that we

Q A

were building the house for and it’s those kind of conversations that I feel like are changing me for the better.

Could you walk me through the process of a build?

It really is different every time because it’s a different stage of a house. I’ve actually had two builds at the most recent house we worked on.

[In] the first build we were skeletonizing the house. We took sledgehammers and were just attacking walls and breaking the whole entire thing down.

That was a lot of fun. Most of the time it’s building rather than tearing it down. We were working on the shingling for the sides of the house and the top of the house. We were on scaffolding near the roof. It really changes based on each build, but they bring in a couple of volunteers who are experts and they’re basically determining with the help of the DeKalb County affiliate [...] what we should be doing and sending volunteers to help do those jobs How often do you normally do builds?

It changes. We are trying to work to get more partner builds. So this weekend we

Q A

Q A

had a partner build with Alpha Tau Omega. On Dec. 5 we are having a partner with Emory Scholars. We are working to get more of those, and we have the Emory chapter of Habitat for Humanity that participates in builds. We are trying to keep it so that every other weekend we are going to be sending people out, but [we are really having to work] towards that. Sometimes it’s a reality and sometimes it isn’t.

What are your hopes for Habitat for Humanity?

I would like Habitat for Humanity to be some-

Q A

thing that everyone has heard about on campus and that you always know somebody who’s involved, because I think that Habitat for Humanity is such a great program and it deserves the recognition of such a fantastic university. Because of that I think that if Habitat for Humanity continues to grow, and [if] it’s growing everyday then eventually it’s going to reach [a] point where it’s just going to be a part of the Emory culture. If me and my people go from founding it to making it integral to Emory that would just be ... yeah.

19

12.02.15

Emory Literary Club writes a new chapter Caroline Ciric | Staff Writer

C

reated this year by College junior Zachary Issenberg, the Emory Literary Club (ELC) is for students of all backgrounds, interests and majors who are interested in honing their writing skills.

“I just want to make a free, open space where people practice writing together,” Issenberg said. “Not for any social gain, but specifically because writing is important to figure out oneself,” Issenberg said.

The club began as a space for Issenberg and his peers to improve their writing outside of the classroom. Soon, it expanded to include students outside of his social circle and from different academic disciplines.

Issenberg said the structure of the club emulates that of Emory’s Creative Writing Program There are different workshops, either in fiction, nonfiction or poetry, composed of a small number of students who meet weekly to discuss their work.

Each workshop is organized

by Issenberg and other upperclassmen, and the club is sponsored by Associate Professor of English Jericho Brown.

Issenberg communicates with other faculty, including Creative Writing Professor of Practice Jim Grimsley and James M. Cox Jr. Professor of Journalism Hank Klibanoff.

Grimsley and Klibanoff offer valuable advice in fiction and

caroline.ciric@emory.edu

nonfiction, respectively, to the students in the different workshops.

According to Issenberg, the environment of the ELC is a much different one compared to that of a classroom.

“By making it this very inclusive space, I hope to remove the ego and stress that comes from [working] in a classroom,” Issenberg said.

College junior Charles Seidman, who describes himself as the “organizer and head dreamer” of the fiction workshop, elaborated on the dynamics that the out-of-classroom experience creates.

“We attempt to create just enough pressure to get people to write freely, but not so much pressure that the club begins to resemble a class,” Seidman said.

Because of the freedom the students have in the club, a different energy is created for the student leader, the students as a collective group and the students as individuals.

College senior Jenny Wu, who leads the poetry section, shared how the voluntary nature of the workshop translates into students who are “highly motivated, independent poets who genuinely want to improve their craft.”

According to Wu, through the small workshop size, the students receive individualized attention, which in turn allows them to have a more structured, intimate and rigorous

learning experience.

According to Issenberg, ELC not only provides an opportunity to develop one’s writing skills, but it also provides students who mostly study outside of the humanities with the opportunity to work with others who are more familiar with the craft.

By welcoming students from a range of academic backgrounds, Issenberg believes that everyone will be able to share their thought processes for writing and learning.

In addition, the ELC discussions are generated beyond the limits of just American literature.

According to Issenberg, the limits are broken by having different “styles of readership.”

By increasing the intersections of the academic realms, students encounter ideas and notions they may never have found within the confines of a single field of study.

Issenberg also elaborated on the value of the club in the context of an institution that is the highest ranked university in the country for creative writing.

“I realized that so many people in the humanities sort of go through the process of fulfilling their major, but not knowing what comes next,” Issenberg said.

This realization led Issenberg to create the ELC’s academic essay workshop, w h e r e

students learn to read and research essays in order to grasp some of the components of graduate-level work.

In this academic workshop, Issenberg steers away from the role of an instructor and attempts to behave as a guide leading students to a higher level of writing beyond the undergraduate level.

For example, rather than teaching students about methods and structures that Issenberg hasn’t been formally trained in, he provides the students with other resources and essays that are more wellversed in these methodologies.

To deepen and enrich the experience of the students of this section, Issenberg hopes to have professors from various departments in the humanities speak and interact directly with students.

While the dynamics of the club are unique and beneficial to the students who participate in the club, the workshop leaders are learning a lot as well. “[ELC] keeps me on my toes,” Wu said. “[Because I] assign more theoretical readings that I think will help the members, I am able to practice applying theory to real-life situations.”

Issenberg said the club pushes him to give advice to students that he too, as an undergraduate student, can use.

“It forces me to practice as much as I physically can because I

don’t want to imagine that I’m giving the worst advice possible,” Issenberg said.

Seidman has a much worldlier perception about ELC. “The club serves as a constant reminder of just how feckless some people can be,” he said.

Issenberg re-introduced the idea of the ego in response to his behavior as both a leader and an equal to the students.

While he does his best to advise both the students and the workshop leaders, he also cautions them: “Do your thing, but remember, you are not better than them.”

The workshop leaders, indeed, are meant to serve as moderators and alternate sources of thought rather than as superiors.

Issenberg hopes these dynamics will help students in the workshop learn how to better process and react to criticism.

He explains how criticism, which comes from someone on the same level, promotes the idea of criticism as a holistic process rather than as an attack or a rejection.

“Hopefully, it will be a process of people learning to take and accept criticism properly,” Issenberg said. “You know, at Emory, when you get criticized, your immediate reaction is to criticize [back]. I see criticism as this beautiful process by which one can learn.”

EMORY LIFE

Doolino knows best P

relude: It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, not Christmas, but finals. The price of Adderall rises, motivation falls and the population of the library increases tenfold. But enough of that. I come to you this week as a humble messenger of mischief, manners and maturity. What I have in today’s column is so outrageous, so mind-blowing, so “out-there,” that it has been pre-emptively banned in 34 countries, 17 states and the McChevron on Clairmont and North Decatur Roads. Also, this is 666 words.

Dear Doolino, I went to Mags two weeks ago and met the love of my life. He bought me a tequila shot and even took me to Steak n’ Shake afterwards! After we hooked up, he was a perfect gentleman and gave me his sweatshirt as I walked back to my room afterwards. I saw such a promising future with him, but now he won’t text me back. Do I make out with his roommate?

Sincerely, Miffed Maggie

Dear Maggie, HOLY [redacted] WHAT IS WRONG WITH TODAY’S SOCIETY??? First off, looking for love in an underage dive bar might not be the best place to start, and Steak ‘n Shake isn’t that much better. Have you seen their health score? Next, what are you doing looking for love in college anyways? Sure, you might find that special someone but I might also win the lottery and Atlanta sports teams might be good.

What I mean to say is, don’t get disheartened if someone doesn’t text you back. Today’s society is too damn obsessed with “instant” this and “instant” that and there’s no incentive to wait for any sort of pleasure (which, if he was a perfect gentleman he should have done ). Five years down the road when you upgrade to a better real people bar, the right person will sweep you off your feet with equally as cheap alcohol.

Besides, there’s always next weekend.

Sincerely, Doolino Dear Doolino, I’ve been around since 1976 but I feel like people don’t appreciate the work that I do. I think I’m funny, but I don’t get the same reaction from people anymore.

Nobody appreciates satire anymore because everyone is too politically correct and social justice-y to laugh.

How do I become funny again?

Sincerely, The Emory Spoke Dear Spoke,

LOL. There, you got your first laugh in a while. I’m sorry you’re not as funny as you used to be. Instead of providing relevant satirical commentary about issues people are talking about on campus or society at large, you make tone-deaf jokes and memes about sex. Not that there’s anything wrong with memes about sex, but there’s only so many penis jokes you can fit in (haha get it – “fit in”) before it gets tired.

Plus, your social media presence is abysmal. I’ve seen better tweets from Donald Trump. I opine for the days when a new Spoke article was published and I could fulfill my doctor-recommended four and a half guffaws per day. Now, it seems that humor is something Spoke-n of in the past tense.

Sincerely, Doolino Dear Doolino, I’ve spent the past 82 hours in the library cramming for my two finals next week. Do you have any study tips?

Sincerely, Dees Get Degrees Dear Dees, You’re [redacted]. Cramming only works when packing suitcases and doing Chubby Bunny competitions with marshmallows. My guess is you were probably with Miffed Maggie up there drinking for love at Maggie’s more than you were doing the reading for that Poli Sci class. Studying is a process that is cumulative (just like your final, probably).

Everyone has to live with the consequences of their actions, and your best bet is to hope that you remember enough to not fail. At worst, you probably won’t get that nice internship you wanted, unless you’re in the Business School in which case the curve means at worst you get a B- and a cushy job at Deloitte. I hate you a little bit.

Hope you fail, Doolino

21

12.02.15

Changes to on campus housing receive mixed reviews Skyler Smith | Contributing Writer

E

ach year a number of concerns plague students during the firstyear and sophomore housing selection processes.

Which dorms will be made available to me? Will any of my friends be living in my building or in the ones near it?

How early will I have to wake up in order to make it to my classes on time?

The list of queries is virtually endless when it comes to living on campus as an underclassman.

This year in particular has been no different, given the disjointed nature of first — and second — year housing.

Both pros and cons exist to this year’s first-year and sophomore living arrangements, and students from across main campus offered their insight on the matter.

Megan Withers, a College freshman living in Complex, offered her firsthand perspective on the subject.

“Being on the other side of campus has been a bonding experience for most of [Complex’s residents],” Withers said.

According to Withers, Complex is such an immense residence hall that it lacks a very cohesive sense of community, but she states that “from what [she] can tell, there are pockets of close-knit social circles” of friends that exist on a floor-wide basis, as opposed to building-wide connectedness.

Despite not being close to the other first-year dorms on campus, the residents in Complex find other ways to reap the benefits of their first-year experience.

“You’re almost bound to run into someone who lives [in Complex],” Withers said in reference to meeting other freshmen while walking to and from other parts of campus on.

Providing a viewpoint from the opposite end of campus, College freshman Jay Brunner relays his experience living in Longstreet-Means Hall (LSM).

“The LSM community is amazingly close,” Brunner said. “It’s difficult not to find someone to talk to in LSM.”

skyler.smith@emory.edu

Bearing in mind the differences between Complex and LSM, some large dorms have residents who are much more connected as a whole than others.

According to Brunner, it can sometimes be difficult fostering connections with residents in faraway dorms.

“Come to think of it, I barely know anyone in Alabama, Complex or Dobbs,” Brunner said.

Instead, Brunner admits that he is more likely to interact with students who live in the other halls around the Freshman Quad: Turman Hall, Raoul Hall and Hamilton Holmes Hall.

In terms of connections he has made with students in dorms not on the Freshman Quad, “I don’t really know what I’m missing from the other dorms. I don’t know who lives there … and I wonder if I’m being limited,” Brunner said.

This academic year, sophomores are split between Woodruff Residential Center, Few Hall, Evans Hall, Harris Hall and Clairmont Tower.

Woodruff resident and College sophomore Paola Correia states that this evident segmentation of secondyear housing “definitely can isolate people from their friends because of the inconvenience” of having to walk far to visit, relax or study with friends in other dorms.

As part of Residence Life on campus, some sophomores, such as College sophomore and Sophomore Advisor (SA) in Complex Maya Lakshman, are somewhat removed from the housing predicaments of their peers.

“It personally does not affect me,” Lakshman said. “I live in a freshman dorm that is conveniently right next to Harris, where the majority of my friends live.”

Lakshman’s residents, have differing

opinions on how separated they are from their peers in other dorms.

“Some of them have most of their friends in other freshman dorms,” Lakshman said. “They have expressed fear that they won’t see their distant friends as often.”

Considering the varied opinions that exist in relation to the current state of both firstyear and sophomore housing, it suffices to say that no one set of options will ever please anyone; that is simply due to the variations that exist from person to person.

Photos By: Loli Lucaciu | Associate Editor; Jason Oh | Staff

SPORTS

JACOB DURST | EDITOR

Avery Yang Staff Writer

avery.yang@emory.edu

The Emory Women’s Basketball team huddles before its win against LaGrange College (Ga.). | Photos Courtesy of Emory Athletics

Women’s Team Gets Back to Winning Ways

E

Sweeney’s Big Games Help Team Win 3 in a Row

mory women’s basketball got back to its winning ways against Birmingham Southern (Ala.) on Friday, November 20, winning three straight games this past week to bring their record to 4-1 on the year.

In the Eagles’ home opener against Piedmont College (Ga.) on Sunday, November 22, they won 83-74 against their Southern Region rival. Senior guard Khadijah Sayyid led Emory’s scoring with twelve points, while also filling the score line with seven assists, seven rebounds and six steals.

Senior forward/center Sarah Arington scored 11 points and sophomore forward Lauren Weems scored 10 points with six rebounds and three steals to cap off Emory’s double-digit scoring for the game.

Emory shot a solid 49.3% from the field (33 for 67) and 33.3% from three point range (7 for 21), while Piedmont shot 40.4% from the field (21 for 52) and 44% from

three point range (11 for 25), outshooting Emory. However, the Eagles absolutely dominated the boards, posting 42 rebounds compared to Piedmont’s 26.

On the following Tuesday, November 24th, Emory won again in convincing fashion over LaGrange College (Ga.) to improve their record to 3-1.

After closing out the final six minutes of the first quarter on a 12-4 run to put the Eagles up 18-7, the team never relinquished the lead. Emory outscored LaGrange 12-9 in the second quarter and 21-15 in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Eagles put up 13 points and finally put away the Panthers at 64-47.

Junior guard Fran Sweeney led the game in scoring with 13 points, while Sayyid and sophomore forward/center Dumebi Egbuna each put up 11 points. Egbuna also ended the game with six rebounds, two blocks and shot a solid 5 for 7 on the night.

This past Sunday, November 29, Emory closed out their three-game home stand

23

12.02.15

(Top) Senior guard Ilene Tsao dribbles the ball in Emory’s win over Methodist University (NC.) (Bottom) Sophomore Camille Steger shoots the ball against Piedmont College (Ga.) | Photos Courtesy of Emory Athletics

with a statement win over Methodist University (NC), with a score of 58-44. The Eagles trailed only once during the game, at a score of 8-7 with 3:14 left in the first quarter.

Sweeney was the lone double-digit scorer for the Eagles, putting up 11 points in addition to four rebounds and two steals. This was Sweeney’s fourth double-digit scoring output of the year. Sayyid extended her 31 game streak with a steal to 32 with a two steal performance to go along with nine points, going 3 for 5 from three point range.

Though Methodist had a better field goal percentage than Emory did, 39.1% (18 for 46) vs. 28.8% (19 for 66), Emory was able to win the game by outrebounding and out willing the Monarchs.

With 48 rebounds compared to Methodist’s 31, including 26 on the offensive glass, the Eagles outscored the Monarchs 22-7 in second chance points to effectively out bruise and out muscle the Monarchs on the inside.

In addition to the strength in the interior, Emory had strength from the outside as

well, knocking down eight three pointers compared to Methodist’s one.

Coach Thomaskutty had motivating words for her players despite the already positive results.

“There were moments where we’re doing everything really well; offensively, defensively, rebounding,” Coach Thomaskutty said. “We’re still looking for that consistency for the 40 minutes of a ball game. I think we just need some more practice. We need to compete for 40 straight minutes, not just until we get a lead.”

Leading up to their upcoming match against Sewanee, the University of the South, Coach Thomaskutty trusts in the game plan they have set up.

“We’re bigger, so their four guard lineup will create some issues for us,” Thomaskutty said. “Honestly, we don’t want it to be a half court game. We want to go out and run and we want to press them. It’ll be one of big challenges and I want to see how our team responds to it. “ We’ll see how Emory’s women’s basketball team responds to it when they travel to Sewanee, Tennessee to take on the University of the South on December 1.

SPORTS

, e l b m u t S e l l i v Men y r a M d n a e g n a r Fall to LaG

Avery Yang | Staff Writer avery.yang@emory.edu

E

mory’s men’s basketball team had a relatively unsuccessful Thanksgiving weekend, losing against LaGrange (Ga.) and Maryville College (Tenn.) at the Maryville College Thanksgiving Classic, giving up 91 points in both games.

Against Maryville, the Eagles fell to 4-2, losing 91-67 to the Scots. Emory trailed by a mere three points at halftime and tied the game three separate times in the first half, but were unable to keep the game close in the second half.

Much of the blame goes to Emory’s abysmal shooting performance in the second half. Though they kept it close with good defense in the first half, Emory shot 39.4 percent (13 for 33) from the field in the second half, while Maryville shot 58.3 percent (7 for 12) from three and 55.9 percent (19 for 34) overall in the second half to pull away.

Junior guard Jonathan Terry went six for 10 from the field and scored all of his 14 points in the second half to lead the Eagles score-wise, while also adding eight rebounds to his box score.

This was Terry’s third double-digit scoring game on the season so far. Senior forward Will Trawick came in second for the Eagles with 13 points in addition to five rebounds while making all four of his free throws.

Much of the Eagles’ downfall was their inability to shoot the three ball. Despite attempting 27 three pointers, Emory only made six of them, shooting an overall 22.2 percent on the day. In the first half, Emory continuously went to the three pointer despite shooting 15.4 percent (2 for 13).

“We’re not going to change our three-point philosophy; we’re good three point shooters,” coach Jason Zimmerman said. “We’re a good shooting team. We just have to get better shots. We just have to take better shots.”

Though the loss against Maryville was by a larger margin, the loss against La-

Grange was more surprising.

In a close matchup against LaGrange, Emory fell 91-86 to fall for the second straight game and dropped to 4-3 on the season. Emory had traditionally beaten LaGrange year in, year out.

In this evenly matched game, the Eagles and the Panthers tied in both field goal percentage (45 percent) and rebounds (37). Emory had a better three-point percentage, going 13 from 31 for a 41.9 percent mark, while LaGrange shot just six for 21 for a 28.6 percent mark.

However, it was the turnovers that ultimately cost Emory the game. Emory committed a season-high of 21 turnovers in the game, helping LaGrange score 21 and a +10 margin in points off of turnovers.

Senior guard/forward Davis Rao and Terry scored 15 points each to lead the Eagles in scoring. Junior center Austin Dague and sophomore guard Adam Gigax each added 13 points and six rebounds apiece, and sophomore Whit Rapp added 10 points and 12 assists to round out the players who scored in double figures in the game.

“There’s a whole lot we need to improve on,” Zimmerman said after the game. “We need to have better staying power, we need to prolong our good segments. We’d have four-minute segments where [we’d do] really well, then have four-minute segments where we’d lose focus. Biggest thing we gotta do is sustain our focus for longer periods.”

Emory will try to learn from the mistakes of Thanksgiving weekend and rebound when they play at Guilford College on Dec. 6.

“Guilford is a very good program, a traditional powerhouse in our region,” Zimmerman said. “Playing at Guilford is gonna be a challenge for us, [as] we’re going to have to be better at what we do if we’re gonna have a chance to win.”

The team huddles during the tournament last week (Left) Senior forward Davis Rao (Top Right) and junior guard Jonathan Terry (Bottom Right) were some of the lone bright spots in Emory’s rough Thanksgiving | Photos courtesy of emory athletics

25

12.02.15

Have no Fear, Championship Week is here!

Andrew Burnside Staff Writer

andrew.burnside@emory.edu

Clemson vs. UNC and MSU vs. Iowa promise to make Championship Week better than Rivalry Week.

C

ollege Football Rivalry Week, the week that annually brings the best games of the year, occurred this past Saturday. We saw the continuation of historic matchups such as Ohio State University vs. University of Michigan, University of Alabama vs. Auburn University (Ala.), University of Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State University and so on. However, this week had a lot of let downs.

Other than a surprising upset by Texas Christian University of Baylor University (Texas) and a fantastic matchup between Notre Dame (Ind.) and Stanford (Calif.) , we saw an abnormal amount of blowouts among ranked teams. Instead of talking about last week’s games in this column, I’m going to discuss the conference championship games bound for this Saturday, and their impact on the playoffs and bowl games.

(S.C.) lost in their championship games. I don’t see Iowa winning this game despite their 12-0 record, as they have very few impressive wins, whereas Michigan State has beaten Ohio State and Michigan, both tough competitors.

I am betting on Michigan State mostly because I really have no idea how good Iowa actually is based on their performance this year. They have not played anyone worth mentioning.

My Prediction: Michigan State 24 @ Iowa 14 SEC Championship: 18 University of Florida @ 2 University of Alabama If the Florida Gators were playing like they had been during the middle of season, this could have been extremely interesting. However, based on their performance last week against an only decent Florida State team, I don’t see them winning. That being said, a miraculous upset

by Florida would send the playoff system into a storm. Who would replace them? Could it be a two loss Stanford team who just had an impressive game against Notre Dame?

Or maybe Ohio State after they just dominated Michigan? Another possibility, as I mentioned above, would be that both teams in the Big Ten Championship make it into the playoffs. However, this is all theoretical and mostly likely not going to happen.

My Prediction: Florida 10 @ Alabama 31

Hell, in the right circumstances, if Iowa loses a close matchup, they might even stay in the top four.

Big Ten Championship: 5 Michigan State University @ 4 Iowa In this matchup, the winner has an almost 100% chance of making the playoffs. Hell, in the right circumstances, if Iowa loses a close matchup, they might even stay in the top four. That would only happen if something like Alabama or Clemson

ACC Championship Game: 8 University of North Carolina @ 1 Clemson University This game could be interesting. After narrowly avoiding an embarrassing loss to an awful South Carolina last week, Clemson looks vulnerable. I can definitely see UNC coming into this game with a chip on their shoulder and taking out the Tigers.

I honestly hope that the Tar Heels can take them down.

Clemson has let their recent performances go to their head. I can only hope that they’ll be knocked out of the playoffs with a loss.

My Prediction: UNC 34 @ Clemson 31 Now, I hardly believe that the three teams in the top four are all going to win this weekend so here is my prediction on the final four after this week.

1. Alabama 2. Oklahoma 3. Michigan State 4. Ohio State Call me crazy for putting Ohio State in there, but after Iowa loses to Michigan State by a large margin, and Clemson shows their true colors, who else is going to take the spot?

I can’t see the playoff committee deciding to place a two loss Stanford team above an Ohio State team that has only lost to another playoff team. I think the only other team that could make it would be UNC, which would cause so many problems, including their strength of schedule.

However, anything can happen, so be sure to watch the incredible matchups bound to happen this Saturday.

RECENT GAMES M Basketball W Basketball M&W CROSS COUNTRY

L, 91-86 vs. LaGrange W, 83-74 vs. Piedmont Finished 29th and 21st out of 32 teams respectively at the NCAA D-III Championships

MAY THE FoRCE BE WiTH You

Members of the Emory Symphony Orchestra performed the Star Wars Suite for Orchestra by noted film composer John Williams during their November 21 concert (Wenyun Fan | Contributing)