INDEX
Emory Events Calendar, Page 2
Crossword Puzzle, Page 8
Staff Editorial, Page 6
Police Record, Page 2
Student Life, Page 9
On Fire, Page 11
THE EMORY WHEEL Since 1919
The Independent Student Newspaper of Emory University www.emorywheel.com
Friday, February 21, 2014 FINANCES
Every Tuesday and Friday CRIME
WHERE’S THE SNOW?
Police Investigate Sexual Assaults Near Campus
Tuition to Increase By 2.3 Percent
By Jordan Friedman Executive Editor
By Jordan Friedman Executive Editor Emory College undergraduate tuition will rise by 2.3 percent in the 2014-2015 academic year, marking the smallest percentage increase in the past decade, the University announced Wednesday. The University’s Board of Trustees approved the increased tuition to $44,400 for next year from $43,400 this year, according to a University statement. Combined undergraduate tuition, fees, room and board will rise by 2.5 percent, to $57,768 from $56,370. Claire Sterk, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said in the statement that the tuition increase “reflects Emory’s commitment to an excellent learning experience for our students” without them going into excessive debt. “We know that students and their families make a tremendous investment in obtaining a world-class education at Emory,” Sterk said. “By holding down annual increases, while at the same time continuously enhancing the Emory experience, we deliver an extraordinary value proposition for extraordinary students.” Oxford College will see a 4.2 percent increase in tuition and a 4.1 percent increase for the total tuition, fees, room and board. Many other universities have yet to announce their tuitions for next year, but Washington University in St. Louis’ tuition will be $45,700 for 2014-2015, a 3.6 percent increase
See EMORY, Page 4
Volume 95, Issue 30
James Crissman/Photography Editor
A
s the snow melted away, that Atlanta green emerged. The sky cleared and the Midtown skyline was visible from campus. This view can be seen from Houston Mill Rd. at the corner of Clifton. The tallest building will light up with a deep yellow as the sun sets, igniting the Atlanta sky.
EVENT
Tatum Delivers State of Race Talk By Rupsha Basu Asst. News Editor and Cindy Tang Contributing Writer
victories are a major indication of social change and attributed his win to “cross-racial coalitions.” Tatum acknowledged, however, that despite the social changes of the past decade, the United States is not “post-racial” because people are still very well aware of racial differences. College senior Shezza Shagarabi said she found Tatum’s point interesting. “[Tatum] encapsulated a lot of issues that regarded race from the standpoint that post-racialism does not exist,” she said. “It can’t be just one person such as [Obama] getting elected to the White House for all these issues to be resolved.” Tatum also encouraged the audience to always speak up in the face of racism and to seek out a dialogue with those uneducated about races outside their own. She attributed a “sense of urgency” to the problem of racism. She added
The University welcomed race relations expert Beverly Daniel Tatum, president of Spelman College, to speak at College Council’s (CC) Social Justice Week’s 14th annual State of Race on Thursday evening. The week commenced on Monday with a documentary screening and will conclude today with a networking event for those interested in careers in social justice. A diverse audience of students, faculty, alumni and Atlanta residents listened to her speech, entitled “Diversity, Democracy and Leadership: The Challenge of the 21st Century.” Tatum began her portion of the night by addressing President Barack Obama’s two elections. She said his
OBITUARY
that leaders head social change, as people often look to authority figures to determine how to act. Tatum urged the audience to become leaders and create communities that welcome everyone, regardless of race or culture. Tatum concluded with other dynamics of racial issues within and outside of college campuses, emphasizing the important role students can play in creating constructive dialogue about social justice. Monday’s screening of the documentary “Girl Rising,” which is about girls’ access to education around the world, was followed by a panel discussion with the Presidents of Feminists in Action (FIA), Sexual Assault Peer Advocates and Amnesty International. “Although there were many differences in opinion at the panel, I
See SOCIAL, Page 5
The DeKalb County Police Department and Emory Police Department (EPD) have determined that the suspect in the reported rape in Emory Village last week may be linked to three open cases of attempted sexual assault that occurred in DeKalb County, according to a DeKalb County Police Department statement released Wednesday evening. The police departments are conducting a joint investigation. The three other reported incidents occurred between December 2013 and January 2014 and involved young females who were walking alone in the Emory vicinity off campus, the statement says. The suspect “approached and attempted to overpower” the victims, according to the statement, which does not specify whether the victims have any affiliation with the University. These victims were able to fight off the suspect and alert police, the police department said. They were not physically injured. Last Tuesday, a female Emory student reported to EPD that she was raped near Emory Village in a wooded area between Oxford Road and Dowman Drive at around 11:15 p.m. A University-wide email alerted the Emory community about the reported incident last Wednesday. The description of the suspect in the DeKalb County cases is consistent with a sketch that the Emory Village survivor provided to a Georgia Bureau of Investigation official. EPD released the sketch on Saturday night. The suspect is described as a white male, about 5 feet 10 inches with medium build and around 50 years old. The University-wide email also specified that he has a reddish or brown beard and at the time of the reported incident was wearing a brown or green beanie cap, tan or
EVENT
Alma Billings, a long-time Sodexo employee who worked in the Dobbs University Center (DUC) and is remembered for her smile and laughter, died Feb. 14. She was 62. The cause of death was a stroke, according to Dobbs Market Executive Chef Colin Quirk and numerous Sodexo employees. Billings was working at the Dobbs University Center (DUC) on Friday when she suddenly fell to the ground. She was immediately transported to Emory University Hospital and died later that night. Fellow Sodexo employee and Billings’ friend Paulette Howard said Billings had worked at the University for 23 years. She began working at the DUC salad bar and then she moved on to deli supervisor and ultimately, cashier. Howard said Billings did a fantastic job at all three stations. Billings and Howard have always referred to themselves as “twins” because they shared the same birthday, Nov. 28. Before coming to the University, Billings worked for the Peachtree Café and the Carter Center and enjoyed reading and cooking in her free time, Quirk said. Billings’ friends and co-workers remember this caring nature of Billings. Fellow Sodexo employee Tenecia Isom recalls Billings as somebody who was always happy and dedicated to her job. “Ms. Billings stayed young by
Saturday, Feb. 15 Emory Police Department releases sketch of suspect
Wednesday, Feb. 19 Police cite possible link between reported incident, other cases brown jacket, dark blue jeans and brown boots. “The community is encouraged to remain vigilant about their safety and exercise safety practices,” the DeKalb County Police Department said in the statement. The statement encourages the Emory community to remain alert about their surroundings, including walking in groups at night, avoiding distractions such as texting or talking on the phone and avoiding “isolated and dimly lit areas.” DeKalb and Emory authorities are “aggressively investigating” these cases, according to the statement, and are encouraging anyone with information about the suspect or anyone who may have been a victim to contact the DeKalb County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit at (770) 724-6111 or EPD at (404) 727-6111. — Contact Jordan Friedman at jordan.m.friedman@emory.edu
If you have been affected by sexual assault, abuse in a relationship or stalking, you have support at Emory. Contact Lauren (LB) Bernstein in the Respect Program in the Office of Health Promotion at 404-727-1514 or Lauren. Bernstein@emory.edu to schedule a confidential consultation.
By Stephen Fowler Asst. News Editor
nizations planned included a speehc called “How to Lose Your Virginity” by Youtube celebrity Laci Green, a poetry reading by poet and Assistant Professor of English/Creative Writing Jericho Brown, “Sex Trivia,” “SexEd101,” and “Q and A with Hanne Blank.” College sophomore Emily Dixon, president of SHAG, and SHAG member and College senior Rachel Ezrol coordinated the
Emory College senior Kyle Niezgoda was named one of 18 nationwide Luce Scholars recipients this month, according to Director of National Scholarships and Fellowships Dee McGraw. Niezgoda is also the only recipient from Emory. The Luce Scholars Award is a yearlong fellowship given to students from various academic disciplines and provides stipends, Kyle language training and individual- Niezgoda ized professional was named placement in Asia for applicants one of 18 ranging from nationwide college seniors Luce to professionals Scholars up to 29 years old, according to the Luce Scholars website. Niezgoda, an Environmental Studies and Mathematics double
See CAMPUS, Page 4
See EMORY, Page 5
James Crissman/Photography Editor
Passersby point at uniquely shaped cakes at this week’s Wonderful Wednesday. Emory’s Sexual Health Advocacy Group and Office of Health Promotion Hosted Emory’s first Sex Week Wonderful Wednesday.
Students Collaborate to Host Sex Week By Catherine Pilishvili Contributing Writer Emory hosted its first Sex Week Wonderful Wednesday on Feb. 19 after being forced to reschedule the week of events due to last week’s snowstorm that closed the University for three days. Emory’s Sexual Health Advocacy Group (SHAG) and Emory’s Office of Health Promotion (OHP), along with several other campus organizations, collaborated to organized Sex
See POSTER, Page 5
Week. Before the previous week’s snowstorm, the group planned Sex Week as a weeklong event on campus, which was to include a variety of activities, including sex trivia and sex education. But with the unexpected snow, the team had to scatter the events through a few weeks. “It has been kind of disappointing because we have been working so hard on it,” Dixon said. The specific programs the orga-
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STUDENT LIFE
SPORTS BASEBALL TEAM
AND ITS CRIMES AGAINST
LIBRARY MANIFESTO: 10 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU GRADUATE PAGE 9
6-2 WITH WIN OVER LAGRANGE ... BACK PAGE
HUMANITY
Female Emory student reportedly raped in Village
Niezgoda Named Luce Scholar
coming to work and making people laugh,” Isom said. Sodexo employee Belinda David told the Wheel that Billings was always a hard worker, a good person and mostly, “real fun.” Howard said Billings had an obvious concern for others and told the Wheel that Billings always kept gum, safety pins and ibuprofen in her purse in case anyone needed anything. Howard added that Billings would have done anything for anyone, calling others “darling” whenever she could. College junior Jovonna Jones posted on her personal Facebook page that Billings always made sure to check on her and was extremely genuine. A funeral is being held today at 8 a.m. There will also be a “Homegoing Service” for friends and family to celebrate Billing’s journey back “home” to heaven, held on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Helping Hands Church. To further honor Billings, many of the Sodexo employees who worked with Billings through the years are putting together a fund to donate to Diane Billings, her daughter. Howard told the Wheel that Sodexo employees always take care of one another. “We’re a great big family,” she said. Howard, Isom and David all agreed that they will miss Billings and love her very much, and that Valentine’s Day was very appropri-
NEWS STUDENT GOVERNMENT PASSES ELECTION BOARD REFORM ... PAGE 4
Tuesday, Feb. 11
AWARD
Alma Billings, 62, Left Legacy at Dobbs Market By Naomi Maisel Campus Life Beat Writer
REPORTED VILLAGE RAPE
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PAGE 6
IMPROVES TO
NEXT ISSUE BOBBY JONES SCHOLARS TO BE ANNOUNCED ... TUESDAY