March 20, 2024

The Emory Wheel

By HilAry BArKey Science & Technology Desk

Content Warning: This article contains references to sexual assault.

When Julia Miller became the first female dean among Emory University’s schools in 1944 — leading the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing — it would be 43 more years before another woman joined the ranks of deanship at Emory. However, her appointment was the first step toward increased female representation among the University’s deans, which will soon increase further when Sandra Wong begins her role as the Emory School of Medicine’s first female dean this month. After Wong takes over, eight of the nine deans overseeing the University’s schools will be women, with the exception of John H. Harland Dean of Goizueta Business School Gareth James.

This sets Emory apart from its peer institutions, which have lower rates of women among their individual schools’ head deans. On average, 34.51% of schools within each peer institution have a female dean, compared to Emory’s 88.89%.

With only one of eight schools, or 12.5%, under the guidance of a female dean, Washington University

By JAcK rutHerford News Editor

Students will be able to vote on a bill to increase the Student Activity Fee (SAF) by $15 from noon on March 26 to noon on March 28. Voting will also include a bill that proposes to automatically adjust the fee based on yearly inflation. Emory University’s Student Government Association (SGA) passed both bills unanimously on March 18.

If passed, Bill 57sl49 will increase the SAF yearly by the inflation rate based on the Consumer Price Index, which is an economic measure of inflation maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The $15 increase would take effect in the 202526 academic year, while the inflation increase would take effect the following year.

If students elect to pass the bills, the Emory Board of Trustees must still approve the changes.

The SAF funds Emory’s undergraduate student organizations. SGA distributes the funds to College Council, Bachelor of Business Administration Council, Oxford College SGA, Belonging and Community Council and the Emory Student Nurses Association, all of which further distribute funds. Additionally, the SAF funds SGA and the six executive agencies under it: Student Programming Council (SPC), Club Sports, TableTalk, Emory Entrepreneurship & Venture Management, Media Council and Outdoor Emory. The SAF for the 2023-24 academic

year is $116. SGA previously reduced the fee from $100 to $82 for the 202021 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SGA President Khegan Meyers (24B), who authored both bills, said the flat increase will return the value of the SAF to where it was before COVID-19.

“There was this massive catch-up that we need to do for the past five years’ inflation,” Meyers said. “Student organizations are coming to us saying, ‘Everything’s getting more expensive. Everything is harder to buy.’”

SGA Speaker MaKenzie Jones (22Ox, 24C) wrote in an email to The Emory Wheel that the increase

By AlyzA MArie HArris Oxford Events Desk

This year’s Dana Greene Distinguished Scholar Kevin Kruse spoke about the Civil Rights Movement as part of the Dana Greene Distinguished Scholar Lecture Series on March 20. The Pierce Program in Religion at Oxford College presented the series.

The event, titled “Seeking Justice: The Civil Rights Movement and the Federal Government,” was an Oxford Studies (OxStudies) event and had

about 40 attendees. OxStudies is a multidisciplinary one-credit elective course that stimulates involvement in Oxford's artistic, cultural and intellectual activities.

Kruse, who is the director of the Center for Collaborative History at Princeton University (N.J.), studies the political and social history of 20th-century America, focusing on the increase in religious nationalism, segregation, the Civil Rights Movement and the creation of modern conservatism.

Charles Howard Candler Professor

of History Susan Ashmore introduced Kruse at the beginning of the event.

Kruse’s talk focused on the Civil Rights Movement and civil rights activist John Doar, who served as assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division during former U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson’s administrations.

According to Kruse, Doar, a white man, did “vital” work during the Civil Rights Movement. Kruse articulated that there is often a misunderstanding of the relationship between the

is necessary to properly fund student organizations. “The SAF increase is needed because we currently are not able to meet student organizations’ financial needs and want clubs to be able host their events without having to rely so heavily on outside sources,” Jones wrote. “The SAF is distributed by SGA to the executive agencies and divisional councils, who then distribute it to the clubs that are chartered under them, so this money is solely for students.” SPC Co-President Colin Song (24C) wrote in a statement to the Wheel that the SAF increase would help alleviate food and merchandise shortages at

SPC events.

“Our funding is not meeting what is required to create the scale of events we are passionate about programming,” Song wrote. “An increase in the SAF would allow SPC to put on events both of larger scale and greater frequency.”

Meyers stated that the Office of Financial Aid confirmed that the fee increase would be covered in financial aid calculations. He urged students to vote in favor of the change.

“It’s a step towards the future,” Meyers said.

— Contact Jack Rutherford at jack.rutherford@emory.edu

By AylA KHAn Politics Desk

The first presidential rematch since 1956 is set to occur later this year after U.S. President Joe Biden and former U.S. President Donald Trump secured their respective party nominations following last week’s presidential primaries. The pair will face off again in the Nov. 5 presidential election after previously competing in the 2020 race.

Biden and Trump surpassed the number of delegates required to secure their party’s nomination — 1,968 for the Democratic nomination and 1,215 for the Republican nomination, respectively — making them the presumptive nominees despite having 27 Democratic and 24 Republican primaries or caucuses in remaining states and territories as of press time. The contest comes amid nationwide apprehension over the candidates’ capacity to serve effectively as president.

The Biden campaign has faced criticism for his administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. Antiwar advocacy groups have rallied for an immediate ceasefire and urged the administration to halt all U.S. military aid to Israel.

While Biden has called for a temporary ceasefire and provided humani-

tarian aid to Gaza, the Biden administration has largely continued to support Israel in the conflict.

Due to this ongoing support, proPalestinian Democrats have urged U.S. citizens to vote “uncommitted” in the Democratic presidential primaries.

These efforts were seen in Michigan’s March 1 Democratic primary, in which the “uncommitted” option received approximately 13% of the total votes cast in the state and secured two of the state’s allocated delegates. In Hawaii's March 6 Democratic primary, over 29% of voters cast “uncommitted” ballots and in Minnesota's March 5 Democratic primary, “uncommitted” received 19% of the votes cast.

Further questions have arisen regarding Biden's age and capacity to serve, as recent polls show 73% of registered U.S. voters believe Biden is too old to be an effective president. At 81 years old, Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history. In combination with Biden’s foreign policy, Associate Professor of Political Science Courtney Brown believes these issues form a broader picture of discontent, especially among Democratic voters.

Young Democrats of Emory Director of Communications Deven

Dana Greene Distinguished Scholar and Princeton University (N.J.) History Professor Kevin Kruse speaks at Oxford College on March 19 about former Assistant Attorney General John Doar.

Emory ahead of peer institutions in number of female deans

Continued from Page 1

in St. Louis (Mo.) has the lowest rate of female deans among Emory’s peer institutions. New York University has the highest rate, with women leading 12 of the institution’s 19 schools, earning 63.16% of the deanships.

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Ravi Bellamkonda wrote in an email to the Wheel that Emory is pleased with the outcomes of recent dean searches. However, he did specify if Emory has been targeting women for leadership positions.

“Emory attracts highly competitive applicant pools for leadership positions at our outstanding schools,” Bellamkonda wrote. “We work to hire the best, most qualified and dynamic deans possible and many of those happened to be women in recent searches.”

Having a larger number of female deans has positively changed the general environment at Emory, according to nursing school Associate Dean for Academic Operations Laura Kimble.

“Having more women, their perspectives, their lives, the things that impact them, is a really, really good thing,” Kimble said. “It's not that men’s perspectives are bad … but I just think it gives that balance.”

The school of medicine was the last institution at Emory to appoint a woman as dean. Out of Emory’s 11 peer institutions with medical schools, only two universities — Duke University (N.C.) and University of Southern California (USC) — currently have women serving as the deans. The Duke School of Medicine appointed its first female dean

in 2007, while the Keck School of Medicine of USC did the same in 2018. Only one of the other nine peer institutions, Georgetown University (D.C.), has ever had a female medical school dean, appointing her in 1998.

Among Emory’s peer institutions, only nursing schools consistently have female deans. Like Emory, five of the six peer universities with nursing schools have never had a male dean, with the exception of the Duke School of Nursing from 2021 to 2023.

Kimble applauded the female leadership at Emory’s nursing school, but explained that gender stereotypes still permeate the field, as nurses are typically assumed to be women. However, she added that this belief is slowly changing as more men are encouraged to fill the role.

“All of us should be able to live our lives free from some of these things, these stereotypes that hold us back,” Kimble said.

History of female deans at Emory

Emory has not always had high rates of female deans among its individual schools. Women did not officially begin making up the majority until 2021, when Kimberly Jacob Arriola (01PH) took over as the dean of Laney Graduate School.

After the nursing school’s appointment of Miller in 1944, the Emory College of Arts and Sciences became the next school to be led by a woman when Eleanor Main served as acting dean for seven months in 1987. At Oxford College, Dana Greene (71G) served as the first female dean after beginning her tenure in 1999. Eight

years later, Mary Lee Hardin Willard Dean Jan Love became the first woman to assume deanship at the Candler School of Theology. She will retire this summer.

“I am old enough to have been the first woman in a variety of roles, and I always took the ‘first’ as an opportunity to demonstrate that many people underestimate the strength and capabilities of women leaders,” Love wrote in an email to the Wheel.

The remainder of the University’s schools did not appoint female deans until the past decade.

Erika James acted as the business school’s first and only female dean from 2014 to 2020. Meanwhile, Emory School of Law Dean Mary Anne Bobinski became the first woman to hold the role in 2019. She will conclude her term in July to be succeeded by Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law Richard Freer. James W. Curran Dean of Public Health M. Daniele Fallin, who has served as dean since 2022, is the first woman to lead the Rollins School of Public Health.

Additionally, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Public Health Claire Sterk was the first and only woman to serve as University president, fulfilling the role from 2016 to 2020.

Oxford College Dean Badia Ahad emphasized the importance of Emory’s leadership representing the diversity of its student body in an email to the Wheel, noting that representation is especially pertinent for women and people of color.

“A mentor once shared with me the adage, ‘You have to see one to be one,’” Ahad wrote. “It is important

that students see a diversity of leaders at Emory because it can validate their experiences, and open the door to possibilities that, perhaps, were once thought too difficult or unattainable to achieve.”

Bobinski echoed Ahad’s statements, highlighting that female students, who make up 54% of the law school’s incoming class, benefit from seeing women in positions of power. Arriola wrote that female faculty members and students have told her that seeing her in a leadership role inspired their careers.

Former College Council President Neha Murthy (24C) added that watching how other women lead has positively impacted her during her time at Emory, stressing the importance of having female leaders at all levels.

“It’s not just them holding a title,” Murthy said. “It’s seeing how they are in that capacity and how they can hold an audience and how they can capture a room and the attention there.”

However, the presence of new female deans has not completely negated larger problems on campus surrounding the treatment of women or Emory’s historic lack of female leadership, according to Arriola, who wrote that women face a “higher level of scrutiny” due to their gender. Additionally, Love wrote that there still are concerns today about sexual harassment on campus, noting that assault is not taken seriously enough.

Murthy expressed a similar sentiment, noting that there is still work to be done.

“We as women are getting those opportunities, but when you still enter a room, we don’t automatically get that respect yet,” Murthy said.

“That’s something we have made a lot of progress in getting into the door, but we still need to make sure our voices are heard and not overpowered by others.”

School of Nursing Dean Linda McCauley (79N) claimed that Emory has historically “lagged” behind other universities when appointing women to high leadership positions, while Arriola wrote that Emory needs to hire more female professors, who typically receive a lower pay than their male counterparts.

In 2021, which is the most recent year with statistics about professorship, 35% of full professors at Emory were women, compared to an average of 28.03% at the University’s peer institutions. Almost a decade before, in 2012, only 26.6% of full professors at Emory were women, while peer institutions had an average of 22.7%.

“Full professors create a pipeline for women deans, and we must continue to work towards gender parity in leadership roles to create a more equitable and just society,” Arriola wrote.

Although Emory still has progress to make, the University is on the right track toward gender equality, McCauley and Arriola wrote.

“Acknowledging the value of the diversity that women in leadership bring and continuing to invest in it can help others see and identify women as natural leaders and, over time, reduce the scrutiny, bias and stress that women leaders often experience today,” Arriola wrote.

Looking ahead, Murthy said she has hope for female leaders at Emory and beyond.

“It’s much more than just having a role or a title — it’s really gaining that respect for being in that position, and that’s still a struggle that’s still happening,” Murthy said. “I hope down the road, women in power can feel confident and get recognized for all their initiatives and everything that they have done without having to fight extra to get that recognition.”

If you or someone you know experienced sexual assault, you can access Emory’s Department of Title IX at 404-727-0541 and the Office of Respect’s hotline 24/7 at (470) 270-5360. You can reach the RAINN National Sexual Assault hotline 24/7 at (800) 656-4673. You can reach the Atlanta Grady Rape Crisis Center crisis hotline 24/7 at (404) 616-4861 and the Decatur Day League Sexual Assault Care and Prevention crisis hotline 24/7 at (404) 377-1428.

— Contact Hilary Barkey at hilary.barkey@emory.edu

Editors-in-Chief

Founded in 1919, The Emory Wheel is the financially and editorially independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University in Atlanta. The Wheel is a member publication of Media Council, Emory’s organization of student publications. The Wheel reserves the rights to all content as it appears in these pages, and permission to reproduce material must be granted by the editor-in-chief.

The statements and opinions expressed in the Wheel are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Wheel Editorial Board or of Emory University, its faculty, staff or administration.

cOurtesy Of eMOry university

When Sandra Wong starts as the Emory University School of Medicine dean, 88.9% of Emory's school deans will be women.

Willis to remain on election interference case, decision to appeal looms

By spencer friedlAnd Managing Editor

Steve Sadow (79L), former U.S. President Donald Trump’s legal counsel, asked on March 18 to appeal Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee's (10C) March 15 ruling regarding the fate of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (96L). In the ruling, McAfee found that Willis can continue her investigation into Trump and his allies’ attempted interference in Georgia’s 2020 presidential election despite her affair with Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor for the case.

According to Emory University School of Law Visiting Associate Professor of Practice John Acevedo, McAfee’s decision stated that either Willis or Wade would have to resign due to the affair. Wade decided to resign on March 15. In his resignation letter, Wade wrote that he made the decision in the “interest of democracy, in dedication to the American public and to move this case forward as quickly as possible.”

Wake Forest University School of Law (N.C.) Professor of Practice Ellen Murphy said that it made more sense for Wade to resign because if Willis did so, it could remove the entire district attorney’s office from the case.

However, Acevedo said that McAfee

made this decision to eliminate the appearance of “impropriety” from the case, especially because Wade and Willis may “restart a relationship.”

“It's purely for appearances,” Acevedo said. “It's also partly to ensure that this issue doesn't keep arising during the course of the case.”

Acevedo said that Wade’s recusal from the case may cause delays, as Willis will have to either promote an attorney who was working under Wade or seek help from an outside law firm — the latter of which can take months. This process is made even longer when a new attorney has to catch up on the facts of the case, Acevedo added.

“It's unclear how long of a delay this will be,” Acevedo said. “The goal was to have an August start date. So it may very well be that that timeline can be kept.”

Acevedo said that Trump’s legal team’s strategy has three tactics: delay the trial, create distraction through the appeal and ruin the reputation of the district attorney’s office in Fulton County.

Acevedo said that appealing the decision can cause further delay and distraction, especially if McAfee grants Sadow’s petition to appeal and the Georgia Court of Appeals decides to accept it.

“That would then sideline the case for several weeks and possibly a

Biden, Trump secure presidential party nominations

Continued from Page 1

Shah (27C) feels Biden’s shortcomings are generally overstated and thinks Biden has “done a phenomenal job.”

“I've been very impressed by the amount of legislation he's been able to pass, the amount of stuff he’s been able to do,” Shah said.

Young Democrats of Emory Vice President Avery Rosen (25C) dissented, adding that she wished the Democratic party would have endorsed a younger candidate.

“There was this idea that they kind of figured that Trump was gonna win the nomination, and … the [Democratic] party was like, ‘Oh, Biden's the only one that can beat Trump, and he's already done it,’” Rosen said. “They didn't really even try to run anyone else, which is a little concerning considering Biden's approval rating is really low right now.”

Trump currently faces 91 felony counts in four different criminal cases. The former president faces charges over illegal possession of classified documents, falsifying business records of hush money payments to adult actress Stormy Daniels, conspiring to overthrow the results of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election and interfering with the peaceful

month,” Acevado said. “Finally, even if they aren't able to appeal or the appeal is quickly dismissed and the timeline stays on track, they tarnish the DA’s office in the eyes of the Fulton County jurors — that is, potential jurors who may take over this case and eventually decide the fate of former President Trump and his co-defendants by calling a question of her judgment.”

Murphy shared a similar sentiment, explaining that it is possible that the purpose of calling for Willis and Wade’s removal is to “taint” the jury pool and Willis’ reputation, which could make an outcome favorable to Trump more likely. Georgia State University College of Law Assistant Professor of Law Anthony Michael Kreis, on the other hand, noted that McAfee’s decision does not change what a jury would

transfer of power after losing to Biden in the 2020 election.

Brown believes Trump’s criminal indictments have only served to rally his supporters.

“You have his supporters being energized by them because the instigators of these legal problems, for better or worse, just happen to be Democrats,” Brown said.

She added that Republican involvement is minimal in all of Trump’s indictments, further fueling the former president’s supporters to believe his prosecution will be unfair.

Brown also said the Biden and Trump campaigns seem to be “fizzling” due to a “tremendous level of discontent in both parties.” Associate Professor of Political Science Bernard Fraga believes this dissatisfaction will be reflected most in voter turnout numbers.

“There's very little chance that a significant number of the individuals casting ballots in the Democratic primary for ‘uncommitted’ or ‘none of the above’ will switch their support from Biden to Trump,” Fraga said. “It's far more likely that some of those individuals, although not all, will simply stay home in November.”

— Contact Ayla Khan at ayla.khan@emory.edu

think about the case, as people already have opinions on the trial due to their previous political affiliations.

Before Sadow filed his appeal on March 18, he posted on X explaining his team’s reasoning to dispute McAfee’s decision on March 15.

"While respecting the Court's decision, we believe that … it did not afford appropriate significance to the prosecutorial misconduct of Willis and Wade, including the financial benefits, testifying untruthfully about when their personal relationship began,” Sadow wrote. “We will use all legal options available as we continue to fight to end this case, which should never have been brought in the first place.”

Sadow and the defendants asked McAfee for a certificate of immediate review, which would allow the

disqualification hearings to proceed to the Georgia Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals would then have a choice to take the case, according to Kreis.

Kreis added that the Court of Appeals will have to decide if Sadow’s appeal needs to be addressed immediately because the defendants have to either establish new precedent or prove that McAfee’s decision is “obviously wrong that it needs correcting immediately.”

“That's a really tough burden for the defendants here to show,” Kreis said. “I don't think anybody thinks that it's likely that the Court of Appeals will take it.”

Kreis said that it is unlikely the trial will take place before the 2024 presidential election, adding that he was never confident in its scheduled August start time.

According to Murphy, McAfee’s decision was both very “reasonable” and the best outcome that Willis could have received.

“Judge McAfee made a number of negative comments about attorney Willis's behavior,” Murphy said. “In light of that, … this decision is the best consequence that the prosecutor's office could have gotten.”

— Contact Spencer Friedland at spencer.friedland@emory.edu

PAID RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY:

The Emory Mental Health & Development Program is seeking males worried about recent changes in their thoughts and perceptions.

Males aged 12-34 may be eligible if experiencing one or more of the following:

• Unusual thoughts

• Questioning if things are real or imaginary

• Suspiciousness or paranoia

• A sense of having special powers or unrealistic plans for the future

• Unusual experiences with seeing or hearing things that are not there

The purpose of this study is to see how unusual thoughts, suspiciousness or paranoia, and unusual experiences with seeing or hearing things that are not really there can be used to predict risk of psychosis through computerized tasks. The study will be con ducted online through Emory University.

An initial screening will be done. Then, if the study is found to be a good fit, you will be invited to participate in the main study. Participants will be compensated $30 per hour.

Contact us or visit our website for more information:

Phone number: 404 -727-7547

Email: mentalhealth.research@emory.e du

Website: https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/mhdp/

cOurtesy Of cA ble-sAtellite Public A ffA irs netwOrk

Special prosecutor Nathan Wade testifies about his personal relationship with District Attorney Fani Willis (91L).

cOurtesy Of A dAM scHultz/wikiMedi A cOMMOns

U.S. President Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

cOurtesy Of sHA le AH cr A igHe A d/wikiMedi A cOMMOns Former U.S. President Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Q&A: Joe Sutherland discusses Emory’s role in AI, next steps

By spencer friedlAnd Managing Editor

Emory University has increased its focus on artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years, launching a minor and the AI.Humanity Initiative. The project aims to use AI across different fields at Emory and “shape the AI revolution” to improve well-being, stimulate economic growth and support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Center for AI Learning Director Joe Sutherland has been at the forefront of Emory’s movement into the AI field. Sutherland sat down with The Emory Wheel to discuss his roles in and outside of the University, the AI.Humanity Initiative and what the future holds for AI.

This Q&A has been edited for clarity and length.

The Emory Wheel: Can you tell me a little about your role at Emory and how you came to Emory?

Joe Sutherland: The AI.Humanity Initiative initially focused on faculty recruitment and set a goal to recruit anywhere between 50 and 70 tenuretrack faculty. And it was such a successful exercise that the next question was, “Well, how can we continue to build on this?” And the two problems were, number one, we realized that we needed a place for these faculty and the students and the staff interested in artificial intelligence, curricularly and co-curricularly. We wanted them all to be able to gather in one place to build community. And the second thing was we wanted to provide what are called co-curricular learning opportunities for people to gain the skills that they need to be able to succeed in this new AI world. And so my role at the center is to do those two things — is to build community and to provide co-curricu-

lar learning opportunities for anybody who wants them.

TEW: I saw you're involved with politics. Can you talk about your roles outside of Emory?

Sutherland: Politically, artificial intelligence is a hot topic at the moment, and through my position as the center director, I’ve helped many state legislators and the Georgia Chamber [of Commerce] craft their concepts when it comes to AI and the things that we want to pass laws about or not pass laws about. And certainly, artificial intelligence is an important topic for workforce development because there’s a whole generation of people who feel left behind right now by the technology revolution, but I actually look at AI as an opportunity for the people who were left behind to hop back on the train. All you need to use this stuff is a laptop and a kitchen counter. To me, there’s never been a lower barrier to entry for those people.

I still think there’s some people who don’t even have internet, right? … There’s issues with connectivity, and those are social coordination problems that we need to think about. How do we actually extend broadband to the most underserved areas to enable people to participate in this revolution? Well, that is something you can't do on your own. You can't just go and dig a hole in your backyard and just say, “I installed Ethernet and fiber optic cable.” You need the assistance of a larger entity to be able to do that.

T EW: Academically at Emory, what does the future of AI learning look like? I know there’s a minor now, but what do you think the future holds?

Sutherland: The future is bright.

… I’m responsible for co-curricular development, which is to say we provide workshops and courses and experiential learning opportunities where students can sign up to work on AI projects through the center. But curricularly, I can sort of speculate. We’ll most likely develop new degree programs that focus on bringing AI as a core part of them. I think we’ll probably focus on, “How do we build the AI leaders of the future?” — not necessarily just the AI technicians, but the people who can think more critically about the use cases to which we must apply AI and the ethical implications of those applications. I could see that happening not only in the computer science department where they have the minor, but also in the other departments in the college and the other schools like the business school and the law school and the medical school. I know that there’s a number of initiatives that are underway, and I’m excited as a faculty member to participate in those.

TEW: How does Emory compare to other universities in its investment and its role in AI?

Sutherland: I was just actually at a conference for the [Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)], which is the accrediting organization for many universities. It is also the accrediting organization for Emory University, and I was on a panel for them during their Presidents’ Day conference, where I spoke to an audience of maybe 150, 200 university presidents and provosts from throughout the accrediting network that SACSCOC is responsible for. … I got a really nice introduction to what other schools are doing and I can tell you that Emory is by far a leader. We’ve

Emory invests $87.7 million in cardiovascular facilities

By frAnKlin zHAng Contributing Writer

Emory University Hospital’s new heart and vascular facilities began procedural services yesterday after opening on March 12. Emory Healthcare provided an $87.7 million investment to build the new facilities, which are located on the third and fourth floors of the hospital tower.

The idea to build the new facilities initially arose about seven years ago, according to Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery Chief Michael Halkos (99M, 06MR, 09MR, 12G).

Prior to this expansion, some Emory surgeons had been working in the same space for decades without any “major upgrades,” according to Halkos. Associate Professor of Medicine Divya Gupta (04M, 07MR, 11FM) added that some patients stayed in intensive care units (ICUs) that were about 50 years old, which impacted their health.

“The way our current surgical ICUs are, there are no windows that go to those rooms,” Gupta said. “Daylight, as much as we take it for granted, is a very important part of day-night differentiation, mental health and well-being.”

Halkos stated that the demand for cardiac and thoracic surgery, which includes surgery on the

heart, esophagus, lungs and trachea, has more than doubled since 2018.

Previously, any patients the Emory University Hospital could not take due to capacity would have been placed on a waitlist for an appropriate facility or treated at a different hospital, according to Emory University Hospital Midtown Cardiology Service Chief Angel Leon (88FM).

“There's been nowhere to put the people,” Halkos said. “There’s been nowhere to do the procedures.”

Halkos said that over a dozen physicians and hospital administrators pushed for funding, which was approved by Emory’s Board of Trustees and the Emory Healthcare Board of Directors.

The project was slowed by several obstacles, including the COVID19 pandemic, increases in labor costs and supply chain issues, according to Halkos.

The new third-floor area now contains new operating rooms, catheterization laboratories and electrophysiology laboratories.

The physical unification of the new area is one of its greatest strengths, according to Leon. Previously, patients requiring multidisciplinary assistance had to be moved within the hospital because the relevant infrastructure was elsewhere, Halkos said.

“In this type of business, you

invested in more faculty than many other schools. We’ve been running the AI.Humanity Initiative for longer than many other schools. As far as computing resources and other types of capabilities that are becoming available to our faculty, students and staff, other schools are beginning to plan for it but maybe not necessarily caught up yet. … We’re definitely on the front end of the curve at the moment.

TEW: What do you think the biggest accomplishment so far of the AI.Humanity project has been?

Sutherland: One of the biggest accomplishments was our admission to the U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium. If you’re not familiar with this program, it’s run by the National Institute of [Standards] and Technology, which was directed by [U.S.] President [Joe] Biden under his Oct. 30, 2023 executive order to go and develop a point of view on how the United States should progress when it comes to artificial intelligence and where we should invest, what issues we need to be cognizant of, how to coordinate between public and private entities to be able to achieve the future that we care about, what types of sponsored projects we perhaps could be interested in to help include artificial intelligence as part of the enhancement of human health. … We actually put together a very broad and cross-functional application to join this safety institute consortium that included input from every single side of Emory. … I was so pleased to see that it prevailed. The next step, now that we’ve been admitted, is actually to start staffing the working groups, which we’ll be focusing on how should we think about U.S. policy when it comes to, for example, synthetic content that’s

may not have hours,” Halkos said. “You may have minutes to intervene.”

Additionally, the hospital’s efficiency is improved because the sections can share infrastructure and use the hospital's staff in a “flexible way,” according to Leon.

Halkos explained that the new facilities have enhanced imaging technology, while the new machines minimize radiation exposure to patients.

When the fourth-floor area opened in January, beds filled rapidly in the new 16-bed cardiovascular ICU, which has operating rooms for cardiovascular and thoracic surgery as well as laboratories, according to Leon.

“There was a need and the need was met,” Leon said. “If we had opened it and half the beds were empty … you would scratch your head and say, ‘Boy, did we really need this?’”

Gupta highlighted that increased space allows for the patient’s family to be more involved in their care.

“With this facility, we are able to provide that sort of care in that the patient comes first,” Gupta said. “There is enough space now for the patient and the patient's family, to be quite honest, to be a part of their care.”

— Contact Franklin Zhang at franklin.zhang@emory.edu

generated by artificial intelligence models? Or how should we even think about U.S. policy when it comes to misinformation? How should we be thinking about the safety … of these models and the bias that’s entailed in the creation of these models? What are the methodologies we can use to adjust for that? Those are the things I’m most excited about.

TEW: Finally, where do you see AI at Emory in the next five to 10 years?

Sutherland: We have a lot of opportunities ahead of us, but we also have a lot of challenges. I think one of the number one challenges is there’s not enough people outside of the more familiar academic circles right now that understand these technologies and things as simple as using large language models for planning your grocery list, or for writing job descriptions for your small business or thinking about reviewing documents that you would normally need a lawyer to look at when negotiating simple contracts. There’s so many opportunities for people who aren’t familiar with these technologies to be exposed to them and then therefore increase their earning potential or increase their productivity or just increase the number of free hours they have in their day.

Something I’m excited about … is in the summer, we’re rolling out a publicly accessible certification program that anybody can access from anywhere in the state of Georgia or in the United States to learn how to use these technologies just in their own day-to-day life. … Doing that will help us craft the future that we want and not the future that is out of our hands.

— Contact Spencer Friedland at spencer.friedland@emory.edu

Talk analyzes influential Civil Rights Movement figure John Doar

Continued from Page 1

Civil Rights Movement and the federal government.

“Change came not from the topdown or bottom-up, but rather the point where those two forces came together with the vital and vast unappreciated work of middlemen like the Civil Rights Division leaders like John Doar,” Kruse said.

Ashmore said society takes the Civil Rights Movement for granted today. She said that more needs to be done to achieve social justice and that Doar and Kruse’s work highlights that even when laws change, “white people react” by being “racist” and fleeing cities such as Atlanta.

Grace Chou (24Ox) attended the event as a part of her OxStudies class, but said she also decided to go because the subject matter is relevant to her interest in racial disparities in the South, specifically in rural Georgia.

“That’s one of the cool things about a lot of OxStudies events is that we get to hear so much about particular people that you don’t usually hear when it comes to mainstream, just media in general but history in this case,” Chou said.

Attendees received a free, signed copy of Kruse’s first book, “White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism.” In the book, Kruse writes about how civil rights activism in Atlanta contributed to

the rise of conservatism as a reaction against federal support for racial integration. According to Ashmore, his second book, “One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America,” examines the rise of American religious nationalism in the mid-20th century and its legacies on America.

Ashmore required students to read Kruse’s first book in her course, “The United States in the 1960s,” in anticipation of the event. A student in the course, Bruno Stratmann (25Ox), noted that Kruse visited his class earlier in the day and answered student questions about his work.

“He really clearly … appreciates the questions asked to him,” Stratmann said. “He makes you feel the question that you asked is a good question.”

Kruse said he tries to be careful when teaching subjects that include sensitive words and topics but also does not want to neglect the true history.

“You can’t sugarcoat this, right?” Kruse said. “If I’m shaving the rough edges off what the Klan did or what segregationists were saying, I’m doing a disservice to the historical record. I’m covering for them in a lot of ways by dialing it down and worrying about what the reaction will be.”

— Contact Alyza Marie Harris at alyza.harris@emory.edu

Daniel Sung

A friend of mine studying nursing was recently asked why he does not want to become a doctor since he is so smart. The seemingly harmless question reminded me of a line from the film “Meet the Parents” (2000): “So you didn’t want to go for the M.D.?”

This patronizing question was posed to the movie’s protagonist and also a male nurse, Greg Focker (Ben Stiller). In the scene, Greg meets his girlfriend’s family, which is made up of esteemed male physicians who are disappointed by Greg’s career choice.

hardships and high unemployment rates from the Great Depression led to an increased demand for nurses.

Even with almost 2.6 million active nurses today, we are still in need of 1.2 million more by 2030 to stop this nursing shortage, as projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more men in nursing now than ever, but they still make up only 12% of the nursing workforce. More men must join.

As easy as it sounds for more men to join, the sexist stereotype that men are expected to be doctors while women should be nurses still clouds people’s judgements. For certain men, they may feel an insecurity of choosing the “inferior” career choice from being compared to male physicians.

The toxic stereotype echoes various studies that explore the barriers male nurses face.

In a 2022 study published in The Journal of Men’s Studies, researchers found that though attitudes are changing as more men enter the field, nursing is so strongly correlated with feminine stereotypes that people question the sexuality of male nurses.

ized to join the field. To reverse this bias, there must be a change in two areas: media and education.

Media allows consumers to gain insight into the world and people. However, with the misrepresentation of male nurses, there is a danger of perpetuating stereotypes about male nursing.

This scene is particularly relevant today, with the national nursing shortages. The stereotypes of male nurses that suggest nursing is feminine, including how male nurses are assumed to be gay and how male nurses are failed doctors exacerbate this issue even more.

However, taking active steps to change the negative perception of male nurses will fix nursing shortages. We need to reduce the stigma surrounding male nurses.

Nursing shortages date back nearly 100 years to the ’30s when economic

Being the unconventional gender minority in the workplace, heterosexual male nurses can overexpress their masculinity as a result of insecurities regarding their sexuality. To eliminate suspicions of homosexuality, male nurses take measures to emphasize their heterosexuality, such as joining male units and taking more physically-demanding roles.

Another recent study from Massey University in New Zealand found that men felt isolated due to the gender imbalance in the workplace.

These studies reveal the glaring problem of why men are not incentiv-

More equitable representation in the media is needed for the reversal of this imagery.

In TV, whether through shows or news programming, having more comprehensive and diverse portrayals of male nurses as integral team members in healthcare is valuable.

Additional educational campaigns, like the American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN), can also be implemented to highlight gender diversity and create a more inclusive environment within the field.

The AAMN has created an unparalleled support system for men going into nursing; with more of these campaigns, more men will feel validated in their professional journey.

Increased efforts in educating the public are needed to provide better awareness of the intricacies of the field. Implementing more early exposure programs, such as school field trips to hospitals, will allow male students to gain insight into the field of nursing at an early age. Having male role models is vital in inspiring male students to pursue nursing.

An easy and accessible way to do this is by having male nurses attend career fairs to discuss their experiences with students. Moreover, emphasizing the benefits of nursing, such as the flexibility that the career path offers compared to other healthcare professions, will prevent misconceptions surrounding the field of nursing.

Nurses play an essential role in delivering quality healthcare, and people should not be shamed for choosing nursing over pursuing a doctorate in medicine.

Realistically, the nursing shortage may never be fully resolved. However, by shifting attitudes towards male nurses and fostering inclusivity, the barriers to nursing entry will be mitigated, bridging gender disparities in healthcare and improving the quality of healthcare.

Daniel Sung (26C) is from Sunnyvale, Calif.

2024 Election calls for Biden’s New Deal

Welcome to 2024 — the election of dread. This term, coined by the Wall Street Journal, encompasses a general feeling of antipathy among voters across the political spectrum, especially those under 30, about the 2024 U.S. presidential election. In particular, Generation Z feels as if it is voting out of necessity for the “lesser of two evils,” between voting for U.S. President Joe Biden and former U.S. President Donald Trump. In fact, 58% of people aged 18 to 34 are considering not voting at all.

Gen Z leans far more left on almost every mainstream policy issue than previous generations, so one might expect more passion about going to the polls. However, the opposite is true. In 2020, 57% of Gen Z individuals were planning to vote. That number has dropped to 49% this year for 18 to 29 year olds, a subset of the Gen Z population.

Trump now leads Biden 49% to 43% among registered voters between the ages of 18 and 29. Generation X and the baby boomer generation are perplexed by Gen Z’s ambivalence. If Gen Z is so comparatively politically left, why would Trump — who threatened to lead a mass deportation — be leading the polls? To address Gen Z’s feelings of unease toward the election, older generations and Biden must understand young peoples’ disillusionment with electoral politics and analyze how to fix it.

Trump’s historic win in 2016 was symbolic of the start of the Misinformation Age, a period characterized by half-truths and fake news, when fact and fiction began to blur in an almost Orwellian “doublethink” manner.

Trump began calling out traditional media news outlets in 2016,

dismissing what he did not like as fake news. Having a politician as insolent as Trump may seem completely normal to Gen-Zers under 25.

In the eight years since Trump’s election, Gen Z has seen the rise of abortion restrictions, the passing of Florida’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill, rising temperatures and the COVID-19 pandemic, all while economic troubles continued to grow.

While Biden is attempting to address Gen Z’s primary policy issues, he hasn’t been particularly successful.

In January, he passed bills to relieve student loan debt. However, this legislation has done little to alleviate all $97 billion in debt among 7 million people. According to studies by Fortune and Vice, left-leaning Gen Z respondents feel that the problem is not their debt but the mere existence of loans for university education. A few factors, such as political polarization, can explain these views.

Biden’s version of the New Deal would also be controversial, as sweeping economic reforms have not been implemented in the recent past.

Gen Z individuals are generally more radicalized than older generations. It’s important for the older generation to realize that disillusionment with the political status quo is the culprit.

While older Americans had childhoods when the United States was unified by Cold War idealization, Gen Z has watched the impact of polarized politics divide the country. For younger Americans,

constant threats to democracy are normalized. As a result of their experiences, it’s understandable that they seek a different approach. Furthermore, Gen-Zers tend to believe that America is neither specifically unique nor better than other countries.

While 78% of the World War II era Silent Generation believe that the United States is the greatest country in the world, only 26% of Gen-Zers say the same, while 43% hold the opposite view.

More than half of Gen Z voters identify as Independent due to the belief that neither party aligns with their beliefs. Most of Gen Z feels like both 2024 candidates are standing for similar ideas regarding foreign policy, economic inequality and class divisions. Gen Z hopes for an isolationist attitude toward international affairs and for their taxpayers dollars to be invested inward on expanding healthcare and education.

In particular, the war in Israel and Gaza has created a tipping point, as trust in mainstream news

young Americans have begun questioning if their politicians have their best interest in mind.

While Biden is attempting to address Gen Z’s primary policy issues, he hasn’t been particularly successful.

Gen Z is currently the most populous generation, so it is essential that Biden attempts to win younger voters. Biden must appeal to these voting blocs, but, to do so, he has to create a new, radical solution. While this may seem drastic, this has been done before.

Former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1930s New Deal came in a period when poverty rates and global tensions were high.

The legislation elevated people out of poverty through significant social and economic reforms via protecting union workers, lim -

ing the equivalent of $11 billion today to those affected by the Great Depression. While controversial at its time, this law is widely seen as the most successful legislation of his presidency.

Biden’s version of the New Deal would also be controversial, as sweeping economic reforms have not been implemented in the recent past. We are living in a new era in which COVID-19 decimated the economy.

If Biden drafts his own version prioritizing the everyday worker over corporations, giving subsidized loans to those affected by the pandemic and centering economic reform, voters will feel more valued. This would apply not only Gen Z but also to 60% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck.

Thus, the legislation would spur Biden’s chances in the 2024 election. The American people are struggling, and we need a president who adapts to that — it is time for Biden’s New Deal.

Sabrina Lane (27C) is from New

The liberal arts are valuable, but a lot needs to change

Pierce McDade

As I prepare to sign up for courses for next semester, I am reminded of a special quality of Emory University: the value we place on the liberal arts. There are so many courses afforded to students, and I often struggle to pick just a few to fill my semester.

This problem is compounded by the need to take certain courses to fill requirements, another hallmark of the liberal arts that can be frustrating for students as they try to make it all fit. However, it seems that the simultaneous appreciation and frustration with the liberal arts are a microcosm of the problems the liberal arts face today.

For example, the University of West Virginia’s decision to terminate 28 majors, mainly in the humanities, marks how the liberal arts are coming under increasing scrutiny across the country. At the same time, Emory administration plans to hire up to 30 new liberal arts faculty and expand creative programming over the next three to four years under the Emory Initiative for Arts and Humanistic Inquiry, highlighting a recent embrace of the liberal arts in higher education.

In light of changing technology and job markets, students, parents, economists and university leaders have long debated whether the liberal arts are worth the price. However, the decline of the liberal arts is a symptom of a larger societal shift, and conversations about their current value are misplaced. Rather, university administrations must adapt liberal arts education to better fit the needs of today. At the same time, we as a society must consider the value of morality, ethics and knowledge in our world and what that means for our future.

A liberal arts education requires students, regardless of major, to take courses across the humanities and sciences to become free thinkers rather than mere workers. There are less than 200 private liberal arts colleges across the country, including Emory, but many more schools emphasize the values of liberal arts in their approaches to undergraduate education.

Despite the prevalence of pre-professionalism at Emory, the University emphasizes the liberal arts through general education requirements, as well as individual departments’ approaches to teaching and learning.

The differences between these plans, however, demonstrate a key criticism of the liberal arts in recent decades. According to University of Pennsylvania Vice Provost for Global Initiatives Ezekiel Emanuel, a longtime reduction of academic requirements has left students underprepared to face the ever-growing moral and ethical dilemmas of our world.

Whereas current sophomores, juniors and seniors are required to take two science, two history and two non-language humanities courses at Emory, first-year students only need to take one of each of these courses to graduate. Based on Emanuel’s argument, the reduction of these requirements, even if it allows students to take more specialized courses, means that the University is churning out less well-rounded students. In turn, students may have the nec-

essary knowledge to be successful in their field but not the social responsibility, ethics and morals required to be a world citizen.

However, Oxford College Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Valerie Molyneaux told The Emory Wheel that these reduced requirements allows students to freely explore their interests. Through this lens, the reduction of requirements does not represent a de-emphasis of the liberal arts, but rather an encouragement of individual exploration over mandatory study.

Although Associate Teaching Professor of Sociology Tracy Scott said liberal arts institutions are under constant pressure to provide a degree that’s “worth something” on the job market, students are often misguided on what skills, knowledge and experiences will be valuable in the workforce. It is not only specific, practical skills that get students jobs, but also the ability to think, ask questions and adapt — skills that are developed through the liberal arts.

“The best way to prepare students to address society’s complex problems is by teaching them to think critically and broadly across fields of knowledge, which is at the heart of a strong liberal arts education,” Oxford Dean Badia Ahad wrote in an email to the Wheel.

Still, there is no ethics or religion test to enter investment banking, Big Tech or medicine.

However, the decline of the liberal arts is a symptom of a larger societal shift, and conversations about their current value are misplaced.

Therefore, instead of exploring different major options, many students opt for what they believe to be defined, pre-professional pathways. Additionally, I’ve noticed that students who are worried about graduate school and their GPA are more likely to avoid challenging courses. Unfortunately, this process of specialization and risk avoidance can become self-enforcing as students talk to each other. This is especially true at a school like Emory, where the prevalence of high achievers and pre-professionalism creates a culture focused more on career prospects than on learning.

“We bring [students] here and we then say, ‘Don’t worry about your grades,’ even though we know you will have plans following Emory that need those grades upon which you will be assessed,” Molyneaux said. “We say, ‘Be curious, take risks, challenge yourself.’ I don’t think we’re going to stop saying that, but I think we want to be cognizant of the situation in which you’re actually swimming.”

All of these perspectives make clear that the problems facing the liberal arts are complex and multifaceted. However, there are concrete steps that undergraduate institutions can take to better prepare students to be the leaders of tomorrow while not shying away from the values and ideals of a liberal arts education.

With technology rapidly changing job markets, liberal arts institutions must learn from those pio -

neering these innovations and find ways to incorporate them into their skill-building today, such as using new technologies to contribute to humanities data collection, research and publishing.

Additionally, rather than shying away from the use of artificial intelligence (AI), departments should critically consider how they can leverage AI tools to enhance both the liberal arts experience as well as students’ preparedness to enter a dynamic job market.

Emory is already taking the lead in making this happen by hosting a conference on March 22 where faculty will learn from experts about teaching with AI. Ensuring that faculty use these lessons and integrate AI into their teaching is essential to bring disciplines into contact with new technologies and prepare students to live in a world of rapid technological proliferation.

While Universities cannot simply get rid of grades, they can give students ways to explore, learn and grow without harming their GPAs. Emory has taken steps to decrease the pressures that students feel, such as instituting longer times to withdraw from a class without penalty and change to a satisfactory/ unsatisfactory grade.

Continuing to take these steps is essential in allowing students to flourish as learners.

After all, exploration will likely be more successful when students aren’t stressing about grades and assignments.

While programs like internships are often viewed as experiences outside the scope of traditional learning, integrating real-world experience into the classroom is another way that liberal arts institutions can give students the skills they need to be the leaders of tomorrow. Emory is on the right track when it comes to putting this concept into practice.

Whether it be the Pathways Center on the Atlanta campus, the Center for Pathways and Purpose at Oxford or one of the many research programs and labs offered by the University, Emory students have ample support to get real-world experience in their potential fields.

What comes next is ensuring this knowledge and experience is translated back into the classroom to close the feedback loop and directly connect students’ experience with their learning.

Once again, Emory seems to be doing well. All students, starting with the Class of 2027, are required to take an experiential learning course such as “Introduction to Ethics,” where students engage in outsideof-the-classroom service work that they reflect on in the context of their learning throughout the semester. Additionally, the University’s new Quality Enhancement Plan will connect students with diverse experiential learning opportunities and require in depth reflection on these opportunities. Other universities should follow Emory’s lead in providing these types of opportunities to students.

While resources like the Pathways Center should play an integral role in connecting students with real-world experiences, they should also be central to showing the multitude of different career paths that students can access by embracing the liberal arts.

Whether it be hosting alumni talks or showcasing liberal arts students’ jobs on social media, there are a multitude of ways to highlight the value and importance of the liberal arts in achieving a long, fulfilling career.

Through this, the University can start to break student misconceptions of success and encourage exploration, failure and true learning.

However, it is not just undergraduate institutions that need to adapt. Other parties, like students, graduate schools, employers and society as a whole, must embrace the liberal arts as a means to address societal problems.

A common misconception about the liberal arts is the distinction between studying the liberal arts and a liberal arts education.

As students, we should take advantage of the opportunities to explore, learn, fail and grow afforded to us by the liberal arts at Emory. We should celebrate and utilize the changes the University is making while continuing to ask for more. After graduation, we must use our liberal arts education to make the world a better place. Whether in graduate school or industry, we must make clear the value of liberal arts and push our employers to do the same.

While parts of the job market have done a good job of recognizing and placing value in the liberal arts, graduate schools across the country

can do better at deemphasizing GPA in their admissions practices. Law schools, for instance, can put less emphasis on students’ GPA, which along with LSAT scores are the most heavily weighted factors in admissions decisions, and instead focus more on extracurriculars, essays and interviews.

By assessing student applications more holistically, students will be more willing to take risks and challenges that ultimately reflect positively on their application. Through this, students become both more widely educated and develop into better thinkers and writers, important traits for success in graduate school and the workplace.

We as a society must also consider the value we place on ethics and diversity of thought in our world. In a society that is as polarized as ever and where American discourse largely takes place in echo chambers, we must recognize that change is needed.

Embracing the liberal arts can be an important step in addressing the problems our country faces and entrusting the next generation of leaders with the skills they need to confront the moral and ethical dilemmas of the future.

Liberal arts institutions today face challenges from many sides. Through coordinated changes by undergraduate institutions, graduate schools and industry, we can better prepare students to be both the workers and moral leaders of tomorrow.

Our world, much like our colleges, may be suffering moral deficiencies. But it is only through the liberal arts that this crisis can be solved.

Pierce McDade (25Ox) is from Bloomington, Ill.

ellie fivas/M anaging editor Glenn Memorial Methodist Church sits near Emory Village.

& The Emory Wheel Arts Life

MUSIC

Staff picks: Songs to celebrate springtime

By Arts & life stAff

The birds chirping, the wind rustling through the trees, the bees buzzing on their hunt to honey — these are the many sounds of spring. Among these natural signifiers of rebirth, songs also usher in this new season of rejuvenation. Whether these tracks embody the season in their beat, lyrics or auditory aesthetic, some songs simply scream spring. The Arts & Life staff assembled our treasured picks for a must-listen springtime playlist.

‘Bruises Off The Peach’ (2023)

by Ryan Beatty

Songs considered to be spring anthems are often cheerful, pronounced tunes that relish unapologetically in the magic of the sunny season. “Bruises Off The Peach” is nothing of the sort. Instead, the atmospheric ballad meditates on grief and hope under the scalding California sun, transcending genre with its unique sound profile. In this song, like many others in Beatty’s newest album “Calico,” the listener hears what one can only describe as an angel’s voice supported by a quietly devastating film score. Beatty highlights the patience that underlies pain — how time heals but makes loss no less excruciating — singing, “I cut all the bruises off the peach / Not as beautiful but still as sweet” in a simultaneous act of lamentation and acceptance.“Bruises

Off The Peach” is a sonic painting of spring’s quiet solitude. Beatty creates an acoustic wonderland as guitar notes flutter through the track like sunlight through a bedroom curtain and gorgeous vocals reverberate through an ever-emotional void. Upon listening, one does not know whether they need a short nap or an extra-long cry.

— Nathan Rubin, Senior Staff Writer

‘Linger’ (1993) by The Cranberries

For me, spring has always been a season of nostalgia. A new year never feels real until the temperature

By CAtherine GoodmAn Arts & Life editor

In “Poem Read at Joan Mitchell’s,” Frank O’Hara wrote, “Let’s advance and change everything, but leave these little oases in case the heart gets thirsty en route.” This bittersweet declaration is one of my all-time favorite

starts climbing back up, so I tend to spend spring lingering in memories of the last year. With a soft, whispering guitar line as its prelude, “Linger” by the Irish rock band offers the perfect soundtrack for the nostalgia of early spring. The simple guitar instrumental slowly develops into the smooth, unwavering voice of Dolores O’Riordan, the band’s lead vocalist, resembling the season’s gradual rebirth of life. The increasing number of vocals as the song progresses brings in layered harmony and delivers images of freshness. The lyrics are about saying goodbye to the past, not once and for all, but in a way that lingers, with O’Riordan singing, “You know I’m such a fool for you / You’ve got me wrapped around your finger / Do you have to let it linger?” Spring inspires people to start anew, but doesn’t erase mistakes and sorrows from the past winter. The Cranberries’ “Linger” portrays the contradictory musings of spring perfectly.

— Amiee Zhao, Senior Staff Writer

‘Tangerine’ (1970) by Led

Zeppelin

Although the opening line of “Tangerine” is “measuring a summer’s day,” its longing, hopeful instrumentation sings of spring. With bright production, each acoustic guitar string seems to ring out into a dream state. While each verse is melancholy, reminiscing about “how it used to be,” the choruses seem to place the listener right back in the blissful memory, as if, for an instant, it has never ended at all. “Tangerine” soundtracks the closing scene of one of my favorite films, “Almost Famous” (2000). The scene — and the song — are idyllic, a ’70s “living reflection from a dream,” lead singer Robert Plant sings. The film ends with William Miller (Patrick Fugit), the kid music journalist, finally getting his interview with Stillwater lead guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup). William raises the microphone between them and asks, “So Russell, what do you love about music?” — and the opening notes of “Tangerine” begin to play. “To

begin with,” Russell answers as the music swells, “Everything.” The camera cuts to a tour bus speeding down the freeway on a summer day, and you can almost smell the warming asphalt under the tires and the sun enlivening the trees, and it seems like music is everything.

— Oli Turner, Senior Staff Writer ‘Maybe I’m the Only One For Me’ (2019) by Purple Mountains

After lead singer David Berman existentially waffles over insecurity for nine songs, “Maybe I’m the Only One For Me” offers a bittersweet resolution to Purple Mountains’ self-titled first and only album. In the song, Berman neither overcomes his struggles with loneliness nor ignores them. He accepts that he is not fit for a romantic relationship with someone else and, with the pain of that acceptance, he commits himself to self improvement: “I’ll put my dreams high on a shelf / I’ll have to learn to like myself.”This track does not offer an upbeat, neat resolution to suffering, instead arriving at a realistic conclusion through devastating clarity. “Maybe I’m the Only One For Me” takes an unflinching look at the reality of renewal with all the ugly bitterness and loneliness inherent to improving oneself, and for this reason, it’s become my go-to springtime song. New beginnings are not always pretty.

— Alexandra Kauffman, Senior Staff Writer

‘Unwritten’ (2004) by Natasha

Bedingfield

What is spring if not a blank page before you? This classic early 2000s anthem is perhaps the season at its very essence. Swirling through motifs of feeling rain on your skin, opening up dirty windows and letting the sun illuminate the “words that you cannot find,” it feels like Bedingfield wrote ‘‘Unwritten’’ with the refreshing renewal of spring in mind. Besides the obvious lyrical connections to springtime weather, “Unwritten” is just an absolute banger. It is my go-to song when I get in my car and open the sun-

roof on a sunny spring day, especially if I am with friends. Belting “No one else can feel it for you / Only you can let it in” with your best friends is an incomparable feeling. After the drive, you will want to start packing boxes of old stuff and creating to-do lists, because, as Bedingfield says, “Today is where your book begins / The rest is still unwritten.” — Abby Charak, Atlanta Desk

‘California Stars’ (1998) by Billy Bragg and Wilco

On their joint album “Mermaid Avenue,” the alt-country band Wilco partnered with Bragg, an English singer-songwriter, to create music to accompany some of Woody Guthrie’s previously unheard lyrics. The standout track on the album, the woozy and Americana-influenced “California Stars,” is a melodic and mellow way to bring in the warmer spring season.

“I’d like to rest my heavy head tonight / On a bed of California stars,” Wilco lead singer Jeff Tweedy languidly sings in the first verse amid roomy drums and a warm slide guitar. “I’d like to lay my weary bones tonight / On a bed of California stars.” The artistic pair breathe new life into Guthrie’s decades-old work. Tweedy relates the tale of a fatigued Oklahoman during the Dust Bowl era dreaming of uprooting his life for the

lines of poetry, in spite of my personal aversion to nostalgia.

While many love the poignant sensation of relishing in the warm glow of the past, I am steadfast in my charge forward, spending very little time looking back.

One of the few exceptions is returning to the most glorious time of my life, a time in which art was abundant,

my dad prepared home-cooked meals nightly and my bedtime was 8 p.m. — the peak era for Disney Channel original movies.

In the rare case where my heart longs a little, one of these films is the impetus. To celebrate the true classics, I present 10 of Disney Channel’s best original songs.

‘You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home’ (2009) by Hannah Montana

For the homesick, the heartsick or the heartbroken, “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home” is the perfect pick-me-up. Although Emory University is only four hours from my hometown Savannah, Ga., whenever I find myself craving the marsh-air and the cold nose of my dog pressed against my cheek, I turn to this track. This cheerful song reminds the listener that you can never stray too far away from the ones you love. “Your best friends, your little hometown / Are waiting up wherever you go now,” Hannah (Miley Cyrus) sings.

By AlyA Khoury Contributing Writer

College students are not strangers to worrying. The familiar feeling of uncertainty usually encompasses all central decisions: selecting classes, choosing majors, balancing social lives and contemplating post-graduation plans.

But what happens when these feelings of worry become unhealthy?

On the fifth floor of Emory University’s Psychology and Interdisciplinary Science Building, a group of driven psychologists and computer scientists are dedicated to answering this question.

The Translational Lab investigates a deeper aspect of worry: rumination. The lab’s director, Peter Hitchcock, defined the term as the sensation of worrying about oneself and one’s past

H A-tien nguyen/stA ff iLLustr Ator

Golden State. He yearns for something better, and despite his melancholic tone, a dormant hope lies beneath the surface. Tweedy’s vocals feel tired yet peacefully subdued — he has relinquished control and is finally laying down his body to rest. I have always interpreted the track as a spiritual rebirth, emblematic of the spring season and embodying the general spirit of renewal.

— Ari Segal, Senior

Staff Writer

‘From the Garden’ (2021) by Isaiah Rashad feat. Lil Uzi Vert

When I think of spring, I think of quirky, refreshing and unchecked energy. Rashad and Lil Uzi Vert deliver such liveliness in “From the Garden.”

The intro track of Rashad’s latest album, “The House Is Burning,” is full of vigor as he and Lil Uzi Vert giddily rattle off bars to seemingly no end. Rashad shouts “came out bustin’” a total of 78 times in the three minutes and nine seconds of the track. Following a long, cold winter, spring is the time to be carefree and bright. It is the season to live without rhyme or reason, which is exactly what Rashad and Lil Uzi Vert do in “From the Garden.” As the DJ at Mulberry Skate Park says at the end of the song, “We ain’t got time to be slippin’ on no cheese and chicken.”

— Samuel Temple, Campus Desk

instead of the future.

This can feel all-consuming and paralyzing, especially for people who suffer from clinical depression, anxiety or both.

This can feel allconsuming and paralyzing, especially for people who suffer from clinical depression, anxiety or both.

Since August, Hitchcock and the lab’s manager, Mina Chang, have been working to establish the lab on

Meet the press: Chupack, Davis reflect on leading the Wheel

By AlexAndrA KAuffmAn senior stAff Writer

After four years of writing and editing for The Emory Wheel, Matthew Chupack (24C) and Sarah Davis (22Ox, 24C) ended their term as co-editors-in-chief (EICs) on March 18.

Chupack, who was involved with his high school’s newspaper, knew he wanted to join the Wheel when he started his first year at Emory University in 2020.

He began writing for the News and Emory Life sections after his resident advisor connected him with one of the Wheel’s editors. Chupack became an assistant news editor later that year and went on to serve as the section and executive editor.

Next fall, Chupack will attend University of Chicago Law School. He is graduating with a joint degree in religion and sociology and a minor in community building and social change.

Like Chupack, Davis began her journalism career in high school and became an assistant news editor her freshman year, making her one of the only editors at Oxford College at the time.

She took on the role of managing editor of Arts & Entertainment and Emory Life her sophomore year.

Davis is double majoring in philosophy, politics and law and English.

She is currently an intern with CNN National Content Center and hopes to continue a career in journalism after graduation.

Chupack and Davis sat down with the Wheel to discuss their journeys at Emory and their time together as EICs.

This Q&A has been edited for clarity and length.

The Emory Wheel: When did each of you individually know that you were interested in running for EICs, and how did you ultimately decide to run together?

Matthew Chupack: It was October 2022, right after The Hub came out. I knew Sarah was going to be distributing The Hub that day around campus, so I volunteered to also distribute The Hub that day because I knew we would be in a car together.

We were stopped on the side of Dickey Drive, and I asked, “What are your plans for next year?” And then followed up like, “Do you want to run for EICs with me?”

I worked with Sarah as a news editor. Both of us coming from a similar news background and journalism training under the same editors at the Wheel was very, very beneficial. ... It meant a lot to me that we had similar stances towards coverage, towards journalism and ethics.

Sarah Davis: I was cornered in a car when he asked me to run together, and it really threw me off because we had worked together as news editors and I was on the Oxford campus, he was on the Atlanta campus — naturally, there was a lot of communication disconnect through the nature of breaking news and running meetings and all the load that it takes to be a news editor.

That really took me by surprise, but we ended up having a lot of really good conversations about our training in news, our vision for the Wheel and what leadership looks like and found out that everything aligned. We worked our way back to each other as leaders through those conversations. … Running on a joint ticket allowed me to be abroad and have him in the office leading there while I did some more of the editing or behind-the-scenes work.

TEW: Do you feel like you’ve fulfilled these goals that you laid out for yourselves when you ran for EICs?

Davis: Recruitment was a big fo-

cus for me, and particularly Oxford recruitment. When I was at Oxford, there had only been, in recent years, one other person before me who’d become a section editor. I started holding news meetings on the Oxford campus, which was very exciting and pretty challenging at times to coordinate with the Atlanta campus folks.

Those meetings are still going on, and now for a lot of other sections too. … We have five or six editors based on the Oxford campus now, and to me, that’s amazing because we’ve gotten so many more writers from that campus and really grown up our reporting there. … We get to do some really needed coverage of Oxford campus by growing our staff there, also some more positive news coming out of that campus that Atlanta students might not hear.

“We have five or six editors based on the Oxford campus now, and to me, that’s amazing because we’ve gotten so many more writers from that campus.”

— Sarah Davis

Chupack: One thing is we essentially revamped the [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)] task force. We took over when there were a lot of retention issues. There were only a couple of editors on the task force and all the non-editor members left.

Everyone on the task force now is … newly hired. Being able to rebuild that task force was something I’m really proud of and I’m excited to see what the DEI task force members continue to do and how they continue to strengthen our organization. We also, this year, had some more journalism resources or professional journalism opportunities for people to engage in. We had [the Asian American Journalists Association] come to our campus, and we hosted an event with professional journalists through that.

TEW: What’s been your guys’ favorite aspect of working with each other?

Davis: That’s really hard to narrow down. We’ve had a remarkably smooth time working together. … We put in over 50 or 60 hours a week, and it’s a lot of time spent together. … We’ve just grown to be really good friends. Matthew is a wonderful leader and has a lot of

patience, so we’ve been able to balance each other out in many ways.

Chupack: When Sarah and I decided to run for EICs together, I would not call us friends — we were just acquaintances. … The best part of this year has really been becoming friends with Sarah. … Sometimes we’d have to drop everything last minute for an emergency phone call or for an emergency Zoom.

Having Sarah be there and working with her has made those stressful times so much more manageable and really enjoyable, even in the most nerve-racking aspects of the job.

TEW: What’s your favorite articles you’ve written in your four years at the Wheel?

Chupack: One that I really enjoyed working on was a profile on Tracy Scott, who’s a sociology professor. I talked about what it was like growing up as a child of an astronaut, and her dad’s one of the few people to have walked on the moon. … So that one was more of a fun one.

I also wrote a series of articles about Emory’s law school and a tense climate there, and most notably, the pedagogy surrounding the use of slurs in the classroom.

Specifically, I looked into one professor’s use of a slur in fall 2021 and students’ reactions both in favor of that usage and against that usage and the University’s response.

One other bit I enjoyed doing was looking at … female Emory professors and their struggles in academia. I looked at Emory-specific data and found that female professors’ salaries on average are lower than their male counterparts.

Davis: I love election season.

When I first came onto the Wheel, I was doing political coverage for special elections. I also covered the polls two years ago and a new generation of poll workers.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, poll workers, which are typically older people who are retired, didn’t feel safe going back and getting that position. … There were some students who signed up to be poll workers and went through that process.

I also looked into some allegations of anti-LGBTQ discrimination at Glenn Memorial Church, which is on Emory’s Atlanta campus.

There were a couple of current professors and a couple of former members who had raised some concerns about Glenn standing by the Methodist Book of Discipline, which at the time said that people who were openly LGBTQ+ were not able to become clergy members and be ordained.

A couple of days later, I was driving around in Emory Village,

are two memories from freshman year that always will stick out to me. One was when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris came to campus, and it was spring 2021, so COVID-19 was still a huge concern.

That was the first time I really saw the Emory campus community come together. … Me and Sarah were there live-tweeting and speaking to students who were coming to, hopefully, get a glimpse of Biden.

Going there for the Wheel was really my first time in college when I was with a big group of people, so that will always stand out to me.

Also freshman year, me and another writer took a few different Uber rides throughout Atlanta to try to speak to the driver and see whether Emory students were going off campus and going to bars.

So we took Uber rides to Jeni’s and Sweet Hut and different places, asking the Uber driver, “Do you pick up students from Emory’s campus ever? Where do they tend to go?” I was very shy as a freshman.

and I saw this huge pride flag hanging from the church. I’ll never know if that was a direct result of my reporting — I wouldn’t say that — but it was interesting to see that that was the church’s response during a time when they were getting openly criticized by members of the community. Open expression on campus continues to be something we cover. … Over this past year, that goes back to the initial Stop Cop City protest in April, and I helped break the news, and that continues to unfold.

I was glad that we were able to report on that quickly and continue that coverage, as free speech continues to be a very important conversation on college campuses across the United States.

TEW: What are some of your favorite memories at the Wheel?

Davis: The flashbulb one that’s always going to stick with me is my first production night. We stayed there until 3 a.m. We were new assistant news editors. Matthew and I were stumbling out of the office. It was us and the then-EIC, Maddie [Bober (20C)], and the rest of the news team at the time.

Walton [Press], who handles all of our printing, called in to Maddie and said, “Some of your pages are missing and you need to correct them as soon as possible if you want the papers here in the morning.”

“Having Sarah be there and working with her has made those stressful times so much more manageable and really enjoyable.”

— Matthew Chupack

Everyone was exhausted, it was raining, we were outside of the gym. It was Isaiah [Poritz (21C)], former EIC as well, who had an umbrella, and he went to cover Maddie so that she could get out her computer and file everything correctly.

It was such a small moment, but I was like, “This is the kind of dedication that this publication has to cover your community and making sure that everything runs smoothly.”

The act of holding the umbrella for your co-editor — it’s very kind and giving community. That’s just been my experience all my time throughout the Wheel. It all goes back to that very small moment.

Chupack: Thinking back, there

Having to be in an Uber with a writer I never met before and talking to these drivers, in the moment, was very scary, but now I look back on it, it was fun getting to report while getting ice cream.

TEW: What have you learned from your time at the Wheel?

Davis: Don’t assume you know things. I thought I knew that Matthew and I didn’t work well together, and we ended up having one of the best co-leadership experiences that I’ve ever had.

That goes in general with college. You come in with these set ideas of how the world works, and then you read really interesting philosophy, or you talk to someone from a very different background, and your worldview gets shifted. It’s the same thing with leading at the Wheel.

Every new challenge and every new experience shifted my view of leadership and my view of journalism on campus.

Chupack: One thing it taught me is the importance of trust. That’s having trust in who you’re working with. … We wouldn’t have been able to get through probably one week, if we didn’t really trust each other. … Working on the Wheel has really taught me the importance of student journalism and campus journalism.

TEW: What is your favorite emoji to react with on Slack?

Davis: I really like the tractor one. I started using that after we went down for an interest meeting at Oxford. … I was like, “You all think Oxford is just this super rural campus where nothing goes on.” We literally showed up, got off the shuttle, and there was a guy on a tractor going by the student center, and I thought it was the most hilarious thing.

Chupack: There are some editors who have their faces as custom Slack reactions. I like to use that when a Slack reminds me of them or when they send a Slack to show my solidarity with them.

TEW: Do you have anything else to say to the Wheel readers at home?

Davis: I have really enjoyed the past year leading the Wheel with Matthew. I’m thrilled about the fact that Madi [Olivier (25C)] and Sophia [Peyser (25C)] are going to be taking over to lead next. They’re going to be incredible.

Chupack: I’m leaving the organization with a lot of confidence that it’s going to continue to succeed in the coming year under Madi and Sophia. They both have a great mix of backgrounds. ... The organization will flourish under them.

– Contact Alexandra Kauffman at amkauff@emory.edu

A diti MisHr A/Contributing PHotogr APHer

Editors-in-Chief Sarah Davis (22Ox, 24C) and Matthew Chupack (24C) graduate in May.

10 top tier Disney Channel original tracks to trigger nostalgia

Continued from Page 11

In “Hannah Montana: The Movie” (2009), the pop superstar Hannah struggles with her identity and maintaining connection to her country roots.

She wants to make it big, travel the world and be a global hit, but she doesn’t want to lose her family along the way.

As someone with only slightly less lofty aspirations, this song really speaks to me. “You can say ‘goodbye,’ and you can say ‘hello’ / But you’ll always find your way back home.” Somehow, I always find my way back to this track.

‘Gotta Go My Own Way’ (2007) by

Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens

To say “Gotta Go My Own Way” altered my brain chemistry is an understatement.

From “High School Musical 2” (2007), this beautiful, emotionally evocative ballad details the downfall of a relationship that falls victim to miscommunication and misprioritization. Hudgens’ delicate voice adeptly communicates her feeling of defeat and dejection as she sings, “We might find our place in this world someday / But at least for now, I gotta go my own way.”

Normally, when a man interjects in an argument, I am not amused, but Efron’s passionate verse imploring his partner to stay is genuinely beautiful. “What about me?” he muses, tugging at my heartstrings with the utter desperation in his voice.

When the two alternate verses, a symphony of heartbreak, disappointment and remorse mingles. If only the song could include the stunning cinematography of Gabriella Montez’s (Hudgens) mom picking her up in a silver minivan after the last chorus.

‘She’s So Gone’ (2011) by Naomi

Scott

I have truly glorious memories of belting this Naomi Scott anthem in the shower after my first ever breakup. Granted, I was 10, and our break-

up was an overreaction to my ruthless domination on the tetherball set at recess. Nonetheless, it stung. “She’s So Gone” is the standout track from the Disney Channel original movie, “Lemonade Mouth” (2011). On the track, the once-shy — but, of course, stunning — singer discovers her confidence and triumphs over her toxic ex-boyfriend. “Insecure in her skin / Like a puppet, a girl on a string,” Scott sings, acknowledging her once submissive role in this relationship.

This upbeat pop track is the perfect break-up anthem. The song details the metamorphosis of a young woman liberating herself from the shackles of an emotionally abusive romance. Scott taunts her old flame, “You can look but you won’t see the / Girl I used to be, ’cause she / She’s so gone.” Message signed, sealed and delivered.

‘Don’t Run Away’ (2012) by Tyler James

Williams and IM5

“Don’t Run Away” is part of the soundtrack for “Let It Shine” (2012), a film about a rapper’s journey from rags to riches with a romantic subplot. As a whole, “Let It Shine” has an incredible soundtrack that dabbles in the genres of rap, R&B, pop and soul. The lyrical quality of these tracks is suspect, but the vibes are immaculate. The confessional, romantic rap track professes a dedication to making a relationship work.

The track is energetic as it alternates between deadpan verses and soulful choruses. The rapper’s obsession with his subject is obvious, and his admiration only increases throughout the track. “You’re more than meets the eye / Girl, you pterodactyl fly,” Williams spits. Move over William Shakespeare, Tyler James Williams has taken your spotlight.

‘Wouldn’t Change a Thing’ (2010) by

Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas

Among the many “Camp Rock” (2008) series hits, including “Introducing me” (2010) and “You’re My Favorite Song” (2010), one track that I find myself constantly coming back to is “Wouldn’t Change a Thing.” This

powerful duet between Lovato and Jonas encapsulates the energy of teenage love. The singers acknowledge their inherent incompatibility, but they are nonetheless attached to this all-encompassing love. The lyrics are gut-wrenching, such as, “We’re like different stars / But you’re the harmony to every song I sing.”

The real strength of this track is the vocal prowess of Lovato and Jonas, which is proven by their genuine rise to stardom in their post-Disney Channel years. Lovato published powerful, confident pop bangers in her early music such as “Heart Attack” (2013) and “Sorry Not Sorry” (2017). Jonas continued his work in collaboration with his family in the group Jonas Brothers and with DNCE, a U.S. pop-rock band.

The success of their individual careers demonstrates their undeniable talent.

‘If Only’ (2015) by Dove Cameron

In my opinion, “Descendants” (2015) is the last Disney Channel original movie with the traces of the beauty, welcomed-cringe and celebrated innocence of the previous productions. Despite the moments when the movie falls flat, such as when Mal (Dove Cameron) gives Jane (Brenna D’Amico) a new haircut through which she discovers her untapped beauty, the soundtrack is absolutely perfect.

Bangers like “Did I Mention” (2015) and “Rotten to the Core” (2015) reflect the inexplicable power of Disney Channel to produce honestly-horrendous tracks that somehow leave me wanting more.

“If Only” is not one of these silly, embarrassing tracks that invites only the inner child to relish in it.

As a breathtaking ballad, the song explores motifs of self-sabotage, desire and personal identity in relationships.

“If Only” is unironically one of my most played songs of all time.

Cameron brilliantly performs the track with uninhibited passion. The lyrics are candid and mature while still capturing that Disney Channel mysticality.

“Will you still be with me when the magic’s all run out?” Cameron sings.

Translational Lab investigates anxiety

Continued from Page 11

Emory’s Atlanta campus.

Through their research, the members of the lab hope to advance knowledge on therapeutic strategies and help people stuck in rumination.These psychologists use methods of clinical therapy combined with computational neuroscience to model the process of rumination.

In other words, the researchers gather information from real people and computers to understand what happens when people get lost in their thoughts. They are working to create artificial agents that react to certain scenarios and compare the process of a computer to that of a patient.

Through this comparison, they can better observe patterns and model decision-making processes, Hitchcock

said. While Hitchcock has studied clinical psychology and computational neuroscience separately, the overlap of the two is new. Hitchcock said the abundance of researchers and their willingness to be involved in the intersection of these two areas of study incentivized him to conduct his research at Emory.

“We now really have a critical mass here at Emory of people who will do that sort of research,” Hitchcock said. The novelty of this research method, using computers alongside clinical work to understand the workings of the brain, attracted people like Chang to join the team.

“I am research staff, technically, but I feel like my nine to five is learning,” Chang said.

This passion for learning likewise ensures that the lab environment is encouraging and energetic.

Nicole Cobb (26C), an undergraduate research assistant in the lab this semester, said that Hitchcock establishes a welcoming environment that fosters community and collaboration.

“[Hitchcock] cares about growing this lab up into something more about not only technical things but also just making sure that we have a good community and good support here,” Cobb said.

Don’t worry too much about worrying. Hitchcock’s team is working to understand better what exactly is happening in the brain.

– Contact Alya Khoury at alya.khoury@emory.edu

Against all odds and after many years, the magic of “If Only” still remains.

‘Had Me @ Hello’ (2012) by Olivia Holt

“Had Me @ Hello” is the standout track from one of my all-time favorite Disney Channel originals, “Girl vs. Monster” (2012).

After Skylar Lewis (Holt) faces her fears and defeats the evil ghost chasing after her soul, the movie culminates in this absolute banger. While the auto-tune is noticeable, the overlaid techno-beats ensure that Holt’s over-edited voice pairs smoothly with the tone of the track.

This song just makes me want to dance. It is spunky, lively and romantic. “I can feel you comin’ from a mile away / My pulse starts racin’ from the words that you say,” Holt sings, hinting at the sweat-inducing giddiness of a moment with your crush.

“Don’t say, don’t say goodnight / You know you had me at hello,” Holt admits. This song had me at first listen.

‘Me And You’ (2012) by Coco Jones and Tyler James Williams

Although it is another track from “Let It Shine,” “Me And You” demonstrates an entirely different musical palette. Jones delivers a stunning performance of this emotional ballad, her voice equal parts demanding and delicate.

“Me And You” is more than a song — it is a confessional and a conversation between two people at a crossroads.

“Tell me, are you who I thought you were? / Or who I wanted you to be?” Jones implores. The song alternates between her smooth voice begging for answers and Williams attempting to explain his mistakes. It is a fusion of R&B, pop and rap.

My only qualm with the studio version is the omission of the desperate plea from Williams in the movie, “Roxie I’m sorry.” I still say it anyway, with my whole chest.

‘Something About the Sunshine’ (2010) by Anna Margaret and Christopher Wilde

This song is a straight shot of serotonin.

Every time I listen, I must fight the desire to skip across a sandy boardwalk, purchase a cookies-and-cream milkshake and bask in the sunshine.

From the film “Starstruck” (2010), this track accompanies the unexpected budding of a relationship between pop star Christopher (Sterling Knight) and painfully normal girl, Jessica Olson (Danielle Campbell).

“There’s something about the sunshine, baby / I’m seeing you in a whole new light,” the pair sings.

While the song is slightly overproduced, which is showcased by the aggressive manipulation of the singer’s vocals, it does not diminish the charm.

“Something About the Sunshine” is a beautiful track that contemplates the giddiness of a new relationship.

The song sees the world through rose-colored glasses, imploring its listeners to simply relax and enjoy the overwhelming optimism.

‘Bet On It’ (2007) by Zac Efron

Despite the cringe dance montage that accompanies this song in “High School Musical 2,” “Bet On It” should be taken seriously as a stand-alone audio track.

It tackles many complicated, ever-present themes in college environments such as anxiety and imposter syndrome.

The song motivates listeners through both lyrics and sound.

“I’m not gonna stop, that’s who I am,” Troy (Efron) declares over aggressive percussion instruments.

The track follows an intoxicating cadence. The tempo rises and falls in a reflection of the lyrical tone of the verse.

During the bridge, the drums fade and the cymbals are employed to create a majestic atmosphere, preparing for an epiphanic resolution.

“The answers are all inside of me / All I gotta do is believe,” Troy realizes. If only it were that simple.

– Contact Catherine Goodman at catherine.goodman@emory.edu

Translational Lab Director Peter Hitchcock mingles with the lab team at a welcome meeting.

Club equestrian experiences ‘rebuilding’ period

can make some of the skills easier. However, she noted that “finesse” is equally important to riding since the sport is also an “art.”

Yarbrough, who is also a professional rider, said the best thing an equestrian can do for their horse is consider how the animal reacts during rides. She also said she still learns something new every time she gets on a horse.

“Even though I’m a trainer and I’ve ridden for forever, I’m still learning a ton,” Yarbrough said. “They always have something to teach you.”

In the future, Loomis and McGovern hope more people are interested in joining the team, which accepts all skill levels.

“We take everyone as long as they’re willing to put some effort in and willing to learn something new,” Loomis said.

McGovern added that the club is a good way to spend time with friends and the animals she’s grown up around.

“At the end of the day, it’s just people who like to ride,” Loomis said. “I’m really excited about getting the opportunity to do that at college.”

— Contact Sasha Melamud at sasha.melamud@emory.edu

Behind the boom: Deciphering the NBA scoring surge

By AnAnth SAStry Contributing Writer

In recent National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons, the league has undergone a profound transformation in scoring. The average points scored per game for teams has soared from an average of 101 in the 2013-14 season to a staggering 114.7 in the 2023-24 season, as of press time. This notable increase in offensive output has sparked fervent debates among fans, analysts and players, prompting inquiries into its root causes and implications for the game.

Remarkable individual performances exemplify the surge in scoring. In January alone, four players transcended the 60-point threshold in one game within just four days. This feat, achieved by only 36 players in the 78-year history of the NBA, underscores the magnitude of the scoring explosion gripping the league. Philadelphia 76ers forward Nicolas Batum, a seasoned NBA veteran, encapsulated the prevailing sentiment when he told reporters during a game in January that “70 is the new 50.”

This sentiment reflects the shifting paradigm in basketball. Highscoring performances once deemed exceptional are now becoming increasingly commonplace, and offensive proficiency is celebrated and revered like never before. Amid the euphoria surrounding the scoring surge, dissenting voices have emerged. Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday, widely regarded as one of the premier defensive point guards in the league, offered a thought-provoking perspective on the matter, questioning the impact of defensive restrictions on the game.

“People like to see people score 60 and 70 and do all that,” Holiday told reporters. “How are you going to do that if somebody can be physical and be handsy and be aggressive in that way? So, I personally don’t think that the balance is there.”

The NBA’s concerted efforts to curb physicality and promote offensive fluidity have contributed to the scoring boom. Holiday’s statement underscores concerns regarding the per-

ceived erosion of defensive integrity in favor of offensive spectacle.

Why the scoring boom has occurred

Rule changes in 2004 and 2016 aimed at limiting hand-checking and illegal defense have afforded offensive players greater freedom to maneuver and create scoring opportunities. While these adjustments have undoubtedly enhanced the entertainment value of the game, they have also raised questions about the balance between offense and defense.

However, we cannot attribute the scoring boom solely to the newfound softness of the league. In recent years, there has been a pronounced emphasis on three-point shooting, spacing and pace. Teams are increasingly prioritizing efficient scoring opportunities, such as layups, dunks and three-pointers over mid-range jump shots. NBA teams were only averaging 2.4 three-point attempts per game in the 1983-84 season. In the 2022-23 season, Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson alone averaged 10.6. Teams averaged 34.2.

Traditional defensive strategies have proven ineffective against modern offenses that prioritize perimeter scoring and ball movement.

Moreover, the emergence of transcendent talents who possess unparalleled offensive versatility, like Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, has further catalyzed the scoring explosion. Traditional defensive strategies have proven ineffective against modern offenses that prioritize perimeter scoring and ball movement. Consequently, teams

have experimented with new defensive tactics, such as switching defensive assignments, zone defenses and trap schemes, to contain these elite scorers.

However, these defensive adjustments have often been outpaced by offensive innovations, including teams implementing big men who traditionally played a more defensive role into their offensive foundations. With the increased emphasis on three-point shooting and perimeter skills, traditional big men are facing pressure to adapt their games to fit the modern style of play. This shift could potentially limit opportunities for players who excel in traditional post-up and mid-range play, altering the talent pool and diversity of playing styles in the league.

Take, for example, the San Antonio Spurs’ 20-year-old center Victor Wembanyama. Standing at a whopping 7 feet 4 inches tall, most fans would expect him to play the traditional center role, focusing on rebounding and layups like most

players his size. However, he sometimes operates as the Spurs’ point guard as well, averaging 1.7 threes made off of 5.2 attempts each game and averaging four assists per game. This would have been unheard of for a player like Wembanyama 20 years ago. But now, with players like Jokic — a 7-foot big man and two-time NBA most valuable player averaging 25.9 points, 12.2 rebounds and 9.1 assists this season — the league can truly flourish with big men leading the way, subsequently increasing the points scored in a game.

Implications of the surge

The scoring boom in the NBA has significant financial implications for the basketball industry. Firstly, the boom enhances fan engagement, making games more exciting and attracting higher viewership, which translates into increased revenues from ticket sales, merchandise and sponsorships.

Higher viewership makes broadcasting and streaming rights more valuable, resulting in more lucrative deals for the league and its teams.

Player salaries increase as star players who excel in scoring become more sought after by teams and sponsors, driving up their market value. The league’s international appeal could grow as well, attracting more global viewership and opening up new markets for the NBA. Finally, fantasy sports and sports betting markets can benefit from the unpredictability and excitement of higher-scoring games, driving revenues for fantasy sports platforms, betting operators, associated advertisers and sponsors. Overall, an NBA scoring boom can have a multifaceted financial impact, benefiting various stakeholders and further strengthening the league’s position in the sports industry.

As an NBA fan, I see the scoring boom as a double-edged sword. On one hand, it injects thrilling energy into the game, especially during moments when every shot matters. I find myself eagerly anticipating each basket, particularly in the final minutes of close games. However, while offensive prowess is undoubtedly exhilarating to behold, I cannot ignore the downside. With the increasing emphasis on offense, there seems to be a gradual erosion of appreciation for defensive prowess. Spectacular 60 to 70-point performances, once rare and awe-inspiring, now seem almost routine. This normalization of high scores might lead fans to undervalue the defensive efforts required to contain such prolific scoring.

In essence, while I enjoy the heightened excitement that the scoring boom brings, I also worry about its long-term effects on the perception of defensive play. Maintaining the integrity and excitement of the game hinges on striking a delicate balance between offensive firepower and defensive tenacity. As the NBA evolves, this equilibrium becomes increasingly crucial for ensuring the sport’s continued success and longevity.

Justin Whitening/staff Photogra Pher Atlanta Hawks forward Saddiq Bey walks on the court during a game against the Orlando Magic on Feb. 25.

Saltburn

Sports The Emory Wheel

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Brock cements Emory basketball legacy

By EvAn MAlinow Contributing Writer

For graduate guard Claire Brock, basketball, leadership and winning are natural.

Hailing from Knoxville, Tenn., Brock’s list of accolades began in high school, where she was a three-time District Player of the Year and made the All-District Tournament Team her final three years at the Christian Academy of Knoxville.

This list of accolades only got longer during her time on Emory University’s women’s basketball team. Over the course of the 2023-24 season, Brock averaged 17.1 points per game, leading the Eagles in scoring for her third consecutive season. Brock was offensively efficient as well, shooting 47.3% from the field, 41.5% from three-point range and 87% from the free-throw line.

This season, Brock reached 1,000 career points. She also made the AllUniversity Athletic Association First Team and earned her second consecutive All-America Honorable Mention.

However, Brock’s Emory basketball career was not always full of points and awards.

Equestrian club takes the reins

By SAShA MElAMud Staff Writer

Emory University’s women-led club equestrian team has retaken the reins this year, with several members returning to regionals after spending the year rebuilding the club. A significant portion of the team’s riders graduated last year, leaving the group struggling to have enough members to compete in shows.

“Being at the competitions and being able to do that and being ready for that as a team, that was a big accomplishment for us,” said equestrian team co-President Charlotte Loomis (26B).

There are different events within equestrian, including racing, show jumping, dressage, eventing and endurance riding. Riders are expected to do all the events atop a horse that weighs between 900 to 2,200 pounds.

Loomis said that even the “most experienced rider” will still be nervous. For an animal with a top speed of about 40 miles per hour, it is easy for riders to feel that they’re being “ran away with,” which is an apprehen-

sion that equestrian team co-President Claire McGovern (26C) often battles before jumps.

“When I’m going up to a jump I’m scared of, I try not to mess with the horse,” McGovern said. “I kind of just keep the power going and basically kind of sit there. I know everyone says ‘Horseback riders just sit there,’ but in that instance I do.”

Loomis noted the importance of riders separating what they may be feeling on the inside and what they show on the outside.

“With riding, your confidence comes from you understanding how to communicate with your horse and also what they need from you and also how to ask for things because every horse is very different,” Loomis said.

She added that an aspect of vulnerability exists solely in equestrianism.

“The horse is trusting you to get on their back and giving you a sense of responsibility and control over them,” Loomis said. “But then also you’re doing the same to them because … there’s certain things that I’m trusting you with and my safety.”

This vulnerability required to gain trust with a horse could be the reason why women are more drawn to the sport, which is female-dominated save for the higher levels of racing and jumping, Loomis said. Emory’s club team, for example, is 92% female, according to McGovern. On a global scale, over 75% of professional riders are women.

However, only six female jockeys have ridden in the Kentucky Derby.

“It is very female dominated the entire way up, until all of a sudden, you become a professional show jumper and then there’s a bunch of guys,” Loomis said.

Kara Yarbrough, the team’s trainer, explained that men have a physical advantage, as their natural strength

“Her freshman year, [she] played in maybe a handful of games,” said Emory Women’s Basketball Head Coach Misha Jackson (13C). “So, you talk about underdog — this is a kid that literally started from the bottom.”

Brock was not a starter or major contributor her first year on the team, and her sophomore season was then canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Brock felt unsatisfied ending her college career without using all her years of eligibility. She said the team’s chemistry played a large role in her decision to return to the court for a fifth year while she earned a master of arts in bioethics at the Rollins School of Public Health.

“A lot of things were left unfinished for me, only having three years,” Brock said. “The team itself is just full of so many girls that I love being around, and the coaching staff as well. They just invest so much in us. So it’s something that I love being a part of.”

In March, the team was ranked No. 6 in the country, the highest in program history. They qualified for the NCAA tournament for the sixth time on Feb. 26.

“I’ve had several coaches in our league telling me, ‘I just love Claire Brock’ after talking to her and meeting with her.”

— Misha Jackson

“It’s really good for me to see how the program has changed over the years to where it is the expectation that we make it into the NCAA tournament,” Brock said.

Brock’s leadership as a three-time captain helped Emory earn consecutive NCAA tournament appearances for the first time in 2023 and 2o24. Jackson said Brock’s attitude and work ethic have been a positive influence for the rest of the team.

“Her confidence, her swagger, it allowed her to lead it the way she

needed to,” Jackson said. “It was a great example to her teammates about putting in the hard work and the confidence that comes after it.”

However, every year introduced new challenges for Brock. Senior forward and fellow captain Paige Gross noted the team had seven freshmen this season, and it was their job to get them “acclimated and comfortable on the court.”

Nonetheless, Brock and Gross were up to the challenge, and with this mix of experience and fresh legs, expectations rose for the team.

“The intensity and the expectations of our team have really stepped up from previous years,” Brock said. “In drills, our goals are always a lot higher than they have been in past years because we’re capable of reaching those higher numbers.”

The team combined their hard work and camaraderie to push themselves to a 19-6 regular season record. Many of these games featured exceptional showings from Brock. Jackson said some of her fondest memories of Brock were her 30-point performances, one of which came against Washington and Lee University (Va.) on Nov. 25, 2023.

In the game, Brock orchestrated a dominant 39-point performance, shooting 62% from the field, 70% from three-point range and 100% from the free throw line. Her high level of play helped the team edge out their top-25 opponent by a score of 86-78.

“It was a crucial, crucial game,” Jackson said. “It literally was our ticket into the tournament, and she dropped 39 points. So to do that, at that stage on the road in a very crucial game was just amazing … to see.”

Beyond her incredible performances, Brock’s teammate and coach highlighted her outstanding leadership.

“She’s carried our team through a lot of big wins this season and in past seasons,” Gross said. “But I think the more important thing is her leadership … off the court. She’s such a passionate and competitive leader, but she knows the right things to say at the right moments to get the team amped up.”

Jackson said even the opposing teams’ coaches recognize Brock’s impressive qualities as a leader.

“I’ve had several coaches in our league telling me, ‘I just love Claire Brock’ after talking to her and meeting with her,” Jackson said.

Although Brock’s hard work has not gone unnoticed, Jackson illustrated that opponents often underestimated

her abilities because of her relatively small stature.

“People, if she’s walking down the street, would not assume she’s an AllAmerican basketball player,” Jackson said. “She doesn’t necessarily pass the eye test. A lot of times when we play opponents not in our league, they’re like, ‘Oh, this is a kid. We’ll be fine,’ then she drops 20.”

However, Brock’s time at Emory was not always serious. Gross said Brock brought a lighthearted energy to the team, often getting in “goofy moods.”

“She knows the right things to say at the right moments to get the team amped up.”

— Paige Gross

“There’s one time before a game, we were in the training room getting ready, and she found this one dog video on her Instagram and was cracking up and was at the point of literally crying,” Gross said. “She showed it to all of us, and we didn’t think it was super funny, but we were laughing, and her energy … was so funny.”

Similarly, one of Brock’s favorite memories was not about basketball, but rather a team trip to Italy.

“To be honest with you, I can’t tell you anything that happened in those games,” Brock said. “We got to go and experience so many different cities, and we got to do a cooking class, we got to do all of these really fun things, and that’s something that I’ll never forget. I would have never had that opportunity if it wasn’t for basketball.”

Brock said she is thankful for all the opportunities Emory and the game of basketball have provided her. Although her Emory career has come to an end after a first-round exit from the 2024 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship, Brock’s Emory basketball legacy will not be forgotten.

“[Claire] is a great representation of what I’ve always wanted for Emory women’s basketball,” Jackson said.

— Contact Evan Malinow at evan.malinow@emory.edu

C ourtesy of Charlotte l oomis

Peace Omorodion (25C), a member of the Emory equestrian club team, poses with a horse.

natalie sandloW/Visual editor

Graduate guard Claire Brock gets introduced before a game against Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) on Jan. 13, 2023.

C ourtesy of Charlotte l oomis

Claire McGovern (26C) competes in a show.