October 9, 2019

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The Emory Wheel 100 Years of

Emory University’s Independent Student Newspaper

Volume 100, Issue 31

Printed Every Wednesday

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

BUSINESS SCHOOL

FACULTY

BBA Changes Enrollment Procedures

Jericho Brown Shortlisted For National Book Award

By Ninad Kulkarni Senior Staff Writer

By Christopher Labaza Contributing Writer

Goizueta Business School will end its undergraduate bidding course enrollment system and switch to a direct enrollment system for the Spring 2020 enrollment cycle, according to Undergraduate BBA Assistant Dean Libby Egnor. The direct enrollment course registration system is currently in use by Emory College and was piloted last year for Business School students enrolling in College courses. Under the bidding system, BBA students allocated a total of 60 bid points to courses they wished to enroll in prior to course registration. Egnor said the bidding system helped the administration get a preview of student preferences for courses. Under the direct enrollment system, students will be given enrollment appointments for courses in both the business school and the College. “Using a bidding system provided us [with] a snapshot of what students wanted,” Egnor said. “It helped us understand the high-demand courses, and we

Creative Writing Program Director and Associate Professor Jericho Brown’s latest collection of poetry, “The Tradition,” was named a finalist for the 2019 National Book Award in Poetry on Tuesday. He is one of the five finalists in the poetry category.

See GOIZUETA, Page 2

Derrick Tran, Contributing

The Student Government Association passed the Student Bill of Rights on Oct. 7. Nine legistlators voted for the resolution and one voted against.

SGA Adopts Student Bill of Rights By Tanika Deuskar and Ana Kilbourn Senior Staff Writer and Contributing Writer

The 53rd legislature of the Student Government Association (SGA) passed a resolution codifying the Emory Student Bill of Rights on Monday. The Emory chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) gave a presentation about an upcoming series of events celebrating black culture dur-

ing the first-ever Black Homecoming Week, which will be held throughout the week of Oct. 28. Student Bill of Rights The Emory Student Bill of Rights, authored by College Council (CC) Chief of Staff Alex Chanen (21B), was adopted by all four divisional councils before it appeared before SGA. The resolution states that all students should be guaranteed certain rights such as the right to food security, the right to feel safe

PROVOST LECTURE SERIES

on campus and the right to have their voices heard. “This is a call to action. This is a message that we stand by this,” Chanen said, adding that he hopes that the passage of the resolution will enable “conversations” about some of these issues. The resolution passed with nine votes for and one legislator, senior Jasmine Cui (20C), voting against. In an interview with the Wheel,

Brown said he felt a sense of accomplishment upon hearing the news. In a tweet, he stated, “I am ecstatic!” Brown also expressed his gratitude to the judges, stating, “It’s such an honor to have [‘The Tradition’] among these beautiful books.”

See CUI, Page 4

See PROF, Page 4

Law Dean Addresses N-Word Scandals

Jackson Schneider, Contributing

Born in Berlin and raised in the U.S., American musician Meshell Ndegeocello spoke of her struggles and joys as a black artist on Oct. 3 at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts.

Provost Lecturer Talks Race and Music

American singer-songwriter and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello spoke about her experiences as a black artist and her search for musical truth at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts on Oct. 3. The event was part of the Provost Lecture Series. Ndegeocello, 51, was born in Berlin and raised in Washington, D.C. Her father was a saxophonist in the military

NEWS EIPAC Hosts

Israeli Rights Activits Rudy Rochman ... PAGE 2 P

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

ADMINISTRATION

By Isaiah Poritz News Editor

By Phyllis Guo Contributing Writer

Jericho Brown, Creative Writing Program Director, Associate Professor, National Book Award Finalist

band. “My father played [and] practiced all the time in the military, so I grew up hearing music,” Ndegeocello said. “My ears are everything to me. I hope that, when we evolve as a species, we have no eyes.” Ndegeocello acknowledged that she has trouble connecting with other people because of childhood loneliness and her limited interactions with her parents while she was growing up. She found she was socially unprepared for

blatant racism when she entered college, and recalled becoming discouraged. “It was heartbreaking how the lightskinned people treated dark-skinned people and vice versa,” Ndegeocello said. “I didn’t have a lot of friends, and my mother had severe mental illness. … The thing that lifted me up was my ability to make music.” Ndegeocello’s love for music helped reshape her relationship with her par-

See NDEGEOCELLO, Page 4

Amid recent controversies surrounding Emory Law School, Dean Mary Anne Bobinski addressed the use of racial slurs in class and her vision of the school’s future in an exclusive interview with the Wheel. Bobinski became the first woman dean in the school’s 103-year history on Aug. 1 of this year. She will remain in that position for five years. Addressing Recent Controversy Prior to Bobinski’s appointment, Law Professor Paul J. Zwier II was placed on paid administrative leave after reports that he used the N-word on two separate occasions in front of students in Fall 2018. On Sept. 9, two Emory Law School adjunct professors were accused of using the same racial slur in their respective classes. Bobinski said that although the incidents involving Zwier occurred before she came to the school, she feels responsible for learning how such events impact the law community. She noted that the incidents involving Zwier occurred in contexts different from those that occurred under

her tenure and that Zwier’s incidents should be evaluated separately. The Wheel reported that Adjunct Law Professor Robert Saunooke, who is Native American, used the word while explaining how racial slurs are used to describe Native Americans. Zwier allegedly used the slur word while discussing the case Fisher v. Carrousel Motor Hotel, Inc., which does not include the N-word. Mary Anne Bobinski, Dean of Emory Law School

Courtesy of Emory Photo/Video

Bobinski stressed that the University should consider such events alongside its values of academic freedom and its stance against discrimination. She noted, however, that these values can occasionally come into conflict. “Emory has very strong commitments around academic freedom and the ability of faculty members to determine how to best teach their subject

See BOBINSKI, Page 4

OP-ED Thomas: College EMORY LIFE Alum A&E Staib Breaks SPORTS Emory olleyball Stays Perfect in Rankings Are Not So Leads Youth Leadership V Barriers With ‘fence’ Dance Important ... PAGE 9 UAA Play ... Back Page PAGE 6 Programs in Atlanta... PAGE 7 Performance ...


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NEWS

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

The Emory Wheel

Goizueta to EIPAC Hosts Israeli Rights Activist Rudy Rochman Adopt Direct Enrollment

PUBLIC SPEAKER

By Tanika Deuskar Senior Staff Writer

Israeli rights activist Rudy Rochman spoke about his struggle with identity, his experiences as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and his journey to create a Jewish student organization at Columbia University (N.Y.) during a lecture on Oct. 2. The event, attended by around 65 people, was hosted by the Emory-Israel Public Affairs Committee (EIPAC). Rochman was born in France, but his family moved to Israel when he was 3 and to the United States when he was 5. He said these moves left him with an early identity crisis, in which he struggled to reconcile nationality with religion. “I was always the French Jew in the U.S., but in France I was the American cousin,” Rochman said. When Rochman was 7 years old, anti-Semites in London physically threw him and his mother off a bus. The incident made him realize that, regardless of where he lives, his Jewish identity will always take precedence. At 17 years old, Rochman voluntarily enlisted in the IDF. “It didn’t matter where I was born, where I grew up,” he said. “I was a Jew.” He joined the IDF because the bus incident roused in him a desire to defend his community both physically and ideologically. Rochman called his experience in the IDF “extremely humane,” contrary to public perception. According to Rochman, soldiers follow specific procedures when approached by threatening individuals, first yelling “stop” in both Arabic and Hebrew before loading their gun with an audible warning “click.” If the threat continues to approach, IDF soldiers will first shoot

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are indigenous to the land. He decried the notion that Jews are colonizing Israel, saying that they had been forced out and have now returned to “decolonize” their native land. He added that calling Jews “white” is an attempt to delegitimize their tie to Israel by tracing their lineage to Europe rather than the Middle East. Noah Lee (22C) said that he had been familiar with Rochman through Facebook and that the reason he found Rochman’s argument compelling was because Rochman explained that Jewish people are indigenous to Israel and did not base his argument around religion.

could ... adjust course offerings.” Egnor said that OPUS will no longer support the online bidding system following recent upgrades. She added that the business school continued the bidding system after the College moved to direct enrollment because the BBA student pool was still manageably small enough to allow administrators to modify course offerings based on demand. Until Fall 2019, business school students enrolled in their courses between the enrollment periods for College students with junior and sophomore standings. Under the new system, business school students will enroll with College students based on credit standing. Egnor said that business school administrators will continue to view course preferences and adjust offerings based on demand. She added that the direct enrollment system will allow students more control over their course selections in real time, as bid points were locked prior to course enrollment. Gloria Choi (20B) said that while she is worried about being able to enroll in all of her classes, she is happy the “stress” of bidding has been removed. “Bidding is really stressful,” Choi said. “It’s always a gamble, because you don’t know what other people will bid.” Marc Ayad (20B) supported the change to a direct enrollment system. “It makes more sense to be more congruent with the College enrollment system,” Ayad said.

— Contact Tanika Deuskar at tdeuska@emory.edu

— Contact Ninad Kulkarni at nkulka7@emory.edu

Jackson Schneider, Contributing

Israeli rights activist Rudy Rochman discusses service in the Israel Defense Force as part of a lecture hosted by the Emory-Israel Public Affairs Committee on Oct. 2. once into the sky and once at the enemy’s feet. Only if the person remains undeterred do the soldiers shoot below the knees. After serving in the IDF, Rochman enrolled at Santa Monica College (Calif.) and the University of California, Los Angeles. He later transferred to Columbia because “it was ranked as the No. 1 anti-Semitic college” in North America. There, he founded the Columbia chapter of Students Supporting Israel, a pro-Israel campus movement based in the U.S. and Canada. It has over 50 chapters across North America. At Columbia, Rochman noticed that many pro-Palestinian groups like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) used intersectionality to build alliances.

“SJP goes to black students’ organizations and says, … ‘You have a problem with police brutality, we have a problem with IDF brutality, so let us be friends and hate Israel,’” Rochman said. He added that pro-Palestine organizations use similar tactics to build alliances with LGBTQ or Native American groups. He criticized such use of intersectionality, saying it leads to the spread of anti-Israel sentiment. Rochman also explained that most anti-Israel movements are not necessarily pro-Palestine, because their focus on Israel causes them to ignore the suffering of Palestinians in other countries such as Syria or Egypt. Rochman argued that Jews had a right to the country of Israel, not because of religion but because they


NEWS

The Emory Wheel RESEARCH

Univ. Receives Grant to Research Alzheimer’s By Caroline Catherman Senior Staff Writer

Levey said. “So much work [has] focused on those [treatments] to the exclusion of The National Institute on Aging other [treatments],” Levey said. “That selected Emory University as the lead [failure] has led to concern, globally, institution to receive a federal grant of that we need to broaden the searchover $73 million. light and identify other therapeutic The grant will fund five years targets.” After spending the last five years of international research into drugs comparing the brains of deceased that may prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Emory will use the grant to estab- Alzheimer’s patients with those lish an Open Drug Discovery Center of control patients, scientists in the for Alzheimer’s disease, headed by Accelerating Medicines Partnership Professor and Chair of the Department Alzheimer’s Disease Project found hundreds of new proteins that of Neurology Allan Levey. Other members of the research team may contribute to Alzheimer’s include nonprofit Sage Bionetworks development. and the Structural Genomics This international collaboration Consortium. aims to create chemical and biological The National Institutes of Health tools that can identify and treat those lists Alzheimer’s as proteins in animal “one of the greatest models and ultimatepublic health chally in human clinical Research will trials. lenges of the 21st Researchers will century.” prioritize prevention communicate reguThe disease curof the disease rently affects around larly to share their before it begins 5.6 million people results, with the over the age of 65 in final goal of developby developing the United States. biomarkers for risk ing drugs that slow This collaboration down the neural is partially due to a factors and providing changes that lead to collective shift in the treatment to those at Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s treatment Research will pririsk. areas that scientists oritize prevention of want to research, the disease before it according to Levey. begins by developing biomarkers for For the past several decades, risk factors and providing treatment research into treatments has to those at risk. “Those early changes that we’re focused on addressing two attributes of Alzheimer’s: amyloid proteins, finding in the brain are beginning which clump together in Alzheimer’s 15-20 years before symptoms begin,” patients’ brains to disrupt brain Levey said. “Since most of those people cell functioning, and neurofibril- are older when they get symptoms, lary tangles, which may inhibit brain if we can delay the onset of the cells’ ability to communicate with symptoms for even five or 10 years, each other in regions associated with we can prevent the disease in many memory. people.” However, clinical trials testing treatment methods based off these — Contact Caroline Catherman frameworks have “universally failed,” at cecathe@emory.edu

News Roundup Compiled By Layla Wofsy

Federal Judge Blocks Georgia’s A bortion Ban Georgia’s six-week abortion ban, House Bill 481, was temporarily blocked from becoming law by U.S. District Court Judge Steve C. Jones in Atlanta on Oct. 1. The ban was signed into law in May by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and was on track to take effect in January 2020. The law would prevent a doctor from performing an abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, making it one of the strictest abortion laws in the country. Jones reasoned that the new law violated the right to an abortion about 24 weeks into pregnancy guaranteed under the Constitution, according to The New York Times. This decision follows a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood in June after the ban was signed. The current Georgia law restricts abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Georgia R epresentatives Plan to Introduce Bill to Crack Down on Vaping Georgia state Reps. Gerald Greene (R-Cuthbert) and Bonnie Rich (R-Suwanee) announced on Thursday a plan to introduce a bill to limit the use of vapes in Georgia. Vape usage is tied to one death and several lung illnesses so far in the state. According to the Atlanta JournalConstitution, possible variations of the bill include banning the sale of flavored tobacco vaping products or restricting advertisements targeted at minors. Greene and Rich wanted to draw the legislature’s attention to the issue, and plan to talk with various health experts and community members

Crime Report Compiled By Phyllis Guo

On Sept. 30 at 11:40 a.m., the Emory Police Department (EPD) received a terroristic threat report via telephone. The complainant said she was verbally threatened by a subject outside of Room 4124 at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) at Egleston on Sept. 24 between 11 a.m. and noon. The complainant stated that there were numerous witnesses, including doctors and nurses, but she was unable to provide specific names. The complainant said that the subject threatened to “whoop [the complainant’s] fucking ass” and beat her up. A nurse separated the complainant and the subject, and instructed the complainant not to engage verbally with the subject. Both the complainant and the subject were at CHOA on Sept. 24 because of the birth of their shared grandchild. The complainant said that she is the maternal grandmother of the infant and the subject is the paternal grandmother. On Oct. 2 at 11:36 a.m., EPD responded to 1364 Clifton Road in reference to a report of sexual assault. On Oct. 2 at 1:52 p.m., EPD responded to the Depot by Kaldi’s Coffee in reference to a report of stolen property. The complainant said she left a fanny pack in the restroom at approximately 1 p.m. and didn’t realize it was missing until an

unidentified customer turned it in at 1:50 p.m. She said that all contents were accounted for except for $50 cash. On Oct. 2 at 4:07 p.m., EPD received a report of fraud call via telephone. The complainant, an Emory student, said that she received a call on Oct. 2 at 9 a.m. from an individual who stated that she worked for the U.S. Social Security Administration. The complainant said the individual told her that she was in trouble with the U.S. government and that a federal agent would be responding to her home tomorrow to arrest her. The individual told her that in order to avoid arrest, she had to go to Walmart, purchase a few gift cards with funds on them and send photos of the gift card numbers to the Social Security Administration by text message. The complainant stated that she went to Walmart and purchased three gift cards worth $1,010 in total. She said she sent the pictures of the gift card numbers to a phone number that the caller provided her at 4 p.m. on Oct. 2. The complainant stated that at this time she felt the situation was suspicious and called the police to file a report. The complainant told the officer that the only personal information she gave the caller was the last four digits of her Social Security number. She did not share any bank information with the caller. On Oct. 2 at 6:05 p.m., EPD

Wednesday, October 9 2019

before they introduce it at the start of the 2020 session in January. Claudia R ankine to Deliver Ellmann Lectures at Emory Poet, playwright and essayist Claudia Rankine has been selected to deliver the next series of the Richard Ellmann Lectures in Modern Literature from Nov. 7 to 9. Rankine is a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, the Frederick Iseman Professor of Poetry at Yale University (Conn.) and a recipient of the Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry and the Poets and Writers’ Jackson Poetry Prize. She will deliver two lectures titled “A History of Olympia’s Maid in Contemporary Poetry” and “Poets Engaged with Nationalism, Borders and Belonging.” She will also be holding a book reading and signing. The Ellmann Lectures, named after a former Emory professor, bring distinguished authors from around the world to speak about their work. Congress, States Seek to A dvance Player Pay In the wake of the passage of California’s “Fair Pay to Play” act, several more states, as well as the U.S. Congress are interested in introducing bills that allow college athletes to receive compensation. These actions have added to the increasing pressure on the NCAA to improve its treatment of college athletes. The California law prevents the NCAA from not allowing collegelevel athletes to be paid by their school. According to college and university publication Inside Higher Ed, the NCAA may consider making changes to their protocol if they are nationally persuaded. The states that have announced that they will introduce legislation similar to California’s currently include Florida, Minnesota, Nevada,

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Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Georgia to Host November Democratic Debate The Democratic National Convention announced on Tuesday that Georgia will host the Nov. 20 Democratic presidential debate. Though it is unclear where the debate will take place, the debate will likely be held in metro Atlanta. Nikema Williams, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Georgia, told the AJC. Eight candidates have so far qualified for the fifth primary presidential debate, which will be hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post. Plaintiffs Awarded $2.3 million in Medical M alpractice L awsuit Involving Emory Clinic Four Emory Healthcare employees were accused of medical malpractice leading to the death of an elderly woman named Jayne Fox in 2014. In the subsequent lawsuit, a DeKalb County jury found only one doctor and the Emory Clinic liable and determined the plaintiff, Fox’s son, should receive $2.3 million, according to Daily Report. Fox had undergone a lung resection at Emory University Hospital (EUH), but the tube initially used was too large. After the surgery, Fox contracted a fever and aspiration pneumonia, the latter of which likely occurred due to the girth of the first tube. The prosecution argued that the hospital never tried to help Fox heal after the operation, even though they knew the tube was harmful. They asked for $5-10 million. The defense called four expert witnesses from EUH. In the end, the jury cleared three of the four defendants but found Emory Clinic liable.

— Contact Layla Wofsy at lwofsy@emory.edu

The Emory Wheel

received a credit card fraud report via telephone. The complainant, an Emory student, said that while she was at the Robert W. Woodruff Library on Oct. 2, she received an email stating that an order for an HP hard drive valued at $496.79 was placed using her credit card at a Best Buy in Tucker, Ga., and was ready for pickup. The complainant said she immediately realized the order was fraudulent and called her bank to report the charge. The complainant said that her bank will be returning her money from this fraudulent purchase. On Oct. 2 at 7:24 p.m., EPD responded to Callaway Memorial Center in reference to a theft report. The complainant said that he left his Segway Ninebot ES3 KickScooter outside the building while he was in class between 5:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m. that day. When he returned at 7:10 p.m., the scooter was not where he had left it by the front door of the building. The complainant said the Segway was silver and black, with scratches on the handles and body. He valued the scooter at approximately $500. When asked if he left the keys with the scooter, the complainant replied that it didn’t require keys to start. He also stated that he is able to track the scooter via GPS, but only when the scooter is turned on.

— Contact Phyllis Guo at phyllis.guo@emory.edu

Have a tip for the news team? Contact Isaiah Poritz at iporitz@emory.edu

The Emory Wheel Volume 100, Number 31 © 2019 The Emory Wheel Alumni Memorial University Center, Room 401 630 Means Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30322 Business (404) 727-6178 Editors-in-Chief Nicole Sadek and Niraj Naik nwsadek@emory.edu and nhnaik@emory.edu 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 Wheel is printed every Wednesday during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions. A single copy of the Wheel is free of charge. To purchase additional copies, please call (404) 727-6178. 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. The Wheel is also available online at www.emorywheel.com.

Corrections

• In last week’s issue, “On-Campus Rape Increases in 2018” was incorrectly titled. In fact, the headline should have been “Reported On-Campus Rape Increases in 2018.”


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Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Cui Opposes Emory Student Bill of Rights Continued from Page 1 Cui said she opposed the resolution because she would have preferred an amendment to Article II, Section 1 of the Student Rights and Responsibilities in the Student Constitution of Emory University. “I think that we really do need to work to create more plans that are actionable, and I think the first step would have been to try and propose an amendment to the constitution,” said Cui. “As someone who is a lowincome student and comes from a family where one of my parents is incarcerated, I think it’s frustrating to hear people who pass resolutions like this. How does this help me? … I opposed it on principle.” In an email to the Wheel, Chanen said that while he was “open” to the idea of amending the Constitution, the Bill of Rights aims for “undergraduatewide agreement on the principles and rights included in the resolution.” Black Homecoming Week Members of the Emory NAACP presented to SGA plans for a Black Homecoming Week from Oct. 28 through Nov. 2. The week is dedicated to the cultural celebration of the black Emory community and bridging the community to the wider Emory population. Emory NAACP began working on plans for a homecoming week in May of last year. The week will involve a field day on Monday, a Black in Business panel on Tuesday, a 5-kilometer fundraiser run to support Maynard Holbrook Jackson

High School (Ga.) on Wednesday, a multicultural food night on Thursday, a block party by the African Student Association (ASA) on Friday, a collaborative showcase on Saturday and a Black Alumni Brunch on Sunday. Emory NAACP President Timothy Richmond (20C) expressed the group’s desire to work with SGA after hearing that SGA President Ben Palmer (18Ox, 20C) and SGA Vice President Lori Steffel’s (21B) campaign platform included developing “connections with the black community.”

“As someone who is a low-income student and comes from a family where one of my parents is incarcerated, I think it’s frustrating to hear people who pass resolutions like this. How does this help me?” — Senior Legislator Jasmine Cui Emory NAACP Vice President Madisyn Kenner (22C) said the need for a Black Homecoming Week comes from “a segregation that exists within the community” at the University. Kenner appealed for the “health and well-being of our black students on campus,” citing “dissension within the community” due to recent events that saw two Emory Law professors use the N-word in their respective classes in

Prof. Explores Beauty, Trauma Through Poetry Continued from Page 1

guished writers.” Brown has received a number of “The Tradition,” published in April of this year, is Brown’s third collection fellowships, including several from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, of poems. According to Brown’s website, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced this “innovative” book seeks beauty Study at Harvard University (Mass.) “despite and inside” a culture of trau- and the National Endowment for the Arts. ma and terror. Brown was also It also showcases a According to awarded the Whiting new form of poetry that Brown invented called Brown’s website, Award for emerging writers in 2009. the “duplex.” this “innovative” The National Book The duplex mixes book seeks beauty Award is a prize given elements from the sonnet, the ghazal and the “despite and inside” by the National Book a culture of trauma Foundation, which blues. reviews and recognizes The combination and terror. the best books pubof poetic elements is meant to reflect the lished nationwide each intersectional nature of identity. year. Brown said that he first began The foundation recognizes books working on “The Tradition” around across five categories, including 2013 or 2014, and described the expe- fiction, nonfiction, poetry, young people’s literature and translated rience as demanding. In writing the poems for this collec- literature. Within each category, a panel of tion, Brown used a variety of forms of poetry to bring a “direct” and “timely” judges reviews hundreds of books to narrow down the pool to a longlist, message to his readers. This recognition from the National then a list of finalists and finally a Book Foundation is not the first rec- winner. The winner will be announced on ognition Brown has earned for his Nov. 20 at the National Book Awards work. His first book, “Please,” published ceremony in New York City. National Book Awards finalists in 2008, won the American Book Award, while his second, published receive a $1,000 prize, a medal and a in 2014 and titled “The New citation from the judge’s panel, accordTestament,” won the Anisfield-Wolf ing to the National Book Foundation Book Award. website. In 2016, the National Book Winners will receive $10,000. Foundation selected Brown to be a judge in the poetry category, a role — Contact Christopher Labaza given to experienced and “distinat clabaza@emory.edu

September. Free Tampons and Pads Available in 3 Bathrooms As a part of the free tampons and pads initiative, menstrual products are now available in the bathrooms in the Dobbs Common Table, Cox Hall Food Court and Cox Hall Ballroom. In an interview with the Wheel, Steffel said that these bathrooms had been chosen because they are not managed by Building and Residential Services but are overseen by Campus Life. Director of Campus Life Benjamin Perlman (03C) expressed interest in the initiative and gave immediate approval to proceed with it. Steffel said that Building and Residential Services is requesting data about the number of bathrooms to which SGA would like to expand the initiative. “They want to know whether we are putting them in men’s bathrooms for individuals who identify as male but have this need as well [and] whether we are putting them in gender-neutral bathrooms,” Steffel said, adding that Building and Residential Services want to understand “what action is required by them.” Steffel said the initiative is currently funded by the Student Center Operations and Events’ budget and, if expanded, will be funded by Building and Residential Services’ budget.

— Contact Tanika Deuskar at tdeuska@emory.edu and Ana Kilbourn at akilbou@emory.edu

The Emory Wheel

Ndegeocello Encourages Openness, Understanding Continued from Page 1

different artists. Rolande Kangnigan (23C) said the ents. After traveling around the world and encountering various cultures and lecture exceeded her expectations, stories, she realized that she could not and expressed satisfaction for having judge her parents because she lacked a attended. “I didn’t know what to expect going full understanding of their stories. “It’s the travel and meeting people in because I’ve never heard of her. I only that has taught me what I know,” she went because her name reminded me of Africa, which is where noted. I’m from,” Kangnigan Through recount“We are losing said. “But I’m really ing her travels, our ability to be glad that I went. She Ndegeocello contemkind towards one is really cool and I love plated what it means to another, to be open- [that] she puts herself be a person of color in on a level with us and the United States and minded. You lose what she can offer her that ambition once doesn’t hold herself above us.” children’s generation. you find peace in The Provost Lecture Regardless of fame and yourself.” Series aims to provide money, Ndegeocello students, faculty, staff said her primary goal — American bassist and and the public with in producing art is to singer-songwriter opportunities to interinfluence others. Meshell Ndegeocello act with prominent “I want to offer something [they] can’t scholars and foster a find in the book, like being kind,” culture of excellence that attracts and Ndegeocello said. “We are losing our inspires scholars of the highest order. ability to be kind towards one another, “Bringing innovative thinkers, to be open-minded towards one anoth- speakers and artists like Meshell er. You lose that ambition once you find [Ndegeocello] to campus each year suppeace in yourself. I no longer needed ports this unified vision of Emory as a people to clap for me, and I want to world-class research university, implemake something that is meaningful to menting the ‘One Emory: Engaged for other people.” Impact’ academic plan,” Provost and During a question-and-answer ses- Executive Vice President for Academic sion with Kevin Karnes, professor Affairs Dwight A. McBride said to and chair of the Department of Music, introduce the lecture. Ndegeocello mentioned that the inspiration for her music comes from meet— Contact Phyllis Guo at xguo68@emory.edu ing new people and collaborating with

Bobinski Talks Future of the Law School

Continued from Page 1

matter in order to facilitate student learning,” Bobinski said. “At the same time, Emory is strongly committed to ensuring that students are able to pursue their education without worrying about discrimination or harrassment.” Bobinski said the Law School provides a variety of educational resources to faculty and students to help facilitate better decision-making that balances the values of academic freedom and anti-discrimination. She said that first-year law students receive training about unconscious bias during orientation, while full-time professors gain access to resources about sensitivity and bias in classrooms. Adjunct professors, who often come from outside the Law School, will receive similar resources, according to Bobinski. “Starting this year, we are also expanding that type of support to include adjunct faculty, who may be members of the legal profession who come back and offer their expertise to the law school,” Bobinski said. “It’s a wonderful strength — we have over 100 adjunct faculty participating in our academic programs, but we want to make sure that they too have access to the same level of information so that they can think carefully about sometimes difficult topics.” Bobinski reiterated that each case involving the use of racial slurs should be examined separately and stressed the importance of debating the role of these words in academia. “One of the positive aspects about this is that it shows how very important it is within Emory, within universities generally and within society broadly,” Bobinski said. “There is a lot of interest and concern about what is the role of academic freedom, what are the obligations of universities to

try and ensure that they’ve created an environment free from discrimination and harassment.” Re-Envisioning Legal Education

Bobinski also highlighted several School of Law programs that she hopes will help reimagine traditional legal education, such as the Experiential Learning program and the Juris Master degree, during her five-year tenure.

“There is a lot of interest and concern about ... the role of academic freedom.” — Mary Anne Bobinski, Dean of Emory Law School “The traditional model of legal education that used to be in all the movies was a very wise person, perhaps somewhat intimidating, [who] would stand in front of a classroom with a very large group of students,” Bobinski said. “That’s a wonderful model, but it only addresses part of what students would need in order to go out and serve clients and society.” The school’s Experiential Learning program provides first-year law students with the opportunity to explore legal areas of interest through realworld experience. This includes classes on trial techniques and transactional law, as well as legal clinics and externships. She said that up to two-thirds of the graduating class will have participated in at least one externship, which is similar to an internship but often shorter and provided in partnership with the school. Bobinski noted the importance of

the Law School’s Houses program, which divides first-year students into smaller groups and allows them to connect with older students and faculty. She said her favorite experiences since starting her position have been visiting students at House dinners. “I met with students who are already small business entrepreneurs who are looking to connect with our business and transactional programs to international students who have a keen interest in learning about the U.S. legal system … and taking that knowledge back to their home countries,” Bobinski said. Under her tenure, Bobinski said she would like to expand the number of topics traditionally taught in legal education and increase the range of audiences for whom legal education could be relevant. She said the Juris Master program is an important step to achieving this goal, as it provides legal information and courses to people who do not intend to practice law but could benefit from a greater understanding of the law. Prior to joining Emory, Bobinski served as the dean of the Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia from 2003 to 2015. One of her major accomplishments was the construction of Allard Hall, the first new building for a Canadian law school in 30 years. Bobinski said she is considering plans to renovate or replace Gambrell Hall, which was constructed in 1972. “I’ve had some conversations in the University about the topic of the building,” Bobinski said. “There is a perception that there may be an opportunity for either a significant renovation of the building or potentially [a] look at a new building.”

— Contact Isaiah Poritz at iporitz@emory.edu


The Emory Wheel

Opinion

Wednesday, October 9, 2019 | Opinion Editors: Shreya Pabbaraju (shreya.pabbaraju@emory.edu) and Zach Ball (zach.ball@emory.edu)

College Athletes SGA Should Follow Student Bill Deserve Compensation Editorial

Of Rights with Actionable Plans Emory’s four divisional councils recently adopted system and the Black Mental Health Ambassadors program. the Emory Student Bill of Rights. While SGA might usually occupy a less visible role The notion of a student bill of rights is laudable, and we commend the organizations for passing the in collaborating with the administration, we hope they openly communicate the steps they plan to take resolution. But, as it currently stands, the resolution fails to actualize the Bill of Rights with the student body to detail how these rights will be ensured. We call and the administration alike. As a group of motivated students with an on the Student Government Association (SGA), as the representative body for Emory’s undergraduate understanding of the policy changes necessary to make their Bill of Rights a reality, population, to seriously commit to SGA can give the student body the the principles outlined in the Bill of forum that they need to lobby the Rights. Without a plan of University either through town hall Without a plan of action detailing action detailing meetings with administrators or how SGA will work with University administration, there is no guarantee how SGA will work with letters of discontent. SGA should also consult students that the goals of the resolution will with University as they consider legislation meant come to fruition. administration, to ensure the administration SGA must follow up this resolution there is no guarantee guarantees these student rights. with actionable legislation. that the goals of They must partner with Jasmine Cui (20C), the only member organizations like the Black Student of CC to oppose the resolution, stated the resolution will Alliance and Sexual Assault Peer that student rights aren’t a “new issue” come to fruition. and that SGA “needs to create more SGA must follow up Advocates in order to enforce a bill of rights that will truly protect every plans that are actionable.” this resolution with student. The organization doesn’t have the These and other affinity finances or the capacity to address actionable legislation. organizations have a pulse on the problems like hunger or homelessness student experience at Emory, alone — the only way to do that is by and have the capacity to represent more student appealing directly to the University. While resolutions like this Bill of Rights are a start demographics. The ideals that SGA proposes to realize, if coupled toward opening a dialogue with the University, they with a focus on student-driven action, could make are not enough on their own. We now encourage SGA to draft a set of bills with Emory an example among universities. To achieve this, however, SGA must be intentional actionable goals for enforcing their Bill of Rights. Those goals can and should be focused on mobilizing about making these ideas a reality. They have passed a resolution that is aspirational the student body. Look at student mobilization in the past: in 2015, campus group Black Students of and noble. Now it is time for SGA to fulfill these Emory demanded that the administration address demands — let’s stop hoping and start acting. 13 concerns related to black student experiences at Emory. Kimia Tabatabaei serves as a sophomore legisThe protest achieved University-wide actions such lator on College Council and has recused herself as the creation of a revised bias incident reporting from this article.

The above editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel’s Editorial Board The Editorial Board is composed of Zach Ball, Devin Bog, Jacob Busch, Shanelle Fernando, Meredith McKelvey, Andrew Kliewer, Boris Niyonzima, Shreya Pabbaraju, Nick Pernas and Kimia Tabatabaei.

The Emory Wheel Nicole Sadek & Niraj Naik Editors-in-Chief Seungeun Cho Executive Editor Isaiah Sirois Managing Editor Annie Uichanco Managing Editor

Volume 100 | Number 31 A lex K lugerman Editor-at-Large Jacqueline Ma Copy Editor Isaiah Poritz News Editor Shreya Pabbaraju Opinion Editor Z ach Ball Opinion Editor A desola Thomas A&E Editor Caroline Silva Emory Life Editor Ryan Callahan Sports Editor

Forrest Martin Photo Editor Cailen Chinn Multimedia Editor R ichard Chess Senior Editor Aditya Prakash Associate Editor Devin Bog Associate Editor Jesse Weiner Associate Editor Madison Stephens Asst. Copy Editor

Ciara Murphy This fall, when you sit down to watch a college football game, you’ll inevitably notice the sweat pouring down players’ exposed necks, the colorful outfits of diehard fans and the vibrant logos of school sponsors. What you won’t see are the sacrifices that those athletes made to perform at a nearly professional level for no paycheck. College athletes in the United States face a demanding schedule and are unable to take full advantage of the academic opportunities in front of them because of their athletic commitments. Allowing students to earn compensation through the use of their name, likeness and image would provide a unique learning opportunity that would make up for their lost time in the classroom and the risk of injury on the field. California Senate Bill 206, also known as the Fair Pay to Play Act, is paving the way for student-athletes in the state to earn compensation and serves as a model for future legislation and regulations for college athletics programs. College athletics has become a billion dollar industry as schools generate hundreds of millions of dollars from their teams and donor support surrounding the programs. At large Division I schools, only a small percentage of the profit from a successful sports program touches a student-athletes’ financial account. Instead, most of the cash gets divided amongst coaches’ six-figure salaries, facilities maintenance and the university itself. There is enough cash flow in this industry that providing collegiate players with substantial compensation from third-party deals wouldn’t shatter the NCAA and universities’ pocketbooks. It might actually bring more attention to the school’s program and have a positive impact on the perception of college athletics since the players will be gaining more external recognition. While the NCAA and Division I schools bolster the ways in which they help athletes to thrive academically, many student-athletes must choose between academic success or a starting position. The 2015 Growth, Opportunities, Aspirations and Learning of Students in College (GOALS) study, conducted by the

NCAA, found that Division I athletes spent an average of 34 hours per week on their sport, an increase from the 32 hours reported in the 2010. The 7,252 Division I student-athletes surveyed also disclosed that they spend the same or more amount of time on athletics during the offseason, and many athletes also spend 38.5 hours per week on average on academics. Those time commitments nearly equal two full-time jobs. Given these time constraints, it is difficult to see how an athlete could be able to excel in both areas. California’s SB 206 gives college athletes the chance to learn about business outside of the classroom. The opportunity to earn compensation through the use of their own likeness, image and name can introduce them to the world of professional representation, brand-building and ethical business decisions that offer new opportunities for learning. And for student players who come from low-income backgrounds, academic scholarships alone do not assist them with their families’ financial situations back home, but third-party compensation would alleviate their economic hardships. Especially as some studentathletes choose to cut their university time short to get paid in the big leagues, third-party compensation could actually incentivize more to stay in school longer. California’s actions will not impact enough players but will help spur national reform. Instead of state by state legislation, Congress should pursue national legislation that would maintain fairness when players and recruits choose which university to attend. College students and universities should petition for this change by creating social media campaigns that inform the public about this muchneeded financing, and ultimately pressure Congress to create legislation that allows college athletes to receive proper compensation. Providing college-athletes the opportunity to earn extra income from third-party partners would not shatter college athletics as we know it. The high chance of injury and time spent away from the classroom decrease the initial value of participating in collegiate sports; however, compensation increases the benefits of taking on these risks for student-athletes. Ciara Murphy (21C) is from Belmont, Mass.

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6

op-ed

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

The Emory Wheel

Democrats, Register to Vote and Turn Ga. Blue

6th congressional district, which had been held by Republicans for decades, including Emory alumnus and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Gov. Two Senate seats in Georgia will be Brian Kemp only narrowly overtook up for grabs in 2020. With the retire- Stacey Abrams in the governor’s race, ment of Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) as he received just 50.2 percent of and Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) facing the vote amid widespread claims of many Democratic challengers for his voter suppression across the state. This seat, Georgia will be a political battle- trend of tight races in the state shows ground as candidates fight for their that Democrats have the potential to spot in the Senate. Students at Emory take control of a previous red state like have the potential to vote in a ground- Georgia. Several strong Democratic candibreaking “double-barrel” election, in which the outcome of two Senate seats dates have already announced their could potentially lead to Democratic plans to run for office in the 2020 Senate elections. For example, Sarah control of the Senate. Georgia will be one of the key states Riggs Amico has entered the race as that determines which party leads a pro-choice, evangelical Christian the Senate after 2020. With a current with a passion for justice and equality. 53-47 Republican majority, Democrats Following the recent bankruptcy of her need to capture four more seats. Emory car-hauling business, she states that her hardships have Democrats should vote given her sense of in Georgia to push for urgency to solve major the elections of two This trend of tight issues. Additionally, Democratic senators. she was previously The outcome of races ... shows that running Georgia’s election will Democrats have the Abrams’ mate as lieutenant be vital to Democrats potential to take governor, and thus if they want to take control of the Senate. control of a previous has high name recogDouble-barrel elecred state like Georgia. nition within Georgia. Another strong contions are extremely tender is Jon Osoff, influential as they well-known for his almost always result in candidates from the same party strong campaign for a special election winning both elections. In the 54 cases in Georgia’s 6th District, in which he of double-barrel elections since 1913, raised $30 million and lost by merely only eight resulted in a split-ticket 4 points. He hopes to legalize mariacross parties. Thus, it is likely that juana, provide health insurance for all the same party will gain control of Americans and increase free higher education programs. both seats. These strong candidates with clear In recent years, Georgia has been becoming more Democratic, and the platforms have already established state could go blue in 2020. Although themselves in the political fields with most state offices are currently held a wide array of support in previous by Republicans, recent elections have elections. With two pivotal Senate elecshown that Democrats are gaining more support in Georgia. For instance, tions in 2020, Democrats at Emory in the 2016 election, President Donald should make sure to register to vote in J. Trump won Georgia by only 5 per- Georgia. Voters will have a rare chance centage points as opposed to an 8 per- to make a real impact on the makeup cent difference in the 2012 election. In of the U.S. Senate. With enough support, Georgia 2008, Georgia was 12.5 points redder than the overall nation, but in 2016 it could finally become a leader in our national government, not just a leader was only 7.3 points redder. Elections since 2016 have demon- in voter suppression. It’s up to us to strated Democratic momentum in make sure that happens. Georgia. For instance, in the 2018 elecBrammhi Balarajan (23C) is tion, Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) beat from Las Vegas. Republican Karen Handel in Georgia’s

Brammhi Balarajan

Rankings Aren’t Everything Ben Thomas Americans are oddly obsessed with status despite living in a purportedly egalitarian society. From the football teams that we root for to the cities that we live in, we rank everything. In many cases, that practice is simply a benign pastime, but when it comes to colleges, it becomes an undeniable menace. On Sept. 9, U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) released its 2020 Best Colleges Rankings. Princeton University (N.J.) and Harvard University (Mass.) took first and second place, respectively, and Emory was ranked No. 21 for the third year in a row. But let’s not dwell on arbitrary, ill-founded standings with almost no relevance to the college experience or benefits to the individual. It’s time to stop talking about status and start talking about students. The idea of a guide to help people make informed decisions on higher education is not a bad one in theory. The college application process is daunting; the stakes could not be higher. For a news organization to provide the nation’s high school seniors with a wealth of well-researched information on colleges, free of charge, would seem to be an extraordinary act of generosity. In practice, however, the spoils of the college ranking system have flowed overwhelmingly to just two groups: the publishers and the colleges themselves. Students are simply left out to dry. The USNWR rankings are far from objective. Twenty percent of a college’s score is dependent on its academic reputation, a criterion that is almost impossible to reliably measure. That component of rank is estimated through a survey sent to over 4,000

college presidents, admissions officers and provosts. While that population would seem to be very qualified to judge academic quality, expecting every one of them to have intimate knowledge about the quality and prestige of all other institutions in the country is a fool’s errand. Many of those elite academics don’t even answer the survey themselves; they simply tell their assistants to take care of it. And what’s worse, the flaws in the USNWR methodology extend even further. Alumni giving, which accounts for 5 percent of the ranking, is extremely easy to falsify and relates less to academic quality than it does admitted students’ privilege. Even other categories that would seem to have great relevance to applicants, such as six-year graduation rates and Pell grant statistics, are weighted against one another haphazardly and arbitrarily. Universities are well aware of USNWR’s formula, as well as the massive benefits of a jump in rank. As such, many find it beneficial to manipulate specific criteria to move up, and while some do so legitimately, others do not. Those strategies can range from simple preferences in the admissions process for students with higher class ranks and standardized test scores to, as in the case of Claremont McKenna College (Calif.), outright falsification of freshmen’s SAT scores. The vast majority of the 19.9 million students in the United States do not attend Ivy League universities, and for some, that knowledge can be painful. Identifying as a so-called “Ivy Reject” can lead to a crippling, maladaptive desire to prove oneself; the impression of past failure often begets a fear of future shortcomings. In a society infatuated with pursuing status to the point of anxiety and

depression, college rankings promote a dangerous narrative of quantified social climbing. College is hard enough on students’ mental health as it is, and the false impression of having failed before the first day of classes can make that problem even worse. College should be an environment of academic exploration, not of preoccupation with social standing. The cruel reality is, however, that college rankings are increasingly forcing campus cultures toward that very obsession. Students attending their second- or third-choice school might find themselves considering traditionally prestigious career paths out of a desire to make up for ground lost, so to speak, during the college application process. In other words, students in that scenario may end up prioritizing their prospects over their passions. Given Emory’s infamously pre-professional bent and perennial exclusion from USNWR’s uppermost echelon, applying that explanation to our student body wouldn’t be unreasonable. As students who have recently been through the college application process, we have a unique opportunity to change the conversation around USNWR’s rankings system. We can testify to its negative effects on mental health and irrelevance to life on a college campus. So tell your friends still in high school to prioritize fit over faulty numbers. Write to USNWR, Forbes or Niche about changing their criteria. And most importantly, set the right example by taking full advantage of the amazing opportunities that we have as Emory students. It should go without saying that we have things pretty good here — so let’s make the most of it. Ben Thomas (23C) is from Dayton, Ohio.

Capital Punishment is a Gross Injustice in America Jake Busch The American justice system should be on death row. With each day that innocent people await execution for crimes they did not commit, the very institutions meant to ensure justice become engines of inequality and inhumanity. Rodney Reed, who maintains his innocence to this day, is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on Nov. 20, 2019 for the rape and murder of Stacey Stites in 1996. His case proves the sheer inadequacy of capital punishment in the United States, and his state-sanctioned death would further erode a system that has been injected with injustice. It’s long past time for Texas to set Reed free and for the U.S. to abolish the death penalty. According to Reed’s defense attorneys, new evidence based on expert testimony exonerates Reed and implicates Stites’ fiancee Jimmy Fennell, a Bastrop County police officer at the time of the murder who was later convicted of and imprisoned for kidnapping and sexual assault. The Texas

Court of Criminal Appeals denied Reed’s motion to review this evidence, and prosecutors filed to schedule his execution date shortly thereafter. The new evidence that Reed’s defense wants reviewed could be damning, but not for Reed. Last year, the medical examiner in the case retracted his testimony as three highly credible experts found even more support for the theory that Fennell raped and murdered Stites. Despite these developments, prosecutors seem unconcerned with revealing the truth. Instead, they appear more committed to killing a man from whom they have already robbed 20 years of freedom. There is something cruel and unusual about scheduling the death of another human being. It defies logic by giving humans the power of gods. When you add to that the shadow of doubt cast by inconsistent testimony and exculpatory evidence, even the thought of setting a date of death seems unconscionable. This shadow of doubt looms large over Rodney Reed’s current predicament. Even more cruel and unusual is the frequency with which executions go wrong. About 3 percent of the more than 8,700 executions in the U.S. from

1890 to 2010 were botched. Lethal injections have been the most unreliable method of execution, as 75 out of 1,054 went wrong, and they are the most popular option among states with death penalties today. A life-todeath system that demands perfection but is riddled with the inconsistency of compromised executions cannot stand in a country that supposedly guarantees freedom from cruelty in the administration of justice. Failed attempts to properly execute people are nothing more than preventable instances of torture. That we cannot even guarantee that Reed will not writhe in pain and die slowly as witnesses says enough about the absurdity of capital punishment. While botched executions present a problem for death penalty advocates, even the slightest possibility that a person being put to death did not commit the crime should render the entire death penalty system cruel, unusual, null and void. The Death Penalty Information Center now identifies at least 16 people executed in the past 30 years as “Executed But Possibly Innocent.” Since 1973, 166 people on death row have been exonerated. Even if the punishment

is ruled to fit the crime, the remote chance that the prosecution got it wrong and the accused could lose their life as a result confirms that this process is irreconcilable with U.S. law. Another fatal flaw of the death penalty is that it isn’t racially neutral, as race undeniably plays a role in death penalty prosecutions. The U.S. prison population is 33 percent African American, compared to 12 percent of the total U.S. population. Meanwhile, 30 percent of prisoners are white, though almost 65 percent of the country’s population is white. The skewed race numbers carry over into death penalty statistics: 34 percent of death row inmates are black and just 55 percent are white. The numbers regarding victims in death penalty murder cases also points to racial bias. Even though 50 percent of murder victims nationwide are white, 75 percent of murder victims in death penalty cases are white. The American legal system values white lives the most. Thus, people like Rodney Reed are already at a disadvantage come sentencing just because of the color of their skin. Racism has greatly tarnished the criminal justice system in America, and our capital

punishment apparatus further confirms this sinister reality. Supporters of the death penalty justify the broken system as a crime deterrent, but no study has either confirmed or rejected a link between capital punishment and deterrence. Proponents of the death penalty may also point to the institution’s retributive nature, claiming the punishment fits the crime. The pursuit of justice in America is the pursuit of retribution, but punishing murder with death is vengeful and hypocritical. It is illegal to murder someone as an act of vengeance, and the government should be no exception. Is the death penalty not against everything we as Americans should stand for? It stuns me that we continue to let our legal institutions sanction the killing of Americans even as this very system continually reaffirms its own inadequacy. I call on every person with a heart, mind and any good conscience to sign the petition to stand against Rodney Reed’s execution and fight the death penalty until it is abolished. Jake Busch (22C) is from Brookhaven, Ga.


The Emory Wheel

Emory Life

Wednesday, October 9, 2019 | Emory Life Editor: Caroline Silva (ccsilva@emory.edu)

NONPROFIT

Wynn Spreads Hope and Love in Atlanta Community By Bonny Minn Contributing Writer

Coming out of Emory in 2009, Taos Wynn (06Ox, 09C) thought he would become a New York City banker. Instead, his life veered in a completely different direction. Now the CEO of Perfect Love Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps people in Atlanta by providing resources and hope, he didn’t start out with sociology or philanthropy when he first began to look for a job. Claiming to be a talented and naturally gifted entrepreneur and investor since a young age, Wynn has always been interested in economics. In middle school, he grew fond of Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett and the investment markets. After researching stock markets on his own time, he bought a single stock from Nike while in middle school and

built up his portfolio through his later purchases from Coca-Cola, Home Depot and Intel. By the time he got to Emory in 2005, he had accumulated enough money to support himself in a fully furnished apartment. As an economics major, Wynn traveled to New York after graduating from Emory in hopes of finding a job on Wall Street. But due to the 2008 recession, an opportunity in finance was not ideal, and he changed his path completely to philanthropy. Wynn attributes this job switch to his surroundings growing up. Wynn’s home environment and his parents’ advocacy for outspokenness gradually gave rise to his philanthropic nature. His parents always told him and his brother to speak up about what was on their mind. They both claim that this mindset set them up for success in philanthropy. But Wynn stated that the main reason for his venture into

philanthropy was noticing the world around him and the struggles that people faced on a national scale. “I really felt as though I had the ability to speak, and I wanted to provide a voice to address a lot of the issues that I saw,” Wynn said. “I didn’t want to accept things the way they were and the way that things appeared to be going. I didn’t want to go along with that direction.” Although his surroundings and experiences shaped his love for helping others, Wynn also said that Emory provided several foundations that set him up for success — namely the importance of personal drive and a basic understanding of the stock market. “Emory did a great job with their Socratic methods of teaching and experiential learning that requires you to voice how you feel about subject matters and content,” Wynn said.

PROFILE

“[Emory] provided me with such a branded foundation. … It challenged me as a student and helped me to better prepare for the obstacles I have today.” Wynn’s first philanthropic trip was to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, where he went on a mission trip guided by his friend Archie Collins. Spending seven days there, the group helped care for the disaster victims by distributing food and constructing an orphanage. Just three years later, Wynn, who now lives in Atlanta with his wife and daughter, succeeded in founding the nonprofit Perfect Love Foundation in 2013. His foundation began supporting 1,000 people in Atlanta by providing resources like coffee and blankets or sending handwritten love notes to show that there are people who care about those who need help. Wynn recognized that most people

want to help or attempt to help those in need, but the differentiating quality in the Perfect Love Foundation is that he has a goal to “provoke people to love” one another. “To my knowledge, I don’t know any other nonprofit organization, [out] of … 50,000 [other organizations] in Georgia alone, that their mission encompasses provoking people to love,” Wynn said. “Anything we do we want to make sure it expresses or communicates love. In addition to spreading love throughout the city through various community service projects and disaster relief programs, the foundation also focuses on community, education and advocacy. The Perfect Love Foundation has provided students with education and has advocated for racial equality.

See PERFECT, Page 8

REVIEW

Alumnus Musician to Release New Jazz Album Queen of Cream Serves Fall-Themed Scoops By Sadie Schwartz Contributing Writer

Jazz music reverberated throughout the popular college bar Maggie’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill when Craig Greenberg (98C) and his friend took the stage in 1996. Back then, a throng of college student cheered excitedly for his music. Today, after travelling the streets of Chile, Spain, Mexico and Italy with his guitar, he now continues his music career in New York. Greenberg continues to sing and write songs in his home state of New York under his publishing company “Seeing Green Music.” Greenberg’s interest in music and performance began in elementary school when he learned to play the violin, acted in school and camp plays, and took drumming lessons at a Jewish summer camp. Although well-versed in the arts, Greenberg said he didn’t start playing the guitar and writing his own music until he was 15 years old. “Right at the beginning when I started playing guitar, I was always writing and creating,” Greenberg said. “I used to do this thing where I would tap on the guitar, and I was always being creative with sound. I started writing stuff pretty quickly.” Greenberg taught himself piano and grew up listening to mostly classi-

cal music with his dad and hearing live music in Broadway shows, which he said inspired much of his music today. “The way [classical music] is laid out just clicks more,” Greenberg said. “When you’re playing piano, your left hand is playing bass and your right hand is playing melody and chords. It’s like you have a full band at your fingertips. It made me use more of the palate musically.” Although Greenberg played guitar in the Emory Jazz Ensemble, he said he initially doubted his abilities because he did not start playing jazz until high school. He tried out for the Emory Jazz Ensembles in his sophomore year of college because he thought it would be a good learning experience. “When I auditioned, I wasn’t really a good jazz player, but I [auditioned with] something that I wrote that was really complex, and the teacher was like, ‘If you can play this, you can play jazz,’” Greenberg said. Greenberg’s friend and classmate Jared Slomoff (97C) said that they would gather a group of friends every night and go out to different venues around Atlanta, such as the Chameleon Club and Dark Horse Tavern. “Atlanta was accessible [to music] but really growing, and there was so much to offer if you wanted to peek under some rocks,” Slomoff said.

Inspired by the performances they watched, Greenberg and Slomoff began playing jazz improvisation at house parties and bars on the weekends starting Greenberg’s sophomore year. This time allowed them some of the best opportunities to perform and experiment freely, they said. “We would do long, extended improv jazz,” Greenberg said. “I was writing instrumental open-ended stuff, so we could go on these long jams. It was a really good time, and we got paid in beer.” It was not until Greenberg’s study abroad trip to Italy during his junior year that he began earning money for his music. Greenberg enrolled in the Lorenzo de’ Medici program in Florence, where he studied international business, art history, mass communication and Italian. While on the trip, he and friend played guitar in the street, an experience that he said would later inspire him to play music around the world. “I would close my eyes and start jamming and open them, and there would be a group of people surrounding us, throwing money at us,” Greenberg said. “It was a really profound moment because I wasn’t even thinking but just playing.”

See GREENBERG, Page 8

By Caleigh Leyton Contributing Writer Although summer has already come to an end, there is still time to take advantage of ice cream season. Pastry chef Cora Cotrim’s ice cream shop Queen of Cream opened their second location on Sept. 21 at the Plaza on Ponce, near Urban Outfitters and Insomnia Cookies. Queen of Cream, known for its homemade scoops with a uniquely complex flavor palate, features a wide variety of ice cream delicacies. My friends and I all opted for eccentric flavors in classic cake and sugar cones, and made sure to take advantage of the free taste-testing. The shop offers eight classic flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, and cookies and cream, alongside their signature flavors such as sprinkle cookie, black pearl, lavender honeycomb, and brown butter pecan, and cold-brew coffee and cocoa nibs. The shop introduced their limited-time seasonal flavors: s’mores, tres leches cake, mango coconut and persian road. Unfortunately, the waffle cones that day were not homemade since the shop had run out. To make up for this mishap, they were generous in their scoops. I had a kiddie-size sugar cone

Queen of Cream Plaza on Ponce

of sprinkle cookie, described by Queen of Cream as one of “the simple joys of childhood” with its vanilla flavor, rainbow sprinkles and large chunks of sugar cookies. Much to my pleasure, there was a little fun in each bite, with the addition of cookies and sprinkles nicely distributed throughout the whole scoop. But the ice cream lacked distinct flavor other than vanilla with a granular texture. My friend got a small waffle cone of cookies and cream. We noted that the small size seemed only fractionally bigger than the kiddie size. Despite the seemingly unfair price of $4.18, this nostalgia-inducing flavor featured an abundance of plain chocolate cookie crumbs sprinkled perfectly throughout the scoop which reminded us of a fresh batch of homemade cookies. Because of the excellent ice cream to cookie ratio, the velvety vanilla ice cream guaranteed chocolate cookie pieces with each bite. My second friend was eager to try a

See ICE, Page 8

ALUMNI

Ziere Bridges Culture Consumers With Local Creatives By Varun Gupta Senior Staff Writer

Some of the most memorable moments on vacation happen completely by chance. Perhaps it’s a stop for dinner at a small, family-owned restaurant or a block party tucked in a hidden alley. Davion Ziere (14C) insists that he can improve the overall tourist experience by curating “happy accidents” within any city on Earth. Realizing that there was no current media platform that could connect people to a city’s local and cultural goods, Ziere started Culturebase

in 2015, an AI-powered media and entertainment software company meant to better connect tourists and locals to Atlanta culture. Ziere said that depending on their success within Atlanta, Culturebase will potentially expand nationally and internationally. “We figured out there really is demand for what creatives do organically,” Ziere said. “They don’t have to work for a company per se. We just need to reroute those dollars so that [the tourists’ spending does] not all go to Coke or the aquarium.” Planned to release later this fall, Culturebase is built for users to explore the vast array of cultural offerings in a

city based on their personal preferences. Ziere also hopes that Culturebase will introduce users to local artists, musicians and creators by allowing them to promote their content. Prior to establishing Culturebase, Ziere was named the No. 1 salesperson in North America for Tesla, where he learned the importance of scalability. With Culturebase, he wants to adopt the same strategy. He’ll first focus on Atlanta before launching Culturebase to other parts of the world. “We happen to be here [in Atlanta] right now when all of this culture is coming to its apex, and we’re saying that we’re the foundation of culture

here. It’s a very powerful narrative,” Ziere said. A film studies major, Ziere’s inspiration for Culturebase began to take root within CORE Culture Group, an independently-funded student arts organization that he founded at Emory in 2012. CORE, which stands for Creators, Originators, Renewers and Entrepreneurs, brought together members of the fine arts community with business-minded individuals. “We were able to tap into the affinity of all of these different kids who were in their closets and not sharing that they were making video games, clothes or music,” Ziere said. “I think

we did a really good job of creating … not only a community to support each other, but a pipeline to professional industries.” The opportunity to spark systemic change within the community inspired Ziere to take action. In response to the College’s decision to close the visual arts program and cut funding from the arts at Emory in 2014, Ziere coordinated a student-led arts and music showcase called A New Live Experience in Harland Cinema that February. As part of promoting the CORE Culture Group brand, the organization passed

See ALUMNUS, Page 8


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EMORY LIFE

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Greenberg Travels World, Spreads Music Continued from Page 7 After graduating with a degree in psychology and a minor in economics, Greenberg worked in film and TV production and internet marketing. Three years later, he set off to travel the world playing music, first heading to Chile in 2001 where he knew a friend.\ While living and teaching English to children and adults at a school in Chile, Greenberg fully embarked on his career as a musician, playing covers from bands like “The Beatles,” “The Rolling Stones,” and ‘’Radiohead” six nights per week at Chilean bars in the towns Concepción and Viña del Mar. “That time there really changed my whole path with music,” Greenberg said. “All my musical heroes started at bars. You gotta step out and do your own stuff, or you’ll always be known as a cover artist.” After spending a year and a half in Chile, Greenberg returned home to New York for three months to see his family. In 2004, he decided to continue writing and playing music back in Europe, where it all started for him. First heading to Barcelona, Greenberg often played on the streets with friends to make money for everyday living expenses. He left the country with 40

minutes of original music. In Spain, Greenberg also met singer-songwriter and current bandmate Jerry Joseph, who is known for his Americana rock record “Full Metal Burqa.” At the end of one of Joseph’s shows, Greenberg approached Joseph and asked to play with him. The two have played and traveled together ever since. Joseph recognized Greenberg as an outstanding musician who doesn’t shy away from opportunity. “[Greenberg] is not a guy who’s afraid to ask,” Joseph said. “[In Barcelona] he was like, ‘Hey, can I sit in with you?’ or ‘Hey, can I come to Costa Rica with you?’ He has the nerve to step up and say that he wants to do this.” In 2005, Greenberg returned home to New York and felt that he was finally skilled enough to play in the city that had previously intimidated him. “I think a lot of people would’ve thrown up their hands in the air in frustration, but it matters to [Greenberg] to keep going,” Joseph said. “He’s one of those people who it doesn’t make a fucking difference who’s listening to it or not.” Greenberg cusually performs with the piano and guitar, while Joseph

also plays the guitar. The two have performed in Mexico, Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan and New York. Greenberg continues to work as an independent artist under “Seeing Green Music,” and runs a small New York-based antiques and jewelry business on the side to help pay the bills. As Greenberg increasingly plays gigs nationally and internationally, Slomoff has recognized an evolution in Greenberg’s music, both in his commitment and quality. “[Greenberg] knows about tight arrangements, and his music is certainly sharper,” Slomoff said. “His skillset is so much more refined because he’s been doing it professionally for so long, so there’s certainly more depth.” Greenberg plans to release his new single “Sailed Ships” by the end of the year, and hopefully his fourth album. “As an independent artist, [putting out an album] is a lot of work that entails public relations, music videos, radio campaign [and] a lot of money,” Greenberg said. “You have to be ready to do it, [and] I’m now ready to release it.”

— Contact Sadie Schwartz at sischwa@emory.edu

The Emory Wheel

Ice Cream Shop Opens Second Location

Continued from Page 7

local spot similar to her favorite. She was the only one who got a seasonal flavor and opted for a small sugar cone of S’mores. The vanilla-based ice cream was speckled with pillowy toasted marshmallows and crunchy honey graham crackers. An integral part of any s’mores cookie is milk chocolate, which made a few appearances in the flavor. My friend noted that she only tasted a few chocolate chips. My third friend ordered a kiddie cake cone of one of their signature flavors, deep chocolate. Compared to other chocolate flavors she has had, Queen of Cream’s stacked up as “more flavorful than just plain chocolate, … [and] overall, pretty good.” The chocolate, made from milk chocolate, perfectly fit Queen of Cream’s description of the flavor as being “the chocolatiest of chocolates” — rich, creamy and easily the best flavor out of the four we tried. The interior was very lively and colorful, featuring a neon pink sign out front, a graffitied window and a bright orange mural with the name of the

store, perfect for taking an Instagram picture of your aesthetic cone. Although ice cream was scrumptious no matter what, we were a little disappointed in the simplicity of what they brand as unique flavors. All in all, the three flavors that were more than just cream, tasted as though it was just the base flavor with something extra in it. Additionally, they were out of waffle cones that day and did an inadequate job of advertising toppings and special treats. Queen of Cream satisfied our afterdinner ice cream cravings and, compared to other ice cream shops in Atlanta. None of my friends and I are vegan, but Queen of Cream has dairy, gluten and egg-free flavor options while also doing an adept job of labeling their allergens. Our ice cream excursion across Atlanta gave us an adequate sweet bite to end the night. All in all, ice cream is ice cream, so we could not complain.

— Contact Caleigh Leyton at cleyton@emory.edu

Perfect Love Foundation Promotes Educational Excellence Continued from Page 7 Although the Perfect Love Foundation started out as a way to help the community, it created a deeper, lasting impact through one of their events in which foundation members wrote and sent love notes to those they had helped. The letters featured warm and uplifting messages as a way to spread love within their community. Now, as one of Atlanta’s biggest nonprofits, the Perfect Love Foundation participates in other activities such as initiating leadership development programs to provide students with better tools to accomplish their goals and improve their community. Wynn, however, does not limit himself to

only helping others in his community through Perfect Love Foundation. In 2017, Wynn began lobbying for legislation that created telephone hotlines for human trafficking victims. The effectiveness of his legislative work has made Wynn place greater involvement in public policy. Realizing that public policy and legislative actions had more power and effectiveness when it came to helping others, Wynn submerged himself in making a larger impact legislatively alongside the foundation. “I think it’s his destiny [to be participating in public policy],” said Phylicia Goings, Wynn’s friend and colleague in the Millennial Civil Rights Campaign. “What people see [Wynn] doing is not something that everyone can do. There

may [be] people who are angry at some of the things that are happening, but there are people like [Wynn] who want to help and want to change some of the things that are happening, … [and he knows] how to turn that into initiatives that literally gets things changed.” In addition to working on providing help for human trafficking victims, Wynn has participated in passing legislation concerning increased gun control and decreased racial discrimination. His work with Goings in the Millennial Civil Rights campaign focuses on race relations, gun violence, individual rights and financial insecurity.But Wynn has worked hardest on his Unify Georgia initiative, a project he started in 2017. The project

proposed a holiday to celebrate “the promotion of unity, gender and racial equality, and intolerance of discrimination,” according to his biography. Wynn wrote a letter to the Georgia General Assembly to suggest his idea. Although it was met with controversial opinions, the initiative succeeded when Sen. Donzella James (D-Ga.) sponsored the legislation in the Senate, assigning March 11, 2019, as the first Unify Georgia Day. The event will take place annually until 2022. Wynn continues to work to make his community a better place and hopes to come up with new creative ways in which the Perfect Love Foundation can assist homeless students. He also hopes to continue expanding after-

school programs in Atlanta public schools while also aiming to better encourage college students to become politically engaged through his campus tours at Emory starting in November 2019. “To me, [Wynn] is someone who is the epitome of just wanting to do right,” said Wynn’s former roommate Fred Linton (06Ox, 09C). “Now, his main concern is putting his best foot forward to make sure his daughter grows up in a better world he did. He doesn’t want to feel like he didn’t do the best he could to make things better for his daughter.”

— Contact Bonny Minn at bminn@emory.edu

Alumnus to Launch Local Culture App This Fall Continued from Page 7

STUDY IN ENGLISH AT TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY Ready to embark on the journey of a lifetime in a city where ancient history meets cutting-edge innovation?

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out stickers at the event, which many of the attendees stuck on buildings, door handles and trash cans around campus. “I remember getting a letter from [former University] President [James W.] Wagner at the time,” Ziere said. “Basically he was charging me $50,000 and holding me accountable for the vandalism of the University.” Ziere said, in that moment, he felt compelled to inform Wagner about community-wide issues, such as the decline of arts on Emory’s campus, and began building a case around addressing the underlying discontent with administrators. The University hired him that same year as an arts and innovation consultant, a role in which he empowered creative ventures on campus. A friend of Ziere and a member of CORE Cultural Group Eitan Barokas (17B) is familiar with Ziere’s vision of providing individuals with a platform to entertain and influence others. “It’s about the mindfulness that [Ziere] has going into every relationship and every idea, whether that be a person that he meets or something that he is working on,” Barokas said. “He has this incredible ability to size people’s strengths and to pull it out

of them, … to unite people under one house to work towards something greater together.” Ziere’s Culturebase looks to gain traction within college campuses around the U.S. Part of the initiative has involved CEO of Snake Nation Karl Carter, who has over 20 years of experience working with cultural producers within Capetown, South Africa and Atlanta, Ga. “[Culturebase has] creative needs that we can help fulfill and in turn we can help connect young people to those creative opportunities,” Carter said. According to Carter, part of Ziere’s professional success is due to his ability to connect with people on a personal level. “[Ziere] strikes me as very thoughtful, and he has a certain quality that people respond to,” Carter said. “You meet a lot of people, but not everybody you want to help. … I want to see this guy win.” In August 2018, Culturebase was invited to participate in Comcast’s The Farm, a start-up accelerator program located in Atlanta for entrepreneurs to hone their company’s value proposition. As part of a customer discovery workshop, Ziere and Culturebase Co-Founder Sam King randomly approached tourists at the airport and

hotel every day for two weeks to better understand the preferences of their target demographic. Ziere and King realized that potential users preferred an in-app experience tailored to their individual preferences such as shopping sustainably and supporting local creators. “Younger demographics, like millennials, have spending habits that are a lot more socially conscious … in making sure their spending dollars go toward the community,” Ziere said. “We have a pledge to our community that … they need to partner with local artists, creators and event producers before we even consider their contract.” As Ziere puts the finishing touches on the Culturebase app before its public launch, he envisions it to showcase a city’s cultural goods in the most authentic way possible. “Our overall mission is healthier cities that produce happier people because the city has a platform that reflects the people themselves without telling people what the city looks like, … [and] that way creates more opportunities for everybody,” Ziere said.

— Contact Varun Gupta at varun.gupta@emory.edu


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The Emory Wheel

Arts Entertainment Wednesday, October 9, 2019 | Arts & Entertainment Editor: Adesola Thomas (adesola.thomas@emory.edu)

Dance

Feminist Play

Staib Breaks Barriers With ‘Fence’ Eve Ensler Production Showcases Girlhood By Elizabeth Greene Contributing Writer

Good fences make good neighbors. Good neighbors make good fences. From the mangled metal fence structure at one corner of the stage to the beam of light that bisects the floor, separation underscores the entirety of staibdance’s new dance production, “fence.” Inspired by a painful childhood event, “fence” is a powerful and compelling rumination on power, trauma and the things that separate us. The Emory Dance Program presented the world premiere of “fence” from Oct. 3 to 6. Emory Dance Professor of Practice George Staib choreographed the production, and his Atlanta-based contemporary dance company, staibdance, performed it. The performance concludes staibdance’s New England Foundation for the Arts-funded production residency at Emory. Staib’s production is based upon the 1976 murders of two American students at the Tehran American School in Iran. According to the program, the students were lured to the perimeter of campus where two Iranians stabbed them through the gaps in the fence that divided the school from the desolate landscape. At the time of the murder, Staib was the only student born and raised in Iran studying at the school. “Fence” is born out of this traumatic event and the events that followed in Staib’s own life. He later fled with his family to rural Pennsylvania, where he was the target of racism in the wake of the Iranian Revolution and hostage crisis. Throughout “fence,” Staib’s choreography evokes struggles with power, individually and collectively.

Whether it be through two dancers clashing in a duet or the collective strength of group movement, Staib illustrates suffering and our relationships with one another. Before the performance begins, fences and barriers loom over the audience. Theater Studies Lecturer and Theater Emory’s Resident Scenic Artist and Properties Coordinator Sara Culpepper created an immediately discomforting space. Four metal bar barriers corral the audience members into the space, while a twisted wire fence climbs from floor to ceiling in one corner of the stage, an imposing reminder of the site of the murder. The dancers pass through these barriers as the performance starts, and they march strictly around the stage. One by one, their marching descends

Netflix

Theater review

By China Dennington Contributing Writer

Courtesy of Christina massad

into frenzied movement, the dancers snapping in and out of order and chaos. At one point they stand in a line across the floor, facing one another but divided by a bisecting beam of light. In between bursts of movement, the dancers break into a range of emotions, weeping, shrieking or howling in laughter. This rapid turn of movement and emotions continues throughout “fence.” The audience is left with no time to sit back into the performance and get comfortable. The physicality of the performers commands attention, whether it be in their disjointed, unsettling movements or their proximity to the audience. At some points they run straight toward the edge of

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A group of young girls sit on the Harland Cinema stage in their pajamas, clearly at a sleepover. They chat, read books and innocently braid hair, oblivious to the audience members filtering in to see a performance of “I Am an Emotional Creature.” Their appearance is deceptively simple: already the performers are purposely blurring the lines between themselves and their characters. “I Am an Emotional Creature,” directed by Franny Parent (18Ox, 20C), communicates how the true lives of young girls often conflict with people’s perceptions of them, challenging stereotypes about women while fostering an acceptance of emotionality that is too often demeaned as feminine. Instead, “Emotional Creature” embraces a feminism of free expression. Emory’s moving production of Eve Ensler’s “I Am an Emotional Creature” was presented by the Center for Women and Feminists in Action and performed by Dooley’s Players on Oct. 4 and 5. The play uses the format of 28 short presentations — the majority of which are monologues — to share a wide variety of experiences. Each expression is deeply personal and distinct. The characters themselves don’t always know what they think, which is part of the beauty. “Emotional Creature” covers topics from popularity and authenticity to limitations placed on female expression to sexual assault and abuse. The performers

play young girls telling the audience about their most personal experiences. What goes on in a young girl’s mind? More than they’re given credit for is Ensler’s resounding answer. This production is exceptionally moving thanks to the 18 talented performers in the show, each full of passion. While every piece was earnest and energetic, several in particular stood out. Twisha Dimri (23C) got the show off to an inspiring start with her character’s careful, and at times humorous, musings about the cultural expectations placed oFen women in “Manifesta to Young Women and Girls.” Her message was that freedom comes with authenticity. Constant pressures tell us we should be this or that, but those pressures are lies. Women should simply be who they are with no apologies. Dimri’s touching performance set the stage perfectly for the rest to follow. Clara Ofotokun’s (18Ox, 20C) dance combined with a spoken performance in “I Dance” was striking. She summed up how a woman’s art is fully her own mode of expression, refuting the idea that she dances for others’ pleasure. In “You Tell Me How to Be a Girl in 2019,” Alissa Miller (18Ox, 20C) voiced teenage frustration over the status quo. Miller was convincing in her hopeful, frightened, yet fiery role. Finally, Colleen Carrol (21C) provided the rousing final monologue, “I Am an Emotional Creature.” She celebrated the joys and fears of woman-

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rap concert

Big Mouth ‘Curious Incident’ Inspires Audiences Tyler, the Creator Season 3 Entertains Funny but With ‘Igor’ Unfocused By Charlotte Selton Contributing Writer

By Saru Garg Staff Writer

Grade: B+ “Big Mouth” is back, and the hormones are raging more than ever. Since its inception in 2017, the animated Netflix series has garnered a reputation for portraying puberty in all its glorious grossness in an honest, empathetic and hilarious manner. In Season 3, “Big Mouth” continues to live up to this reputation while also attempting to expand its scope to other pre-teen issues with varying degrees of success. Nevertheless, it remains an audaciously enjoyable trek through the terrifying terrain of middle school life. Picking up where the show’s stellar Valentine’s Day special left off, Season 3 opens with nearly every character struggling in one way or another. Andrew Glouberman (John Mulaney)

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We open on a grim scene: a dog, lying in a garden, dead and impaled. This is only the first mystery in “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” an uplifting and tender play that had its world premiere in London in 2012. Since the play’s debut, it has thrilled audiences around the world, including theater-lovers in South Africa, Japan and Israel. The play won seven Olivier Awards during its West End run and five Tony Awards on Broadway. Now, Atlanta audiences can also enjoy “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” at the intimate Horizon Theatre in Little Five Points through Oct. 27. Based on the novel by Mark Haddon, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” follows 15-year-old Christopher Boone (Brandon Michael Mayes) as he investigates who killed his neighbor’s dog, uncovers family secrets, ventures into the unknown and undertakes A-level maths. Christopher is an intelligent boy with “behavior problems,” likely savant syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. Unexpected and unwanted human touch provokes violent outbursts, screaming and thrashing from Christopher, and he will wet himself rather than use a shared toilet. Ed Boone (Christopher Hampton) strives to be a good father to Christopher, respecting his limits and

fighting for his goals, but his anger and frustration strain their relationship. Hampton portrays Ed with nuance and compassion, a crucial success as the relationship between Christopher and his father forms the emotional core of the play. The show soars in the moments of aching longing and gentleness, such as when Ed carefully helps Christopher change out of soiled clothes or when he lovingly and cautiously reaches out for Christopher’s hand. Holmesian twists and the sharp script of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” enraptured the audience; one revelation even provoked an audible gasp from the crowd. With solid production value and stirring theatricality, this production is a good choice both for Broadway groupies or those who last saw live theater at a mandatory sixth-grade school assembly. Rest assured, this isn’t your grandmother’s theater. The set, lighting design and directing choices of the show are strikingly modern. Eschewing traditional bulky and clumsy set pieces, a few moveable white blocks and a white backdrop with compartments and doorways create a canvas that lighting projections can transform from the serenity of outer space to the frantic bustle of London. While the pantomime is less precise and the stunts are more subdued in this production than the New York and London shows, there are moments that suggests why “The Curious Incident of

the Dog in the Night-Time” was nominated for the Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Choreography. For example, the actors, almost like modern dancers, lift Christopher so he can soar among the stars, and through pantomime become furniture and appliances, including a washing machine and a wardrobe. Sound and lighting design combine to give neurotypical audiences a taste of the overstimulation that burdens Christopher, which unfortunately makes this show inaccessible to people like Christopher with high sensory sensitivity. This directorial decision is in line with past productions, and while it may raise understanding and visibility, I hope the Horizon Theatre (or the Aurora Theatre, where this show will play in early 2020) considers including a special relaxed performance designed to be more broadly accessible, as the Piccadilly Theatre in London did earlier this year with the same play. The show’s weaknesses are minor and easily forgivable. The fourthwall breaks, play-within-a-play element and transitions between real and imagined characters are at times needlessly confusing or jarring in their abruptness. Tweaks to timing or staging might help the audience better understand what is real and what is not. Moreover, with only an eight-person cast, most

The moment Tyler, the Creator stepped onto stage at the State Farm Arena in a green suit and his signature blonde wig and sunglasses, the audience exploded into cheering. It was a fitting way to kick off a remarkably energetic and impassioned performance from one of hip-hop’s most genre-defying artists. The concert, which took place on Oct. 3, also featured GoldLink and Blood Orange as the opening acts. Tyler Okonma, better known by his stage name Tyler, the Creator, embarked on a tour this August to promote his latest album, “Igor,” which dropped in May to critical and commercial success. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the first entirely self-produced hip-hop album to do so. Tyler opened the concert with “Igor’s Theme,” the album’s first track. Much like on the album, it

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See FLOWER, Page 10

By Aidan Vick Senior Staff Writer


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A&E

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Set of Performances Explores Self-Esteem

Noyonika Parulekar /contributing

Continued from Page 9 hood with her skillful use of movement across the stage and a proud direct address to the audience. The overall

message of the play comes across clearly: emotion is not to be minimized. It makes us who we are, and that is by no means shameful. While I admired the broad array of issues discussed, I

did feel at times overwhelmed with the sheer number of topics. Smoking, sex, joy, pain, oppression, objectification and eating disorders were only some of the themes addressed in the roughly 90-minute play. There wasn’t time to explore each of the issues in depth, and, if anything, I would have liked to see a longer version of this production. This rousing performance of “I Am an Emotional Creature” deserves admiration. It’s meant to be a thoughtprovoking overview of what young women cope with, and I think it served its purpose. It can be difficult to capture the emotional essence of girlhood, which is different for every woman, but Dooley’s Players successfully rose to the challenge with a soul-stirring performance.

— Contact China Dennington at china.grace.dennington@emory. edu

The Emory Wheel

Stage Play Captures Father-Son Relationship Continued from Page 9 actors play multiple characters. However, with only small costuming cues, keeping track of who’s who was occasionally a losing battle. While I understand that the actors are already, to varying degrees of success, affecting British accents, better distinguishing their characters’ voices could better clarify character switches. Whether “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is completely unfamiliar to you or you have read the book and seen a past production of the play, I heartily recommend the Horizon’s production. I had the privilege of seeing “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” in London several years

ago, and even with a much smaller production budget, this rendition proves a worthy successor to the West End show that swept the world. Even though Christopher’s experience may be foreign to some of us, the emotional core of his story remains universal as Christopher wrestles with how to forgive others, how to face his fears and how to achieve his dreams. With a strong cast, an innovative technical design and the affordability of local professional theater, the Horizon’s production successfully brings one of the best plays of this decade to our neighborhood in Atlanta.

— Contact Charlotte Selton at charlotte.selton@emory.edu

Netflix Show on Puberty Goes Through Some Changes

Continued from Page 9

is still partially bald and very much wounded by rejection from his crush, Missy (Jenny Slate). Nick Birch (Nick Kroll) is confused by his new overly emotional state and female hormone monstress, Connie (Maya Rudolph). Jay Bilzerian (Jason Mantzoukas) has given up masturbating with his pillows in order to contemplate his sexuality. The girls, on the other hand, must grapple with a sexist dress code implemented by the faux-feminist teacher, Mr. Lizer (Rob Huebel). The first episode is one of the strongest of the season, as it successfully balances between making fun of its characters and presenting their problems in a nuanced and sensitive manner. Where the show starts to lose its footing, however, is in its attempt to incorporate storylines that are unrelated or only tangentially related to the emotional and physical changes its characters undergo. These include a string of preachy episodes about cell-phone addiction and a plot involving the sale of study drugs. These storylines aren’t funny or compelling, and they muddle the focus of the series while dragging down the first half of the season. Additionally, Season 3 lacks some of

the star characters that made previous seasons more entertaining. For instance, Coach Steve (Kroll), whose presence was a large part of the show, is relegated to a running gag for most of Season 3 where he pops up in every episode working an odd job that he isn’t good at. The Shame Wizard (David Thewlis), who was a major driver of conflict in Season 2, makes disappointingly few appearances in the new season. Still, while some plot lines failed, others were, in typical “Big Mouth” fashion, disgusting and delightful. Matthew’s (Andrew Rannells) budding romance with Aiden (Zachary Quinto) is particularly well-executed. It illustrates one of the biggest strengths of the show: regardless of sexuality or gender identity, everyone is entitled to an equally awkward, equally funny coming-of-age story. Another successful set-up revolves around Jessi Glaser’s (Jessi Klein) introduction to female pleasure, courtesy of a “The Price is Right”-themed game show called “Do the Thing!” where she learns that there is no wrong way to explore her body. What makes this new season of “Big Mouth” stand out in particular is its off-the-wall, over-

Emory Prof. Confronts Trauma Through Dance Continued from Page 9 the stage, threatening to crash into the space around them. Staib composes highly physical and deeply individual choreography. There are few moments where all 10 performers are in unison. Rather, they each navigate their places in space, unsure and seemingly out of control of their own movements. When the performers do interact, a deep tension exists between them. One duet feels more like a wrestling match than a composed dance, as the dancers knot themselves together into a mass of tangled limbs. Despite their unsettling, restless movements, the performers are tremendously skilled. They slip back and forth between fluidity and disjointedness with ease and captivating athleticism. Through their moments of freneticism and moments of poise, they illustrate the innate instability of power. Moreover, their inability to settle is reminiscent of the struggle to

process trauma. With “fence,” Staib deftly creates a discomforting and provocative performance. His choreography touches on power, suffering and the cyclical nature of the human struggle for dominance. Inspired by such a traumatic event, “fence” begs the audience to rethink their understanding of physical barriers like fencing. Watching the performance in the shadow of the massive sculptural fence served as a reminder of the barriers that we impose upon the world today. The separation of families across the border and President Donald Trump’s relentless call for a fence to divide entire nations reveal that the reality of separating people is not an isolated incident. Staibdance’s new performance calls into question the meaning behind these physical separations and illustrates the pain that even a simple fence can impose.

— Contact Elizabeth Greene at elizabeth.ann.greene@emory.edu

the-top dedication to humor. The show will spare no detail to craft a good joke. There are a variety of musical numbers, from a lamentation by two characters wondering why no one is interested in them to a number featuring the ghosts of David Bowie and Prince to explain the spectrum of sexuality. A would-be one-off joke about “Arch-dick Ferdinand” is instead expanded into a World War I gag that runs through the rest of the episode. Oftentimes, the comedy extends into the opening theme song or end credits, and it all works together to make episodes that are raucously funny from beginning to end. Netflix is a large part of “Big Mouth” this season. There are plenty of jokes at its expense, including a particularly sharp jab at one of the streaming service’s other shows, “13 Reasons Why,” perhaps to drive home the point that no one is safe from mockery on the show, even the platform which airs it. However, Netflix also promotes itself throughout Season 3, whether it be through Jay learning to be comfortable about his sexuality through a Netflix show, or a crossover episode with another Netflix original, “Queer Eye.” While funny at first, this self-

Courtesy of Netflix

Maurice the Hormone Monster (Nick Kroll) and Andrew (John Mulaney) gab about Andrew’s grown-in bald spot. referentiality can quickly become tiresome. Despite a slow start and some poorly executed plot lines, Season 3 of “Big Mouth” is a wholly entertaining ride from start to finish. Its diverse cast of characters are all united in the excruciating experience of growing up,

something with which every viewer can empathize. The season’s dual commitment to jokes and genuinity make it well worth the watch, zits and all.

— Contact Saru Garg at saru.garg@emory.edu

‘Flower Boy’ Blossoms for Atlanta Audience Continued from Page 9 was a good way to set the tone of the concert — smooth and passionate with moments of extreme vigor. He continued to draw from “Igor” for the next five tracks, performing some of the album’s biggest hits like “Earfquake,” “A Boy Is a Gun*” and “I Think.” “Igor” overall is Tyler’s most soulful album yet, which could have potentially caused him problems given that he’s a stronger rapper than singer, but he held his own even in the performance’s less intense moments. Absent from Tyler’s set was a live band, which I would typically prefer during a live performance, but Tyler’s flair for showmanship proved that he could stand on his own. While I think a band could have added a new dynamic to the concert, much like how it did in Blood Orange’s set, the backing tracks worked well and kept the focus on Tyler. He played the piano leading into “Earfquake,” which was one of the concert’s quieter and more intimate moments, but he was smart to only do so once because repeating this break could have killed the concert’s momentum. The fact that the backing tracks were blasted through speakers covered

up some of the album’s sound mixing issues, but it meant the album’s lo-fi aesthetic was lost as well. Following “Earfquake,” Tyler performed “911” from 2017’s “Flower Boy,” the set’s first non-“Igor” song — although the track’s second half, “Mr. Lonely,” was left out. Even though the focus of the tour is on Tyler’s latest album, it was great to hear some of his older material, and the four selections from “Flower Boy” ended up being some of the night’s most impassioned performances. “Boredom” had the most memorable audience participation of the whole night, and “Who Dat Boy” featured pyrotechnics and perhaps Tyler’s most explosive display of the concert. Tyler also played two tracks each from 2011’s “Goblin” and 2013’s “Wolf,” although a lot of the audience seemed unfamiliar with these songs. Tyler finished with album closer “Are We Still Friends?” which was a decent send-off but not one of the evening’s highlights. There was no encore, but he didn’t need one. The set ran for 19 songs, and he got through most of “Igor” as well as a fair amount of his back catalogue’s best material. Overall, Tyler successfully balanced the aggressive and intimate characteristics of his music, and he

obviously put an immense amount of energy into his performance. There were several moments in between songs when he had to catch his breath, but he still managed to maintain his stamina throughout the entire hourand-a-half long set. GoldLink and Blood Orange proved to be capable performers as well. GoldLink is still a fairly new name in the rap game, but he showcased an impressive flow and an infecting vitality. His set was rather one-note compared to Tyler, but given the limited size of his discography, that isn’t surprising. Blood Orange, a well-established name in the world of modern R&B, gave a rousing performance with gorgeous vocals and a live band to boot. Although very different performers, the openers each embodied an element of Tyler’s style. These similarities made them an effective way to hype the audience up for the main show. With diverse lighting and staging, eclectic dancing and a strong presence on the mic, Tyler, the Creator proved himself to be an artist worth seeing, whether or not you’re already a fan of his music.

— Contact Aidan Vick at aidan.vick@emory.edu


SPORTS

The Emory Wheel

Exclusively for Emory University Students & Alumni

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Saunders Named UAA Player of the Week Continued from Back Page

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their best shot.” The Eagles regained their composure in the fourth set and dispatched the Bears by a score of 25-21. Junior right-side hitter Leah Saunders, the UAA player of the week, was the star of the match with an outstanding two-way performance that resulted in 21 kills, nine digs and two blocks. Thompson once again shined on defense with a game-high 19 digs, while freshman setter Cassie Srb, currently second in the UAA in assists per set, produced a staggering 50 assists. The next game against NYU followed a similar pattern. After convincing wins for Emory in the first two sets, 25-10 and 25-19, unusually sloppy play allowed NYU to take the third set 25-16. The Eagles once more responded well, securing 25-17 victory in the fourth set. The Emory defense did an excellent job limiting NYU’s freshman outside hitter Haley Holz, the UAA leader in kills per set, to a .179 hitting percentage. Junior middle hitter Maggie Rimmel had her best hitting game of the season, leading the offense with 14 kills. McDowell was thrilled by the Eagles’ response to losing sets in both the NYU and

11

WashU matches. “I was impressed with how our team responded after losing those sets,” McDowell said. “We came up big during the biggest moments of both matches.” Thompson’s defensive efforts over the three matches earned her the title of the program’s all-time digs leader with 1,519 digs. “I am super honored to have made it to the highest digs total,” Thompson said. “I am so fortunate to have been on incredibly successful teams, … and I owe it to all my teammates for making me better every single day.” Up next, the Eagles will take a break from conference play with three straight games against non-conference opponents, the first of which will be played at home against Birmingham-Southern College (Ala.) on Oct. 10. Even though these non-conference games don’t hold the same weight of UAA games, Thompson is sure the team will attack them with the same energy. “These next matches are crucial for regional rankings which play into NCAA tournament hosting,” Thompson said. “It is not hard at all to be fired up [for the games].”

— Contact Charlie Scruton at charlie.scruton@emory.edu

Kolski’s Goal Eagles Push Lifts Team Through Over Berry Route Error Continued from Back Page

Continued from Back Page

none better than a shot by freshman striker Natalie Klar, which was denied by a brilliant diving save from Malone. Despite the frustrating loss, Pratt is still optimistic about the state of the team moving forward. “There’s a lot of excitement going into a huge rivalry game,” Pratt said. “Especially for us trying to pull off an upset. I think the team is still rolling, and we’re going to be fine for the rest of the season.” On Tuesday against Berry, the two teams failed to score in the first half. The Eagles eventually broke the scoreless tie in the second half.

Although Emory outshot Berry 16-3 in the first half, they were unable to find the back of the net, an issue that has plagued them recently. Emory freshman midfielder Samantha Agnew had the best opportunity to score in the second minute, but her shot bounced hard off the post. After the halftime break, senior forward Caroline Kolski gave the Eagles the only goal they needed when she finished a through ball from junior midfielder Samantha Hilsee in the 59th minute. When the final whistle blew, Emory had outshot Berry 30-4, including a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal. The Eagles will play their next UAA game at home against No. 5 Washington University of St. Louis (Mo.) on Oct. 12 at 11 a.m.

teams in the Silver 8K led by junior Jack Whetstone, who placed ninth out of 276 runners with a time of 24:40. Whetstone appreciated the opportunity to practice on Louisville course as it will be used for Division III championships during the postseason. “It was a nice, dry course,” Whetstone said. “Same course used for championships, so it was good to get a feel for it now.” Other notable runners included sophomore Spencer Moore who finished in 30th place, junior John Cox who placed 54th and junior Matt Dillon who came in 65th place. During the Silver 5K women’s race, an incorrect gate opening led runners to take different routes, skewing the length of the course. Because of this, the Louisville Classic recorded the winners based on their 3.9K time. Despite the change, the team still placed 12th out of 38 teams. Nguyen was frustrated with the error. “You can’t really take a split and use that as a result, but what can you do?” Nguyen said. Junior Suzie Martin was the first Eagle to cross the finish line, placing ninth out of 253 runners with a time of 14:11. Sophomore Bella Racette came in 50th place, while freshman Leah Clark finished closely behind to take 53rd place. Junior Abby Durfee rounded out the Eagles, placing 94th, followed by freshman Shana Fitzmaurice in 95th place. Meanwhile in Alabama, the other part of the team excelled in the JSU Foothills Invitational. In the 8K, junior Jacob Hedgepeth led Emory with a ninth place individual finish with a time of 26:31, and helped the Eagles finish in third place in the race. The women’s team consisted of only three runners, which was not enough players to receive a team score. Junior Carrie McIntyre finished in 17th place in the 5K, while sophomore Eileen Laverty placed 47th and junior Michelle Ly came in 50th place out of 179 runners. The Eagles will next run at the Berry Invitational at Berry College (Ga.) on Oct. 19.

— Contact Ethan Mayblum at emayblu@emory.edu

— Contact Eythen Anthony at eaantho@emory.edu

“I think the team is still rolling, and we’re going to be fine for the rest of the season.” — Haley Pratt, Senior goalkeeper


The Emory Wheel

Sports

Wednesday, October 9, 2019 | Sports Editor: Ryan Callahan (rjcalla@emory.edu)

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Emory Drops UAA Opener

VOLLEYBALL

Team Fails to Capitalize On Scoring Opportunities By Ethan Mayblum Contributing Writer The Emory women’s soccer team suffered a 2-1 defeat in their University Athletic Association (UAA) opener on Oct. 5 at the hands of the No. 12 nationally-ranked University of Chicago (UChicago) Maroons. On Oct. 8, Emory defeated the Berry College (Ga.) Vikings 1-0 outside of UAA play. The Eagles now stand at 7-3 on the season and 0-1 in the UAA. In their first match, the Eagles fell behind early, allowing a UChicago goal just two minutes into the first half. The shot, from UChicago senior midfielder Rachel Dias, took an unfortunate bounce off of Eagle freshman defender Peyton Robertson, sending it in past Eagles’ senior goalkeeper Haley Pratt, who had been moving in the opposite direction prior to the deflection. After battling back and forth after the first goal, Emory let in another goal in the 24th minute. UChicago’s sophomore forward Peyton Jefferson intercepted a poor clearance from Eagle junior defender Lily Dresner at the top of the box and chipped the ball over Pratt. Despite outshooting the Maroons

CROSS COUNTRY

17-14, including a 12-6 advantage in shots on target, the Eagles had trouble getting onto the scoreboard. UChicago junior goalkeeper Miranda Malone saved nearly every shot and finished the game with a season-high 10 saves. Head Coach Sue Patberg thought that the Eagles had ample opportunities to score, but suffered from inability to execute at the end of their drives. “A few [saves] were a credit to [Malone], and she made some good saves, but there were a few that we literally hit right at her,” Patberg said. “It was just us and the goalkeeper, but you can’t shoot the ball at the keeper and expect it to go in … We had our opportunities. We just didn’t finish them.” In the 79th minute, Eagle’s senior forward Shivani Beall found the back of the net after maneuvering around four UChicago defenders inside the 18-yard box and scored with a shot near the right post. The goal marked Beall’s third of the season and gave the Eagles 10 minutes to come back from the now one-point deficit. In the final five minutes, Emory had several scoring opportunities,

See KOLSKI’S, Page 11

A noushka Parameswar/contributing

Junior middle hitter Maggie Rimmel taps the ball over the outstretched hands of an New York University (NYU) defender. The Eagles defeated NYU 3-1, on Oct. 6 at the WoodPEC.

Eagles Remain Undefeated in UAA By Charlie Scruton Staff Writer

The Emory volleyball team extended its winning streak to nine games with home victories against Lee University (Tenn.) on Oct. 2 and Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) (Mo.) and New York University (NYU) on Oct. 6. The Eagles now boast a perfect 5-0 in University Athletic Association (UAA) play, tied with the University of Chicago for first place, and are firmly in the hunt to repeat as conference champions. Head Coach Jenny McDowell is pleased the team defended home court and believes the crowds of over 200 at each UAA game aided the performance. “It was fun to play in front of such a great crowd,” McDowell said. “We

really appreciated the awesome support and it really made a difference.” Emory began the week with a convincing non-conference victory over Lee. Fantastic hitting efficiency, commonplace for the Eagles this season, was once again on display as Emory only committed six errors en route to 36 kills. The Eagles were equally as strong defensively, as four different players recorded at least five digs. Senior libero Elyse Thompson lead the way with 10 digs, and junior middle hitter Finn Wilkins was a force at the net with five blocks. Thompson believes the team’s determined mindset is helping them succeed defensively. “We had to have a mindset shift in the beginning of the season that no one was going to outdig us,” Thompson said. “Defense requires an aggressive

mindset to keep the ball off the ground no matter what.” Against the WashU Bears, Emory looked very comfortable early on. After winning the first two sets 25-12 and 25-18, the Eagles looked well on their way to their eighth straight set win. But the Bears fought hard to stay in the game and forced a fourth set with an unexpectedly dominant 25-12 win in the third set. Emory didn’t do themselves any favors with an uncharacteristically high nine attack errors and five service errors. McDowell was more impressed by WashU’s response in the third set than disheartened by the Eagles’ play. “It was a matter of the other team playing their very best,” McDowell said. “Every team is going to give us

See SAUNDERS, Page 11

CALLAHAN’S CORNER

Trifecta The Case For (and Against) College Athlete Pay Of Top-10 Finishes at 2 Meets By Ryan Callahan Sports Editor

By Eythen Anthony Contributing Writer Cross country Head Coach Linh Nguyen split the team based on the previous meets’ times for two tournaments on Oct. 5: the Louisville Classic in Kentucky and the Jacksonville State University (JSU) Foothills Invitational in Oxford, Ala. In the Louisville Classic, the men’s team placed ninth out of 40 teams, while the women’s team placed 10th out of 38 teams. In the JSU Foothills Invitational, the men’s team placed 3rd out of 25 teams, while the women’s team was not able to receive a group score due to too few runners. Nguyen split the teams due to caps on the amount of players he could bring to each tournament. Located at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park, the Louisville Classic is known for its relatively flat course and large number of competing teams. The men’s team placed ninth out of 40

See EAGLES, Page 11

On Sept. 30, California governor Gavin Newsom signed the bipartisan Fair Pay to Play Act into law, paving the way for NCAA athletes to profit off of endorsement deals starting in 2023. The act garnered support from collegiate and professional athletes but drew criticism from the NCAA, its conferences and schools. The bill will allow college athletes in California to hire agents and to sign endorsements that don’t conflict with the school’s own endorsements; for example, a player cannot sign a shoe deal with Nike if the school already has a shoe deal with Adidas. Further, it grants athletes the opportunity to promote companies and products as well as make money off of their own YouTube channels. The act, which is the first of its kind, will fundamentally change the dichotomy between the NCAA and its athletes. But is paying athletes the right move, and how might it play out once its implemented? Those in favor of the bill celebrate California’s decision to stand up to the NCAA and grant athletes a chance to earn their fair share of cash. The NCAA is a $14 billion industry who owes its profits largely to the

incredible athletes, like former Duke men’s basketball star forward Zion Williamson. He was so electrifying that fans were willing to pay top dollar to watch him compete. So, it’s not hard to see why many think athletes should be able to profit off of their contributions to the industry. On the other hand, many, but not all, student athletes playing for Division I or II schools are given partial or full athletic scholarships; Division III schools are prohibited from offering athletic scholarships because they prioritize academics over athletics. Since colleges exists for the purpose of earning a degree rather than a paycheck, many believe paying athletes would undermine the nature and purpose of postsecondary education. Additionally, paying amateur athletes would fundamentally change the way we look at the term “professional.” Right now, if an athlete earns a salary playing a sport, they are considered professionals at that sport. If college athletes are paid, would they still be considered amateurs, or would they be professionals and therefore barred from collegiate competition per the NCAA definition? Regardless, I don’t think we can determine the value of paying ath-

letes until we see the effects. I’m more concerned about the pay discrepancy between sports and gender that will inevitably result from this bill. Football and men’s basketball are the NCAA’s biggest sources of revenue, with no other sport even particularly close. The average Division I school makes almost $32 million per year from football and over $8 million from men’s basketball. Obviously, football and men’s basketball players will have the opportunity to earn more money. While that fact is understandable and unavoidable, it’s hard not to take issue with the fact that the top softball player at a Division I school will make much less than a fringe-starting football player at the same school. While the pay discrepancy between sports will be large, the difference between genders will be even larger, given the already large gap in revenue between men’s and women’s sports, according to the 2017 edition of the NCAA Revenues and Expenses report. Title IX, the federal law prohibiting colleges and universities from discriminating against students on the basis of sex, ensures that male and female athletes in California will have equal opportunity to earn compensation for their labor. The problem is that although each

athlete will have the same opportunities, they will not earn nearly the same pay. This, too, is understandable, but is likely to generate a host of issues similar to the U.S. women’s national soccer team’s fight for equal pay. Consider a situation in which women’s basketball team at a Division I school is more successful than its male equivalent. But, because of the revenue discrepancy between men’s and women’s basketball, the men’s team will have the opportunity to earn more money despite being worse. Is it necessarily fair that a more successful team and its players make less than a worse team? That’s not for me to decide, but it goes to show the unintended consequences of a bill like the Fair Pay to Play Act could have. The question remains: should we be paying college athletes? In all honesty, I’m not sure. There are strong arguments on each side that make it difficult to be for or against the bill. But I applaud California for taking initiative on this long standing issue. Fortunately, this act originated in a single state, so if its negative effects outweigh its positives, it won’t affect every athlete in the country.

— Contact Ryan Callahan at rjcalla@emory.edu


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