Nov. 5, 2025

The Emory Wheel

Andre Dickens wins second term as Atlanta mayor

By JaCk rutherforD Managing Editor

Voters re-elected Andre Dickens as the mayor of Atlanta on Nov. 4 with 87,351 votes (85%), with 99% of the vote counted, according to the Associated Press. He defeated Eddie Meredith (6.1%), Kalema Jackson (5.1%) and Helmut Domagalski (3.8%). Dickens was first elected to the position after former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms declined to run for a second term in 2021. He won in a runoff race against Felicia Moore, with Dickens taking 63.4% of the vote compared to Moore’s 36.6%.

Dickens’ campaign focused on “expanding opportunities, equity, and prosperity for all residents.” In a second term, he hopes to create initiatives to improve public safety and community support while bolstering his signature Atlanta Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative, designed to allocate city resources to underserved neighborhoods.

During his first term, Dickens attempted to repair the strained relationship between city and state officials. Since the beginning of Dickens’ first term in office, Atlanta’s overall crime rates have decreased by 9%. Still, housing prices have increased drastically, and water main breaks in the last year exposed some of the city’s weak infrastructure.

In a close race, Atlanta Councilmember Marci Overstreet (51%) defeated Center for Civic Innovation Founder and Executive Director Rohit Malhotra (49%) for the Atlanta City Council presidency by a margin of 2,772 votes. Overstreet has represented District 11, containing portions of Southwest Atlanta, since 2018.

During her tenure as a councilmember, Overstreet introduced legislation to alleviate food insecurity and advocated for affordable housing developments.

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

By Dia ChauDhury anD James sCheChner Contributing Writers

The Associated Press called Zohran Mamdani’s victory at 9:35 p.m. on Nov. 4, officiating the win of New York City’s first Muslim mayor and youngest in over a century. New Yorkers will feel the effects of his future policies over the next four years — and the impact of his campaign is already evident.

Over 1,000 Emory University students call the state of New York home, and many of them live in New York City. Emory students shared their hopes for Mamdani’s term in charge of America’s most populous city. Mamdani had secured 50.4% of New York’s tallied vote, as of 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 5.

Public policy and history major Piper Domsch (28C), a New York City resident, said she was “really excited” about Mamdani ahead of Election Day. She hoped the Democratic Socialist’s affordability-focused policies would make living in New York easier after college.

“I really want to move back to New York when I graduate,” Domsch said. “Coming off of a first post-grad salary, I don’t see how that would really be possible in the way that New York is right now.”

Mamdani announced his New York City mayoral election bid in October 2024. His biggest opponents for New York City’s highest office included Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and former New York Governor and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo.

On Nov. 3, U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed Cuomo for the role and criticized Mamdani for not being “capable” of running New York.

Former Mayor of New York City and Bloomberg L.P. co-founder Michael

Bloomberg also publicly announced his support for Cuomo and donated $8 million to a super PAC backing him. Bloomberg said Cuomo comes with the “toughness” and “experience” to take on the mayoral position. Critics of Mamdani, including Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.), have argued his plans to raise taxes to fund some of his programs could exacerbate New York’s affordability crisis. Despite her public criticisms, Hochul endorsed Mamdani in September.

Mamdani’s platform focused on affordability, including proposals such as fare-free transportation, rent freezes for apartments, city-owned grocery stores and free childcare. His platform also includes an increased minimum wage and a tax reform plan. The mayor-elect said he will increase New York City’s corporate tax rate and presented a plan to tax the wealthiest 1% of the city’s population an additional 2% flat tax on top of their income tax.

Ameer Alnasser (25Ox, 27C), who is a political science major from New York, mentioned his anticipation for

Mamdani’s campaign.

“Time and time again, we’ve seen the establishment not really provide that many promising figures or even promising policy descriptions, and he’s done both at the same time,” Alnasser said. “It has been really exciting.

Alnasser highlighted Mamdani’s campaign strategy, describing his direct approach as “interesting” and comparing Mamdani’s fame to that of a celebrity.

Tashfia Noor (24Ox, 26C), a native New Yorker who met Mamdani at a Bengali center in Jamaica, Queens, said the mayor-elect has an impressive ability to connect with young people.

“I was just really excited to see someone that’s aligned with my views and the younger generation, and someone that also motivated the younger generation to go out and vote, which is something that I had never seen before in a mayoral candidate for New York City,” Noor said. Noor said she especially looks for-

'Disgusting' grafitti sparks discourse within Oxford community

By irene John anD kimBle sChiller Oxford News Chair & OxSGA Desk

Content Warning: This article contains references to hateful language and slur use.

Students discovered graffiti across Oxford College’s Hearn Nature Trail on Oct. 27. The vandalism consisted of “KKK” written in white paint on trees and monuments, the letters “FU” in the Serenity Circle along the nature trail and the defacement of former Oxford Professor of Religion Hoyt Oliver’s (54Ox, 56C) memorial. On Oct. 28, the Emory Police Department said they were investigating the incident and working to identify the individuals responsible for the vandalism. However, days after the event, the incident continues to raise concerns among Oxford students.

Adam Ruhde (26Ox) was among the first to report the vandalism. He walked the nature trail twice on Oct. 27, once at 12:45 p.m. and then around 5 p.m. Ruhde noted he saw no graffiti during his earlier walk.

Ruhde emphasized that he thought this act of vandalism was despicable.

“Someone went out there with the courage and the audacity to do that in broad daylight, and that’s just disgusting,” Ruhde said.

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Badia Ahad, who was serving as Oxford dean until Nov. 1, and Senior Associate Dean of Campus Life Darleny Cepin condemned the original vandalism in a campus-wide email on Oct. 28, calling the markings “hateful” and not reflective of our community.

In their Oct. 28 statement, Ahad and Cepin also mentioned that the University removed the graffiti. However, reporters from The Emory Wheel confirmed that markings reading “KKK” remained as of Nov. 3.

Oxford Student Government Association (OxSGA) Culture and Engagement Committee Chair Milin Kumar (26Ox) acknowledged Oxford’s historical role as a hospital for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War, but said the context did not change much about the nature of the incident. The nature trail leads past a cemetery with the remains of

Confederate soldiers.

“It doesn’t really affect me on how I view this incident, because this is just a hate crime,” Kumar said. “Either way, regardless of past historical context, it needs to be condemned, and this is a place for people to feel safe.”

Oxford’s African Caribbean Student Union Treasurer Theogracia Alese (26Ox) framed this incident within the current political climate, noting it feels like the world is “regressing” from previous work against discrimination.

“Systemic racism is still a big problem we need to combat with stuff like this coming to Oxford directly,” Alese said. “There definitely needs to be things done to combat everything going on because it’s definitely a very tense time.”

During their Oct. 29 meeting, OxSGA passed a resolution denouncing hate speech on campus. OxSGA sent the resolution as an email to Oxford’s student body, in which they “unequivocally and wholeheartedly” condemned “this despicable and hateful act.”

“Every student deserves to feel safe, valued, and supported at

Emory,” the email read. “We commit to advocating for immediate and transparent action from the Emory Police Department, including a thorough investigation of the incident and proactive measures to prevent future acts.”

Furthermore, the statement called on the University’s leadership to “commit to continuing support of our underrepresented and marginalized students, as well as remaining committed to advancing the work of the Twin Memorial Project, which seeks to address Emory’s involvement in enslavement.”

The statement concluded by praising the efforts of campus facilities teams in cleaning up the graffiti and providing support resources, encouraging students to promote accountability and inclusivity in the community.

OxSGA President Jack Steffen (26Ox) condemned the act and emphasized that the actions were “diametrically opposed” to Oxford’s values.

“Hateful acts will never be tolerated in our community,” Steffen said. Steffen emphasized OxSGA’s role in supporting the Oxford community

after the incident.

“SGA is definitely taking a stand on this,” Steffen said. “We passed a resolution last night during our meeting, so we’ll be sending out a statement to the student body just offering support resources, explaining how things go from here as best we can.”

If you or someone you know experienced hateful language or slur use, you can call the Emory Police Department at (404) 727-6111 or reach Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services at (404) 7277450 or https://counseling.emory. edu/. You can reach the Atlanta Police Department at (404) 614-6544 and the Lines for Life Racial Equity Support Line from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. at (503) 575-3764. You can reach the Trevor Project’s LGBTQ crisis support services 24/7 by calling +1 (866) 488-7386, texting 678-678 or visiting https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/.

— Contact Irene John at irene.john@emory.edu and Kimble Schiller ar kimble.schiller@emory.edu

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Bingjiefu He Voters elected Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani to serve as the next mayor of New York City on Nov. 4.

jaCk rutHerford/m anaging editor Atlantans came to Emory University's 1599 Clifton Rd. polling station to vote in local elections on Nov. 4.

Oregonians respond to National Guard deployment

By Clara hillsman Contributing Writer

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will reconsider whether the Oregon National Guard should be deployed to Portland, Ore., according to an Oct. 28 decision. Last week, on Oct. 20, the appeals court overturned U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut’s blocks on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5, which previously prevented the deployment of National Guard service members and the Trump administration from sending federal troops to the city.

According to the Trump administration, they are deploying these federal troops to protect government property, particularly the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in downtown Portland. Approximately 200 National Guard service members are currently awaiting a court ruling on whether they will be deployed.

After district courts issue trial rulings, the U.S. Courts of Appeals review whether those decisions abided by the law. There are 13 appeals courts, most composed of three-judge panels. Most decisions by appeals courts are ultimately final, though a minority of cases are appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. In voting to reconsider their Oct. 20 overturning, a majority of the Ninth Circuit elected to revisit the case before a larger panel of judges.

This new hearing has not yet been scheduled, but the outcome will determine whether the Trump administration can deploy federal troops into Portland in the coming weeks. For students from Oregon at Emory University, these developments have struck a chord of concern.

Grace Sharman (29C), from Eugene, Ore., about two hours outside of Portland, said the deployment would be an overreaction to anti-ICE protests in the city.

“It’s a little bit uncalled for, having the National Guard deployed because yes, there are protests, but so many of them are nonviolent,” Sharman said.

Sharman said there have been many peaceful protests, such as the Portland

By luCy BenJamin

Contributing Writer

For the first time since 2000, two Democrats will hold seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission following historic wins against Republican incumbents on Tuesday night. Currently holding all five seats of the Georgia Public Service Commission, Republicans hoped to maintain their control over the commission.

The commission is the statewide institution responsible for setting policies for electricity, gas and telecommunications.

Democrat Alicia Johnson (62%) beat incumbent Republican Tim Echols (38%) for Georgia Public Service Commission District 2. Democrat Peter Hubbard (62%) won in Georgia Public Service Commission District 3, defeating incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson (38%).

For five years, elections for this commission have been on hold due to ongoing litigation, which alleges that the statewide voting system discriminates against Black voters. Now, Democrats will have more influence in determining key energy and utility policies for the next five years.

Emory University Masse-Martin

protests featuring protesters wearing inflatable frog costumes. By donning these costumes, which aim to convey the city’s identity and strength, these protesters aim to fight back against the narrative of violence being told about the demonstrators in Portland.

“Everyone’s very passionate about what they believe in,” Sharman said. “For the most part, protests are nonviolent, and the people who are violent is a minority.”

While being over 2,600 miles away from home, Sharman emphasized that the issue still feels personal to her.

“I feel a little removed from the issue that I’m not there, but it is also my hometown,” Sharman said. “I’m obviously concerned for the people back home and my friends.”

Katie Gragg (29C), who is from Portland, said she hopes the city will remain peaceful and the citizens will remain resilient, despite federal attempts to quell their voices.

“I really love living in Portland, and I just want to see the city flourish and be a good living place for people,” Gragg said. “I just want it to be a healthy and safe environment.”

National Guard service members are actively deployed in Los Angeles, Memphis, Tenn. and Washington, D.C., implemented as part of an effort by the Trump administration to address various “rampant violence and disorder” in the cities. According to the federal government, the deployments are meant to protect federal buildings and aid local police, with the Trump administration expressing similar concerns about crime in Portland.

Gragg urged her fellow students to stay informed of the situation in Portland, as well as across the United States, and emphasized the importance of voting in local and national elections.

“Voting in general is probably an important thing that everyone can do … and for people who aren’t from Portland, staying informed is important, reading the news,” Gragg said. “If you’re passionate about a cause, advocating for that cause.”

James Gottlieb (25Ox, 27C) is from

NEH Professor of Political Science Zachary Peskowitz highlighted the differences in this year’s election from previous ones.

“It’s an unusual situation in that we typically have these elections every two years,” Peskowitz said. “This is the first opportunity in a few years for voters to weigh in and try to have some influence through the ballot box.”

Democrat Alicia Johnson ran against Echols, the Republican incumbent, in District 2, which covers the central and eastern parts of the state. Johnson’s campaign included plans to invest more in clean energy, like solar batteries and microgrids. Echols cam-

Oregon and served as the executive assistant to the Oregon Attorney General this past summer. He said his experience working in politics has shown him that Oregon is facing a plethora of other issues, but the protests should not be a primary concern for the federal government.

“There's nothing for the National Guard to stop.”

— James Gottlieb (25Ox, 27C)

“There’s nothing for the National Guard to stop,” Gottlieb said. “Oregon’s real problems right now are food insecurity, ICE deportations, those have riled up, and public consumption of drug use.”

Gottlieb praised local law enforcement in Portland for their efforts to rebuild trust in the community even amid the presence of federal troops in the city.

“Portland police is great at communicating with their community,” Gottlieb said. “They’re great at being a reliable presence who’s able to connect with individuals, which is good. People shouldn’t have to be scared of those there to protect them.”

Along with determining whether the federal government can deploy the National Guard into Portland, the upcoming ruling from the Ninth Circuit panel will also carry additional implications.

The decision will impact the way protests in Portland operate as well as influence the decisions to deploy troops to other cities.

“This decision is as relevant as the National Guard deployment in D.C. and in Chicago, like training grounds,” Gottlieb said. “A militarized state is not a good thing. It’s a step towards totalitarianism. It’s a step towards authoritarianism.”

— Contact Clara Hillsman at clara.hillsman@emory.edu

paigned on his commission experience and desire to expand solar and nuclear power, campaigning on the three-year electricity rate freeze the commission approved as a “win for consumers.”

The freeze prevents the commission from raising the rate Georgians pay for their electricity until 2028.

In District 3, which covers the Atlanta metropolitan area and Clayton County, Hubbard, the Democratic challenger, ran against the Republican incumbent Fitz Johnson. Governor Brian Kemp (R-Ga.) originally appointed Fitz Johnson to the vacant seat in 2021. Fitz Johnson’s 2025 campaign focused on lowering energy costs and finding more ways to meet Georgia’s energy needs.

Emory Associate Professor of Economics Maria Arbatskaya highlighted the tensions between keeping rates low while still investing in the future of Georgia’s energy.

“I believe that there has to be a balance, because we have a trade-off here,” Arbatskaya said. “We would like to see all low rates on electricity and natural gas, but we also want to have infrastructure developed.”

Young Democrats of Emory Treasurer Raleigh Maxwell (28C) emphasized the stakes of these races ahead of Election Day.

18 months later, some April 25 arrestees’ cases remain open

By siya kumar News Editor

As of Oct. 17, the DeKalb County State Court has closed 17 out of 27 of the April 25-related cases without a trial. The information for one of these cases is not publicly accessible.

The Emory Police Department (EPD), Atlanta Police Department (APD) and Georgia State Patrol (GSP) arrested 28 people, 20 of whom were Emory community members, participating in a pro-Palestine encampment.

In addition to being charged with criminal trespass, two people with open cases have been charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction of law enforcement officers. Additionally, a person with an open case has been charged with simple battery against a police officer.

At least three arrestees have pleaded not guilty, and at least one has filed a motion to dismiss the case with the DeKalb County State Court.

Criminal trespass includes entering another person’s property without their consent, and simple battery is insulting or physically contacting another person without their permission.

Several defendants had calendar calls in December, during which attorneys met with the judge. The court has not set a trial date for any of the defendants.

Approximately 45 to 50 protestors established a pro-Palestine encampment with tents, tables and symbolic displays on the Quad. Around 9 a.m., APD and GSP arrived to assist EPD, and by 9:17 a.m., EPD Deputy Chief Timothy Powers ordered protestors to disperse within 10 minutes. When protestors refused, officers surrounded the encampment and began arresting protestors around 10:30 a.m. The officers also deployed irritating pepper powder and tased an individual four times on the Quad.

After law enforcement ended the encampment, University President Gregory Fenves, who now serves as Emory’s chancellor, released a statement condemning the protests. Fenves stated that the protestors were “largely not affiliated with Emory” and “disrupting” the University.

— Contact Siya Kumar at siya.kumar2@emory.edu

“This year is very important because Georgia is at an inflection point, and has been in this place for the past decade about, ‘Is this state going to be a blue or red state, is it going to stay as a purple state?’” Maxwell said.

Maxwell said it was difficult to bring attention to the commission election on Emory’s campus.

“There’s definitely a lack of awareness on campus,” Maxwell said. “It is a big bureaucratic agency that has a name that doesn’t even explain what it does, and it’s very hard to communicate exactly what the role does.”

Emory community members encouraged students to turn out to vote and educated community members about the commission’s role in Georgia’s energy landscape.

Sunrise Emory Actions Team Lead Piper Domsch (28C) highlighted the impact their group is trying to make as a chapter of a national organization. The group endorsed both Democratic challengers in the election. Sunrise Emory is the University’s chapter of the Sunrise Movement, a national youth-led political action organization that advocates for action on climate change and the Green New Deal.

“It’s always a super low turnout

election, which is something that we are trying to change,” Domsch said. According to exit polls, the turnout for Tuesday’s election was higher than expected, with almost 1.5 million Georgians coming out for an election without a gubernatorial race or national elections.

In anticipation of the election, Domsch and her team attended a hearing about Georgia Power’s grid expansion proposal in October. Sunrise Emory gave three-minute personal statements about how the plan would affect them. She hoped the event brought more publicity to the issue.

“The goal of us going to give public comments was also to get media attention so that more people can know about this election,” Domsch said. Arbatskaya also highlighted the overwhelming impact this election would have on Georgians.

“Almost everybody in Georgia would feel the positive and negative impacts of whoever is going to end up on the commission going forward,” Arbatskaya said. “The outcome of the election would affect almost every household.” — Contact Lucy Benjamin at lucy.benjamin@emory.edu

Democrats win Georgia Public Service Commission seats with Emory

Wikimedia Commons/dX r Democrats won two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission on Nov. 4.

jaCk rutHerford/m anaging editor

Atlantans demand emergency assistance during SNAP benefits pause

By GaBriel symeoniDes Contributing Writer

On the steps of the Georgia State Capitol on Nov. 1, protesters made their presence known with rhythmic drumming, singing and chanting phrases like “When food stamps are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “Kemp, where the money at?”

After a month of government shutdown, federal funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits across the country paused on Nov. 1, impacting over 1.5 million Georgia residents.

Late last month, two federal judges issued court orders for U.S. President Donald Trump to fund SNAP benefits nationwide via emergency reserves. As of Nov. 4, the Trump administration responded by stating that they will fund only half of the usual $8 billion in SNAP benefits, as they said tapping more funds could hurt other programs.

Before the judges issued their rulings, Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R-Ga.) administration refused to tap Georgia’s $14.6 billion surplus to fund state-wide SNAP benefits, stating that “there is no mechanism by which the state can replace benefits on customer cards.”

In response, approximately 50 protesters gathered at the state capitol at noon for two hours to demand that Kemp advocate for the continued funding of SNAP benefits.

Protesters called on the state and federal governments to allocate emergency funds to SNAP benefits for the millions of Americans who have lost access to them. The protesters also criticized the Trump administration’s massive funding toward initiatives they denounce, such as mass deportation and Israeli military aid.

Atlanta’s branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) led the demonstration alongside allied organizations, including the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism coalition and

benefits on Nov. 1.

said he is not alone in this struggle.

Crime Report: Theft by shoplifting, criminal trespass

By GeorGe seGall Crime Desk

The Emory Wheel regularly meets with Emory Police Department (EPD) Records Manager Ed Shoemaker (87G, 90G) and uses EPD’s public crime log to inform the Emory University community about recent crime on and around Emory’s campuses.

To report a crime, contact EPD at 404-727-6111 or police@emory.edu.

Theft by shoplifting at Emory Point’s CVS Pharmacy

the Emory West Building B property, which is an abandoned building surrounded by a chain link fence. EPD arrived at the scene and told anyone inside to exit with their hands raised. When nobody responded, EPD attempted to use the vehicle’s licence plate information to locate a phone number and contact the vehicle’s owner. The SUV contained pipes, pieces of copper and tools.

PSL organizer Genny Kennedy said the government is withholding SNAP benefits despite the existence of emergency funding programs.

“The current administration is saying that they just had to cut off SNAP because they don’t have the money, but in fact, that’s false,” Kennedy said. “There’s actually emergency funding explicitly for times like this, and it is a decision to not use it.”

According to Kennedy, both Democrats and Republicans are responsible for the issues behind the current pause of SNAP benefits, and urged the two coalitions to come together to solve this issue.

“[Democrats] should also be applying pressure, instead of actually waiting there like sitting ducks, waiting for people to basically urge them to do something,” Kennedy said.

Demonstrators held up signs that read “1 million hungry, Gov. Kemp has the money!” and “Fund food stamps, not billionaire tax cuts!”, and PSL members held a banner reading “Workers make the world run. Workers should run the world.” behind the demonstration.

Another PSL organizer said that he relies on SNAP benefits to feed his two children, even though he works over 50 hours a week in construction. Mike

“There are 640,000 children in this state, besides my two little boys, who are at risk of going hungry this month because our elected representatives in this country have simply chosen that for them,” Mike said.

Ngaya Swai, who is also a PSL organizer, said the protest is especially representative of the issues the working class faces under the government shutdown.

“Right now, in this government shutdown, the working-class people are the ones who are suffering, but in a general strike, it would be the pockets of the billionaires,” Swai said. “It would be pockets of the Democrats and Republicans who would be suffering, so it would force them to actually concede on a lot of issues that would actually support the working class.”

At the end of the protest, PSL organizer Elias DuPree encouraged people to organize as the best way to draw attention to the issues discussed in the protest.

“The only way that we’re going to be able to address this ongoing crisis of artificial scarcity is if the working people organize,” DuPree said.

— Contact Gabriel Symeonides at gabriel.symeonides@emory.edu

A Point security officer informed EPD at about 9:20 p.m. on Oct. 29 that a “serial shoplifter” entered the store that night. A CVS employee reported the incident to the security guard.

A CVS manager told EPD that the suspected shoplifter returned to the store at about 8:50 p.m. The store manager described the woman as about 5’4” with red braids, wearing a gray and blue jacket, black pants, an orange and white hoodie and blue.

EPD reviewed the CVS’s footage and found the female picking items up off the shelf and placing them inside the jacket she was wearing. According to the store manager, she found accounts on Facebook Marketplace selling makeup items in the area and located a page with bins of makeup listed for sale. The store manager said she suspected these were the same items that the suspect stole from the CVS.

EPD gathered the video footage, photographs and an itemized list of stolen items. EPD has assigned an investigator to follow up and look into the alleged individual as well as the alleged attempts to resell the property.

Criminal trespass at Emory West

A complainant told EPD around 7:00 a.m. on Oct. 29 that an unknown individual had parked a red SUV on

Students share mixed reactions to DCT self-service

By JaCoB musColino

anD James sCheChner News Editor & Contributing Writer

After Students walked into the Dobbs Common Table (DCT) this week to find servers absent from most stations. Instead, students served themselves.

In a statement to The Emory Wheel, Emory Dining Director Chad Sunstein wrote that most stations in the DCT changed to a “self-service centered model” due to student feedback.

“The majority of stations in the DCT have transitioned to a self-service centered model based on direct feedback from students,” Sunstein wrote.

Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond wrote in a statement to the Wheel that switching to self-service will allow students more flexibility in choosing their portion sizes. Diamond added that the change will not affect the DCT employees’ employment.

“This move will not impact staffing levels at DCT,” Diamond wrote. “Selfservice will allow staff members to focus on replenishing the stations and keeping them in working order.”

According to Diamond, some stations and menu items will remain staff-controlled. She did not provide a complete list of which stations will remain staffed.

The Emory Wheel

Volume 106, Issue 13 © 2025 The Emory Wheel

Alumni Memorial University Center, Room 401 630 Means Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30322 Business (404) 727-6178

Editors-in-Chief Ellie Fivas and Spencer Friedland ellie.fivas@emory.edu spencer.friedland@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 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.

model

DCT Supervisor Jeremiah Williams called the switch a “good idea” since it allowed students to choose their portion sizes.

However, he mentioned that the change could mean more work for the kitchen employees.

“The kitchen is having to pump out more food than usual, versus the service controlling the food,” Williams said. “Now, it’s [students] that control the food.”

Cindy Zhang (28C) supported the change since it could minimize waiting times during service and reduce food waste.

“That’s actually really good, cause now the lines are going to move faster and students are able to take their desired portion size instead of wasting food,” Zhang said.

However, Zade Farouki (29C) argued that self-service would increase food waste.

“There’s gonna to be way less portion control, and it’s going to lead to a lot more food waste, because people are going to take a lot more food and

then waste a lot more food,” Farouki said.

Justin Jang (29C) mentioned that he was excited to have control over his own portions.

“That’s actually really good, because then I can control the portion that I want,” Jang said.

However, Jang shared his concern about students taking too much food and leaving less for their peers.

“Some people are pigs and hogs, so they might just take the whole thing,” Jang said.

Despite these concerns, Williams said DCT employees are proud to serve the Emory community, no matter the style of service.

“It gets overwhelmed, but when you’re doing your passion and you’re doing what you love, you don’t mind continuing to push, even through all the tiredness,” Williams said.

— Contact Jacob Muscolino at jake.muscolino@emory.edu and James Schechner at jamie.schechner@emory.edu

EPD officers entered the building and located a subject in a crouched position. The police officers demanded the subject reveal himself, the man emerged with a bag and a flashlight. The suspect dropped the items, but once officers told him to get down on the ground, he turned and ran toward the exit. EPD officers who covering that exit subdued and handcuffed him.

Police officers removed the subject from the building, after which the man told EPD that there were as many as five other individuals in the facility’s boiler room. EPD searched for the other individuals but determined that the conditions in the area were not safe for the officers and ended the search.

The subject told EPD he was homeless and walked into the building to get out of the weather, and that the red SUV was there when he arrived. He said he saw a female and four men, but did not interact with them.

EPD brought the subject to the police department and arrested him for criminal trespass, loitering and prowling, burglary and possession of tools for the commission of a crime.

Officers transported the subject to the DeKalb County Jail, where he is awaiting the rest of the legal process. EPD were unable to find the other alleged individuals and confirmed that the subject was not the registered owner of the red SUV.

— Contact George Segall at george.segall@emory.edu

New Yorkers discuss impact of Mamdani campaign on national political environment

Continued from Page 1

said. “Behind all of his policies, he had a lot of evidence and research behind it. It wasn’t just something that he threw out there.”

Mamdani also made people of different backgrounds and cultures feel seen and heard, according to Noor.

“One thing that was really amazing for Zohran’s campaign was the fact that he targeted populations that previous candidates have never done before,” Noor said. “He really paid attention to the Bengali American community in New York City, which I feel like has been neglected for a long period of time.”

Alnasser also emphasized that electing a Democratic Socialist to the top position in a city as influential as New York may also have nationwide repercussions.

“Zohran brings a new wave of energy into the political sphere that we have not seen almost ever in the country, reminiscing on a positive political campaign, which is almost unprecedented,” Alnasser said. “One that focuses on the general wellbeing of their constituents … as well as how clear and evident his policy positions are.”

— Contact Dia Chaudhury at dia.chaudhury@emory.edu and James Schechner at jamie.schechner@emory.edu

jaCk sutton/deputy pHotograpH y editor

The Dobbs Common Table (DCT) switched to a self-service

Black Lives Matter Grassroots.

Gabriel Symeonide S/C ontributinG Writer Protesters demand the continuation of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP)

The Emory Wheel Opinion

EDITORIAL

Stand for student press amid growing censorship

Every other Wednesday, Emory University students find newsstands filled with print editions and a myriad of diverse articles concerning campus, national and worldly news. But, such access is not guaranteed, as evidenced by the direct censorship of the Indiana Daily Student (IDS), the student-run newspaper at Indiana University Bloomington (IU).

On Oct. 14, IU administration terminated Director of Student Media Jim Rodenbush after he refused to censor for “.. nothing but information about homecoming — no other news at all, and particularly no traditional front page news coverage,” according to the publication. First, the University aimed to limit the IDS’s Oct. 16 homecoming print to information guides, a clear assault on the free press.

After firing Rodenbush for noncompliance, the University told the student newspaper that it could only publish news coverage online. The University ordered the paper to cease printing new editions just days later.

IU Chancellor David Reingold reinstated the official student newspaper on Oct. 30, writing in a letter that IU administration had not handled this situation “as well as [they] should have.”

Regardless of shallow apologies and cowardly backtracking, The Emory Wheel stands with the IDS and condemns the censorship of student publications both here and at all other universities where student press is under attack.

In a letter the IDS published, Reingold framed the IU administration's decision around finances, noting that the termination of

Rodenbush “coincided” with longterm concerns around student media spending. Reingold maintains that the “decision had nothing to do with editorial content of the IDS,” and that “contrary to what has been posted on social media and published, Indiana University has never attempted to censor editorial content, period.

The IDS is, and remains, editorially independent.”

However, the actions of Indiana University and the Media School still constitute censorship. According to the editors of the IDS, “We’ve heard no rational justification for how cutting news distribution specifically on campus will help our finances.” By terminating Rodenbush in an effort to gain control of student journalists and limit coverage to what pleases the University, administration erases student voices while turning the paper into a marketing mechanism rather than a means of expanding students’ free expression.

This decision silences the watchdog responsibilities of journalism and denies students the ability to hold their educational governing bodies accountable.

The American government condones the suppression of press freedom through federal funding cuts, executive orders and lawsuits, making it more important than ever to stand up for editorial independence nationwide. Free speech should never be taken for granted. The events at IU and other campuses across the country demonstrate a startling truth: Universities, the very institutions that should foster meaningful discourse and free thought are suppressing student voices and

attempting to nullify the purpose of student journalism.

In September 2024, Penn State University removed the college’s independent student newspaper, The Daily Collegian, newsstands and papers from their on-campus locations without notifying the paper’s leadership.

Of the 35 missing newsstands, three ran Kamala Harris advertisements and six ran voter registration ads in poster space above the paper. Similarly, on June 7, Purdue University (Ind.) informed its independent newspaper, the Purdue Exponent, that it would no longer help distribute copies or allow its name to be commercially associated

with the paper and banned its staff from purchasing parking passes on campus.

By stripping the Purdue Exponent of the necessary resources and access, the University turned its back on their independent, student-run press. Nationwide, student papers continue to be under fire and threat of disbandment, losing access to their printing power and their own voices, a microcosm of the ongoing threat to the national press on larger forums.

controlled budgets or universityemployed advisors increases susceptibility to censorship while allowing censorship issues to be conflated with financial matters.

According to a 2024 study, 3,200 local newspapers have closed their doors since 2005, due to a changing media landscape and a shrinking audience for print journalism.

As the decline of local news outlets continues, college publications have taken on a more significant role in localized reporting and responding to community news, keeping people informed in the wake of the slow decline of small-scale journalism. Student journalists bring creativity and on-scene coverage to their communities, utilizing new media forms to reach younger demographics. Protecting student journalism and preserving their independence is crucial to fostering the dialogue necessary to create a well-informed society.

There is no excuse for censorship. As the federal government continues its assault on free speech and universities bend the knee, it becomes the responsibility of student newspapers to safeguard their own rights. If possible, student newspapers should seek out complete autonomy.

The Emory Wheel is both financially and editorially independent from Emory University, meaning, we do not receive funding from nor are we subject to publishing restrictions by the institution. Thus, administration cannot have a hand — even implicitly — in what is published. However, at universities such as IU, dependence on administration-

In a world where journalism is constantly under attack, the Wheel encourages all members of our community to support other student journalists, read their work and translate their words into action. Our voices matter and the path to protecting those voices starts with listening to others.

Regardless of a paper’s financial connection to a university, the rights of student journalists remain vital. An independent student press enables investigations of the University, op-eds that criticize Emory policy and evocative cultural commentary.

By protecting independent student journalism, we protect ourselves.

eLLie Fivas editor-in-Chief

MaDeLine shapiro exeCutive editor

Catherine gooDMan Managing editor

WiLL peCk Managing editor

WenDy peLayo Managing editor

JaCk rUtherForD Managing editor

LaUren yee Managing editor

Sammy Brodsky Sports Editor

Siya Kumar News Editor

Jacob Muscolino News Editor

Carly Aikens Editorial Board Editor

Ethan Jacobs Opinion Editor

Cayden Xia Opinion Editor

Hunter Buchheit A&L Editor

Amelia Bush A&L Editor

Chloe Nam Sports Editor

Ivana Chen Illustration Editor

Sasha Emmerich Deputy Illus. Editor

Saba Faisal Deputy Illus. Editor

Sage Buchris Deputy Photo Editor

Jack Sutton Deputy Photo Editor

ivan Wang | Business Manager Business/Advertising

Clément

Alex Gerson Deputy Editor

Disha

Malia Yap

Aimee Zhang

The above editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel’s Editorial Board. The Editorial Board is composed of Editor Carly Aikens, Shreya Aithal, Ananya Jain, Mira Krichavsky, Wayne Liang, Pierce McDade, Niki Rajani, Robyn Scott, Noah Stifelman, Ilka Tona, Meiya Weeks and Crystal Zhang.

SaSha EmmErich/DEputy illuS. EDitor

Skeletons in the Closet

By: opinion staFF

There are many things we overlook in our everyday lives — the bugs that live in the trees, the stars that shine when the sun goes down or the trash littered on the side of the road. When life, work and school get busy, it makes sense that our perception of the nuances around us falters, making us miss glaring truths right in front of our eyes. But, sometimes, these truths are hidden, buried in the glitz and glam of a larger institution’s marketing or public messaging. Sometimes, the public itself chooses to ignore these truths out of convenience or as justification for its own everyday actions.

Each article in this project seeks to call out an institution or industry with a skeleton in its closet: a darker part of their day-to-day operations that is unethical, unacknowledged or even criminal. From the NBA’s recent insider sports betting scandal to the grim realities of Hollywood’s iconic film locations, these op-eds shed light on the sides of institutions that many overlook.

Contributor Lex Dubaquie-Sanches discusses the clothing donation industry’s unethical practices, questioning where clothes actually end up once they are dropped off at a donation bin. Opinion Editor Ethan Jacobs considers the role of sports betting in the NBA and Executive Editor Madeline Shapiro argues for the repatriation of mummies at American museums. Contributor Katie Gragg considers how the film industry transforms settings with unsettling histories into idyllic movie backgrounds, and writer Kristen Seo calls out the exploitation of K-pop survival show competitors.

See the full project online at emorywheel.com.

Deputy Illustration Editor Sasha Emmerich contributed all of the graphics for the project.

Legal sports betting provides cover for criminal underworld

By ethan JaCoBs opinion editor

The NBA season was supposed to start with debuts and dunks — but, 36 hours into the season, it was not San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama's otherworldly stat lines or Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg’s impressive debut that dominated front pages — instead, it was scandal.

The FBI arrested 34 people in two federal gambling investigations on Oct. 23. The FBI indicted NBA Hall of Famer and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former player and assistant coach Damon Jones for their roles in a complex scheme involving rigged poker games and illicit insider sports betting. The indictments read more like scripts for a Hollywood mob drama than a sports scandal, with the pages colored by anonymous monikers for mafiosos involved in the investigation, such as “Black Tony,” “Big Bruce,” “Pookie” and “The Wrestler.” Despite the public outcry, this is not the first time scandal has sent NBA players, coaches or officials into controversy surrounding organized crime.

Over the years, the NBA has been a breeding ground for illegal activities, and this prevalence of racketeering will only get worse with the growing acceptance and legalization of sports betting.

The indictments cover two separate, but related, betting schemes. One used NBA players and coaches to draw wealthy victims into rigged card games secretly run by organized crime families. The second investigation surrounds gamblers receiving inside information on NBA games. The FBI accused Rozier and Jones of leaking information about playing time and injury status and sharing betting profits with intermediaries. The probe grew out of an earlier case involving NBA forward Jontay Porter, whom the NBA banned for life in January.

Later, a jury convicted Porter, and he is awaiting sentencing after he intentionally underperformed to benefit gamblers linked to the New

York Mafia.

Recent investigations revealed that conspirators linked to crime families fronted Porter money and threatened his life if he did not comply with the betting scheme. These cases make it clear that the NBA needs to reform its security precautions and take a hard stance against criminal influence — the association’s current porous information economy and widespread public accessibility to minor bets on lesserknown players have invited crime into the league.

These cases make it clear that the NBA needs to reform its security precautions against criminal influence.

The NBA should have seen this coming. Since the 1950s, the league has overseen scandals surrounding rigged games and criminal influence.

The NBA suspended Detroit Pistons

player Jack Molinas in 1954 for betting on his own team and leading a giant point-shaving operation that resulted in the arrest of 37 players.

Referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2007 for leaking officiating reports to benefit the Gambino crime family. These moments led to scandal and highlighted the fallibility of the NBA’s information security.

The league relies too much on internal honor systems for personnel in order to safeguard the NBA’s sensitive data, and lacks systemic betting safeguards against criminal infiltration.

This recent scandal should signal to the NBA brass that the stakes are now higher than before.

Sports betting is now legal in 39 states, and betting markets are flush with new participants. Yet, despite currently dealing with sports betting scandals, the NBA has cozied up to large gambling sites such as DraftKings, ESPN Bet and FanDuel by offering them official partnerships, embedding sports betting within the league’s own infrastructure.

Instead of protecting consumers from financial risk and addiction or modernizing security infrastructure to prevent criminal exploitation, the

league seems to be embracing betting as a modern method for generating revenue.

These two scandals have already damaged the league’s image, making it harder for young fans to idolize players and coaches engulfed in criminal activity. To live up to its stewardship of basketball and its fans, the NBA must make preventing future sports betting scandals a top priority instead of becoming a willing broker.

Although it seems unlikely there will be a future in which the NBA deprioritizes its bottom line and rejects sports betting, there are still some solutions to stymie illegal schemes.

To the league's credit, it has already partnered with third-party firms to track suspicious betting patterns. But, outsourcing to external vendors does not solve the root of the insider information problem. The NBA must enact new policies that treat injury reports, load management plans and rotation decisions as market-sensitive data subject to the same controls as corporate earnings reports. This data should face strict blackout periods before public release, when only a handful of trusted personnel can access the information.

There should be automatic logs that are regularly audited and show which personnel accessed data and when.

The league was once a victim of criminal gambling schemes, but now it risks becoming an accomplice as it effectively brokers deals.

In other words, the NBA should build a security protocol around sensitive game plans that mimics corporate security on Wall Street to prevent gambling schemes like the one

discovered by the FBI.Additionally, the NBA should leverage its official partnerships with betting organizations to limit the number of prop bets that increase the risk of manipulation.

This recent scandal should signal to the NBA brass that the stakes are now higher than before.

Prop bets are wagers on individual player statistics unrelated to wins and losses. It did not make sense that gamblers could place bets on Jontay Porter, a benchwarmer whose integrity was far easier to buy than a well-paid all-star. Rozier, Porter and Jones’ cases are a grim reminder that salaried NBA players are still susceptible to financial and violent manipulation. To limit such cases, the league should ask betting partners to eliminate all props on player minutes and injury status and limit bets on individualized performance metrics to all-stars and wellknown players. Otherwise, players with short, small or uncertain contracts will be easy prey for organized criminals who seek to manipulate prop bets.

The cards are now in the hands of the NBA. The league was once a victim of criminal gambling schemes, but now it risks becoming an accomplice as it effectively brokers deals and recruits consumers for the gambling industry.

Unless the NBA combats security risks and acknowledges that the illegal ecosystem that encourages insider sports betting is not external but structural — born from its willingness to monetize the very betting vulnerabilities that criminals are exploiting — the league will continue to breed rackets and indictments, engulfing the sport in further scandal and failing its responsibility to fans. — Contact Ethan Jacobs at

Your donations are piling up in landfills

By Lex DUBaqUie-sanChez ContriButing Writer

Fast fashion is a $150 billion growing industry that shows no signs of slowing. In the early 2000s, brands such as Zara, Forever 21 and H&M began cutting down on production time from design to racks, revolutionizing the speed of clothing manufacturing. Today, brands like Shein have taken this concept to new levels with social media and one-click shopping expediting the process even more.

This revamped industry model allows companies to design, create and sell massive amounts of clothing, but this convenience and speed come at a cost: Discarded clothes end up at landfills at breakneck speeds, exacerbating the global textile waste problem while simultaneously harming foreign economies.

The amount of textile waste worldwide today is an estimated 92 million tons, expected to reach 130 million tonnes by the end of the decade. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, fast fashion is one of the top five contributors to this waste. Throwing away clothes sends them straight to the landfill, but there is an easy, more sustainable solution for consumers: donating.

Many donation services offer an ecologically conscious way to extend the lives of used clothes, help someone in need and keep waste out of landfills. To match the cultural push towards more sustainable alternatives, even the clothing companies themselves have started adopting some sort of fabric recycling programs.

Most notably, H&M’s garment collecting and recycling program claims to reuse or recycle used clothes in exchange for an in-store discount. While these programs sound ideal, a series of investigations has begun to peel back the mask surrounding the donation process, discovering that donated clothes are actually harming foreign economies and the environment.

The standard clothing donation process is fairly simple but differs slightly depending on the program's goals. The most common type of donation strategy is roadside bins. These bins are usually funded by nonprofit organizations that routinely collect the clothes and bring them back to a larger space for sort-

ing based on wear, season and size. From there, clothes are distributed to re-enter the community they came from.

However, problems arise at the very beginning of the donation process when for-profit organizations capitalize on the good intentions of donors to turn a profit in sending clothes overseas. Many of these roadside bins use the same design scheme as the classic Goodwill collection containers in an attempt to signal to the donor that their clothes will be part of charity.

Some for-profit organizations, such as PlanetAid and Narciso Recycling Company, copy the same Goodwill bin design, posing as charity to increase donations and profit margins without the legalities of being a non-profit organization. Although not illegal, these forprofit charities often ship donations overseas, harming the trust between consumers and donation organizations and undermining the purpose of charity since these shipments usually end up causing more harm than good.

Overseas clothes are shipped in bulk to developing nations such as Ghana, Bangladesh and Kenya, where they often wreak havoc on local economies. Unaffiliated scalpers usually gather these clothes and resell them for cheap prices in street markets.

This is a massive problem for places like Zambia, one of the most common destinations for secondhand clothing overseas, where donated clothing scalpers have completely usurped the local textile and clothing markets. This excess of cheap clothes has destroyed local job opportunities for smaller-scale, sustainable textiles manufacturing. These jobs could have otherwise gone to the over 60% of Zambian citizens below the poverty line, but instead, the absence of the textile industry drastically worsens the country’s already-faltering economy.

The other common fate for overseas exports is textile mills. These processing plants advertise that clothes will be reverted back to their raw materials, where the thread can be reused.

For most modern clothes made with highly blended and synthetic threads, however, this process becomes almost impossible, resulting in these clothes ending up in landfills. There is no point for these

supposed recycling methods to exist if they simply end up shifting the waste back into landfills anyway.

In addition to many donation companies failing to adhere to their mission statements, large retail giants also fail to follow through on their promises. Shein, H&M and many other companies have fallen short of their sustainability goals. These companies often make unfounded claims about the sustainability of their clothes, carbon emissions or recycling practices.

This crosses the line from just careful omission of information into purposeful and malicious greenwashing, representing a lack of concern for the environment and the communities receiving the shipments.

Despite these negative realities, donation is still a viable way to get rid of unwanted clothes while helping someone in need. Dress for Success and Atlanta Mission are both organizations that are transparent and uncompromising about their internal processes.

There is no point for these supposed recycling methods to exist if they simply end up shifting the waste back into landfills anyway.

Both companies limit their clothing intake to prevent excess that would otherwise be sent overseas, making sure that in-house volunteers sort the clothes they collect and redistribute them locally, saving many donated clothes from the landfills.

The rise in big retailer donation programs, though, shows how retailers are responding to a shift in consumer priorities towards sustainability as a bid to curry favor. In this new era in consumerism, we must also accept a new era of consumer responsibility.

It is up to us to remain vigilant in our trust and hold companies accountable to fulfilling their promises in order to make sure that they have the same impact we think they do.

The next time you feel like doing a good deed, first consider donating to local charities to produce positive change. That way, you can be assured that your donations are put to good use in your own community.

If you do end up deciding to go with an unfamiliar donation organization, make sure to do some research on their methods prior to donating. Ask questions like whether they redistribute clothes locally, limit intake or sort their donations in house.

Knowing where your clothes go ensures you have the final say on the positive impact they could have, so make sure to conduct your due diligence before sending them away because you might not know if where they end up could cause more harm than good.

— Contact Lex DubaquieSanchez at aleksi.dubaquie-sanchez@emory.edu

Hollywood, don't neglect key history

By katie gragg ContriButing Writer

Two hours northwest of my hometown of Portland, Ore., is the small city of Astoria, Ore. With a population of just under 10,000, tourists could easily overlook the 10-square-mile stretch of land. Despite its small size and isolation, Astoria has become one of Oregon’s most iconic towns thanks to Hollywood.

In 1985, filmmaker Richard Donner released the cult classic “The Goonies” (1985). Set and filmed in Astoria, the movie turned the town into a symbol of ’80s adventure. Fans still travel to visit the various filming locations in Astoria and participate in the annual “Goonies Day” celebrations. While Astoria may be best known for its connection to this iconic story, the city’s history extends beyond its notable place in film, including ties to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). This overshadowing of Astoria’s history by “The Goonies” is reflective of a larger trend in Hollywood where movies ignore the darker history of their filming locations with captivating fictional storylines. To combat this erasure, Hollywood must support the local communities where it films by investing in historical education and conservation efforts that help preserve the place’s true history.

KKK members moved to Astoria in 1921, and by the following year, Klan-backed candidates won seats in the local government. The Klan accumulated this power by capitalizing on local frustrations with lawlessness in the city, particularly with liquor violations, and by presenting itself as a moral reform at a time when the mayor and sheriff were accused of aiding bootleggers. That same year, a catastrophic fire destroyed over 200 local businesses and displaced thousands of residents. After the fire, the relationship between the townspeople and the Klan only grew more complex. While many people living in Astoria were initially receptive to the Klan, its failure to deliver on promises of reform and unity created a sense of betrayal that led to growing opposition and resistance, contributing to the dissolution of the KKK’s power in Astoria.

The Klan’s involvement in Astoria is a story of devastation and resilience for the city — a sobering part of Astoria’s past. Whenever I tell people about Astoria’s history, I am usually met with shock. To me, it seems the history of small towns is often overlooked in our history classes. Watching “The Goonies” tends to reinforce the idea of small-town charm, without any mention of its past. The Astoria of film almost does n0t feel like a real place with a real history, but rather something that exists only within the confines of your screen. This feeling risks promoting a false singular narrative of Astoria that overlooks its complicated history.

Astoria is not alone in this respect. Director Nick Cassavetes shot the iconic romance film “The Notebook” (2004) at several historic locations in South Carolina. Many of the most famous scenes in “The Notebook” were also sites where enslaved people lived and labored. One of them, Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens, served as the exterior of the female lead Allie’s (Rachel McAdams) sum-

mer home, and is one of the U.S.’s oldest plantations. Perhaps the film's most memorable image — a white house that Noah (Ryan Gosling), the male lead, builds for Allie — is located on Martins Point Plantation. When I watch the movie, I find myself getting lost in the beauty of the cinematography and invested in the plot, but behind this surface lies a more difficult and painful truth that Hollywood and viewers must recognize.

Likewise, Steven Spielberg filmed “Jurassic Park” (1993) on sites with complicated pasts. For instance, Mānāwaiopuna Falls in the Hanapepe Valley on Kauai, Hawaii, is the backdrop for the scene where the helicopter travels to the fictional Isla Nublar for the first time. While visually impressive, the valley's history is equally impactful. It was the site of the 1924 Hanapepe massacre, where conflict among Filipino strike organizers led to a violent clash between police officers and strikers that killed 16 Filipino laborers and four police officers. It is striking how a place that has brought joy to millions can also be the site of such violence, and this example highlights just how influential a film can be in shaping historical narratives.

Hollywood, intentionally or not, profits from this escapism. “The Goonies,” “The Notebook” and “Jurassic Park” made millions at the box office. The industry thrives on an audience's ability to lose themselves in realities different from their own. Therefore, it makes sense why Hollywood is interested in separating a location’s past from the story being told, but Hollywood cannot continue to leave the past unacknowledged. I am not suggesting that we stop watching movies filmed in places with complex or painful histories. While I do find the selection of some filming locations distasteful, I do not think the fictional narratives of movies necessarily need to acknowledge the history of where they are shot. Instead, Hollywood should collaborate and uplift the communities of their filming locations. Film productions already boost local economies. In some instances, production introduces over a million dollars a day into local economies. However, studios can do more to financially back local history preservation efforts at these sites to ensure complicated histories of film backdrops are not lost to history.

Hollywood also needs to support specific historical institutions in the places it profits from. For example, the Heritage Museum in Astoria currently features an exhibit titled “Blocked Out: Race and Place in the Making of Modern Astoria.” It would be powerful for companies in Hollywood to spotlight exhibits like these so that fans drawn to Astoria for “The Goonies” can understand the city’s complicated history. If studios like Warner Bros. Discovery, which distributed “The Goonies,” also got publicly involved in maintaining Astoria’s history, it would send a message to the public about the importance of these communities to Hollywood beyond as a source of profit. While Hollywood does a great job telling fictional stories, it must support real ones too.

— Contact Katie Gragg at katie.gragg@emory.edu

Speak out against cycle of problematic K-pop survival shows

By kristen seo ContriButing Writer

I am no stranger to the chaotic spectacle that is K-pop survival shows as a long-time follower of the K-pop industry. Survival shows, which intimately introduce new talent through weekly episodes of highstakes music and dance competition, allow entertainment companies to create and guarantee the success of their new group. Over the years, these K-pop shows, from “Sixteen” to “Boys II Planet,” have generated monumental traction from fans and created many of K-pop’s most iconic groups.

Like many others, I have dedicated countless hours to watching K-pop survival shows, contributing to online fan discourse and begging my uninterested friends to vote for my favorite contestants. Although I have long since stopped watching these shows, current viewers’ fiery fan-made content continues to plague my social media timeline. As the quantity of the shows has increased, it seems that every new rendition comes with the same set of controversies I am all too familiar with, including the mistreatment of contestants and manipulative editing choices.

Despite the numerous scandals associated with K-pop, the reason that survival shows persist is because exploiting K-pop idols and trainees makes for good entertainment. Fans are quick to overlook their own incessant criticisms of survival shows in favor of the excitement of discovering and supporting new talent. The fans’ inability to properly hold these shows accountable for these controversies enables show producers to engage in unethical practices that are

disrespectful to viewers, and it condones the exploitation of contestants at the expense of their well-being. No institution better illustrates the dark side of K-pop survival shows than Music Network (Mnet), a South Korean music television channel that churns out countless K-pop survival shows. Fans have not always been the biggest supporters of Mnet, with many viewers loudly proclaiming “I hate Mnet” on social media.

While there are a multitude of reasons why Mnet has such a tainted reputation, like its use of manipulative editing strategies, also known as “evil editing,” and history of noticeable bias in its award shows, a hypothetical bomb was dropped on survival show viewers in July 2019. That summer, the South Korean police revealed that Mnet had rigged all four seasons of its incredibly popular

“Produce 101” series. This scandal caused incredible commotion within the K-pop industry, leading to a Seoul court charging two producers with obstruction of business operations and the disbandment of X1, the latest K-pop group that had risen from the TV series.

Despite the severity of the investigation and the immense backlash that followed, Mnet proceeded with the release of new survival shows months later, starting with “World Klass” in October 2019. Although the Mnet CEO apologized for the incident, it is appalling that the channel resumed with the creation of new survival shows so quickly after its biggest scandal. This clearly indicates that survival show producers prioritize profit generation from fans over accountability.

Although survival shows that

aired after the X1 scandal did not show any signs of rigging, problems regarding the blatant mistreatment of contestants persisted. Mnet’s “Boys/Girls Planet” seasons, which feature contestants from all over the globe, have received backlash regarding the xenophobic treatment of foreign trainees. Fans described the premise of another Mnet survival show, “I-Land,” as “traumatizing” as it trapped contestants in a training facility for months while constantly pitting them against each other. In “Starlight Boys,” producers forced contestants to dance to the show’s theme song until utter exhaustion, and one of the judges rudely invalidated one contestant when he spoke out against its cruelty. In a Netflix documentary “Pop Star Academy,” depicting the backstory and progression of the K-pop survival-inspired show “Dream Academy,” the show’s producers openly admitted to intentionally disguising the fact to the contestants that there would be public elimination votes for the sake of creating entertainment. The continued prevalence of these issues is highly alarming and indicates that show producers do not take abuses during survival shows seriously.

Idols are humans and do not deserve to be exploited for sheer entertainment.

It is extremely disheartening to see new, talented individuals face the same cycle of mistreatment with each new show. It is even more disappointing to acknowledge that the

increasing popularity of these shows has sent the message to producers that profit absolves mistreatment. These shows have created many popular groups, such as Enhypen, ZeroBaseOne and Katseye, serving as evidence for entertainment companies that the potential profits of collaborating with channels such as Mnet outweigh the physical and emotional toll their trainees may encounter. Amid the existing exploitation and mistreatment of stars in the K-pop industry as a whole, survival shows both enable and publicize this cruelty. If K-pop fans continue to indirectly enable unethical actions by engaging in its viewership despite their criticisms, show producers will continue to take advantage of the same talented idols fans wish to support.

Due to the popularity of survival shows, it is highly doubtful that the group-creating format will fade out anytime soon. Therefore, fans must remember: Idols are humans and do not deserve to be exploited for sheer entertainment. We must firmly speak out against the constant mistreatment of survival show contestants and demand real change in the show format — to one that is guided by more ethical practices. In turn, K-pop agencies and producers must actively prioritize artists’ wellbeing over entertainment value. If things do not change, viewers should consider boycotting these shows so that entertainment companies take notice. The problem of mistreatment in K-pop has occurred for far too long — only once fans begin to firmly call out the issues will the industry finally shift.

— Contact Kristen Seo at kristen.seo@emory.edu

Restore museums’ fractured humanity, repatriate mummies

By MaDeLine shapiro exeCutive editor

When I was younger, my grandparents would take me to museums every time I visited them in New York City. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, my grandmother would impart her seemingly infinite knowledge of Impressionist painters and I would marvel at all the grand marble statues lining the halls. No matter how many times I went, I was always blown away by the intricate, masterful artwork.

Even at a young age, one thing didn’t quite sit right with me: the mummies on display. The Met has thirteen Egyptian mummies in its collection, which reside in a long hall. Entering this room made me shudder as a child. Visitors essentially walk through an artificial gravesite, mere feet away from the bodies of people who had passed thousands of years ago. And instead of taking a moment to consider the gravity of being surrounded by corpses, thousands of visitors every day calmly stream by, gawking at the deceased.

While at Emory University, I have learned about overlooked illegal art trafficking, the growing pressure on museums to acknowledge and return looted artifacts and have interrogated the ethics of museums. In recent years, governments have ramped up their efforts to seize and

return more and more looted art. While it is exceedingly important to continue conversations regarding the ownership and return of stolen art, one crucial facet of museum collections endures without appropriate examination: The human remains that should not be on display. In fact, there should be greater efforts among museums to repatriate human remains to their countries of origin, just like looted cultural artifacts, because the exhibition of dead bodies shatters the dignity of the dead. Emory’s own Michael C. Carlos Museum should not and does not escape this same scrutiny. The Carlos should not display human remains, regardless of their attraction value, and by doing so, Emory is actively contributing to this harmful trend in museum ethics.

These people did not agree to become part of a visual spectacle thousands of years after their deaths.

This

and the display and collection of human remains at many American museums is a disturbing problem.

In 1990, Congress passed the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which mandates the “return of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony,” yet the numbers of artifacts and human remains that have not been made available for repatriation over 30 years later are staggering.

As of January 2025 the remains of 90,831 Native Americans in the collections of American institutions have not been made available for repatriation. Unclear laws regarding tribal recognition and limited financial resources have slowed the progress of completing this monumental task. Considering these museums have relegated Native communities’ cultural heritage to storage in their collections, museums should push the federal government to make more repatriation funds available. For many Native communities, their ancestors and gravesites contain spiritual meanings that are harmed when museums lock the bodies up in their facilities. Even if the process is slow, these ancestors must be returned because of the cultural and spiritual significance they hold, rather than languishing in museum collections for an untold number of years.

According to a ProPublica report, the Carlos Museum has made 100% of its Native American remains — amounting to two individuals’ remains — available for return, but a glaring issue remains among the museum’s expansive collection: the display of several mummies in one tall, imposing hall, including one body removed from its coffin.

One afternoon when I was sitting on the Quadrangle, a prospective student tour passed by the museum and the guide boasted about all the mummies the Carlos Museum has — nearly as many at the Met. For kids, prospective students and general museum enthusiasts, the mummies may be seen as a flashy selling point that draws them in. But these mummies were people originally buried over 6,000 miles away in Egyptian tombs where their descendants intended them to rest for eternity. These people did not agree to become part of a visual spectacle thousands of years after their deaths.

The urgent need to respect these sacred connections outweighs any scientific benefits museums may claim for resisting repatriations. I understand that mummies in the United States give conservators and professors unparalleled access to scientific studies of mummification. Here at Emory, conservators worked to repair damage to the Carlos Museum’s Egyptian Old Kingdom mummy, originally pur -

chased by a theology professor in 1921. Students, faculty and Emory University Hospital doctors all contributed to the restoration, adding to a large body of knowledge on how the Egyptians innovated preservation techniques.

Museums like the Met also acknowledge the power of collecting human remains for the purpose of conservation, research and teaching, while also being sensitive to the matter — the Met even offers a map for visitors who wish to avoid viewing dead bodies. Despite these benefits and protective measures, the very act of unearthing human remains and propping them up in an exhibition space turns someone’s body into a spectacle and removes its humanity.

Human remains should not be part of modern museum collections, and cultural institutions should ramp up repatriation efforts. Museum-goers must also recognize the magnitude of viewing foreign objects in places they were originally not meant to be, many of which were plundered, smuggled and sold from their place of origin. By normalizing the display of corpses, museum-goers harm the cultural heritage of other communities and overlook the cruelties of exploiting the deceased for artistic notoriety.

— Contact Madeline Shapiro at madeline.shapiro@emory.edu

SaSha EmmErich/DEputy illuStration EDitor

The Emory Wheel Arts Life

ATLANTA

Nostalgia, wonder fill air at Paul McCartney’s ‘Got Back’ tour

By Benjamin Salit Film & TV Desk

On a rainy Sunday evening, thousands of eager fans shuffled into State Farm Arena for what would be an unforgettable concert. The crowd, a motley mix of young and old, buzzed with excitement and murmured about one man: musician Paul McCartney. The living legend and former Beatle celebrated his six-decade career with a setlist ranging from “In Spite of All The Danger” (recorded in 1958) to “Now and Then” (2023).

The electric energy in the arena was no surprise. The crowd consisted of wide-eyed newcomers, joyful families and longtime fans, such as Linda Kamisher.

“I’m 70 years old, and I remember hearing him on Ed Sullivan the first time,” Kamisher said. “It was with my mother and sister, we were watching, and they’ve passed away, so this is very nostalgi[c] to hear some of the songs.”

McCartney walked on to stage and began the concert singing the Beatles’ “Help!” (1965) with live accompaniment from his backing band and the Hot City Horns, a brass trio that has been touring with McCartney since 2018.

The horns added a modern, vibrant touch to the track, yet McCartney still captured the evocative Beatles energy. While he included many of his early hits, McCartney’s set list was a perfect balance between new and old, uniting generations of fans through a seamless medley of iconic music.

After playing a few more Beatles classics, such as “Drive My Car” (1965) and “Got to Get You into My Life” (1966), McCartney introduced one of his recent solo songs, “Come On to Me” (2018).

This track, which features an upbeat piano melody and a fun guitar solo, tells the story of a love affair from the perspective of a younger McCartney.

“Come On to Me” is catchy and fresh, proving that the singer’s writing skills can adapt to an ever-changing music landscape.

McCartney’s lighthearted interactions with the crowd revealed that even decades later, he is still the same wisecracking Brit that fans of all ages, such as Georgia State University stu-

CAMPUS

dent Marisa Niño, have fallen in love with.

“He’s really quippy and really funny in a way that he’s kept his charisma throughout all of his years,” Niño said.

Before playing “Let Me Roll It” (1973), a track from McCartney’s post-Beatles band Wings, McCartney took off his jacket, dancing while showing the crowd its striped black-and-white interior.

Shortly after, one of his bandmates handed him a bright red guitar, which he used to surprise the audience by playing a snippet of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxey Lady” (1967).

McCartney’s playful tangents and transitions reflected his youthfulness despite being 83 years old.

Following his unexpected Hendrix tribute, McCartney recalled stories from his early days as a musician, including his first encounter with Hendrix.

“He’s really quippy and really funny in a way that he’s kept his charisma throughout all of his years”

—Marisa Niño

While listening to McCartney in the same way children listen to their grandfather’s whimsical tales, the

crowd had the opportunity to reminisce with the singer and his experiences as a Beatle and beyond, passing on his memories to a new generation.

McCartney’s tributes to the musicians he worked with throughout his career contributed to the nostalgia that underpinned the concert. Singing “Love Me Do” (1962), McCartney honored the late music producer George Martin, who fans sometimes dub a “fifth Beatle” due to his significant contributions to the Beatles’ original albums.

Later in the night, McCartney paid tribute to his former bandmate George Harrison, performing the Beatles’ “Something” (1969) on a ukulele Harrison gifted him.

While McCartney’s performance was spectacular, hearing his stories firsthand made the experience unforgettable.

Unlike listening to the Beatles and

McCartney’s solo work on a record, the singer’s crowd banter, reflections and anecdotes between tracks added authenticity, intimacy and warmth to the night.

The standout performance of the night was McCartney’s rendition of “Now and Then,” the final song the Beatles ever released.

Written by Lennon as a solo home demo and left unfinished until 2022, McCartney and Ringo Starr used machine learning audio restoration technology to enhance the original recording.

Standing before a backdrop of vintage Beatles footage and dreamlike graphics, McCartney blended past and present, singing the lines “Now and then / I miss you” in an emotional yet beautifully optimistic tribute to his late bandmates.

McCartney’s energy soared during the final stretch of the show. He provided an electric experience singing “Live and Let Die” (1973) as fireworks exploded over the stage in sync with the song’s drums.

Mara Jambor, a fan who attended a McCartney concert decades ago, thought the show was “spectacular,” noting how McCartney still dazzles audiences.

“He was great back then, might have been 20 years ago, and he’s still great now,” Jambor said.

Jambor’s sentiments rang especially true during McCartney’s sixsong encore.

After leaving the stage following a venue-wide sing-along of “Hey Jude” (1968), McCartney and his band returned, carrying U.S., U.K., Georgia and LGBTQ+ flags to roaring applause. After a few more tracks, McCartney promised to see the crowd soon, exiting as confetti and smoke filled the air.

Performing for over two hours with only the traditional encore break, McCartney’s stamina spoke to his status as a legendary musician and to his lasting love for the stage. Blending nostalgic moments from the past with vibrant new performances, McCartney proved that he continues to be an unstoppable powerhouse performer even sixty years later.

– Contact Benjamin Salit at benjamin.salit@emory.edu

Emory Buddhist Club hosts interactive experience, connects spirituality, science

By niyati Ravi sTaFF WriTer

Every Thursday, you can find members of the Emory University Buddhist Club gathering for an hour of meditation in Cannon Chapel. During this respite, attendees practice mindfulness, listening to their head and heart and stepping away from the chaos of college life.

On Oct. 30, however, the Buddhist Club’s meeting was noticeably different: After the Venerable Priya Rakkhit Sraman, the Buddhist chaplain of Emory, led a brief meditation session, Tibetan monk Jampa Thakchoe and Associate Teaching Professor of Psychology and Director of Undergraduate Research Andrew Kazama (06G, 10G) gave a talk on the connection between neuroscience and meditation.

Thakchoe also discussed tuk-

dum, a meditative state in Tibetan Buddhism that people can enter after clinical death.

Buddhist Club co-President Kio Whitten (26C) explained her personal connection to tukdum, sharing how important it was to them to make this event as accessible as possible. They met Thakchoe and Kazama while visiting India last summer as part of the Emory Tibetan Mind/Body Sciences Summer Abroad program, where Whitten first learnt about the concept of thukdum.

“I learned about tukdum there,” Whitten said. “And we were constantly going over the connection to neuroscience and meditation.”

Thakchoe discussed a clinical study in which researchers collected data over a 30-year period from individuals who reached tukdum, finding the human body takes longer to chemically decompose while in

the meditative state as compared to an average human. He hypothesized that the end of biological function does not mean the termination of human consciousness.

Speaking after Thakcoe, Kazama emphasized the importance of connecting science and religion. He explained how tukdum relates to the average person, highlighting to attendees that meditation can lead to an increase in self-awareness.

“In terms of emotion regulation, one of the reasons why mindfulness meditation is so helpful is because it allows us to cut out all of the extra anxiety that’s happening in the past and in the future,” Kazama said.

After the event, attendee Elise Smith-Davids (26C) reflected on the discussion and expressed her enthusiasm to learn more about the application of Buddhism to modern science.

“Meditation is actually extremely neurologically helpful,” SmithDavids said. “It calms the nervous system, and it’s also a good reset button and probably more common than you would expect.”

The Emory Buddhist Club hosts various interdisciplinary events throughout the year, focusing on environmentalism, education and science. Buddhist Club co-President Samali Wijetunga (26C) noted that this event had a larger reach than usual, with around 50 attendees.

“We try to bring those cultural and religious events to the club, because not everyone here is Buddhist,” Wijetunga said. “But a lot of people like to learn, either just out of curiosity or out of being Buddhist themselves.”

In the future, Whitten hopes to expand the scope of the club’s offerings to the wider Emory community and bring together more people with

unique backgrounds.

As people filtered out of Cannon Chapel after the event, many possessed a newfound sense of awareness. When life becomes chaotic, the notion that spirituality can be biologically connected to humans brings a sense of peace and allows for introspection into something greater than yourself.

“I was thankfully able to put together this event,” Whitten said.“I definitely wanted to make it open to as many people as possible, not even just our like Buddhist community.”

Like Whitten hopes, attendees left the event with knowledge that may help bring forth a future filled with mindfulness and excitement, combining disciplines like neuroscience with religion to better understand our community, world and themselves.

– Contact Niyati Ravi at niyati.ravi@emory.edu

spencer FrieDlanD/eDiTor-in- chieF

Paul McCartney performed a setlist spanning six decades, including famous Beatles songs.

Don’t wait for December — slip into holiday season with these 4 songs

By CatHeRine Goodman managing eDiTor

When my fingers pale in the cold air, supple gourds replace menacing jack-o’-lanterns and my hoodies rest atop my desk chair like a Jenga tower, I know the holidays lurk just around the corner. Yet it is not the savory smell of roasted turkey or the shimmer of red ribbon that pulls me toward this season — it is the music.

For as long as I can remember, my mother and I have promised not to listen to holiday music before Thanksgiving, dubbing the final Thursday of November as the first acceptable date to swap fall leaves for string lights. However, for as long as I can remember, I have broken this promise. In dim corners, I exchange my principles for pleasure: I indulge in Christmas music when November knocks. However, I do not mock my morals for just any themed hit — these songs speak to topics that transcend the holiday season such as desire, loneliness and dwindling memories. As such, I present four tracks that I believe should not be confined to the dark December days.

‘Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call’ (2024) by Bleachers

In Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” (1915), the speaker stands at an intersection of introspection. As the path splits, Frost laments his inability to travel both trails. When listening to “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call,” I catch myself at a similar junction. I must decide whether to embrace the holiday season in its glistening glory of family traditions and steaming cocoa or to shy away from the months of melancholy that accompany the reminder of another

year passed. I choose the latter.

The Bleachers track subverts the classic Christmas tune by juxtaposing common holiday motifs such as the soft tinkling of jingle bells and trumpets with resentful lyrics. “Oh, golden boy, don’t act like you were kind / You were mine but you were awful every time,” Bleachers sings. The delicate tension between the light tone and bleak narrative imbues the track with a peculiar nostalgia — one unique to the holidays. Between crowded family dinners and gift exchanges, the cold draft brings somber realizations: January beckons yet again, memories fade and once-reserved seats rest unoccupied. “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call” captures the ache of the holiday season in its evocative chorus addressed to a former friend: “And the toughest part is that we both know / What happened to you / Why you’re out on your own / Merry Christmas, please don’t call.” If you are like me and this melancholy strikes long before December, “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call” offers the perfect salve until the holidays definitively arrive.

‘So Much Wine’ (2022) by Phoebe Bridgers

Like Bleachers, Phoebe Bridgers knows where to find heartache during the holidays. While the rock band dissects the past, Bridgers contemplates the present. “So Much Wine,” originally recorded by the Handsome Family in 2000, details the destructive nature of alcoholism and how this addiction tarnishes the gilded holiday season. “I had nothing to say on Christmas Day / When you threw all your clothes in the snow,” Bridgers begins. The poison of addiction contrasts the purity of snow as methodic guitar picking

Mini Crossword

By etHan altSHul Crossword Desk

underscores the solemn story. Just like trudging through the blanketed landscape, Bridgers trudges through a holiday season corrupted by pain.

Atop intricate harmonies, Bridgers addresses her subject in a simple yet poignant chorus. “Listen to me, Butterfly / There’s only so much wine / That you can drink in one life / And it will never be enough / To save you from the bottom of your glass,” Bridgers sings. Bridgers inflects her voice with a touch of resentment as she approaches the second bridge, capturing the pitiable state of loving someone through their struggle. “And as meteors dived and shot across the sky / I thought about your sad, shining eyes,” Bridgers sings, accompanied by pounding drums. In its depiction of addiction — a battle waged in every season — “So Much Wine” slips out from the Christman canon with ease.

‘River’ (1971) by Joni Mitchell

Down whichever path — the one less traveled by or the one well-trod — you are likely to encounter a river; and in my holiday wandering, I always stop to stare at my reflection in Joni Mitchell’s. Like passing by a mirror, “River” never fails to stop me in my tracks. In “River,” Mitchell dresses a piercing ballad in the clothes of a classic Christmas tune. “It’s coming on Christmas / They’re cutting down trees,” she begins. Mitchell finds discomfort in the seasonal pleasantries and seeks an escape. “I wish I had a river so long / I would teach my feet to fly / Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on,” Mitchell sings. “River” speaks to the oppressive optimism of the holidays as the promise of peace, joy and connection transforms into introspection, sorrow and loneli-

MEET ME AT KALDI’S

ness. Often associated with mistletoes and fond memory-making, Mitchell instead connects Christmas with the raw wound of a failed romance. “I’m selfish and I’m sad / Now I’ve gone and lost the best baby / That I ever had / Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on,” she croons. From Mitchell’s husky vocals to the restrained production, this track offers a simple yet stunning portrait of loss, which does not bend to the calendar year.

‘buy me presents’ (2023) by Sabrina Carpenter

Unlike Frost, I am less resolute in my decision between paths. During the holidays, I often retrace my steps to that familiar junction and make the opposite choice — forsaking sorrow to rejoice in the boisterous fun of the celebratory season. And, let us be honest, no one does boisterous fun quite like Sabrina Carpenter. Carpenter’s holiday ingenious extended play, “fruitcake” (2023), should not be sequestered to a small seasonal window. From reflections on betrayal in “cindy lou who” to jealous ramblings in “santa doesn’t know you like i do,” this EP conceals sour sentiments under a sugar-sweet coating. Yet, it is

not all illusory. “buy me presents” is a true holiday hit in true Carpenter style.Beginning with energetic percussion and a piano slide that even ABBA would envy, “buy me presents” matches the infectious nature of Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (1958) or Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” (1957). But this track casts away the common Christmas narrative for anecdotal advice. “If you were a wise man, baby, you would drop / Every other ho, ho, ho and put me on top,” Carpenter sings. The narrator continues to taunt her lover by comparing him to Santa Claus — a man who will fly through the night just to make her happy. “If you’re not gonna race here from the / North Pole to Beverly Hills / Just to keep my stockin’ filled / Well, I know somebody who will (Uh-huh),” Carpenter sings. With an irresistible beat and enough sexual innuendos to banish Carpenter to the naughty list for good, “buy me presents” offers a creative respite from the holiday classics and a very valuable lesson: If he wanted to, he would. But until then, treat yourself and listen to this track.

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

Tess Gilmartin on running, resting, researching

By mia Hamon music & liFe arT Desk

Meet Me at Kaldi’s is a recurring column in The Emory Wheel. Every other week, Music & Live Art Desk Mia Hamon selects a random Emory University student and invites them to Kaldi’s Coffee at The Depot for a casual conversation.

Less than 72 hours after crossing the finish line at the New York City Marathon, Tess Gilmartin (26C) ordered a cappuccino at Kaldi’s.

After about six months of training, Gilmartin completed the Nov. 2 race alongside Coco Sandoval (27C) and Maren Rasmussen, and helped raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. The three women met in high school, and after experiencing the toll of Alzheimer’s disease firsthand, they decided to raise money for the organization together.

“They’re my adventure people,” Gilmartin said. “They’ve taught me that there’s a lot of value in doing hard things, because it reminds you of what’s important, and there’s a very special feeling you get out of pushing yourself and leaning on the support of family and friends.”

On the porch, Gilmartin reflected on the incredible energy of the city during the marathon. Strangers and family members alike screamed their names and cheered throughout the whole marathon. The setting was especially heartening for Gilmartin, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native who describes herself as a “New Yorker at heart.”

But while Gilmartin loves Brooklyn’s “chaos,” she often seeks quieter and more natural spaces that she cannot always find among bustling city

streets.

But at Emory University, Gilmartin relishes in natural beauty, noting how the changing seasons reflect her changing life. In particular, Gilmartin expressed the growing nostalgia she feels as her senior year progresses. For Gilmartin, strolling outside while listening to music and admiring the changing fall leaves stirs up powerful emotions.

“This has been our home for the past couple of years,” Gilmartin said. “It’s crazy to think that we’re going to be moving on from it.”

Gilmartin describes herself as a “sentimental person.” As such, the simpler day-to-day aspects of life at Emory are the “special” ones. Whether sitting in the Robert W. Woodruff Library or relaxing on a chair under a tree on the hill near Asbury Circle, as time rolls on, Gilmartin celebrates the fleeting moments of college.

But this is not the first time Gilmartin has had to force herself to slow down. The summer before her senior year of high school, Gilmartin attended an experiential learning program at The Island School in the Bahamas. Under the sweltering sun, her mindset shifted from struggling to imagine her future to living in the moment. Gilmartin credits the school’s routine for changing her mentality. Every morning during the program, students woke up at 6 a.m., went for a run and swam in the ocean.

“They put you on a beach for 40 hours alone with a tarp and a bagel and a journal, and you just have to sit there and reflect,” Gilmartin said.

Gilmartin views her mother and two aunts as the pillars of her family and credits them for shaping

who she is and who she wants to be. She described the maternal side of her family as “complete bada****,” comparing her family dynamic to a matriarchy.

“The women in my family are really core to who I am,” Gilmartin said. Despite her admiration toward some of her relatives, Gilmartin described her family as “dysfunctional,” yet “loving.”

At Emory, Gilmartin serves as an undergraduate research assistant in the Translational Lab at Emory. The lab utilizes reinforcement learning methods to investigate how decision-making impacts psychological disorders. Bursting with passion while discussing her lab work, Gilmartin spoke about patient’s anxious habits, like hair pulling or nail biting, and how using reward-based learning strategies can help address these habits.

“I found my niche, and it’s random, and it’s definitely not what my high school or even freshman year self would have thought that I would be doing,” Gilmartin said. “But I’m very happy and excited about it.”

After graduation, Gilmartin ultimately wants to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. But Gilmartin is in no rush. After her graduation, Gilmartin hopes to take a gap year for travel and research, perhaps returning to Amsterdam where she studied abroad last spring.

“I feel really open within the next year or two to just throwing a bunch of things out there and seeing what sticks and then just going for it,” Gilmartin said.

Sports The Emory Wheel

How Frazier Keitt serves on sidelines, beyond sports

By Sophie Bergman Contributing Writer

Under the bright lights of the Morehouse College (Ga.) basketball court, Frazier Keitt is not only watching the game. Rather, she is attuned to players’ every move, ready to tend to any injury she witnesses on the court. A non-operative orthopedics doctor at Emory Healthcare, Keitt works in outpatient care — but she also tends to Atlanta athletes on the sidelines of countless games.

Keitt serves as the head physician for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. She also works with the Morehouse College basketball team, the Overtime Elite basketball teams — a professional basketball league for high school-aged students — and several other high schools in the southwest Atlanta area. With Keitt’s on-call help at local high schools, athletes are able to get quicker treatment plans.

“They might get their imaging a little quicker, and then we can figure out the treatment plan quicker, and that helps with health disparity and health equity,” Keitt said. “It’s good that we’re there to provide for that so that we can make an impact.”

Even when she was younger, Keitt knew she wanted to serve people. Growing up, she loved the television show “ER” (1994-2009), which sparked her interest in becoming a doctor herself.

“I was always a helpful kid — my mom talks about this all the time — so I was always wanting to serve,” Keitt said. “That show I gravitated towards, and I was like, ‘Oh, I can be like those people.’”

Keitt did not follow the traditional path to medicine. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Boston College and then took a year off before beginning her medical

career. Keitt joined the biomedical science program at Hampton University (Va.) and eventually met a representative visiting from the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) — it was then that she was introduced to osteopathy. Fascinated by the subject, Keitt matriculated into the school.

One of her first involvements at VCOM was a sports medicine club, which Keitt said brought her into research opportunities that caught her interest in pursuing sports medicine.

“I really enjoyed the team physicians because some of them were our professors, so they kind of roped us into some research,” Keitt said. “One of them was doing some helmet research for football, and I thought that that was pretty interesting, and then they were doing pregame muscle manipulation, which I also thought was interesting.”

Keitt then began exploring hands-

on experience through the program’s affiliation with Virginia Tech, shadowing football pregames. She joined an internal medicine rotation, which ultimately solidified her choice to become an internist.

“I utilize my medicine quite a bit, because athletes don’t just have musculoskeletal issues,” Keitt said. “They’ve got Graves’ disease, they’ve got whatever else. And so it’s important to understand that pathophysiology, because that affects how they move.”

Following Keitt’s residency at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where she focused on internal medicine, she began a sports medicine fellowship at Drexel University College of Medicine (Pa.), which included work with the Lincoln University (Pa.) football team. She said this was challenging and a

stark difference from what she had known previously, both in moving from mostly inpatient to outpatient work and adjusting to living in a new environment.

“Just the uphill battle of learning and learning quickly and on the fly, because sports medicine, you only get one year to really figure it all out and to gain as much experience as you can,” Keitt said.

Although the fellowship program was challenging, Keitt said an aspect that she fondly remembers from the experience was watching injured athletes rehabilitate and return to their sport.

“Learning how to treat these athletes and seeing how they can get better with what we were offering and recommending, to see an injury turn around, that was certainly a highlight,” Keitt said. “It’s always nice to see them

get back to what they love doing.”

Now, Keitt balances her time between clinical work at the Grady Health System in the Department of Orthopedics and at Emory Healthcare. She said the difference between her work at Emory and Grady highlights broader disparities within healthcare access, explaining that many of her Emory Healthcare patients are of higher socioeconomic status, whereas at Grady, she works with patients of lower socioeconomic status who may have lower health literacy.

“It keeps me on my toes,” Keitt said. “I enjoy it because it makes me work a little bit harder to help the patients, which keeps me always learning and growing as a provider.”

As a woman in a male-dominated field, Keitt suggested that women take every opportunity to show that they are capable of exceeding in their fields, building trust in women as leaders.

“Whatever opportunity is coming, especially earlier on, just trying to get your foot in the door with anything to show people, ‘No, I can do this too,’” Keitt said. “That over time allows for that trust to build and people think about you first.”

Her advice for Emory students wishing to pursue sports medicine is to research different subspecialties and choose one aligned with their interests and goals. Keitt points out that sports medicine is not all about being on the field: It is also about working with the community in clinics with regular people.

“Being clinical is first, and the sports is the bonus,” Keitt said. “The idea of sports medicine is musculoskeletal care and musculoskeletal health, so that’s also something you gotta understand before you embark on this journey.”

— Contact Sophie Bergman at sophie.bergman@emory.edu

Women’s basketball gears up for strong season, aiming for

By LiLy WiSe Contributing Writer

After finishing last season 15-10 overall and 7-7 in University Athletic Association (UAA) conference play, the Emory University women’s basketball team aims to build off that momentum and start the season strong. The Eagles will open this year’s season on Nov. 8 against Trinity University (Texas), before taking on the University of Mary HardinBaylor, the No. 25-ranked team in the country, the following day.

Heading into her eighth season as head coach, Misha Jackson said this year’s team is one with depth, balance and versatility.

“We can score in so many different ways,” Jackson said. “It’s a fun problem to have, but as coaches, we’ve got to figure out what lineups can work the best together, and we’ve got infinity factorial lineups for us.”

The Eagles have several returning standout players, including junior guard Alexandra Loucopoulos, who received All-UAA First Team and D3hoops.com All-Region hon-

ors last season. She finished last season strong, leading the team in points with a 43.4% field goal average. Loucopoulos said she spent the summer in New Jersey working on becoming an even better all-around player.

“I was definitely in the gym a lot,” Loucopoulos said. “Working on my own game and tying it back to the team and thinking about how I can improve myself to bring back a better version of myself for the upcoming season.”

Last season, the Eagles finished second in the UAA in opponent threepoint percentage and third in freethrow percentage, but they struggled with consistent rebounding and had too many turnovers. Jackson said those struggles are points of emphasis heading into this season.

“A lot of those games we didn’t control, meaning we lost the possession battles,” Jackson said. “I do think if we win that, we usually have a lot of firepower, meaning we’ve got a lot of different ways to score.”

Jackson also said a focus for this season is not solely their on-court performance, but developing a championship mentality.

“The level of expectation here at Emory is that we’re competing for championships,” Jackson said. “But our goal right now is to get better at the process … We’ve got to really fall

in love with the process, so that the end result will take care of itself.”

Strong leadership from the juniors and seniors is at the heart of the team’s success. Junior guard Emma Starr said she has stepped into a new role this season as an upperclassman.

“I’m really focused on leadership and giving my guidance to my younger teammates, as well as really working hard,” she said. “Our goals are always to make it to the NCAA tournament — an end goal of winning the national championship always motivates us.”

Loucopoulos said she is trying to lead the team on the mental side of the game and help out her younger teammates.

“As a junior, it’s a great year to be the bridge between the seniors and the freshmen,” Loucopoulos said. “My goal this year as a junior is to be that bridge and make sure everyone’s emotions are in check and everyone’s where they want to be.”

Loucopoulos also explained the importance of team chemistry and said that a strong bond between her teammates can lead to success on the court.

“We’re very close,” Loucopoulos said. “Our team loves to have fun, make jokes, and when we’re making jokes and playing free, it’s very obvious. And we always play better when we’re having fun.”

victory

Starr also emphasized the importance of team chemistry, especially with the addition of new teammates this season.

“It’s really exciting — our initial chemistry, learning each other in the preseason, working together,” Starr said. “We have a bunch of talent, and we also are learning a bunch of new offenses and different plays that we can utilize with the talent and the players we have.”

As the team prepares for the long season, some players are looking forward to key matchups on the schedule. Loucopoulos said she is most excited to face off against New York University (NYU), the reigning backto-back NCAA champions.

“I know our seniors have never beat them,” Loucopoulos said. “One of my goals this season is to beat NYU, and I think we have all the pieces to do that this year.”

Starr said she is similarly looking forward to that match up, being from the area.

“I’m from New Jersey, and I love to go home and play NYU,” Starr said. “I get a huge family crowd, and a lot of the players on our team are from the Northeast area, so we get great support. You’d probably think it was a home game for us.”

— Contact Lily Wise at lily.wise@emory.edu

Courtesy of Dr frazier K eitt

Outside of working as a doctor with Emory Healthcare, Frazier Keitt serves as the head physician for the WNBA team Atlanta Dream, in addition to working for Overtime Elite and Morehouse College.

Courtesy of emma starr

The Emory University women’s basketball team will play their first game of the season on Nov. 8 at Trinity University (Texas).

Men’s basketball looks to rebound from Elite Eight exit, aim for new heights in 2025-26 season

By ari mayBLum Contributing Writer

As the leaves begin to change colors, the basketball season quickly approaches. Last season, Emory University’s men’s basketball team suffered a heartbreaking overtime defeat in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship at the hands of Wesleyan University (Conn.). The loss put an end to a historic season that saw the Eagles ranked No. 1 in the country for the first time in program history. Overall, the team finished the 2024-25 season with a stellar 23-6 record.

With the 2025-26 season starting up, junior forward Ethan Fauss said he believes the squad will be able to use last year’s Elite Eight exit as a source of motivation to fuel a championship run this season.

“After last year making it to the Elite Eight and then losing by three in overtime, we understand that there’s a major chance here to win a national championship,” Fauss said. “That brings a lot of energy to the team as a whole and to everyone individually.”

After being named preseason AllAmericans, senior guards Jair Knight and Ben Pearce are poised to anchor the squad and drive the Eagles’ successes again this season. Last year, Pearce’s standout campaign saw him lead the Eagles in minutes played, three-pointers made and assists. Pearce said this offseason he prioritized improving his shooting.

“I’ve worked most on shooting on the move and better off the dribble, off screens, both on and off the ball,” Pearce said. “Coming off screens and being able to just set my feet when I have the ball and it’s a ball screen,

and also when it’s an off-ball screen, just finding my balance and getting to my spots overall.”

While Pearce and the whole team have focused on improving their individual skill sets, Pearce said it is essential for the team to play together.

“We have a lot of individual talent, but it’s one of those things where the whole has to really be greater than the sum of the parts,” Pearce said. “We have to be able to play well together, or the individual talent isn’t

really worth that much. That’s kind of the mindset that everybody has and understands. We’ve just been working to help each other out and be the best complement to each other.”

Head coach Jason Zimmerman is entering his 17th season at the helm and looks to add to his tally as the school’s all-time winningest coach. Zimmerman said he is confident that his squad’s experience in the NCAA tournament will help them take another step forward this season.

“Our seniors have been here, they’ve been three different times now with three different endings to a season,” Zimmerman said. “Last year, we were one shot away from going to the Final Four. Those things always, as a coach, you draw on those lessons.”

One habit that has consistently fueled the Eagles’ success under Zimmerman is their fast-paced playstyle and relentless defense. The veteran coach said continuing

to improve on these two approaches will help them keep their opponents on edge.

“We always play very fast,” Zimmerman said. “We try to keep people back on their heels defensively. … Last year, we were fifth in the country in defensive efficiency. We led the country in blocked shots. Our defensive presence has been getting better and better.”

The Eagles are ranked No. 3 in D3hoops.com’s preseason poll for the 2025-26 season. However, Zimmerman said he is not concerned with any pressure that high expectations may cause for the Eagles.

“We put as much expectation on ourselves internally as anybody would externally,” Zimmerman said. “Pressure is a privilege, so that’s what we want, that’s what you want. It’s why you come to Emory to play on the men’s basketball program. You want that pressure.”

Likewise, Pearce said he is unfazed by the expectations placed on the team and is confident in their ability to handle any pressure that may come along with a high preseason ranking.

“We take pride in that and at a lot of points feel like we deserve that spot,” Pearce said. “Coach says, ‘If there’s going to be rankings, you might as well be at the top of them.’ That’s how we feel. We want to be that best team and show everyone else what we’re about, and most importantly, show ourselves what we’re capable of.”

The Eagles will host Augusta University (Ga.) in an exhibition match on Nov. 5 before traveling to Piedmont University (Ga.) on Nov. 9 to open their regular season.

— Contact Ari Mayblum at ari.mayblum@emory.edu

Cross country teams finish fifth at UAA Championships

By Laura JaBLonover Contributing Writer

Before they head to the NCAA South Region Championships later this month, the Emory University men’s and women’s cross country teams traveled to Illinois to compete at the 2025 University Athletic Association (UAA) championship

meet on Nov. 1. Both the men’s and women’s teams finished in fifth, showcasing strong performances from each side.

On the women’s side, senior Madison Tiaffay led the team with a time of 22:09.3, securing 15th place.

Tiaffay believes the Eagles performed well on the hilly course and said the team focused on supporting each

other.

“If we saw a teammate in front of us, we’d try to get up there with them, because it’s easier to work together with someone than for both teammates to be running alone,” Tiaffay said.

Junior Payton Fleming said the Eagles performed well and that the team’s emphasis on uplifting each

other was evident throughout the race.

“Our team has been doing an amazing job with being consistent,” Fleming said. “We put ourselves out there, we got out hard and we really worked together to push each other and push ourselves.”

While Tiaffay led the squad, several Eagles followed closely behind, with sophomore Davis Johnson coming in 23rd place, junior Elizabeth Csikai in 25th and Fleming coming in 28th. Fleming noted that having a strong mentality gets runners through challenging moments in races.

“There’s the saying, ‘Pain is temporary,’” Fleming said. “You hit a hill, or you hit a spot where you’re alone and you’re like, ‘I know I can get through it. I’ve gotten through it before, so all I have to do is hang tough.’ And I’ve just been keeping my eyes on the finish.”

Junior Cameron Gupta highlighted how hard the meet’s course was, saying not all the runners were in the best physical condition, but emphasized the importance of trusting their training and coaches.

“Some of our girls are sick, like I’m sick right now — the stress of finals and school and all of that definitely starts to weigh on you at this time of the semester,” Gupta said. “Besides that, we raced really well.”

On the men’s side, junior John Urciuoli claimed All-UAA Second Team honors and led the group with a time of 25:13.9 and a 13th-place finish, while sophomore Ryan Van de Berghe earned 16th place with a time of 25:21. To prepare for the race, Van de Berghe said he stuck to his pre-race routine of visualizing the difficult course.

“Try to imagine every little step, every hill, every turn, every time

where you can make a move, or someone can make a move, every key moment of the race,” Van de Berghe said. “Just imagine it, cycle it through your head over and over again, all the different possible scenarios the race can go — all with the intention of making sure that I’m ready for anything.”

Van de Berghe also said the Eagles had a solid performance, despite the fact that they had less experience than some of their opponents.

“As a team, very proud of how far we’ve come for how collectively young we are and how unexperienced we are with racing,” Van de Berghe said. “Being able to compete with some teams that may have a lot more experience than us has really been a success for us.”

Freshman Amos Pres, who came in 39th place with a time of 25:59, noted that it was important to start out strong to stay with the group. He also said that he appreciated the advice he received from the upperclassmen the night before the race, which helped his mental approach during the race.

“The night before the race, in the hotel, we had an athlete meeting,” Pres said, “All the older guys were dropping advice about the type of race it is, how to prepare for it, if it’s fast, if it’s slow.”

As a freshman, Pres said he believes that he will continue to improve upon his performance in the future as he gains more experience at high-stakes meets.

“The more you race a specific event or meet like UAAs, the more experience you have under your belt, the better you’re going to perform,” Pres said.

— Contact Laura Jablonover at laura.jablonover@emory.edu

Courtesy of Cameron Gupta

The Emory University women’s cross country team lines up before a race during the 2025 season.

Courtesy of Ben pearCe

The Emory University men’s basketball team huddles up during a game against Huntington University (Ind.) during the first round of the 2024-25 NCAA Championships.