Since 1919
The Emory Wheel
Emory University’s Independent Student Newspaper
Volume 100, Issue 1
Printed Every Wednesday
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
LAW SCH OOL
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Student Officials Consider Altering SAF Split By Christina yan News Editor
ForrEst MArtin/sEnior stAFF
About 200 Emory Law community members stand outside Emory’s School of Law on Aug. 29 at a “unity rally” after an incident in which a professor used a racial slur in class.
Emory Law Rallies After Prof. Uses Racial Slur By riChard ChEss, Christina yan and Joshua lEE Executive Editor, News Editor and Staff Writer About 200 Emory community members gathered at a “unity rally” on Wednesday in response to Emory School of Law Professor Paul J. Zwier II’s use of a racial slur while lecturing in class last week.
Most attendees wore black clothing in solidarity, calling for a more respectful learning environment following Zwier’s comment last week. Among the crowd, two posters by Justin Tolston (19L) stood out, reading “I am not a n****r” and “Fire Zwier.” The rally was held in response to an Aug. 23 incident in which Zwier used the N-word while discussing Fisher v. Carrousel Motor Hotel, Inc., a 1967
Texas lawsuit about a hotel buffet employee who took a plate away from a black customer and said a “Negro could not be served,” according to students familiar with the incident. The racial slur was not part of the court case. Zwier apologized to the class for using the term the next day. The ten-
See zwiEr’S, Page 4
Top student government leaders are planning to present a bill that seeks to change the Student Activity Fee (SAF) split based on the results of a Fall 2018 audit. The audit would track student participation in clubs and events across all undergraduate divisions because “the Student Government Association seeks to revise the Student Activity Fee Split to more equitably allocate funds to all undergraduate divisional councils, Executive agencies, and University-Wide Organizations,” according to a draft copy of the bill sent to the Wheel. Each student pays $92 student activity fee per semester. SGA distributes those funds to undergraduate divisional councils, executive agencies and University-wide organizations through the Fee Split. The bill has not yet been presented to SGA. The proposal comes after a Spring
2018 push by BBA Council and its president, Jay Krishnaswamy (16Ox, 19B), to change the SAF split so that some funding is allocated to CC is redirected to BBA Council. Krishnaswamy, SGA BBA Liason Geoffrey Tseng (19B) and BBA Council Vice President of Student Clubs Ashley Daniels (19B) initially approached CC President Radhika Kadakia (20C) and CC Vice President Hemal Prasad (19C), asking CC to transfer more than $5,000 to BBA Council, according to Krishnaswamy and Prasad. “They reached out to us and showed some numbers about how basically because of the number of pre-BBAs in the College going to B-school clubs and B-school events … their clubs were underfunded,” Prasad said. Prasad said he and Kadakia were initially skeptical of transferring money to BBA Council. However, they changed their minds after Krishnaswamy said College students could be excluded from BBA clubs if BBA Council does not receive more
See BBA, Page 4
LEGISLATURE
Kaia Ordal Approved as Attorney General, Elections Board Seats Filled By BEliCia rodriguEz Senior Staff Writer
The 52nd legislature of the Student Government Association (SGA) convened for the first time this academic year to confirm the attorney general and several Elections Board positions. The legislators unanimously confirmed all proposed candidates. The legislature approved Kaia Ordal (17Ox, 19C) as the new attorney general. SGA President Dwight Ma (17Ox, 19C) said he and SGA Vice President John Priddy (19C) both vouched for Ordal, saying she was qualified for the position, but they did not specify why. Ordal described herself as non-
biased and said she was “always going to put the school first.” She has no prior experience in SGA. Former attorney general Elias Neibart (20C) and Elliot Ji’s (20C) nominations for attorney general were both voted down by the legislature last semester. Neibart is currently the executive assistant to Priddy. When College Sophomore Representative Zion Kidd (21C) asked Ordal what the SGA Constitution states is the job of the attorney general, Ordal said she must represent the Emory student body, especially if there are constitutional allegations against Ma or Priddy. “If [Priddy] or [Ma] had allegations
against them, then I would also have to be privy to what was going on with that and represent them as well. If, say, it was a matter of constitution, then I would have to put the constitution over them,” Ordal said. The SGA Constitution states the attorney general must be informed of the Constitutional Council’s activity, provide students with information on SGA’s judicial procedures and advise and represent the SGA when cases are brought against it. SGA Chief of Staff Ben Palmer (18Ox, 20B) said he has “full confidence” in Ordal’s ability to fulfill the position. “I’ve known her to be thoughtful
Atlanta Mayor Talks Faith, Politics
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms discussed her religious experiences in connection with her political career at an Aug. 30 convocation address to the Candler School of Theology in Cannon Chapel. Bottoms told about 400 audience members that she began to trust in her faith as a child after she realized good people can make bad decisions. “I came home from school one day, third grade, and I literally saw my father being led out of our apartment in handcuffs,” Bottoms said. “It was a drug raid … and I learned at the age of
NEWS CatCh Up on this
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eight that sometimes good people can make bad decisions.” Bottoms said seeing her father arrested impacted her childhood. She spent her weekends visiting him in prison. “I had this extraordinary childhood … doing all of the things that privileged children did,” Bottoms said. “When my father was in prison, all of that suddenly ended. I would go visit my father in prison across the state of Georgia … and I would see other men that look just like my dad. And I would see children that look just like me.” Bottoms’ mother, who previously stayed at home, supported the family
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EDITORIAL staCey
aBrams deserVes Ga. GoVernorship ...
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ommended that Zhang resign or be impeached. Senior Representative Owen Lynch (17Ox, 19C) said he felt Cohen was a “good candidate” and could “get up to speed” with “any inexperience with the election regulations.” Yiyang Mao (21C) and Julie Park (21C) were both confirmed Elections Board vice chair and treasurer, respectively. Stephanie Perkins (17Ox, 19C) and Hanne Enlow (21C) were both confirmed as Elections Board commissioners.
— Contact Belicia Rodriguez at belicia.rodriguez@emory.edu
SONGFEST
CANDLER CONVOCATION
By Emma simpson Contributing Writer
and smart, and I think this is a great role for her to fill,” Palmer said. SGA also confirmed Justin Cohen (20C) as SGA Elections Board Chair. Cohen said he assisted with registering more than 200 Emory students and faculty to vote during his freshman year. Cohen’s confirmation comes after a tumultuous Spring 2018 election season for the Elections Board, which received multiple complaints. Former Elections Board Chair Betty Zhang (20C) and Former Elections Board Vice Chair Andy Xu (20C) resigned immediately after the elections finished. The Constitutional Council had rec-
Ayushi AgArwAl/Photo Editor.
Hamilton Holmes Hall competes on Aug. 30 in the 2018 Songfest competition, an annual song and dance competition between freshman residence halls.
See ALAHArriS, Page 11
A&E a Cappella GroUps
Vie for Best emory VoCalists ...
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EMORY LIFE
SPORTS eaGles sweep
stUdents do yoGa alonGside sonny Carter with ot oal ... Goats ... G Back Page PAGE 11