Our Opinion: The Good and The Bad
It’s been a challenging year for the Emory community. We’ve received negative media attention on a number of issues, but the end of the 2012-2013 academic year is a time to discuss our true values as a higher education institution, as well as reflect on both the good and the bad that the University has faced. We should now aim to move forward. Last summer, Emory released the results of an internal investigation revealing that officials had falsified our admissions data for more than a decade. This was followed by the department changes announced in the fall, which led to…
Boston Bombing and Human Rights
An article published by The Onion last Thursday titled “Jesus, This Week” quite succinctly encapsulated what most Americans likely felt about the events which unfolded recently. An explosion in Boston, followed by another in Texas, killed or maimed hundreds of people. At the same time, a comprehensive gun reform bill failed in Washington. All told, it was a horrible week in the United States. Amidst all of this bleak news, legislation passed in Congress that slipped through the cracks of the media. This new bill, if signed into law, could affect every American who uses the Internet, and it would…
A New Coalition for The Democratic Party
Could it be that the Republican Party’s unity against anything President Obama proposes is starting to crumble? 2010 seems like it was a long time ago — especially since the Republican resolve came from Mitch McConnell’s infamous dictum that his top priority was to make Obama a one-term president. A year ago, it would have been hard to imagine that Republicans could defy Grover Norquist and vote to raise taxes, endorse an immigration reform plan that allows for a path to citizenship and even oppose the NRA by supporting gun control. But that’s exactly what has happened as the party…
Looking For a Home
Not long ago this year’s freshmen, myself included, participated in the sophomore housing selection. It was not a pleasant experience. First, I had to scout the different dorms. It was hard to imagine leaving the asbestos-free walls, glorious showers, even-tiled bathrooms, thermostats and spacious lounges of Longstreet-Means. It’s hard to move on after experiencing such luxury, especially to the stink and squalor of a dorm like Alabama. Along with many of my fellow freshmen, I rushed an Sophomore Adviser (SA) application with Longstreet marked as my first choice. It was rejected. And so, faced with the dreary prospect of Complex…
Speculating on the Boston Bombing
Now that a full week has passed since the Boston Marathon and the horrible bombing that resulted in what we now know to be three deaths and over 180 injuries, we know a great deal more than when we started out. After the climactic events on Friday, in which police engaged in an aggressive shootout with suspects and the city of Boston was virtually shut down as part of an ongoing manhunt, one of the culprits was killed and police finally detained the other. The brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnev, aged 19 and 26, were identified by law enforcement as…
An (Immoral?) Ode to Chick-fil-A
Ciao bella, Chick-fil-A! Your final days in Cox Hall are slipping away faster than the chicken sandwiches disappear during lunch hour. O sweet, juicy-yet-crunchy chicken sandwiches. I prefer thee without pickles, just chicken and bun. Splatter one packet of mayo in between and you have my weekday lunch staple. For balance, toss in an order of waffle fries fresh out the fryer, the ridges still glistening with 100 percent peanut oil, yes, toss in an order of those. It was the waffle fries that first enraptured me. I was in sixth grade, and those waffle fries were so radically different…
Our Opinion: Emory’s Marketing Has Drastically Improved
This year, Emory began a new social media campaign to attract accepted students to campus. For example, prospective students who were accepted in the Early Decision round were sent a care package containing an 18-inch cardboard cutout of Lord Dooley. Accepted students were directed to post pictures of themselves with our unofficial mascot on the Emory Class of 2017 Facebook group to stir up excitement on a variety of social networks. On the whole, admissions packets have also seen drastic improvements this year. They now feature a colorful envelope with an aerial photo of campus, a window sticker and brochures…
Our Opinion: Unity Through Tragedy at Emory
The effects of the Boston Marathon bombing have extended beyond just Boston, reaching people across the nation. We at the Wheel would like to send our condolences to those who were directly and indirectly affected by this calamity. Moreover, we would like to commend the Office of the Dean of the Chapel and Religious Life for organizing a vigil last Wednesday, a peaceful demonstration that honored those affected by the incident. On such short notice, the vigil was well-planned and executed excellently. And this event supported religious diversity, with prayers from five different religions: Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism….
A.J.’s Response to Wagner’s Open Forum
I shouldn’t have gone to the Wagner Open Forum drunk. Apparently, it’s frowned upon to snort when you’re told, “All questions must be submitted in Twitter form.” I asked an organizer of the event why we must send Twitter messages to someone in the same room. The organizer, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “we’re using Twitter to filter questions.” This intention does not contradict the “open” nature of the open forum, as the word “open” has many definitions, including the 22nd definition, according to Dictionary.com, “of or relating to a model of the universe in which there is not…
Our Opinion: After Open Forum, Questions Remain
The Wheel hosted an open forum yesterday with University President James W. Wagner, the first in what we hope will be a series of Wheel-sponsored forums. Our forum sought to give students the opportunity to hear President Wagner speak first-hand about many salient issues on campus — including race and social justice, sexual assault prevention and awareness, community and governance and advocacy for the liberal arts. We would like to thank President Wagner for making himself so accessible and being willing to speak before the student body on short notice. We hoped that the forum would be an occasion for…
