Last week, the Student Programming Committee (SPC) planned and implemented Dooley’s Week, Emory’s largest school spirit event series. We at the Wheel believe this year’s Dooley’s Week was overall successful but marred by several problems.
Taste of Emory
Monday’s Taste of Emory was delicious and fun but suffered from the same problems that it has in the past. The food offered by local vendors was tasty, but the amount of food offered was rarely proportionate to the length of time spent waiting in line. The lines did not specify what would be offered, making long waits a gamble. We also thought that the lack of labeling for food offered at the end of lines left those who follow vegetarian, vegan and/or other specified diets in an even greater predicament. We suggest that Taste of Emory increase the number of tents and stands to disperse and shorten lines, while also offering a smaller selection of larger meals. The addition of picnic tables near the tents may also help Taste of Emory be a more enjoyable social experience. Finally, we also recommend more music at the event, perhaps featuring student groups providing live music.
Speakeasy
Tuesday’s new Speakeasy event was a unique addition to the week’s roster that featured Emory students and the Asia Project performing spoken word poetry in a comfortable, enjoyable environment. The event was a great alternative for students who aren’t interested in the usual Dooley’s Week fare or who wanted to diversify their Dooley’s Week experience. However, the event’s details were not advertised clearly, which may have turned students away from the event who would otherwise have joined. That said, the event was an overall success and a fortunate addition to Dooley’s Week.
Wonderful Wednesday
In keeping with tradition, this special Wonderful Wednesday was a great experience. Particular praise goes out to the candy bar, a fun element to the Dooley’s Week “Wonka” theme. The Oompa Loompa performance group, though a bit invasive, was a bizarre and thrilling environmental element to the beautifully decorated Asbury Circle.
Chris D’Elia
Chris D’Elia’s performance was funny and enjoyable, and we were glad to see that the well-worn “comedian in a church” joke made a return, although we at the Wheel still find it unfortunate that there is no better campus space for large non-musical performances. We also appreciate Thursday’s presence of the chocolate fountain, another fun and delicious nod to the Dooley’s Week theme.
Dooley’s Ball/Spring Band Party
We are disappointed that the Friday event was cancelled, but we understand and appreciate SPC’s proactive consideration of weather and safety concerns. However, due to Friday’s cancellation, we and many other students were expecting a particularly special Dooley’s Ball/Spring Band Party crossover. The event began unfortunately because opener Chet Faker had to cancel within hours of the event, but we recognize the extenuating circumstances. We expected greater amounts of food at the event and think that food service should have been staggered for more consistent availability. There were also transportation issues getting to and from Clairmont Campus. Clairmont is a large residential campus with many off-campus residential areas surrounding it that use the shuttles, and we think that SPC should work to coordinate an increased number of shuttles running between Clairmont and main campus for the large events, especially on the weekend. The absence of an opener also meant that a playlist was looped for most of the actual event, creating a repetitive and anxious environment. And following the idea of encouraging school spirit, we believe SPC should return to emphasizing the tradition of costumes at Dooley’s Ball. This is one of the Emory student body’s few large traditions, and SPC should try to encourage it in the future.
However, we at the Wheel think that the most unfortunate part of the night was the audience’s behavior. The audience threw glow sticks at the stage for much of the event, oftentimes directly at Chance The Rapper. This shows an enormous lack of maturity and respect on the audience’s part. Even if all of the things being thrown were not from Emory students, we must recognize the responsibility students have for seeing that their guests act respectfully. The implications of this rude indifference may very well be far-reaching, as it may make it difficult to secure performers in the future.
All things considered, we enjoyed seeing Emory student spirit emerge, however briefly, and we at the Wheel applaud the obviously great effort on SPC’s part in coordinating a week of programming aimed at appealing to the whole student body.
The above staff editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel‘s editorial board.
The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.
The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.
