Emory settles for $18.5 million in financial aid price-fixing lawsuit
By Spencer Friedland
Jan. 24
Emory University settled a financial aid price-fixing lawsuit for $18.5 million in January, according to a legal brief obtained by The Emory Wheel. The lawsuit argues that 17 private elite universities, including Emory, were involved in the 568 Presidents Group, which was formed in 1998 and required all involved institutions to practice need-blind admissions.
The plaintiffs sued the 17 universities for allegedly manipulating the amount of financial aid students receive by artificially inflating the net cost of attendance for financial aid recipients, which violates antitrust laws.
“While Emory continues to believe the plaintiffs’ claims have no merit, we are pleased the litigation is behind us,” Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond wrote to the Wheel.
Emory returns looted artifacts to Greece after 16 years
By Jack Rutherford and Amelia Dasari
Jan. 24
After 15 years of attempts by the Greek government, the Michael C. Carlos Museum repatriated three illicitly exported artifacts, which it acquired in the early 2000s, to Greece on Jan. 22.
Professor Emerita of History Cynthia Patterson said she was not convinced that the Carlos Museum staff was unaware one of the artifacts, “Statue of a Goddess or Muse (Terpsichore),” was looted when the purchase was made, calling looting a “really serious problem.”
The Greek Ministry of Culture informed the Carlos Museum in 2007 that two of the three artifacts had been stolen from Greece and requested their return, but the museum did not return the artifacts until this year.
Patterson said there is still work to be done and “all students and the whole entire Emory community would benefit from an open discussion and education in the antiquities market.”
At the event, Hellenic Republic Minister of Culture Lina Mendon expressed her gratitude that Emory returned the items to Greece.
Mold forces some students out of Oxford dorms
By Clement Lee
Feb. 21
Students at Oxford College told the Wheel that they experienced health issues, which they suspected were caused by mold in their dorm rooms at Dickey Hall in Jolley Residential Center (JRC).
Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond said that every room in Dickey Hall would be inspected after mold on the bottom floor caused at least four students to move out of their rooms. Diamond wrote that a “small leak in a water line” caused the mold, which Emory University later fixed.
Dickey bottom floor resident Sarah Sinhal (25Ox) said she believed mold in her room had caused her to break out in hives and have respiratory issues in the fall 2023 semester. Sinhal realized she was allergic to mold and fungus after getting an allergy test over during the 2023-24 winter recess. She described her experience living with mold and moving to Elizer Hall as “hectic” and “exhausting.”
Mollie Gross (25Ox) also found mold in her JRC room before relocating to Fleming Hall. In an email to the Wheel, Gross wrote that she and her roommate often woke up “congested” and with “sore throats” while living in JRC.
Open expression committee finds ‘Cop City’ protestors ‘deliberately misled’ administration, ‘likely’ violated professor’s rights
By Madi Olivier
March 6
Multiple members of the Emory University Senate’s Committee for Open Expression found that student organizers for a “Stop Cop City” protest in April 2023 “deliberately misled” the Division of Campus Life and that Campus Life’s decision to call the Emory Police Department to end the protest was “warranted.”
The committee also found that the University “likely” violated former Emory School of Medicine Assistant Professor Abeer AbouYabis’ open expression rights by terminating her after she shared a social media post the University considered “antisemitic.”
Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Physics and Committee Chair Ilya Nemenman said that the Emory community needed to recognize that discussion surrounding open expression on college campuses was “inflamed” and that the committee was working to help the University avoid difficult situations in the future.
Most women serve as school deans in Emory's history
By Hilary Barkey
March 20
During the spring semester, eight of nine deans overseeing Emory University’s schools were women, setting Emory apart from its peer institutions. That semester, 88.89% of head deans at the University were women, significantly higher than the 34.51% average among peer institutions.
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing Associate Dean for Academic Operations Laura Kimble said that the high number of female deans and their perspectives positively impacted Emory.
However, Laney Graduate School Dean Kimberly Jacob Arriola (01PH) wrote to the Wheel that despite most of Emory’s deans being women, problems remain regarding women's treatment and Emory’s historic lack of female leadership.
Former College Council President Neha Murthy (24C) agreed, referencing the importance of seeing women in important roles at the university.
“I hope down the road, women in power can feel confident and get recognized for all their initiatives and everything that they have done without having to fight extra to get that recognition,” Murthy said.
Beyond the lecture hall
By Alya Khoury and Alex Friedman
April 3
In this photo essay, Alya Khoury and Alex Friedman explored 10 Emory University professors’ offices and how they filled their space with various books, stories and secrets.
Goodrich C. White Professor of Film and Media Matthew Bernstein’s passion and excitement for film were evident in the books, posters and pictures decorating his office.
“[Cinema] just opens people’s eyes,” Bernstein said. “And that’s incredibly powerful, [like we] are image-saturated — I don’t have to tell you — platforms, photographs, everything. So to be able to have a critical understanding of what’s going on and how things are put together is, I think, crucially important, as important as taking English 101.”
Professor of Political Science Michael Leo Owens adorned his sunlit office with photographs, mementos and artwork to create a welcoming ambiance. Owens said that at Emory, “there are incredible moments of contact without fellowship, where we never are fully engaging with one another,” and he hopes to build connections with students and colleagues in this space.
Over 1 in 5 Oxford students graduate early
By Aarush Kumar
April 17
According to data from Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond, 28.4% of Oxford College students who entered as part of the Class of 2024 graduated in fall 2023, completing their Associate of Arts degree in three semesters instead of the usual four. Oxford has seen an increasing percentage of students graduating early, with an average of 23.6% from 2018-23.
Grace Hetrick (25Ox) said there are “more opportunities on the Atlanta campus” for pre-medical students, and she mentioned Oxford’s location makes it more difficult to engage in volunteering and clinical work. Jack Peattie (25Ox) added that there was a lack of business classes at Oxford and that he plans to graduate early to matriculate to Goizueta Business School.
On the other hand, Anthony Vargas (24Ox) never considered graduating early: “I simply wouldn’t be prepared as an individual to be put in those positions had I not gone to Oxford and gotten the individualized attention I got.”
Graffiti protesting Cop City, demanding ‘free Palestine’ appears on Emory buildings
By Lauren Yee
April 23
Early in the morning of April 22, several Emory University buildings by the Quadrangle, including Convocation Hall, Candler Library and the Michael C. Carlos Museum, were found vandalized with graffiti reading “Free Palestine,” “Stop Cop City,” “Fire Fenves” and “Emory must divest.”
Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond wrote in an email to the Wheel that this act of vandalism “violates the University’s Respect for Open Expression Policy, Emory University codes of conduct and Georgia state law.” Diamond wrote that Campus Services had covered the graffiti with paper and would repair the affected buildings.
Emory community ‘ashamed’ after police detain students at pro-Palestine encampment
By Madi Olivier, Spencer Friedland, Jack Rutherford and Sarah Davis
April 25
Pro-Palestine protesters set up an encampment on the Emory University Quadrangle in the early hours of April 25, with around 20 tents erected on the Quad. Within three hours of the start of the demonstration, officers with the Georgia State Patrol, Atlanta Police Department and Emory Police Department (EPD) began breaking up the encampment with irritant gas, arresting 28 people in the process.
Starting at 11:37 a.m., police vans transporting arrestees left campus. The encampment came exactly one year after EPD shut down a “Stop Cop City” protest on the Quad.
Pro-Palestine, Pro-Israel protestors gather in wake of arrests
By Spencer Friedland, Haley Huh and Jack Rutherford
April 26
After police officers shut down the encampment on April 25, demonstrators and speakers once again gathered on the Emory University Quadrangle around 5:30 p.m. to protest the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The crowd stayed on the Quad for roughly one hour before moving toward the Candler School of Theology, attempting to force entry to reach a group of protestors inside.
The crowd pushed wooden boards against police officers lined up outside the doors before Georgia State Patrol officers arrived and moved the crowd back to the Quad. The crowd dispersed at approximately 8:56 p.m. after a police show of force.
Opinion: Our Emory: Take back your voices and ‘our Quad’
By Ellie Fivas, Safa Wahidi and Lola McGuire
April 27
Opinion Managing Editor Ellie Fivas (24Ox, 26C) and Opinion Editors Safa Wahidi (23Ox, 26C) and Lola McGuire (26C) interviewed community members who saw the encampment of April 25 and argued that Emory University’s actions in breaking it up were “disgusting” and constituted a suppression of free speech.
They characterized gatherings on the Quad as a cornerstone of student expression and assembly, available to all regardless of the content of the speech. They called on readers to “occupy this campus” and reject the administration’s action on April 25.
“Universities are responsible for crucial discourse, but Emory has failed,” they wrote. “Now, students must, and have, taken the matter into their own hands.”
Emory relocates commencement off-campus, cancels Class Day Crossover
By Spencer Friedland and Lauren Yee
May 6
Emory University relocated its commencement ceremonies to the Gas South District in Duluth, Ga., over safety and security concerns. The change followed the April 25 encampment and subsequent protests on Emory’s campus.
Emory only allowed undergraduate bachelor’s degree candidates and their previously ticketed guests to attend. The University also canceled other events typically held for graduates, such as Class Day Crossover.
Ranjan Kesavan (24C) feels that he missed out on the full college experience at Emory.
“I missed my high school graduation,” Kesavan said. “I’m glad we’re getting a graduation but it feels a little bit less than what I signed up for.”
Additionally, Catherine Cronin (22Ox, 24C) questioned how finals could proceed as normal while other events could not.
“If campus is so unsafe that we cannot host a graduation, why are so many other events still going forward?” Cronin said. “... If it’s so unsafe, why are people expected to take in person finals? It just seems it’s very selective as to what is being canceled, what is being relocated.”
Office for Civil Rights opens investigation into anti-Palestinian harassment at Emory
By Spencer Friedland
May 6
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced that they opened an investigation into Emory University for anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim harassment on May 6. The investigation followed a complaint from legal advocacy groups on behalf of Emory Students for Justice in Palestine (ESJP), accusing Emory of “failures” to “address anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian activity.”
Ibrahim, an ESJP member who requested to omit his last name due to safety concerns, said that he was “glad” the Office for Civil Rights was looking into the complaint.
“It’s unfortunate that we had to get to this point,” Ibrahim said. “It’s really, really, honestly, sad that we could not seek protection in our own university and our own administration, that we’ve had to turn to the Office of Civil Rights to instead investigate this lack of protection.”
Undergraduate students vote ‘no confidence’ in Fenves in wake of protests
By Spencer Friedland
May 8
A majority of Emory University undergraduate students who voted in a referendum put forth by the Student Government Association (SGA) expressed that they had no confidence in University President Gregory Fenves.
3,401 individuals participated in the referendum, a 41.9% turnout rate. The referendum came after the University broke up an April 25 encampment, with police officers arresting 28 people.
The Elections Board sent the results of the referendum to University Senate President George Shepherd, who later shared the results of this referendum and other similar measures with the Emory Board of Trustees.
In an email to the Wheel, Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond emphasized that only 31% of the total undergraduate student body voted that they did not have confidence in Fenves.
Emory codifies open expression guidelines prohibiting encampments, allegedly without consulting University Senate
By Madi Olivier, Spencer Friedland and Jack Rutherford
Aug. 31
Emory announced changes to its Respect for Open Expression Policy on Aug. 27, clarifying time, place and manner restrictions on student expression. The addendum prohibited encampments and building takeovers, protests between midnight and 7 a.m., and sleeping and camping overnight on campus.
University Senate President George Shepherd and Ilya Nemenman, senate committee chair and Samuel Candler Dobbs professor of physics, both expressed concern about how the changes were conducted. Shepherd stated that the senate and the Open Expression Committee had not been consulted on the changes before University administration announced them.
20-minute wait for a $20 lunch: Students, staff dissatisfied with food trucks
By Spencer Friedland and Eva Roytburg
Sept. 11
While Emory University’s Cox Hall Food Court undergoes renovations during the 2024-25 academic year, the University brought in food trucks and mobile vendors to Asbury Circle. Students and staff complained that the food trucks had higher prices and longer waits compared to Cox Hall.
Geoff Point-Du-Jour (25C) said that he didn’t buy from the food trucks due to the cost.
“Just seeing the prices are like $15, $20 when I used to be able to go to Cox and just pick something up for like $10 to $12, it just really turned me away,” Point-Du-Jour said. “I might as well just go in my car and go off campus or go to Emory Village and get Chipotle or Cava.”
‘It feels like a piece of Oxford is being lost’: Oxford reflects on Dooley’s Tavern closure
By Anya Agarkar
Sept. 25
Earlier this year, Oxford College Dean Badia Ahad announced that Dooley’s Tavern, once a gathering spot for Oxford College students, would be permanently closed. The tavern was previously a space where students gathered for parties, drank alcohol and smoked cigarettes before Georgia raised the legal drinking age, according to former Oxford College Dean of Campus Life Joseph Moon.
Some Oxford students, including Dooley’s Dolls President Amelia Persons (25Ox), told the Wheel that they were saddened by the loss of the space. Oxford Student Government Association President Kenan Bajraktarevic (25Ox) said he had hoped he could work with members of the Oxford community to keep the tavern open to make Oxford more “fun” and “target the issues we’ve had with mental health.”
First-year student restarts Emory College Republicans
By Jacob Muscolino
Oct. 9
When Si Kai Feng (28C) arrived at Emory University, he decided to restart Emory College Republicans, which had not been active during the 2023-24 school year. Feng thought there should be a place where conservative students could meet and voice their opinions, much like the function Young Democrats of Emory serves for liberal students.
In previous years, College Republicans had been marred by controversies after inviting speakers such as former Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos and conservative author and commentator Heather Mac Donald, which sparked backlash and protests from groups across campus.
Professor of Sociology Frank Lechner, who serves as the club’s advisor, viewed the revival of the club as important due to the 2024 presidential election and said that “right-leaning students might as well get active now and perhaps have a voice in the shaping of the future of the party itself.”
Ossoff urges students to vote in ‘pivotal election’ at Emory event
By Sophia Peyser
Oct. 30
Just one week before the 2024 presidential election, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) arrived on Emory University’s campus to encourage students to vote. The event, organized by Young Democrats of Emory, was part of a voting push in which the Harris-Walz campaign targeted college students through concerts, tailgates and advertising in battleground states.
During the event, Ossoff reminded students about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the result of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election, when the state swung blue for the first time since 1992. In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Trump asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes” — the margin by which U.S. President Joe Biden won Georgia.
Undocumented students remind voters of their voice this election season
By Wendy Pelayo
Nov. 6
The Wheel interviewed three undocumented students about their experiences and thoughts on the 2024 presidential election and the possible consequences of either Vice President Kamala Harris or President-elect Donald Trump winning.
One student made the effects of the election clear, saying that they told people to “vote for me” at the ballot box. This student said that they preferred Harris to Trump after “comparing what conditions the country were in and what we had as President Donald Trump.”
All three students spoke about their frustration with the fact that some people who have the ability to vote do not exercise this right.
“It definitely is upsetting, especially since, at least with the curriculum in Georgia when I was growing up in school, there was always that sense of responsibility that when you grow up and you turn 18, you have to vote because voting is important,” one student said.
Trump returns to power
By Spencer Friedland
Nov. 6
In one of the most dramatic political comebacks of all time, President-elect Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency for the second time, becoming the second president to win two non-consecutive presidential elections.
The Associated Press called the race for Trump in the early morning of Nov. 6 after he surpassed 270 electoral votes by securing the state of Wisconsin.
Emory College Republicans President Si Kai Feng (28C) said he hoped Trump’s presidency would improve illegal immigration, inflation and quality of life. Trump supporter Juan Llano (25C) said that Trump’s victory shows Democrats that they should stop “obsessing” over issues like abortion and stop calling Republicans “misogynist,” “racist” and “transphobic.”
Young Democrats of Emory member Olivia Gilbert (26C) called Trump a “racist, sexist bigot” and said that the election left her feeling “hopeless.”
Opinion: Oxford’s AP credit policy adds burden to already stressed college students
By Cayden Xia
Nov. 20
In this op-ed, Cayden Xia (26Ox) argues that Oxford College’s new credit policy, which makes it harder for Oxford students to graduate a semester early, harms students.
Xia writes that if a student wants to graduate from Oxford after three semesters, they would have to take more classes, which could prevent them from pursuing other opportunities, such as conducting research or an internship.
For a student to graduate early from Oxford, they would need to bring eight credits from outside of Oxford, in addition to taking 19 credits all three semesters, the maximum number of credits allowed by Emory, to achieve the minimum 65 credits required to earn an Associate of Arts degree from Oxford. Previously, Oxford allowed students to put 12 outside credits toward their associate degree.
Xia writes that limiting the number of outside credits one can put toward an associate degree increases the possibility of burnout. For example, Xia cites that Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Valerie Molyneaux recommended students take a maximum of 17 credits in their first semester. Only allowing students to put eight credits toward their associate degree forces them to either forfeit graduating early or ignore Molyneaux’s advice.
Latino men at Emory talk politics, masculinity, mental health following 2024 election
By Wendy Pelayo
Dec. 5
After President-elect Donald Trump won the U.S. 2024 presidential election, members of the Emory University Latino male community discussed the decision to vote for Trump, a choice many in their community made this election cycle.
Dance and Movement Studies Assistant Professor Julio Medina (13C) said that the conservative shift among Latino men is emblematic of a societal trend in Latino culture embedded in patriarchal systems.
Taylor Colorado Merino (26C) said that particular Republican values resonate with Latino men and that “leftist views are seen as not the norm within traditional masculinity of Latino communities.”
President, peanut farmer, university distinguished professor: Jimmy Carter dies at 100
By: Jack Rutherford, Matthew Chupack and Isaiah Poritz
Dec. 29
On Dec. 29, just days away from the new year, former U.S. President and Emory University Distinguished Professor Jimmy Carter passed away. Born in Plains, Ga., Carter was a monumental figure in Georgia’s history, serving as the state’s 76th governor and eventually becoming the first Georgian elected to the White House.
Carter entered hospice care in early 2023 and made his last public appearance at the national tribute service for his late wife Rosalynn Carter, which was held at Emory University’s Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church last November.
On top of his presidency, the Emory community will remember Carter for his humanitarian work with the Emory-partnered Carter Center, in addition to his 41 years as a distinguished professor at the University. Notably, Carter held annual town halls for first-year students at Emory, during which he answered student questions about peanut butter preferences, political scandals and memorable career moments.
