Oxford’s Campus Life Center Celebrates Grand Opening
Students and faculty came together on Sunday to celebrate Oxford College’s much-anticipated Campus Life Center’s (CLC) grand opening, which featured local political leaders and alumni.
According to Oxford College Dean of Campus Life Joseph Moon, the CLC formally opened on the first day of the Spring semester, but Sunday’s event served as a celebration to “ demonstrate how the various spaces could be used.”.
Oxford’s CLC will contain spaces for meetings, performances and events as well as planning, innovation and storage areas for various student organizations. It also will have a campus bookstore, convenience store, cafe and flexible classroom areas.
Sterk, Lewin Named ‘Most Influential’ in State Magazine
Outgoing University President Claire E. Sterk as well as President, CEO and Chair of Emory Healthcare Jonathan Lewin have been honored by Georgia Trend Magazine as two of the “100 Most Influential Georgians” for the second year in a row.
The magazine highlighted Sterk’s achievements, which range from turning Emory into the largest employer in Atlanta to focusing on pressing public health issues such as the opioid crisis.
Lewin was also recognized for leading Emory Healthcare in the development of its new cancer care facility, Winship at Midtown. The building is designed to “unify the treatment experience for patients by bringing doctors, staff and services together in one building,” the Wheel previously reported.
Interfraternity Council Amends Fraternity Rush Requirements
The Emory Interfraternity Council governing body voted to utilize a formal recruitment model that will allow chapters to “create their own recruitment experience,” according to a new Spring 2020 recruitment policy.
Specifically, chapters will be allowed to exert more flexibility in the types of event they can hold during recruitment, such as the ability to hold off-campus events after the first two nights of recruitment.
The recruitment period was also extended to two weeks from one week, to “provide chapters with more opportunity to get to know potential new members, as well as to give the potential new members more time to explore their options,” wrote Interim Director of Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life Scott Rausch in a Jan. 28 email to the Wheel.
Bob Mintzer to Be Featured at University Jazz Festival
Renowned saxophonist Bob Mintzer will take the stage with the Gary Motley Trio to kick off the University’s 2020 Jazz Fest on Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. at the Emerson Concert Hall in the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. Mintzer is a 28-year member of the small jazz band Yellowjackets and is a professor of jazz studies at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.
In addition to the performance, there will be Jazz Fest classes and additional events running from Feb. 6 to Feb. 8 at the Schwartz Center.
Atlanta Pastor Announces Georgia Senate Bid
Rev. Raphael G. Warnock, the senior pastor at Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic church, announced his candidacy on Jan. 30 for one of Georgia’s two U.S. Senate races, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Warnock was raised alongside 11 siblings in a public housing project in Savannah, Ga. He earned a Ph.D. from Morehouse College (Ga.), and in 2006 he became a senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Warnock’s platform is focused on social justice, with plans to launch a voter registration campaign. He also promises to push back against high medical costs and to raise salaries for low-wage workers.
The seat Warnock is vying for is currently held by Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), who was appointed to the post on Dec. 4, 2019, by Gov. Brian Kemp after Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) retired.
Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee, endorsed Warnock’s senate bid on Twitter, describing the pastor as “a leader who sees all of us and serves all of us.” Several other Senate Democrats, including Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), endorsed Warnock’s candidacy as well.
Delta, American and United to Suspend Flights Between U.S. and China
On Jan. 31, three major airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines, announced a suspension of all flights between the U.S. and mainland China because of the coronavirus outbreak, The New York Times reported.
American announced that it would halt its flights immediately until March 27, while Delta and United’s suspension will begin on Feb. 6 and last until April 30 and March 28, respectively. The three airlines said they were responding to a sharp drop in demand for the flights and a U.S. State Department travel advisory warning Americans not to travel to China during the viral outbreak, which was recently considered likely to become a pandemic.
Customers who are affected by the suspension can request a refund, rebook their flight or speak with an agent for other options, according to the Times.
Layla Wofsy (23C) is from Westport, Connecticut and is majoring in political science. In addition to the Wheel, Wofsy is a member of the Emory Young Democrats executive board. She previously worked a campaign intern for a state senate candidate in her district in Connecticut. and helped lead the candidate to victory in 2018. She also worked on his re-election campaign this past summer.
