The Emory Wheel Since 1919
Emory University’s Independent Student Newspaper
Volume 106, Issue 11
Printed every other Wednesday
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Emory Jewish community commemorates Oct. 7 anniversary By Jack Rutherford, Kimble Schiller & Maxine Podgainy Managing Editor, Senior Staff Wrtier & Contributing Writer
Students, professors discuss AI in classroom By Inaara Lalani
Content Warning: This article contains references to gun violence.
and James Schechner
Across Emory University’s Atlanta and Oxford College campuses, Jewish and Israeli community members and organizations marked the second anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the intensification of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The anniversary comes as U.S. President Donald Trump attempts to broker a ceasefire to end the IsraelHamas war. During the Oct. 7 attacks, Hamas killed nearly 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Currently, the U.S.designated terrorist organization is holding 48 hostages, with 26 publicly confirmed to be dead, in the Gaza Strip.
following the attack. A close friend of Harary attended the Nova Music Festival, where Hamas attacks killed 378 people. “Resilience comes in all forms, but it always looks like life,” Harary said. “Resilience is not the absence of fear, it’s the decision to keep going in spite of that fear.” Emory Hillel President Arielle Rezak (27C) said the attacks brought her hometown on Long Island, N.Y., together after Omer Neutra, a former classmate of hers, was presumed missing during the Oct. 7 weekend. Neutra became a commander in the Israel Defense Forces after high school and was believed to be held hostage in Gaza, but in December 2024, his death was confirmed to have occurred on Oct. 7.
This November marks three years since OpenAI released ChatGPT, the generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool that has reshaped the workflow and livelihoods of students and educators worldwide, including at Emory University. Now, students and faculty at the University are grappling with how best to approach AI usage for academic purposes. Emory lacks an institutional policy on AI, which has made it challenging for professors and students to navigate its usage in the classroom. However, with the rise of AI, Emory University’s Honor Council has created an information sheet to help professors navigate the use of generative AI. The information sheet warns that there is not a definitive consensus among educators “about the accuracy of detection programs,” and that “detection programs may produce false negatives or false positives.” The Honor Council information sheet also lists some common indicators of AI. Office for Undergraduate Education Associate Dean Jason Ciejka, who leads the Honor Council, said the boom in AI use in classrooms over the years has not drastically
See SURVIVOR, Page 2
See STUDENTS, Page 3
Pro-Israeli, Jewish organizations unite to host memorial Nearly 100 Emory University community members gathered on McDonough Plaza on Oct. 5 to host a vigil honoring those killed and taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7. Chabad at Emory, Emory Hillel, Emory-Israel Public Affairs Committee, TAMID at Emory, MEOR at Emory and Emory Eagles for Israel organized the event. The event began with organizers passing out Israeli flags and attendees
Contributing Writers
Sage Buchris/Deputy Photography Editor
Community members gather around McDonough Plaza on Oct. 5 for a vigil honoring the victims of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and call for Hamas to return hostages taken. singing the Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem. Chabad at Emory Rabbi Zalman Lipskier began the vigil by leading students in prayer. Following Lipskier, Assistant Teaching Professor and Language Coordinator in Hebrew Pazit KahlonShelnutt said the feeling of simultaneously watching the Oct. 7 attacks happen from the United States while trying to contact her family in Israel was an experience “beyond anything we could have imagined.” “I remember sitting in front of the TV, frozen, and my mind refusing to understand,” Kahlon-Shelnutt said. “That day, something inside of all of us broke. And for me, it is still broken.” With an increase in antisemitism across the United States since the war’s inception two years ago, Kahlon-
Shelnutt said Israeli and Jewish students are facing a “painful reality” and urged attendees to stand up against hate. “Being against antisemitism does not mean being against anyone else,” Kahlon-Shelnutt said. “It means being for humanity, for dignity, safety and empathy for all people.” Jewish Chaplain Jordan Braunig recited the Mourner’s Kaddish, a prayer said to honor the deceased, and offered words of gratitude to the Jewish community for staying strong, despite trying times. After Braunig, multiple students shared their stories and experiences of dealing with the grief and trauma of the Oct. 7 attacks. Roxy Harary (28B), who was living in Israel on Oct. 7 shared her experiences in the weeks and months
SGA holds first meeting after suspension, calls on Emory to reinstate DEI By Tori Mooney SGA Desk Student Government Association (SGA) President Tyler Martinez (26C) opened the organization’s first public meeting in 175 days by “acknowledging the significance” of the session on Oct. 6. Emory University’s Office of Student Conduct suspended SGA for actions “potentially constituting discriminatory harassment” on April 14, resulting in a six-month pause in normal operations. In outlining goals for the upcoming year, Martinez highlighted several areas on which SGA hopes to focus. “We have a lot to address now that we’re back,” Martinez said. “There are challenges to confront, systems to improve and opportunities to create meaningful impact for every student on this campus.” During the meeting, Board of Elections Chair Elizabeth Brubaker (24Ox, 26C) introduced a resolution which legislators voted to pass, calling on the University to restore diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. “We’re asking that DEI principles be put into University policy, so that it has the opportunity to remain a part
of Emory DNA,” Brubaker said. Brubaker said the resolution was in response to Interim University President Leah Ward Sears’ (80L) Sept. 3 announcement that the University will end its DEI programs. The text of the resolution calls on Sears and the Board of Trustees to reinstate DEI policies and clarify how policy changes will impact students. The resolution will include a student referendum to assess student support for SGA’s statement, sent within two weeks of the meeting. In 2024, SGA sent a similar referendum to evaluate student support through a vote assessing confidence in former University President and current Chancellor Gregory Fenves. The legislation was co-sponsored by Martinez, Executive Vice President Zoe Grotjan (24Ox, 26C), Speaker of the Legislature Sohan Bellam (26C), College Council President Vlad Senenko (27C), College Council Vice President Braden Newsome (25Ox, 27C) and Vice President of Student Wellbeing Asmita Lehther (24Ox, 26C). Additionally, Brubaker said the resolution is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Georgia and the Georgia National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The ACLU of Georgia and Georgia NAACP did not confirm their support of the resolution by press time. SGA Speaker of the Legislature Sohan Bellam (26C) reflected on how SGA plans to face current uncertainty surrounding DEI policies in an interview with The Emory Wheel. “We’ll keep asking questions,” Bellam said. “SGA’s [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging] work is completely protected by the University’s Open Expression Policy and won’t stop.” Martinez highlighted the importance of SGA’s internal commitment to DEI values. “It’s easy to pass bills and say that we’re committed to it, but showing up for the community is another thing, and we’re definitely committed to showing up,” Martinez said. Additionally, SGA introduced and passed a resolution calling on Emory to defend its community members in the face of federal funding attacks. This resolution included a similar referendum to be distributed to students within two weeks of its passage. The resolution calls on Sears and the University’s Board of Trustees
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to enact a policy preventing Emory employees “from voluntarily providing information or assistance in response to a request” from government authorities seeking to impose penalties based on speech, to help apprehend a person for immigration detention proceedings, or investigate the sex or gender of a community member. Brubaker, who introduced the resolution with the same co-sponsors as the previous one, said the second resolution is in response to threats to freedom of expression, immigrant communities and LGBTQ+ youth on higher education campuses. SGA introduced and passed a bill to add naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan, a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, to the Health Access Machine Initiative. In April, SGA unveiled a Health Access Machine that provides students with free menstrual products, bandages, medication and other supplies. SGA members also discussed the possibility of creating opportunities to share instructions and training on administering naloxone. Reflecting on the first SGA meeting of this semester, Bellam said
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he has three main hopes for SGA this year: defending Emory against the federal government, increasing transparency between SGA and students, and helping SGA foster a stronger connection with the Emory community. Martinez also emphasized similar objectives for SGA following the suspension. “As we considered our goals for this year, four guiding principles emerged: transparency, meaningful change, inclusivity and action,” Martinez said. “Values that will shape every decision we make and every initiative we launch as a student government.” Over the rest of his term, Martinez said that he hopes to facilitate further communication with the student body and the Emory administration, noting previous concerns with University leadership’s decisions. “I hope that this shows a reaffirmed commitment from SGA to protect the student body as well as hold the administration accountable for decisions that haven’t included students or haven’t kept our best interests in mind,” Martinez said.
— Contact Tori Mooney at tori.mooney@emory.edu
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