Winter 2010: Of Note

Portrait of Nathan McCall

Nathan McCall

Jon Rou

Perfect Pitch

Emory in the news

Spotlight or Stereotype?

The film Precious shone a needed spotlight on the underclass, faculty member Nathan McCall told the New York Times in November. But, said McCall, who teaches a course on the history of African American images, the film could have avoided some stereotypes. “A white artist can make a film about a family of ten drug addicts, and the public sees it as a film about a family of ten drug addicts, not ten white drug addicts,” McCall said. “A black artist can make that film, too, but you have to be aware of the history.”

Admission Season

The New York Times’s “The Choice Blog” turned to Dean of Admission Jean Jordan to answer a reader’s question about transferring from one college to another. Jordan also was quoted in the London Times Higher Education supplement on wait list activity, and interviewed by CNN International on Chinese students’ interest in pursuing an American education.

A Necessary Conversation

“In America now, we are constantly having this debate over race. It is a conversation that needs to continue,” said Joseph Crespino, associate professor of history, in the British newspaper the Guardian in an article about President Obama.

World Views

CNN International conducted live interviews with Muslim law expert Abdullahi An-Na’im of the School of Law on the trial of a Sudanese Muslim journalist accused of violating Islamic law. Emory law professor Dorothy Brown also was interviewed by CNN International on health care reform.

More Mental Health

In an article examining an increased need for college counseling services, the Philadelphia Inquirer interviewed Mark McLeod, director of student counseling, about Emory’s proactive efforts to improve and increase access to mental health services for students, including a routine mental health fee each semester. The reason is to bring in more funds for counseling; the University also seeks to reduce the stigma of seeking help, McLeod said.

Boom Days Ahead

Will today’s baby boom counteract the economic bust? Goizueta Professor Jeff Rosensweig told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Cynthia Tucker: “We’ve had more babies born in the U.S. in the past two years than at any point in history, including the peak of the baby boom, 1957. Think of the demand that’s going to be created for teachers, for high-quality day care.”