Have you felt that sense of frustration? Watching as the University gets its way with everything? From raising the tuition to providing inadequate mental health resources, our administration neglects us. We are not their priority.

The worst part is that there seems to be no way to change anything. Petitions fall on deaf ears. Popular resolutions passed by our student government are ignored. There’s nothing you or I can do.

It was these thoughts that have rattled in my brain constantly. Watching as my friends struggled - watching as the institutions designed to help us failed to hold those accountable - all of that angered me. I knew something had to give.

I was inspired last spring by students at Clemson, who rallied together to demand their university freeze tuition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Clemson agreed to do so, citing other factors and not students who had influenced that decision. But it’s safe to say that the student protests likely had at least some impact on the decision.

Watching this unfold over a hundred miles away, I was struck by the realization: that our university will listen to us when its reputation is at stake.

Look closely and it has happened before. Emory once refused to pay Sophomore Advisors (SA) despite their critical role in serving their residence halls, but after receiving serious pushback last year, the University relented and awarded a $3000 housing stipend to future SAs.

And last semester, students held a protest demanding the University commit to a more aggressive climate plan. The protest, which was seen by passing college tours, was an embarrassing display for the University. A few days later, President Fenves met with the students in charge of the protest.

Emory is unwilling or unable to change. But with the right pressure, it can be forced to listen. It’s our responsibility as students to fight for what we believe is right.

I want to preface this by saying that I truly believe there are good people in our administration that are dedicated to making Emory a better place. But the university fails to communicate what it does for us. As a result, it's easy to feel like we are being neglected.

So what worked in the cases above? The university felt that its reputation was at stake and moved to minimize damage. Both issues were highly publicized and provoked strong student anger.

To create such anger, I believe we have several different avenues. The first is to organize and to protest publicly and loudly for what we believe in. But I believe one of the most efficient ways we can make our voices heard is through the student government association (SGA). SGA leaders regularly meet with the university’s administration, and they are supposed to be our leaders.

SGA has the ability to pass resolutions - nonbinding statements that in theory speak on behalf of the student body. These resolutions should be taken seriously by our administration and they should be forced to think seriously about their next steps.

But our University does not take our student government seriously, and neither does our student body. Most people only hear about SGA when another scandal unfolds, and when voter turnout in most elections hovers at around 15%, SGA leaders have no mandate from their study body to lead.

So how does that change? How do we engage our student body with SGA and how do we focus attention on serious issues that impact all of us?

A lot of that will come from informing our student body and keeping them regularly updated on what SGA and administration are doing.

This sounds a lot like what The Emory Wheel does. How is the Duly Digest going to be any different?

As someone who worked for The Wheel for nearly three semesters, I believe the newspaper has done important work to help all of us. But I also feel like they have the potential to do more. I believe they are not interested in covering SGA and do not go forcefully enough after the administration. I believe The Wheel, in an effort to cover anything and everything on campus, often spreads itself too thin.

I want The Duly Digest to focus on those kinds of hard hitting stories that hold those in power accountable. I want the Digest to help channel our anger and to help bring us together around issues we care about.

One goal I have for the Digest is for it to collaborate with other student activist groups like Emory Students for Students or the Emory Environmental Coalition on issues that they advocate for. I think The Digest can serve not just as a journalistic source, but as a platform that works actively to promote change.

I want this organization to be an outlet through which we can fight. I want us all to have a fair chance. Because I am tired of being treated this way by our school. For a top-tier institution, it is pathetic that we are forced to have to fight for what we deserve.

It's time to hold those responsible accountable.

But I can’t do this alone. The Duly Digest needs your talent, your writing, your artistry, your creativity, and most importantly - your voice.

If you are interested in joining - or even just writing one article, don’t hesitate to reach out. We are all in this together.