Editorial: Why we need to participate in the upcoming US presidential election (pg. 8)
The Case Western Reserve
Observer
Friday, October 11, 2024
Volume LVI, Issue 8 Est. 1969
New wellness vending machines limit quantity but provide more product options
Zachary Treseler News Editor
Case Western Reserve University’s University Health and Counseling Services (UHCS) replaced the existing wellness vending machines with new ones at the beginning of the academic year. The new machines feature wellness products such as KN-95 masks, cough drops, COVID-19 tests, painkillers and more. While the new machines offer a wider variety of products with a much flashier interface, many students still have experienced trouble accessing the resources provided in them.
UHCS removed the former more traditional style of vending machines in favor of new machines. UHCS said, “The previous machines, repurposed during the COVID pandemic to pro vide COVID tests to campus, were old and in disrepair. They weren’t in tended to be used this long and often malfunctioned. The old machines also limited the type and number of items provided.”
The new machines are testandgo kiosks produced by the company LTS.
The biggest change for students is the limit on the amount of certain goods they can get for free at the well ness vending machines. The system limits the amount of “free” products students can obtain to one of each product every seven days. For CO VID-19 test kits, that number is in creased to two. The main exceptions to this rule are two different varieties of condoms, tampons and pads; they are freely available with no limit.
With these machines, students and community members can enjoy an increase in available goods. For example, the machines dispense first aid kits, saline nasal spray and vari ous over-the-counter medications—all products that were not offered before.
At the machine, the products are displayed with their purchase cost: the costs if students outright buy the prod uct from the machine. To access the free quota, students use a touchscreen on the vending machines to select an image of the product. After filling out a survey for age and community affilia tion, students can scan a QR code that appears on the screen. From there they can redeem a free product by ver ifying their phone number with LTS, which sends an SMS verification code, and, if confirmed, it will dispense.
The UHCS website stresses the pri vacy security of giving out the phone number: “LTS will not share phone numbers or individual purchase in formation with CWRU, University Health & Counseling Services or any other outside entity. Please note that phone numbers were chosen, rather than email or student ID, to help pro tect student privacy.”
UHCS notes on their website that the free allocation is for students only, but faculty members can access lim ited free KN-95 masks and COVID tests.
Many students expressed frus tration and troubles accessing the systems. For example, videos circu lated showing the screens playing the
Google Chrome “Dinosaur Game” at the start of the semester and then later problems with the phone number verification systems.
Aaron Bilow, a second-year engineering student, described when he attempted to get a COVID-19 test from the machine.
“I tried verifying my phone number. I typed it in, and it did successfully text me a link, [but] it wouldn’t let me use that code to verify the phone number … I couldn’t get it to work,” he said. “After retrying and trying that for another five or so minutes, I did finally get it to verify the phone number, at which point it said, ‘Okay, we’re gonna
dispense it.’ And it took another five minutes of trying to dispense the COVID test and eventually said, ‘There’s been an error.’”
He notes that the extra stress the machine caused: “If I had COVID, that would have been a real issue because I have a roommate, and knowing even just hours in advance could have given me the time to at least prevent my roommate from getting exposed.”
UHCS notes that they are “aware of the issues and [are] working with the vendor to address them.” The organization added, “The vendor is now on campus three days a week to ensure the machines are stocked and working
properly.” Additionally, “the machine at Tinkham Veal[e] University Center was moved to a location with better cell and Wi[-]Fi service.”
Under the new system, if someone wishes to go over the allocated free limit, they can pay for the products. To do so, instead of verifying their phone number, users are directed to a screen to enter their credit card information.
With the new system, Bilow questions why the machines bother to charge students for some of the drugs with a weekly limit. He said, “If I’m gonna pay for it, I’d want the cheap, generic stuff that they used to give out, and it was a lot easier to get.”
FINNEAS changes course with “For Cryin’ Out Loud”: Will the new route lead to musical trade-offs?
Kethan Srinivasan Social Media Content Creator
Finneas O’Connell has had quite the last few years. The 27-year-old singersongwriter and producer is well-known for being a collaborator with his younger sister, pop star Billie Eilish, since her rise to fame back in 2016. The pair have gone on to sweep up a treasure trove of awards, including Grammys, Golden Globes and even two Academy Awards for Best Original Song. But when asking the average pop music listener whether they have heard of either O’Connell’s name or his stage name “FINNEAS,” “Who’s that?” might be a common answer.
It’s a shame to hear that given O’Connell’s knack for catchy, cathartic songs and unique production, some of which featured on his EP “Blood Harmony” and his debut studio album “Optimist,” the latter of which was reviewed glowingly in this publication. However, with time and given its release into a COVID-inspired musical landscape, the album’s production has more or less aged poorly.
O’Connell would perhaps concur with this sentiment but for different reasons. In an interview with Rolling Stone for Billie Eilish’s cover story, he mentioned that he did an “OK job” but felt lonely while solo-producing his first album, which he believes meant he did not make songs with the best possible sound. This sentiment has since led to a
drastic tone shift in his approach to his work, changing from electronic bedroom pop to a more classic and grownup studio environment with collaborators in tow. “I’ve made a point to be hyper-collaborative. Fortunately, most of my friends are producers,” he said.
The product of this hard work and change of course is “For Cryin’ Out Loud,” a 10-track LP that lasts forty minutes and still has something in store for his previous audience of lovesick twenty-somethings and alternative listeners alike. The LP’s title track delivers the infatuation and romanticism traditionally imbued into O’Connell’s songs, albeit with wild visuals to communicate these themes. “For cryin’ out loud / I’m calling your name / You’re wearing me out / But I love you the same,” he sings in the chorus as he falls down an elevator shaft, gets hit by a car and has his hands sliced open in the accompanying music video.
That is not to say the rest of the tracks carry little weight. “Family Feud” is a tender ode to O’Connell’s younger sister and friend, spoken from the perspective of an older sibling who still thinks about their childhood memories together and frets to this day over her life in the spotlight. “And you’re only twenty-two / And the world is watching you / Judging everything you do / Just a house and just a room / Just a handful of balloons / Just another afternoon,” he sings meekly. The rest of the album runs the gamut of feelings from the lightness of “Sweet Cherries”
and its Harry Styles-like production to the deepest depths of “Starfucker” and its complaint-ridden ballad about a pop star scorned by someone insufferable.
Nothing about the album’s production screams “experimental,” but it never goes so far with the minimalist approach that it feels soulless and without groove. It’s certainly no “Hit Me
Hard and Soft,” but it is certainly a record with a direction and a purpose. If “Optimist” served as a springboard for what FINNEAS once was, “For Cryin’ Out Loud” is the blueprint for what FINNEAS wants to become while still showing us what remains of his old self. For what it’s worth, it’s good to see an artist be more confident in their next steps, artistically and emotionally.
Take a trip through the stars with “Silent Sky”
Kennedy Wolf Staff Writer
This past weekend, the Case Western Reserve University Department of Theater presented “Silent Sky,” a production depicting the life and research of astronomer Henrietta Leavitt. It was directed by Lisa O’Brien and David Vegh. Leavitt, who lived and worked in the early 20th century, most notably discovered how to determine the size of the universe by measuring the distance between stars. The produc-
tion focuses on Leavitt’s time working at the Harvard College Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After the opening scene of Leavitt accepting a job offer from Harvard, the play covers roughly the next 20 years of her life. There are four other characters in the play: Henrietta’s sister Margaret Leavitt (Madeline Golya), Henrietta’s supervisor Peter Shaw (Ethan Teel) and Annie Cannon (Carrena Spann) and Williamina Fleming (Abigail Gilman), who are Henrietta’s co-workers.
Much of the play focuses on Henrietta’s (Olivia Minner) attempts to break
into the male-dominated astronomy industry.
When she initially arrives at Harvard, Henrietta is shocked and angry to learn that much of her job consists of cataloging different stars and acting as a human computer. She’s most disappointed to learn that she will not be able to use the refracting telescope, which she believed she would have access to for research purposes. However, with the support and encouragement of Annie and Williamina, her two coworkers, Henrietta is convinced to stay in the position. Henrietta is determined to succeed and eventually begins to notice patterns in the pulsations of certain types of stars. She continues to record these stars for years but eventually grows dissatisfied with her progress and her failure to recognize a further overarching pattern. She questions if her work will ever amount to anything, feeling as though she’s just “counting grass.”
Meanwhile, Henrietta has become so consumed by her job that any semblance she ever possessed of a work-life balance has been flung out the window. She sleeps over in the lab most nights and has failed to maintain a relationship with her sister Margaret, who has since started her own family. However, when news of her father’s recent stroke arrives, Henrietta drops everything in Cambridge—including a potential budding romance with Peter Shaw—to return home and help in any way she can. She continues to work on her identification of stars and even earns the nickname “star-finding fiend” for her endeavors. While at home, she has a groundbreaking light-bulb moment when she realizes that the pulsations
in the stars signal their distance from Earth. Most importantly, this helps to support the idea of different universes outside of the Milky Way.
The following—and significantly shorter—second act mostly consists of Henrietta becoming frustrated with the use of her work by other scientists without her consent and the reparation of her relationship with her sister. In the end, Henrietta dies an unfortunate early death from an unnamed disease and receives some, but not nearly enough, recognition for her scientific contributions. In the closing scene of the play, however, which is reminiscent of a “where are they now” montage from the end of some early 2000s movie, an important message is solidified: An individual’s story does not end with their death. Henrietta finally gained well-deserved recognition, but only in the years after her passing, almost in the same vein as many famous modern artists. One has to wonder, however, whether that recognition was only delayed because of her gender. If Henrietta had been a man, would things have been the same? In that case, then, there wouldn’t have been a play, as Henrietta wouldn’t have had any challenges to overcome.
Henrietta’s story is one of persistence, determination and outright grit. As Olivia Minner, who played Henrietta, stated: “It’s a beautiful show … and I hope that it touched your heart and left you feeling better about the world.” Today, women in academia have come a long way. It is important to collectively give credit to pioneers such as Henrietta Leavitt, whose legacy continues to develop even to this day.
Finneas O’Connell’s latest album “For Cryin’ Out Loud” marks a potential new era for the up-and-coming artist, with its heartfelt lyrics and production allowing listeners to get to know him better as a person. Courtesy of Interscope Records
The CWRU Department of Theater’s recent production of “Silent Sky” highlighted the feminist struggles of astronomer Henrietta Leavitt throughout her career in the early 20th century. Courtesy of Kashmere Shafik/Department of Theater
The killing joke: “Joker: Folie à Deux” leaves audiences wanting
Penelope Cloonan Contributing Writer
Spoilers ahead.
Since 2019, DC fans have been waiting with bated breath for the follow-up to the hit movie “Joker” (2019). The original film was an experimental masterpiece, delving into a new, murderous and somehow more human version of the Joker. While there were concerns about the sequel being pitched as a musical, with Lady Gaga set to co-star as Harley Quinn, I think this premise genuinely had the potential to add to the series’ oddities. The story of the Joker and Harley Quinn has been told well many times before, most recently with “Harley Quinn” (2019) and “Birds of Prey”(2020), so director Todd Phillips needed to deliver on the strangeness.
The film picks up two years after “Joker” (2019) left off, with Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix)—that’s the Joker’s real name in Phillips’ franchise—having spent time in Arkham Asylum after being caught and charged with murder. We see Arthur miserable in Arkham, having lost weight along with all his characteristic joy. His mood picks up when he meets Harley “Lee” Quinn (Lady Gaga), a patient in the non-criminal ward at Arkham. From there, the film becomes part love story and part court procedural. The Joker and Lee fall in love, and she becomes obsessed with his public persona. The court case quickly descends into chaos as Lee manipulates him into embracing the Joker persona and admitting to further crimes. This fails miserably, and Arthur is sentenced to death. Lee abandons him as she loves Joker, not Arthur. The film closes with Arthur being murdered by an unnamed young inmate at Arkham.
A definitive highlight of the film was the interspersed musical numbers. They were used to show that Arthur Fleck was slipping deeper into delusion and his devotion to Lee. From a technical perspective, it was really interesting to see Arthur prancing around and fully committing to the musical theater style in a realistic setting. The initial musical numbers did not take place in a stylized environment—they took place in Arkham Asylum, which makes it clear that the musical numbers are a delusion, and adds to the concern the audience has for Arthur. However, Phillips does not stray from the traditional glitzy musical style, having two large-scale numbers taking place in full glam. My only complaint is that the movie did not commit enough to the musical style.
Most of the songs included were repeated throughout, and there were more scenes of characters singing at each other briefly than fully-fledged musical numbers. “Joker: Folie à Deux” was always going to be strange, so it had nothing to fear by going all-in on being a musical.
As always, Phoenix does not disappoint with his performance. He makes a six-time murderer somehow sympathetic, striking a balance between justifiable and understandable. His ability to laugh so sincerely and portray a variety of emotions through this laughter is truly astonishing. Phoenix also delivers on his usual drastic weight change, casting an unsettlingly bony figure that only adds to the audience’s concern for Arthur. He clearly gives his all to each of his roles, and the Joker was no exception.
It is a well-observed phenomenon that Lady Gaga is generally cast because of her stardom, not her acting ability. With that comes poorly written roles, and after “House of Gucci”
(2021), expectations from audiences were low. She is a perfectly adequate actress, and her portrayal of Lee was as obsessive as the script required. However, Lady Gaga is a singer, and her talents were wasted here. There are times when singing in an understated manner or somewhat poorly can add to character depth, but this should not be done for the entire movie. If the songs are meant to be part of Arthur’s delusions, it does not make sense to make Lady Gaga sing worse for the sake of gritty realism. All this does is detract from the experience. I would, however, recommend Lady Gaga’s accompanying album “Harlequin” (2024), which does not disappoint. Most importantly, this version of Harley Quinn lacked depth.
It appeared that the writers did not know who this version of Harley Quinn was. The story of the Joker and Harley is fairly simple: Harleen Quinzel is a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum who falls in love with the Joker after he manipulates her. She then gets wrapped up in an abusive relationship with him and turns to a life of crime like Harley Quinn. In a huge departure from comic book material, it appears that Lee is the one manipulating Joker due to an unexplained interest on her end. She lies to him to get his love, and it is only briefly mentioned that she has a psychiatry background. The audience knows nothing about Lee’s past and the story seems uninterested in her, which is odd because it appears Arthur genuinely loves her. While I have personal issues with turning a story about victims of abuse on its head, I could accept it if it was done well. However, this was not done well.
My major issue with the film was its ending. It has been made abundantly clear through the press that this uni-
verse with the Joker was meant to be exploratory. Arthur Fleck is not the Joker’s name in the comics; Batman is not yet Batman—the audience knew that this story was going to be different. With the first film, “Joker” (2019) took advantage of this and dug deep into Arthur’s character. It was a masterpiece of a villain’s backstory. “Joker: Folie à Deux” treats the exploratory concept as a way to say the audience does not need to be invested. It is a risk to kill the main character in any story, especially if the audience is emotionally invested in that one character. When the unnamed young inmate kills Arthur, I did not feel pain, I felt betrayed. The movie officially closes with the inmate carving a smile onto his face in the background, hinting that he could be the real Joker. However, Phillips has claimed he is done with this universe and does not intend to carry on with a new Joker. Two very long films were spent building up Arthur as one character, and the audience gets no closure and no one to pass on emotional investment to. The ending was nothing—the story was hollow.
Aside from the ending, I would not consider this movie a complete waste of time. The film is genuinely enjoyable up until the end. The performances are committed, and the film is visually stunning. Gritty shots of Arkham pose a beautifully striking contrast to the big-budget musical scenes. The costume department outdid themselves, especially with the costumes for the ’70s styles and the rooftop dance scene; I struggled to find any aesthetic gripes. I just cannot help but once again feel betrayed by the ending. When “Joker: Folie à Deux” comes out on streaming platforms, I encourage you to watch it, but do not spend money on a movie ticket.
Recently released musical adaptation “Joker: Folie à Deux” underwhelms DC fans due to Harley Quinn’s lack of character depth and disappointing ending. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Eight horror movie recommendations perfect for Halloween, sorted by genre
Joce Ortiz Director of Digital Media
We’ve finally reached the scariest month of the year, and to properly celebrate, I will be suggesting horror movies within different genres every week! Each suggestion below will include a summary of the movie and my thoughts on it—without any spoilers.
Animated horror
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) [PG]
Runtime: 1h16m
In honor of Ken Page, the voice actor for Oogie Boogie who sadly passed away last week at the age of 70, I wanted to highlight “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” It is a family-friendly “horror” movie that follows the protagonist Jack Skellington throughout his journey as he attempts to take over the role of Santa Claus and the Christmas holiday.
This movie is filled with several well-crafted musical numbers and creepy character designs that will definitely give you the October feeling that you’re looking for. If you’re not into movies, I would also recommend giving their soundtrack a try, especially “Oogie Boogie’s Song” if you’re into a bluesy, jazzy, Halloween-y kind of sound.
International horror
“Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum” (2018) [Not Rated]
Runtime: 1h35m
This Korean found footage horror film follows a group of young adults as they explore a famous abandoned asylum for their horror web series.
This movie is a bit of a slow burn, but once the actual horror portion of the movie starts, it progresses at a very fast pace. I was a big fan of their long moments of suspense followed by a jumpscare, although their jumpscares did feel a little disappointing at times. However, I was still watching with my hands over my face for most of the back half of the movie, so I would say it did a good job at scaring me. There isn’t much gore, but it certainly is unsettling, so give “Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum” a try if you think you can handle it!
A horror TV series
“The Haunting of Hill House” (2018) [TV-MA]
1 season, 10 episodes
This drama TV series unfolds with the story of a family and their experiences in what later becomes the most haunted house in America. Each episode follows one of the siblings in their childhood and how it has shaped them in the present time. With all types of ghosts haunting their homes, they must come back together as a family and finally put an end to their suffering.
I originally didn’t want to give this show a try because I was expecting cheap jump scares and a basic story, but it wasn’t that at all. Sure, there were still some cheap jump scares, but they added so much to the story, which is beautiful on its own. This whole show is just filled with love, family, heartbreak and horror. On top of that, it has a long shot that is 17 minutes long, and if that isn’t enough to impress you, I
don’t know what can.
Comedy horror
“Bodies Bodies Bodies” (2022) [R] Runtime: 1h34m
With a hurricane crashing their vacation, a group of young adults are forced to stay at home all night. After finding one of their friends dead with no leads on who the killer is and no internet, they must rely on each other to survive … but can they?
This is a classic whodunit movie with ridiculous interactions between its characters, and I enjoyed it so much. I think this would be a great movie to watch as a group as it’s more suspenseful than it is scary, and the ending will either lead to a very positive or very negative uproar in reactions. Either way, you’ll be laughing and having a great time. Find some friends and give it a try!
Psychological horror
“The Babadook” (2014) [Not Rated]
Runtime: 1h34m
After being traumatized by the loss of her husband, a single mother must find a way to comfort her child once he starts to fear a monster within their house. Soon she comes to find that maybe the child isn’t imagining the horrors inside their home.
Like most psychological horror movies, there is a lot more than what meets the eye to “The Babadook,” but I think this one is easier to decipher than most other psychological
horror movies. There is a clear explanation somewhere on the internet, so if you do end up giving this movie a try and want to understand it better, there is definitely a rabbit hole to dive into afterward. However, even without guidance, this movie is very creepy, easy to understand and visually appealing if you’re into weird monster designs.
Science fiction horror
“The Invisible Man” (2020) [R]
Runtime: 2h4m
This movie follows a woman trying to escape her husband who she swears is tormenting her after his death because he is wearing a suit that can turn him invisible. With nobody believing her story, she realizes she’ll have to take matters into her own hands.
The scariest part of this movie is the hopelessness portrayed by its main character. As the audience, you get an insight into what might really be happening, but everyone around her continually treats her like she’s overly paranoid, and it’s so frustrating—in the best way possible. I would say this movie is more of a thriller than a horror movie, but, like I mentioned before, her situation is quite scary to watch unfold.
Cult classic
“The Omen” (1976) [R]
Runtime: 1h51m
To avoid breaking his wife’s heart, an American diplomat adopts a baby from the church to replace his still-
born child and play him off as their own. But once strange satanic things start happening around their son on his sixth birthday, the diplomat must put a stop to it before it’s too late.
With “The First Omen” coming out earlier this year, I decided to give this oldie a try, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. It’s an old film, so there are portions that drag on for longer than they should, but the cinematography is interesting to watch, and it was fun to see how things began to unfold for Damien (the adopted child) and the rest of the family.
Slasher horror
“Orphan” (2009) [R] Runtime: 2h3m
With a similar premise to “The Omen,” after a devastating loss of their unborn child, an American couple decides to adopt a child from an orphanage. As they become familiar with the strange child, the mother begins to notice sinister things about her behavior that the rest of the family seems to ignore.
Unlike many others, this isn’t a very gruesome slasher film, but it certainly has some bloody bits to it. It was also really cool to have someone with hearing aids be a part of the main cast and the usage of American Sign Language be such a huge part of the film. If anything, the sudden loss of sound when put into that character’s perspective really drives how important sound is within daily life and how effective it can be in a horror setting.
Joce Ortiz/The Observer
“Gilmore Girls” is the perfect show: Here’s why
Salsabeel Salem Staff Writer
“Cross my heart and hope no other neighborhood pets die,” Lorelai Gilmore says to her daughter’s teacher-turned-love-interest, Max Medina, on a chilly Connecticut night in the small town of Stars Hollow. Explaining that she stood him up to attend the neighbors’ cat’s funeral, Lorelai pleads to Max for another chance, embodying the witty, light-hearted humor that defines “Gilmore Girls.” Debuting in 2000, this multigenerational drama starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel swept the world off its feet with its relatable characters and engaging plot. Surviving the test of time, “Gilmore Girls” ranked among the top 10 most-watched shows across the major streaming platforms in 2023, according to The New York Times. With such enduring popularity nearly 25 years after its release, what is it about this show that resonates with so many viewers? Is “Gilmore Girls” the perfect show? Perhaps.
So, who is watching Gilmore Girls? I think a better question here is who isn’t watching “Gilmore Girls.” With its witty dialogue and themes of family, friendship and romance, this relatable coming-of-age drama draws broad appeal from anyone who values strong relationships and clever writing. Set in a small (and very gossipy) Connecticut town where everyone knows everyone, the series captures the charm of close-knit communities where everyone comes together to celebrate holidays: such as the founding of Stars Hollow, or the occasional just-cause festival. This backdrop not only enhances the show’s humor but also emphasizes the importance of both familial and platonic relationships. The show’s rich tapestry of supporting charac-
ters like quirky townsfolk Kirk and Babette to Lorelai’s love interests, allows viewers of all ages to find someone they connect with.
Outside of its appeal to a wide audience, “Gilmore Girls” is a great show because it showcases important issues through its exploration of mother-daughter relationships. We see this in two main forms: the Lorelai-Rory relationship and the Emily-Lorelai relationship. Although the Lorelai-Rory relationship is of particular importance given these are the two leads of the show, the Emily-Lorelai is much more interesting to explore, and through understanding their dynamic we are given an insight into Lorelai’s approach towards parenting Rory. With Emily’s early attempts to control Lorelai and prevent her from turning into a crazy untamed teenager, we learn that money does not solve everything. Tensions between the two women due to economic class differences escalate throughout the show, demonstrating how money impacts relationships.
This lesson gains another dimension as Emily often stigmatizes Lorelai for becoming a teen mom, despite loving her granddaughter Rory. At the time of its release back in 2000, teen moms were greatly underrepresented in film, and still are even today. Thus, portraying Lorelai as a career woman with a highlyaccomplished daughter sheds light on the potential for teen moms and their children to achieve success despite stigmatization. The throttling control and pressure Lorelai faced from Emily greatly impacted how Lorelai went about parenting Rory, offering a nice contrast to the Emily-Lorelai dynamic discussed earlier. Portrayed as best friends that rarely hide anything from each other, Lorelai and Rory are seen as the ideal mother-daughter duo. Their friendly banter and love for each other, despite not having as much
money as Emily did when she was raising Lorelai, reemphasizes the idea that money doesn’t solve all of life’s problems.
Another reason “Gilmore Girls” is so amazing is that it keeps its charm. With just seven seasons and a little over 150 episodes, the show strikes a balance between advancing the plot through introducing new love interests and twists, and maintaining the same lighthearted “Gilmore Girls” energy showcased in the first season. One of the main reasons the show is able to do this is because it retains the same actors throughout the show. With the core characters, Lorelai, Rory and local coffee shop owner Luke, being played by the same person in every season, the show is able to uphold the unique chemistry and dynamic that makes it so beloved. This consistency allows for deeper character development and more nuanced relationships as viewers witness the growth and evolution of these characters over time.
Unlike other great shows such as “Glee” or “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Gilmore Girls” also doesn’t overstay its welcome. It does so by allowing each season to represent a period in Lorelai and Rory’s lives, with the final season bringing it all together. The first three seasons we see Rory navigate high school and the problems that come along with being the new girl at Chilton. We also get to meet her key love interests Dean and Jess, who are arguably some of the most important recurring characters of the show. Seasons four through six bring us to Yale as new love interest Logan takes centerstage as the sly rich kid. And with season seven, we come to graduation. With each season designed to capture distinct milestones in Rory and Lorelai’s journeys, the series masterfully blends personal growth with the evolving dynamics of their relationships. The final sea-
son serves as a reflection, showcasing how far they’ve come in a way that feels both satisfying and true to the characters. As they face new beginnings, the themes of family, friendship and self-discovery resonate deeply, ensuring that the show leaves a lasting impact without overstaying its welcome.
Though it’s easy to boast on and on about just how amazing Lorelai and Rory are, their imperfections and bad choices are really what hooks the viewers in. The show does this by sprinkling in enough frustration to keep fans engaged, but not too much such that we start hating our stars. Examples of this can be seen when Rory decides to sleep with her ex-boyfriend while he’s married, when she skips her mother’s graduation to go to New York with Jess, when she drops out of Yale or convinces Logan to steal a yacht. As we shake our heads at the screen due to Rory’s poor choices, we also find ourselves compelled to keep watching, wondering how she’ll navigate the fallout. This constant push and pull between admiration and frustration ensures that viewers remain emotionally connected, making each twist and turn feel impactful and relatable at the same time.
So if you’re looking for a show to occupy your free time, I highly highly recommend checking out “Gilmore Girls.” From the charming streets of Stars Hollow to your very Netflix subscription, “Gilmore Girls” has graced our screens for almost 25 years now and its presence is just as impactful now as it was at its time of release. The show’s endurance is a testament to its ability to connect with viewers across generations, teaching them important lessons about family, relationships and community. And so next time you consider making a promise, make sure you cross your heart and hope no other neighborhood pets die.
“Gianmarco Soresi: The Leaning In” at Hilarities 4th Street Theatre was just okay
Kate Gordon Life Editor
Comedy shows are typically hitor-miss; someone is either funny or they’re not. I’ve been lucky enough to have seen some pretty good comedians in the past, some of whom have even performed at Case Western Reserve University—and while not every joke Colin Jost or John Mulaney makes will elicit peals of laughter, I also don’t leave their shows with the sense that not everything in their set worked. Unfortunately, while “Gianmarco Soresi: The Leaning In” was pretty funny at times, not everything in his performance necessarily felt like it meshed well—he was the rare comedian who was, in fact, just okay. Before Soresi himself went on, the show’s host did a set about his recent trip to Australia that couldn’t have been longer than five minutes, and was pretty good considering that his name wasn’t on the ticket. Then Soresi’s opener Liam Nelson came on, who—as he mentioned many times during his set—was a whopping seven feet tall. Nelson ac-
tually had my favorite performance of the night, describing a close encounter with a roller coaster he was too tall for as “riding a guillotine,” and how he challenged and publicly humiliated another seven-foot-tall Liam, who could have only been sixfoot-seven “at best.” It’s not unusual that I tend to favor the openers over the main act at a comedy show—if you saw the University Program Board’s (UPB) 2023 Comedy Show, I think it’s safe to say that Marcello Hernandez outperformed Colin Jost—considering they have to work a little harder than the headliner does to win over the audience. With Nelson, I think this was once again the case.
With the crowd warmed up and ready, it was Soresi’s time to shine. I’ll start with what I liked: He had a lot of stage presence and excelled at physical comedy. The venue’s stage was only big enough to fit one person, and he still managed to use every inch of it. He wrapped himself up in the curtain and hid in the single rear corner. There was also a recurring gag where if Soresi wanted to swear, he would cover the microphone and shout whatever he
wanted to say at the audience without the mic, giving the full effect of his anger without blowing out our eardrums. Also, despite whatever criticisms I give in the following paragraph, most of his individual jokes were funny, and the crowd laughed at pretty much everything he said even if I did not.
My main issue with Soresi was that I found some of his material a little odd. If you hadn’t guessed by his previously mentioned antics, Soresi was a theater kid—most of his material was about that—and his relationship with his girlfriend and being from New York City, and Jewish. Soresi also told a couple of offcolor jokes about his suicidal friend and child pornography that just did not relate with his other material. I’m not necessarily against dark humor, but these jokes definitely toed the line in the sand of what is appropriate to say, and then kicked the metaphorical sand around a little. They just didn’t sound right coming after Soresi’s previous “I’m so dramatic! Ha ha!” shtick. Plus, he spent a couple of minutes talking about Dragon Ball Z and professional wrestling, which read a little
too millennial to me. I also don’t care about either of those things, so it was a pretty boring stretch on my end.
I’d like to briefly touch on the venue as well, which was Hilarities 4th Street Theatre. It’s a nice place, located right across the street from House of Blues—with the little alley that they’re both situated in filled with restaurants and bars, which gives the area a lively energy. However, Hilarities is a dinner theater, which I think is kind of an odd choice for a comedy venue. The tables you sit at are spaced pretty far apart, isolating the crowd. There was also a two-item minimum per person at the show I attended, which just felt like a cash grab to me. I wanted to spend my night and money on the comedians’ performance rather than buying okay food and drinks. All in all, Soresi’s “The Leaning In Tour” was an alright show. The individual comedians were funny, but it was the details that ultimately kept the night at good rather than great. If a representative from UPB is reading this, I’d prefer it if you all picked someone else to perform this spring, thank you very much.
What We've Been Listening To
Word scramble
Easy Sudoku Puzzles
Easy Sudoku Puzzles
Oogie
Ed
By: Dean Ku
Overheard CWRU
Compilation of out-of-pocket things heard across campus
"Beat it, unc."
"Hey girl, can I get a hug?"/**slurp sound/ "ice cream CAKE!"
"I don't f*cks with Jesus like that."
"It's a bad day to be a weiner."
"Thank you for being my professor mother."
"October 14th meeting will be closed to the public due to administrator speed dating event."
Tyler Vu/The Observer
The cyclical nature of water bottles
Hannah Johnson Opinion Editor
Living on a college campus means I’m afforded the pleasure of seeing the newest trends in reusable water bottles up close and personal. First, it was the Hydro Flask, although that started to die off a bit after my first year, but soon after that, Stanley Tumblers took the world by storm. I remember watching from my phone in horror as people stampeded into Target for the hot pink Barbie and Stanley collab. Now, a new player has entered the scene—the Owala, boasting color waves with impressive names such as “Sandy Shores,” “Tangy Tango” and, one of my favorites, “Gemstone Clinic.”
Now, I love fun, aesthetic containers as much as the next gal, but something about the marketing surrounding reusable water bottles recently has been confounding me. For one, the prices of these water bottles are simply absurd. With Hydro Flasks, at their peak in 2019, coming in at around $40, Stanley’s hovering around $45 and Owalas—a generally more cost-efficient option—at roughly $28. I can remember when reusable water bottles used to hover around the $10 price range, yet when I went to find a new bottle at Target for the school year, I couldn’t find a decent one for less than $25. As a result of these recent water bottle trends, I can only surmise that people have rapidly increased their willingness to pay for a high-quality water bottle, but that’s only one problem.
First, let’s start with a bit of history. In the year 2019, the “VSCO Girl” trend took off on social media, boosting Hydro Flask into a new era of fame. People were feigning for these cups, and they even became a trendy “political” symbol for young people to outwardly show how environmentally conscious they were. Students began to carry these bottles separately from their bags as many of them were too big to fit in cup holders, scoring the brand free advertisement and inspiring more and more people to purchase them.
Only a couple of years later in 2021, the Stanley 40-ounce Quencher became the company’s best seller, and
EDITORIAL
from 2021 to 2023, Stanley was able to increase its annual revenue from 194 million dollars to 750 million. This wild increase in revenue was largely owed to a similar social media craze as people began to tote around their clunky water bottles, matching the new pastel tones to their aesthetic. The Stanley Tumblers had more of a function than just serving ice cold water—it became an accessory. As a result, TikTok did what it does best, pushing an array of cup add-ons. Now there are straw covers to keep dust particles from flying into the open top of the straw, little charms you can tie around the obnoxiously large handle of the cup, even little backpacks you can tie around the body of your cup to keep your money and lip balm. Stanley did the unthinkable. It transitioned the reusable water bottle from an environmentally-conscious water-holder to an aesthetically-pleasing fashion statement.
And I know what you’re thinking— weren’t the bedazzled Starbucks cups of 2018 already doing that? Well, yes and no. I would argue that while Starbucks Cold Cups did serve as an accessory, they were more of a vehicle meant to fuel America’s caffeine obsession, preying on people’s desire to start collections rather than focusing on a trendy way to stay hydrated.
Starbucks successfully managed to convince millennials around the country, and even the world, that the cup, rather than the drink inside of it, was the main appeal of the reusable water bottle. In this way, I would say Stanley came to represent the “healthy” version of the Starbucks cup, marketed more toward water consumption and fitness to a younger audience through its sleek, rather than eye-catching, design.
It is estimated that the reusable water bottle market in America will grow from nearly 1700 million dollars in 2023 to 2700 million by 2032 as consumers continue to take on eco-friendly products, traditional water fountains continue to disappear around the country and people continue to follow trends. It’s clear that the trendiness of promoting a healthy lifestyle, environmental conservatism and water intake has value in the market. It’s the reason why bottle after bottle keeps climbing the ranks to become the next biggest craze. Though here lies the irony. The point of a reusable water bottle is largely meant to support a reduction in our use of plastic bottles and a turn from overconsumption. Yet as new bottles continue to roll into the spotlight, we’re greeted time and time again with collectors desperate to have the newest limited edition water bottle, much in a
way that mirrors trends we’ve seen in technology and fashion. Furthermore, it’s apparent through videos on “WaterTok,” a TikTok sub-community focused on creating flavored waters in huge tumblers, that many people who use these water bottles resort to filling their bottles from individual plastic bottles anyway, only producing either the same or an increased amount of waste due to ownership of multiple reusable bottles and plastic waste. Today, water bottles are surely a fashion statement, and I’m not going to deny that I too often fall victim to this marketing. While going from class to class, I admire the fun designs, stickers people have adorned the outsides with and unique caps. Yet I think it’s important to examine how often and why we want these new products. How much joy is buying a new water bottle going to bring you? Is it just going to collect dust in the back of your cabinet or are you going to make sure you get use out of it? How much are you willing to pay for a different version of an item you already own? As we head into climate action month, let’s start asking ourselves more questions about our consumption habits because the fact of the matter is that, as consumers, we have a responsibility to maintain our environment. After all, as far as we know, we only have one earth.
Why we need to participate in the upcoming US presidential election
Editorial Board
The vice presidential debate last week marked a milestone on the roadmap to selecting the next president and vice president of the United States. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance held a conversation that many considered a stark contrast to Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump’s debate, gaining praise from both Democrats and Republicans for remaining cordial and calm—although cordiality between party leaders isn’t enough to guarantee that human rights will be treated with the same respect after the votes are counted. Thus arises the absolute importance of our election participation, especially in a swing
state such as Ohio.
There have been some recent policy changes to voting which have created potential hurdles for voters, especially for voters of color. Often these voters are improperly listed in or left off of databases used by election campaigns because an algorithm estimates their voting propensity to be low. As campaign organizers and the people around these voters don’t reach out to encourage them to participate in elections, they begin to feel hopeless, believing their vote won’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Miriam McKinney Gray, a political researcher, even estimates that nationwide, “almost half of eligible Black and Latino voters [...] won’t be seen or contacted by traditional campaigns.” This particularly impacts a city like Cleveland, where 65.8% of
the city’s residents identify as a minority group.
Out of the voting age population in Ohio, roughly two million individuals are eligible but unregistered, and a further 700,000 are registered but have refrained from voting over the past three federal elections. Furthermore, the lack of voter turnout in our very own Cuyahoga County was one of the main contributors to the 3.4% drop in voter participation from 2018 to 2022 in Ohio.
When voters are inactive, they may eventually be purged from the current system used to track active voters. This year, the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office released a list of voters who were flagged as inactive in the past four consecutive years. On that list, there are 14,954 people who listed Cuyahoga County addresses,
with 7,472 of those being Cleveland addresses, despite Cleveland only being home to 30% of Cuyahoga County Residents. This lack of motivation to vote does not exist far from us—in fact, it’s rampant within our city. While our college campus may seem inclusive in many aspects of diversity and thought, in reality, it is a bubble in which progressive ideals—or at least their appearance—are encouraged in an effort to promote harmony. We cannot deny that many parts of the country outside of our campus look very different. We cannot deny that hate speech has been on the rise, with politicians imposing their harmful ideals in spite of others’ safety and well-being.
Continue reading on page 10
Auden Koetters/The Observer
LTTE: A critique of the Power of Diversity Lecture Series concerning Dennis Ross
Ananya Dasgupta Associate Professor of History
Ted Steinberg
Adeline Barry Davee Distinguished Professor of History
On Sept. 17, American diplomat Dennis Ross spoke at Case Western Reserve University as part of the university’s Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Engagement’s “Power of Diversity Lecture Series.” Mr. Ross spent years engineering Middle East policy for various U.S. presidential administrations and, in that time, helped to underwrite the ability of Israel to vastly expand the number of settlers living in the occupied Palestinian territories in violation of international law. He is also involved with the Washington Institute for
Near East Policy (with Martin Indyk), where he currently holds a position as a distinguished fellow. This is a think tank that was funded with support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobbying group bent on denying the Palestinian people their freedom.
It is one thing for Mr. Ross to speak on the CWRU campus. But for him to be invited as part of a socalled “Power of Diversity Lecture Series”—during Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, no less—is an insult to the meaning of diversity and demonstrates, yet again, the strong anti-Palestinian prejudice that dominates the thinking of the university’s administration.
Ananya Dasgupta, Associate Professor of History
Ted Steinberg, Adeline Barry Davee Distinguished Professor of History
Free speech doesn’t
Catherine Choi Staff Writer
In the U.S. Constitution, the First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” This has allowed the press to deliver news without censorship. However, it does have restrictions. Although most people are aware that free speech is guaranteed in the First Amendment of the Constitution, many people do not understand that it does not mean unfettered free speech. This results in people saying, printing, filming and posting things that are inappropriate, unacceptable and incorrect. In this article, we will explore what is allowed and disallowed, the need for rigid restrictions and how our law should change.
Although the public is likely to be worried about an atmosphere where hate speech becomes uncensored and prevalent, the Constitution has numerous measures to protect us from those eager to create an non-inclusive and dangerous environment. The Constitution does not allow for incitement (speech intended to encourage violence) and threats (expressive or implicit threats of unlawful violence against others). Likewise, fighting words—words “that by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace,” according to the Supreme Court— are prohibited by law. These types of statements do nothing but create conflict. If the law does not protect its people from hate speech and lets people freely express their racist, sexist and violent thoughts, people will be discriminated against or even put in danger. Everyone has the right to think as they want and civilly express their opinion, but creating an atmosphere where the target is uncomfortable is inappropriate.
In this context, inappropriate behavior and cyberbullying should also have regulations. When we log into
LTTE: Cleveland Peace Action supports CWRU students’ freedom of speech
Francis Chiappa Contributing Writer
Cleveland Peace Action supports Case Western Reserve University students in their stand for free speech on campus, especially around the conflict in Israel-Palestine. We should mention that many leaders in Cleveland Peace Action are alumni of the University. Today’s students, including Students for Justice in Palestine and allied student groups, stand in a long tradition of legitimate on-campus protest going back, at least, to the Vietnam War. Editors at The Observer have recently made a compelling case for students’ free speech on campus. Retribution by the administration or onerous rules that block any prompt response to breaking news inhibit free speech and betrays the university’s role as a place of open inquiry and dialogue. The administration must recognize the right of all students to express their political views, unhindered, at this crucial moment in U.S. history.
There are better ways of handling highly controversial issues like IsraelPalestine. Universities, above all our institutions, should be bastions of free speech. If students are demanding divestment from Israel because of its policies and actions, why not have campus-wide open discussions about the issue, viewed from all sides? Pledging this very thing led students at Brown University, Northwestern University and the University of Minnesota to dismantle their encampments last spring.
Suppressing free speech on campus will not resolve tensions around this issue within the university community. And preventing discussion in our society of the complexities of the IsraelPalestine relationship will only delay any movement toward resolution and peace.
Universities like CWRU must take the lead.
On behalf of Cleveland Peace Action, Francis Chiappa, ’77
mean you can say anything
social media, we frequently encounter “haters” who write and post mean things to and about public figures with the intention of hurting their feelings. Although it is impossible to be liked by everyone and to agree on everything, cyberbullies act with intentions to harm a person. The victims are negatively affected by consistent, purposeful hate on a massive scale. Imagine opening Instagram and people you don’t even know are consistently sending mean comments for no reason or for things that are not true. Cyberbullying should be treated the same way as physical violence. Verbal abuse and harassment must be taken seriously rather than merely saying that everyone cannot be liked or it’s just a part of fame.
Laws against false information should be improved. Although the Constitution and the Supreme Court agree that false statements do have detrimental effects, protection against them is only provided in incidents where the incorrect information is proven to be the reason for harm, as in the case of fraud, defamation and libel. It is one of the reasons why gossip magazines with numerous false claims stay in business. However, the danger of fake news is greater than the benefit that the writers get from clicks and likes. They create confusion and misunderstandings. And while fake news about celebrities and their private life may have little impact, information in areas such as politics, health and current events can lead to inappropriate reactions from the public.
In these contexts, defamation, slander and libel should be easier to take legal measures against. Our current law requires that victims of certain slander prove that the public actually believes the news and that it was presented as a fact, that the information was given out of negligence or malicious intentions, that some harm was caused and that the harm was due to the false information. However, this system is not perfect. If false information about us is spread amongst our peers, it is difficult to find physical proof of who spread it, if people believe it and that the person who spread the rumor had malicious
intentions. As a result, those who depend severely on their public reputation, such as celebrities and politicians, must go through a strenuous process to recover from the damage. The law should promote awareness of the danger of false news without overburdening the victim in recovering from the damage more easily. Not everything should be approved to be posted and released to the general public. Although novels, fictional stories, shows, films and other sorts of entertainment are geared toward delivering a message and entertaining the public, certain kinds of media are created with unethical methods and purposes. Obscenity, by definition, is “certain material as offensive to the public sense of decency.” To assess obscenity, the Supreme Court’s Miller test evaluates “(1) whether the average person applying contemporary community standards would find the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest, (2) whether
the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law; and (3) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literacy, artistic, political or scientific value.” Immature audience’s exposure to inappropriate materials can interfere with their development. Also, child pornography and revenge porn—which are not protected by the First Amendment—are produced in unethical ways that harms the victim. We frequently encounter people who say that they are “straight-shooters” and speak without a filter. However, people like that often cross the line and say things that are offensive and rude, excusing their own actions as being direct and neglecting the fact that being nice is also important. The same applies to free speech. As important as it is to please the audience, speak the truth and express yourself, it is also important not to cross the line and hurt others.
Lucas Yang/The
Why we need to vote from page 7
We need to encourage the people around us to vote, and we need to make sure that we’re voting. After all, we are actively reaping the benefits of living in Cleveland, so therefore we have a responsibility to contribute to the community. Refraining from participating in a system because you feel it will not bring about change but not following any other actionable steps to improve your conditions is not helpful. We have to be willing to be inconvenienced by speaking up for what we believe in—if not for ourselves, then for those in our community. Perhaps you’re okay with the way your life is now, but if you don’t vote, there’s a possibility that things could become more difficult.
This problem directly affects Case Western Reserve University students. For example, in last year’s
November election, centered around state-wide ballot initiatives, out of 1,488 registered voters in the Cleveland 9-P precinct—which exclusively includes the North Residential Village and Stephanie Tubbs Jones Residence Hall—only 8.6% of registered voters voted.
The voter purge comes amid other voting obstacles that Ohio has recently imposed, such as a change to government IDs accepted at the polls—currently only Ohio BMV-issued IDs, U.S. passports, U.S. passport cards and a few military identification cards are accepted—and adding more restrictions to outside ballot box use. Family members now have to sign an affidavit to “prevent ballot harvesting” when assisting another voter by dropping their ballot in an outside drop box, according to Secretary of State Frank LaRose. It
LTTE: A response to Jay Geller’s May 13 LTTE “An appeal to reconsider”
Thomas Kim Hill Contributing Writer
Jay Geller’s May 13 LTTE (“An appeal to reconsider”) begs for a response to confront the glaring omissions and contradictions in the transparently Zionist agenda which he presents.
Certainly, as he contends, “religion and nationalism (ethnicity) were coterminous” in the ancient world of the Holy Land. But when he puts forward this ancient history as an antidote to what he calls the “misinformed rhetoric” at Case Western Reserve University about the Israel-Palestine conflict, he has lost touch with political reality in the 21st century.
He must know that Israel claims to be “the only democracy” in the Middle East. And he must know that joining statehood with religion violates a core value of democracy, the separation of church and state. Of course, eliminating that separation is exactly the goal of Benjamin Netanyahu and his extreme right religious coalition, much like the Christian Evangelicals in the U.S.
There is more. Geller claims that describing the I/P conflict as “white people oppressing brown people” is a misapplication of America’s “binary racial thinking.” He says that the majority of Jews in Israel came from countries where they were indistinguishable from their Arab neighbors and often spoke Arabic. True enough, as this is the textbook definition of the “Mizrahi Jews” in Israel who are “brown.”
The glaring omission is that the majority of Jews who founded Israel, who immigrated after the Holocaust, were arguably “white.” They spoke Yiddish and/or the language of their country of origin. They are defined as the “Ashkenazi” and constitute a large percentage of Jews in Israel as settler-colonialists. A large majority of Jews in the U.S. are Ashkenazi and are settler-
is likely that these restrictions aim to reduce voter turnout, especially from students and those without a fixed address, in the upcoming election.
So how do you as a student fit into this political landscape full of restrictions and hopelessness? While our political system is in desperate need of reform and the candidates may not be ideal, CWRU is still a hub of diverse thoughts and backgrounds. Our student body consists of people from all over the world. We have a responsibility to listen to each other, learn about the problems affecting certain groups of people and commit to the development of the surrounding area. Living in a bubble isn’t going to help the millions of people whose human rights are denied everyday. Nor is it going to stop you from one day being affected by
the problems you thought you were too privileged to ever have to be concerned about.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot in Ohio to participate in the 2024 U.S. presidential election is Oct. 29. All vote-by-mail/absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 4 and must be received by the Board of Elections on or before Nov. 9 in order to be counted. In addition, early voting at the Board of Elections started this week and runs up until Nov. 3, and on Election day, Nov. 7, polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. We must make sure that we are making an effort to send in our ballots even if it may seem like more of an inconvenience than it needs to be. The time you spend double-checking your ballot is a small price to pay for the future well-being of your community and the country.
The Case Western Reserve Observer
Established in 1969 by the undergraduate students of Case Western Reserve University
Shivangi Nanda Executive Editor & Publisher
Elie Aoun Director of Print
Téa Tamburo News Editor
Zachary Treseler News Editor
Kate Gordon Life Editor
Hannah Johnson Opinion Editor
colonialists along with the rest of us in relation to indigenous native Americans here.
The Ashkenazi were the ones who committed the war crime known as “ethnic cleansing,” which Palestinians remember as their 1948 Nakba, when 750,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes by Jewish militias like the Stern Gang. See the book entitled “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine” by the highly respected Israeli historian Ilan Pappe. His credibility earned him a speaking engagement at Cleveland City Club.
As a footnote, for many years the dominant Ashkenazi Jews racially oppressed not only the Palestinians but the darker-skinned Mizrahi, so much so that the Mizrahi resisted by forming a Black Panther party modeled after ours in the U.S.
In addition, facts from genetic research support the thesis that the Ashkenazi are European and lack a significant genetic connection to the Holy Land. The geneticist Mazin Qumsiyeh, former director of cytogenetics services at the Yale and Duke medical schools, documents this reality. So does the genetic scientist Eran Elhaik of Johns Hopkins University.
In his book, “Sharing the Land of Canaan,” Qumsiyeh generously states his desire to share the ancient land and live in peace with Israelis, whether Mizrahi or Ashkenazi, who now oppress his people. Unfortunately, Israel’s Zionist governments, ever since 1948, have shown no such inclination.
For further reading, the Israel historian Tom Segev, in his book, “Elvis in Jerusalem,” describes in great detail the challenging cultural diversity of Israel, including the new Russian immigrants, the Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem and American Jews making “aliyah” to Israel as religious settlers in the West Bank.
Thomas Kim Hill 1973
Darcy Chew Sports Editor
Sahar Kapasi Copy Editor
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Katherine Riley Copy Editor
DESIGN
Auden Koetters Director of Design
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Mulan Ma Graphic Designer
Mahika Krishnamoorthi Graphic Designer
DIGITAL MEDIA
Joce Ortiz Director of Digital Media
Aambar Agarwal Social Media Manager
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BUSINESS
Kamila Sattler Sanchez Director of Business Operations
The Observer is the weekly undergraduate student newspaper of Case Western Reserve University. Established in 1969, The Observer reports news affecting students and provides an editorial forum for the university community. Unsigned editorials are typically written by the opinion editor but reflect the majority opinion of the senior editorial staff. Opinion columns are the views of their writers and not necessarily of The Observer staff. For advertising information, contact The Observer via e-mail at observer@case. edu.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be e-mailed to observer@case.edu or submitted on our website at observer.case.edu. Letters can be mailed to Thwing Center 11111 Euclid Avenue, Suite 01, Cleveland, Ohio 44106. For policy and guidelines related to the submission of Letters to the Editor, refer to observer.case.edu/submit-a-letter.
The Observer is a proud member of CWRU’s University Media Board. Follow The Observer on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram @cwruobserver.
Baddie camaraderie: Sisterhood in bars
Mulan Ma Graphic Designer
For the girls who frequent carding institutions off and around campus, we can all appreciate the fun of hanging out with friends you might have missed seeing over the busy school week, getting ready together to the sound of a shared playlist blaring from a communal speaker and asking if you can borrow your roommate’s party top for the night out. Bars are a fun space for those of and over the drinking age to let loose. Especially after a long week of frustrations that come with sleepless nights of locking in. However, specifically for women who meet new women there, these bars become more than just a way to relax—they represent a haven of solidarity and camaraderie.
Womanhood is an exchange of dynamics—being the one to compliment and the complimented.
the girl who sees when someone else might need a hand or a glass of water to sober up. Conversation flows easily with women, especially in bars, where there is a lot to start small talk from. I’ve had great talks with girls in line trying to get into Tavern of Little Italy. It could go from a girl giving me a simple compliment about my eyeliner to me applying the makeup on her by the time we make it in. As a woman, I can easily tell another woman I like her jewelry and ask where she shops. Upon learning that it’s from Amazon, we can bond over impulsive shopping and how we both love leopard print from her pants and my printed shoes. If the situation permits, we can learn a lot about each other. Many girls can probably relate to waking up the next day with newfound mutuals on social media and a couple of missed texts about wanting to hang out outside of the bar. I think the beauty in these scenes is that, we as
leopard-print pants and gold hoops again, I’ll remember I had a pleasant time because I was able to talk to a like-minded woman and meet her cool friends. Often, even in these minutes-long conversations, we can simply unite over the same things we are ridiculed for in the outside patriarchal society; I can rave about clothes, hair, perfume and more. It can get even deeper in subject matter when a girl is crying outside of karaoke at The Jolly Scholar and I flock to her with other women willing to offer listening ears to the story of how her boyfriend bailed on her for the third time this month. I may have never met this Brad individual or known what he looks like, but suddenly he needs to watch out for me if he ever were to cross my path. Being in a state of deep sadness in an environment where there’s usually raucous laughter and joy, it is comforting to know that there are people willing to step away just to sit in your feel-
en are left feeling unsafe walking home late at night or merely existing in spaces where there are many men. I infer that women tend to form these kinds of bonds in social settings to make the space safer for each other and themselves. Countless women in my life have been harassed on the street or catcalled in passing. I was followed home one night by two men in a car and had to stick my keys between my fingers in case I had to fight for selfdefense. Thankfully, nothing happened, and they eventually gave up following and staring me down, but it painfully reminds me that men will do things like this because they feel they can get away with it. These bonds are a beautiful way of trying to amend the prevailing truth that women are often pitted against each other, and unfortunately, constantly put in situations where we are running the same race and being tripped by other female peers. It’s already not a fair world for
Sports
Spartan men’s soccer opens UAA play with 1-1 draw against NYU
Abhishek Nambiar Staff Writer
This past Saturday, Oct. 5, marked the first UAA game of the season for the Case Western Reserve University men’s soccer team. The game saw CWRU tie New York University 1-1 in a home game on DiSanto Field.
The game started with a few minutes of back and forth between CWRU and NYU for possession of the ball, with each side making strong strides breaking through the other side’s defense. This was before NYU made a free kick into the goal during the seventh minute, marking the first goal of the game. For the rest of the first half, neither team was able to find the back of the net as both sides made strong offensive and defensive moves to keep the ball out of the other side’s goal. Play was contained in the midfield for much of the first half of the game, and the period ended with
NYU up by 1 goal.
Going into the second half, the Spartans began their play with a strong offensive surge, breaking through the Violets’ defense and pushing their backline to its breaking point. This culminated in CWRU’s first and only goal of the game six minutes into the period. Second-year defender and midfielder David Pineda sent the ball into the box before fourth-year forward Kysen Kroeger found the ball and sent it via a header into the goal. With this goal, Kroeger achieved his team-leading sixth goal of the season and the twelfth of his career, while Pineda earned his first career assist.
“I’m really happy to have contributed to the team by providing an assist. Kysen did a great job finishing the play and getting the goal. [I’m] happy to have made an impact, and I hope to keep helping the team in any way I can moving forward,” said Pineda.
Over the next fifteen minutes, CWRU continued their strong offensive play, keeping the pressure on NYU as both teams soldiered on. This offensive surge was not able to produce another goal, however, as 2 shots made by the Spartans were caught by the Violets’ goalkeeper. Similarly, NYU found themselves unable to find the back of the net as both teams fought on for the rest of the half, leaving the final score at a 1-1 draw for the two teams. With this result, CWRU and NYU both moved to 0-0-1 in UAA play. The Spartans recorded 11 shots in the contest, with 9 of them coming in the second half, compared to NYU’s 6 shots.
Reflecting on the game, Pineda noted how many things had gone well for the squad during the contest.
“One of the strategies that worked well was utilizing our wingers more often. We managed to get the ball out to them frequently, allowing them to drive forward and dribble into
open space, almost like wingbacks. This helped us control the game and generate a lot of shot opportunities,” Pineda reflected.
As he also noted, however, there was definitely room for improvement by the team.
“Our finishing didn’t go as well as we’d hoped. We created a lot of chances, especially in the second half, but were a bit unlucky when it came to converting those into goals. I’m confident we’ll keep improving in that area,” said Pineda. “NYU definitely brought some tough competition, as they came in strong. However, I think we did a great job of controlling the ball for the majority of the game. The guys really gave it their all, and all the players stepped up to make key contributions when needed.”
The squad will be continuing their UAA play this upcoming weekend. They will be traveling to Atlanta to compete against Emory University on Sunday, Oct. 13.
No. 12-ranked women’s soccer earns draw against No. 16-ranked NYU in UAA opener
Darcy Chew Sports Editor
On Saturday, Oct. 5, the then No. 12-ranked Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team opened UAA conference play against No. 16-ranked New York University on DiSanto Field. Kickoff began at 11 a.m., and the match ended in a 1-1 draw, with both teams remaining undefeated for the 2024 season.
The first half of the game went scoreless as both teams were unable to find the back of the net. However, during the 56th minute, the Violets scored, breaking the tie and the Spartans remained down 0-1 for the next
22 minutes in the contest. With 11 minutes left in the game, third-year forward Molly Shamah notched her team-leading fifth goal of the season. Fourth-year defender Katie Rishel had intercepted a pass between Violet players in the middle of the field and sent the ball towards Shamah. Shamah proceeded to dribble the ball around a Violet defender’s slide tackle before sending the ball past the goalkeeper’s outstretched hands and into the net.
Third-year forward and midfielder Alexis Sassower comments on Shamah’s goal.
“Molly had great composure to score the goal to tie the game, which helped our team shift our momen-
tum and continue to build our attack throughout the second half,” she said. “We showed a lot of improvement in our attack in the second half and were able to create more chances on goal, while also limiting NYU’s chances defensively,” she said.
The Spartans recorded a total of 7 shots, with 4 of them during the second half. NYU had led the game with a total of 13 shots, but the Spartans held them to only 4 shots during the second half. Offensively, third-year midfielder and forward Ceci Dapino led the Spartans with 3 shots with 2 on goal.
In front of the net, graduate student goalkeeper Maggie Storti recorded 4 saves during her 90 minutes in the contest, improving 7-0-4 for the
season.
The Spartans will continue to face the rest of the UAA teams in the coming weeks. Including the currently ranked No. 11 Spartans, the UAA conference has a total of seven Top 25 nationally ranked DIII teams.
“All of the UAA teams we play are very good and each game brings new challenges,” Sassower commented. “We will continue to take it one game at a time. We have a lot of talent on our team and so much potential and we are excited for the rest of the season!”
The squad is set to head to Atlanta this upcoming weekend for their second UAA conference match against No. 20-ranked Emory University.
Scores and Upcoming Games
Men’s Soccer
CWRU vs NYU (10/5) - T 1-1
CWRU at Emory (10/13) CWRU vs Rochester (10/19, 1:30 p.m., DiSanto Field) CWRU at Chicago (10/25)
Football
CWRU at Allegheny (10/5) - W 58-14
CWRU vs Saint Vincent (10/12, 7 p.m., DiSanto Field)
CWRU vs Thiel (10/19, 6 p.m., DiSanto Field)
Cross Country
Ohio Wesleyan Invitational (10/4)
Men’s Team: 3rd of 22 teams Women’s Team: 4th of 17 teams
Women’s Soccer
vs Brandeis (10/13) CWRU vs Muskingham (10/19)
CWRU at Otterbein (10/19)