USG clubs overspent by $50,000, cuts to be imposed NEWS
Zachary Treseler News Editor
On Sept. 12, several student leaders of clubs under the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) received an email titled “Club Overage Notification” from Vice Presi dent of Finance Hannah Song. 82 USG orga nizations overspent by a cumulative $53,864 during the 2023-2024 academic year.
If no action is taken, clubs that overspent last year can expect a 40% cut to their mass funding requests in their spring semester funding. In an interview with The Observer, Song noted that there are various things or ganizations can do to reduce the anticipated budget cut.
“I wanted all the clubs that went over bud get to send a plan of action to [the] VP [of] Finance of why they got the overage and how they plan to not make that happen again. And then after that, we’ll have those trea surers come to treasurer workshops,” Song said.
This time last year, former USG VP of Finance Marlee Yancey sent out a similar email to 76 clubs noting their overage sta tus. However, the overspending cuts under Yancey started out at 20% and then reduced down to 5%. This meant, according to Song, “despite her plan, the overages weren’t de creasing … the amount of overages was simi lar and the amount of clubs that went over budget was also similar … Maybe this budget cut isn’t enough.”
As a result, Song stressed the importance of financial responsibility for organizations. She said, “You’re using school money, and if you’re using it, you should be responsible for how much you spend.”
The largest spender, Undergraduate Mock Trial, had an overage of $4,004, while the smallest overage, from the Toastmasters Club, was $11.27. The 20% cut will apply to all organizations regardless of the amount they overspent.
One president of a USG club with an over age in the middle of the range said, “It’s not fair we’re getting a budget cut,” emphasizing that the overage occurred under a previous club administration.
Third-year Alan Ly, the vice president of finance for Undergraduate Mock Trial, said, “Our true overspending amount was $90, but was calculated as $4,000 by USG. Unfor tunately, that resulted in a $1,250 cut from our funding, which has impacted the events we can fund. We hope to work with USG and school officials to have a more transparent system that can better help our club and oth er clubs avoid issues with overspending.”
For clubs with similar issues, Song rec ommends that they check their ledgers pe riodically, noting that clubs who find trans actional issues can speak to both her and the Director of Finance for Student Affairs, Todd Rasmussen.
This semester, 210 clubs were given $358,499 in funding out of a requested $638,895. The club financing system stems from the Student Activities Fee (SAF). Re cently, USG enjoyed an increase in alloca tion from the SAF, most recently an 18% increase in 2023, though the spending prob lems remain.
Student clubs protest specific companies at Career Fair in solidarity with Palestine
Darcy Chew Sports Editor
Shivangi
Nanda Executive Editor
Zachary Treseler
News Editor
On Sept. 26, Case Western Reserve University held its annual Career Fair in the Veale Convocation, Recreation and Athletic Center, where students have the opportunity to speak with representatives from various companies. This year, over 1,750 students attended, making it the most-attended career fair in CWRU’s history.
While the start of the fair went as planned, around 11:30 a.m., a group of roughly 10 students stood at various tables holding signs and handing out small pamphlets. The signs accused the specific companies of being complicit in various actions taken by the State of Israel during the Israel-Hamas war.
“Our goal here today is just to get people to pause and think about the companies that they’re working for and the way that these companies invest in the deaths of innocent civilians, both throughout the world, but especially right now, with the ongoing crisis in the Middle East,” one of the protest participants said.
Another protester said, “A lot of people think that the genocide in Gaza, in Congo, in Haiti—it starts and begins with the military. Even though I’m here against the military, all these different corporations and industries, from Lockheed Martin to Boeing, play a role in it, from fueling and abetting. Even our university, right?”
Relating it back to CWRU, this participant said, “President Kaler has taken our money, our tuition, all of our dollars, and sent it to feed the military industrial complex, which is allowing our country to continue terrorism abroad in every corner of the earth, from Asia to Africa to South America and even here domestically, right?”
Students who attended the Career
Fair generally had neutral reactions. One onlooker said, “I think the protesters at the Career Fair are a fair representation of people’s voices. However, it does add difficulty and levels of uncomfortableness to individuals seeking jobs in those careers, and defense has always been part of our society. I don’t disagree with the voices that are being spoken but there’s something to be said for both sides.”
Another onlooker said, “I think they [have] the right to protest, and I think they’re doing it in the right way. They’re not really disturbing any conversations. I think they’re doing it the right way, and I respect the courage that they have to protest, and I’m pretty sure that for more than one student, their feedback is actually useful.”
Around noon, protesters were asked by Assistant Vice President for Careers and Corporate Engagement Drew Poppleton, Associate Director of Employer Relations Laura Papcum and other staff from the Career Center to move to a central location in Veale, not near the companies’ recruiting tables.
“The protest that occurred at the Career Fair was not approved by the university’s Freedom of Expression Policy Committee. In line with the university’s Freedom of Expression Policy Procedures and Operating Rules, individuals were asked to disperse,” the university said in response to the demonstration.
The day before the Career Fair, the CWRU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine posted twice on their Instagram account, pointing out eight companies at the fair for students to avoid, three of which were a direct part of the U.S. military. Their list includes Henkel, Eaton, Ametek, Bechtel and KeyBank, with KeyBank being a “Spartan Sponsor” of the Career Fair.
After the fair, four student groups— Sunrise CWRU, the CWRU Chapter of the Ohio Student Association, the Student Sustainability Council and the Western Reserve Abolitionist Project—posted a series of photos of the protestors holding up signs near company tables. The post linked to a series of demands. One of these documents was an “Overviews and Demands”
which listed seven demands.
The last point demands the Career Center “to formally ban” 10 organizations, including those already mentioned in the previous Instagram post. The document argues that CWRU enables the “military industrial complex … materially through elaborate alumni networks” and also that the goal of CWRU is now centered “toward industry-set standards of efficiency; it diminishes both our capacity for critical thought and our ability to engage in and sustain community.” The end of the first point reads, “It is within this context that mega-corporations, military contractors, and CWRU uni-
versity administrators groom students to support the U.S. military-industrial complex.”
In an additional document, the student groups list 20 organizations with certain “talking points” that promote their relationship with a variety of causes.
One of the student participants noted the goal for this list is to “educate people about which companies here are in some way complicit.” They said, “We’ve done a lot of research about these companies. This is not even a super exhaustive list, but these are kind of the top 15, and they’re ordered in order of involvement.”
A protester holds a sign in response to the Air Force Life Cycles Management Center’s presence at the 2024 Career Fair. Shivangi Nanda/The Observer
Students gather at the annual Career Fair to protest companies with involvement in the Israel-Hamas war, including Bechtel Inc., a military contractor. Shivangi Nanda/The Observer
Several student clubs demanded that the Career Center ban certain employers, including military organizations. Military groups at the Career Fair included the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Air Force Life Cycles Management Center and the U.S. Navy. Shivangi Nanda/The Observer
“143” is the embodiment of Katy Perry’s artistic downfall
Kethan Srinivasan Social Media Content Creator
At some point in your life, you have definitely heard at least a snippet of a Katy Perry song, whether it was while listening to the radio, streaming on your phone or at a rally of some kind. The singer has built a name for herself through pop songs ranging from infectious anthems like “Firework,” to classic hits that strike the mind with bold visuals such as “California Gurls” or “I Kissed A Girl.” The cavity-inducing sweetness of Perry’s pop songs began to decline, however. 2017’s “Witness” besides its lead single “Chained To The Rhythm” left much to be desired in a politically charged time, and you would be forgiven for not even remembering 2020’s “Smile.”
Fast forward to 2024, and the string of singles that marked the unveiling of Perry’s latest record, “143,” is emblematic of that decline. While the self-love and girlboss mentality have never slipped away like in the cult classics that make up her previous catalogs, seeing those messages in today’s culture feels more alienating than it is relatable.
The lead single “WOMAN’S WORLD” is an example of this cultural tone deafness. The entire song spends more than two minutes laying out a blueprint of reality formed by every gender role in the book, from mothers to sisters to superhumans. But somehow, the song’s structure and lyrics are repetitive and lacking nuance. Some critics even go as far to describe the song’s lyricism as having the quality of
ChatGPT poetry, and even casual listeners may as well feel the same.
There isn’t much to write home about when it comes to the rest of the album, either. “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE” is as close as Perry gets to passable pop, with rising rapper Doechii being the song’s saving grace. But even with that said, Perry’s supposed tribute to Crystal Waters’ “Gypsy Woman” is questionable at best, with a sample of the original hampered by its hip-hop twist.
“LIFETIMES,” inspired by Italo house music, is personally dedicated to Perry’s daughter with British actor Orlando Bloom, Daisy. However, this song also suffers just as much as the others on the album due to its repetition and a rather formulaic structure. Furthermore, the accompanying music video has triggered an investigation into whether its production caused environmental damage to a protected natural landmark in the Spanish Balearic Islands— all that to not even make the charts.
As for the rest of the album, listeners are more than free to judge. However, given that the commentary of the album is as repetitive as its lyricism, the overall view of the album is a foregone conclusion. Numerous questionable choices were made with the album’s creation, such as bringing on a reviled producer embroiled in sexual and civil harassment proceedings, and having lackluster penmanship that briefly appeared before disappearing again. Even with the release of a deluxe version of the album, “143: I Love You IRL,” the album is padded with live performances of previous Perry classics, which brought much fanfare at the MTV Vid-
Katy Perry’s newest attempt at reviving her pop star status, album “143,” has disappointed a range of fans, from her former fan base to less interested newer audiences. Courtesy of Capitol Records
eo Music Awards this past September. Her Rock in Rio performance had the entire crowd singing in rapturous fanfare to “WOMAN’S WORLD,” which frankly elicits more confusion than understanding.
All that can be said is this; pop music shape shifts with each artist that enters the fray. Perry seems to want to revive her past glory, but doing so requires not just better execution, but also a better sense of awareness.
Five easy recipes for college students, courtesy of your free New York Times Cooking access
Kate Gordon Life Editor
Cooking is arguably one of the hardest parts of the college experience, at least for me. On top of homework and real work and extracurricular activities comes one more demand on your time—and unless you’re making instant ramen or scrambled eggs, the cooking process always seems to take about twice as long as you expect. This is especially true for novice chefs, who often take far longer to do prep work and chop vegetables than the average home cook, extending the expected cook time for many recipes. There’s also the hassle of grocery shopping— especially if you don’t have easy access to a car—and cleaning the kitchen after you’re done. It’s more than understandable why many college students choose to order takeout or stay on the meal plan well into their third and fourth year rather than try and cook for themselves.
However, cooking is a life skill and far cheaper than eating out—or ordering in, or staying on the aforementioned meal plan. It’s also typically way better for you, as home cooking uses far less unhealthy fats, sugar and sodium on the whole than restaurant food does, and you can tailor the amount of any ingredient to your personal tastes and dietary needs. Even with the many challenges associated with cooking for college students, it’s worth it as long as your recipes are manageable: They should be fast, have a slim ingredient list and not require any fancy equip-
ment. The following five recipes check all of these boxes. Plus, they’re available for free via the New York Times’ Cooking website—all Case Western Reserve University students are entitled to a free NYT subscription through the Kelvin Smith Library, which currently includes Cooking access. Information as to how to set up your free account can be found online.
Tuna Mayo Rice Bowl and Spicy Tuna Salad With Crispy Rice
This recipe is a perfect way for students to dip their toes into cooking for the first time. Barely even a recipe, for the first version all you have to do is mix canned tuna with mayonnaise, sesame oil and soy sauce and serve it over (preferably short-grain) rice. Once you master that, then you can move on to the second version and crisp the rice in oil, add sriracha and rice vinegar to the tuna mixture and top with sliced cucumbers and scallions. If you’re familiar with Logan from TikTok’s viral cucumber salads, I like to serve this dish with the recipe that skyrocketed him to fame in the place of plain sliced cucumbers. It includes many of the ingredients you’ve already used to make the tuna salad, and even if you don’t have some of the less common ones—I definitely don’t own fish sauce or MSG—I can attest that the recipe will taste just fine without them or with whatever you have on hand.
One-Pot Rice and Beans
Made with rice, a can of black beans, a yellow onion and chicken stock— which can be subbed out for vegetable stock or water—this meal is as cheap as it is easy. It’s also a good source of protein and fiber, two nutrients students can struggle to fit into their diet. If you want even more protein, you can saute ground chorizo sausage before proceeding with Step 1, removing the sausage from the pan and then adding it back in when you fluff the rice at the end. The onions will taste even better when you cook them in the fat from the sausage, giving the dish a flavor boost as well.
Cauliflower Shawarma With Spicy Tahini
The ingredient list here is a little lengthy, but fear not: Most of it consists of spices, which are an investment but will last for years. I also personally forgo most of the garnishes and the pita bread, serving the shawarma over rice instead. Its tahini sauce is delicious, but as tahini can be difficult to source, there’s no shame in subbing in a spoonful of store-bought hummus instead. And the final result is way more than the sum of its parts. To quote one passionate review: “Eating it while stoned is currently the main source of joy and self-fulfillment in my life.” Enough said, I think.
Chile Crisp Fettuccine Alfredo With Spinach
Pasta is a college student staple as it’s cheap, easy to cook and will keep
practically forever in the pantry. However, it can get boring pretty quickly if pasta is all you eat. Luckily, this fettuccine recipe is plenty exciting—it’s both creamy and spicy from a mixture of butter, heavy cream and chile crisp, which is a condiment consisting of hot pepper-infused oil, sesame seeds and peppercorns. The heavy cream and chile crisp is a delicious and unexpected combination, but be warned: I would halve the recipe and/or share with your roommates, as in my experience the sauce separates and doesn’t reheat very well after being in the refrigerator. If you liked that recipe and want to try another Asian-inspired pasta dish, Five-Ingredient Creamy Miso Pasta is something of a NYT Cooking celebrity, with almost 10,000 five-star ratings.
Crispy Chickpeas With Beef
Our final recipe is a sort-of beef chili/curry meant to be served over either pita or rice. Its main seasonings are cumin and chiles, but I think these should just be a jumping-off point— the spice blend from the Cauliflower Shawarma, which includes paprika, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper would likely take this dish to another level, although I haven’t actually tried it myself. According to the Notes section, other reviewers have also enjoyed adding minced onion along with the beef and a can of stewed tomatoes with the liquid from the chickpeas. However, even as written this recipe is delicious and a cinch to make with just three short steps.
What insecurity are you?
Word scramble
Capricorn
Restaurant Bowl By: Mahika
Krishnamoorthi
Photos of the week
Overheard CWRU
Compilation of out-of-pocket things heard across campus
"I would have more fun talking to rocks than 95% of this campus."
"Freakbob or John Pork?"
"Yeah I'm not really concerned with the consumption of alcohol, more like the thinking impariments that come with it."
"Yo what's up my skibbers? On skib."
"It's a bad day to be a weiner."
"Thank you Professor Moter."
"In another life I die. Instead of writing this lab report, I die."
On Sept. 23, the campus community was informed that a Jeep Grand Cherokee was stolen from Case Western Reserve University Lot 42. And this isn’t an isolated event. Before this, the community was notified of a stolen vehicle near Hazel Drive on Sept. 15, multiple attempted vehicle thefts on Aug. 31 and a stolen vehicle on Aug. 25.
The campus and the surrounding area have seen increasing criminal activity recently as informed by the Security Alert and Rave alert system, and many students are worried about what consequences this could have for their safety and that of their possessions. Last year, the school published tips on how to keep cars safe after a series of posts on social media publicized how to steal certain types of cars, such as Kias and Hyundais. Although these are not the only cars being stolen— let alone being broken into—the frequency of this activity on CWRU’s campus has alarmed many students and community members.
Looking at motor vehicle thefts from 2018 to 2020, only four cars were reported stolen—or attempted to be stolen—to CWRU Police. In 2021, this number increased to two and then increased in 2022 to 11. These data come from the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. According to the report released on Oct. 1, in 2023 the number of thefts and attempted thefts shot up to a staggering high of 64. According to an Observer investigation, the number for 2024 stands at 25, with eight thefts and attempted thefts reported in September 2024. These numbers come from Daily Crime Logs, which the Division of Public Safety maintains for all crimes reported to them within their patrol zone.
This upward trend of auto thefts is reflected in citywide data, where 4,718 cars were stolen in 2022 and 5,576 in 2023. In 2024 thus far, over three thousand cars have been stolen from Cleveland’s streets.
And while car thefts are a widespread source of frustration and concern at CWRU, car break-ins are also common on campus. For example, in July, five cars were broken into, described as “Motor Vehicle Trespass.”
Frighteningly for CWRU students, the number of car thefts increased dramatically once classes resumed. For example, according to Daily Crime Logs, 32 break-ins were reported in August and 19 in September, pushing the grand total to 74 cars broken into since the start of the calendar year. During the same three-month period, the Cleveland Division of Police reported just over 900 motor vehicle thefts and break-ins. For reference, police at Cleveland State University only reported six motor vehicle break-ins in September.
Many CWRU students who keep their car on campus have expressed their concerns about this surge of criminal activity. The highest campus resident price of a parking permit is $107.10 per month. At this price point, parking at CWRU should guarantee an adequate parking environment and safe place for students and community members to leave their cars, but many of the reports to CWRU Police come from attempted break-ins on campus lots. For example, Lot 44, located opposite Fribley Commons in the South Residential Village, was home to 13 attempted break-ins in August.
Furthermore, with Lot 78 near Triangle Tower, many students have complained about the bar to the parking garage being left open for anyone from outside the campus to enter. A tip-off to The Observer’s website in February of 2024 shows just that—a case in which a car was stolen from Lot 78 and simply driven through the barriers, leaving the gate damaged and the lot unguarded for a period of time. This is further corroborated in a corresponding police report. In all, the fact that motor vehicle thefts and break-ins have occurred multiple times where CWRU students and other community members pay to park, seems to highlight a lapse in campus security. Students should not constantly have to be concerned about the safety of their property, or even their safety within said lots, as they go about their daily life.
Currently, the CWRU police department consists of 35 sworn officers and some security officers. If additional support is needed, the campus may be supported by the University Circle Police Department, the Cleveland Division of
Police and, occasionally, the police staff at University Hospitals, Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Heights. However, it can be inferred that the surveillance of parking garages is typically not considered a high priority issue that would involve all of these parties.
The university is clearly aware of the problem since the Division of Public Safety began to offer free steering wheel locks to students, staff and faculty in December 2022. And although it is great that the school keeps students informed through Rave alerts and campus security, it seems as if campus security should have increased more dramatically than it has, especially around car parks, due to the rapid increase in car-related criminal ac-
tivity within the past few years.
While the campus uses the Rave alert system to inform students about security issues on campus— following the Clery Act to a tee— more must be done in order to decrease the amount of car thefts and break-ins on CWRU’s campus. It is clear from the data that this new problem has simply not been fixed with steering wheel locks and words of caution. As CWRU grows its undergraduate population, it must also invest in the appropriate infrastructure to keep students— and their motor vehicles—safe.
After all, if we’re paying the privilege to park our cars in a lot that is owned by CWRU, they might as well shift gears to make the purchase worth it.
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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.
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Other people don’t define you: How to deal with your insecurities
Catherine Choi Staff Writer
We are naturally prone to comparing and being compared to the people we live alongside. As children, our parents often viewed us in relation to our peers and cousins who were smarter, more hardworking, more athletic and more precocious. In school, we compare ourselves to our peers who are more popular, good-looking, have a higher GPA or are more athletic. Later on in our lives, we will continue to compare ourselves to others in terms of how successful we are in our careers, how much more we can do for our children, how much money we have and more. Even though comparison and competition are good motivations for self-improvement for some people, most of the time it does more harm than good.
First, we must evaluate where our insecurities come from. There are many reasons why some people feel insecure and more worthless than others. Although most of the time it is assumed that jealousy triggers such feelings, there are many internal and external factors not widely discussed. Internal factors, such as anxiety, fear of being belittled or losing something that you value, perfectionism and low self esteem, lead us to obsess about how we present ourselves. External factors such as criticism, society’s rigid rules, isolation and absence of a support system can also distort what people believe and formulate their values. For instance, as students, whenever we see vlogs of productive and academically successful students who attend prestigious universities while maintaining a fit and socially active lifestyle, we are likely to feel very uncomfortable. We may end up blaming ourselves for being lazy, spending too much time on our phones, eating unhealthy food, not working out nor being academically successful. In order to not let these feelings feed on us, we must evaluate whether we want what we want because it is something that we actually value or if it is because others tell us we have to want these things.
Keep in mind that someone’s worth depends on how they carry themselves. Self-worth, by definition, is “the internal sense of being good enough and worthy of
love and belonging from others.” Whether someone deserves love and belonging from others depends on how they carry themselves in public and how they treat others. A person’s bank account, job title, attractiveness and popularity do not determine whether they deserve to be loved. People generally want to surround themselves with those who are kind, empathetic, responsible and benevolent because of the positive energy that these people release and the comfort they provide. Self-esteem refers to your own opinion of yourself. A person with low self-esteem tends to be extremely critical of themselves, perceives themselves as less worthy than their peers, resorts to self blame and struggles to accept compliments—they are their biggest foe. In order to get out of this negative swirl of self-criticism, we must strive to love ourselves by focusing on the positive aspects of ourselves, brushing away looming negative thoughts and identifying what triggers them so we can avoid them altogether. What other people tell you is out of your control; therefore you must keep in mind that you are the only person who can protect and advocate for yourself.
Next, you must get to know the behind-the-scenes. Talent and luck only get you so far, and nothing is simply handed to anyone. Think about the gifted athletes that flopped because of their poor work ethics. Many of us feel insecure because we are resentful that other people can easily get something that seems way out of our touch. However, we must know that even to those it seems to come easy to, it was not free. For instance, many people want to be academically successful, becoming jealous of those with a 4.0 GPA. But many people do not consider the trade-offs, such as missing out on spending time with their friends and loved ones, constantly being under pressure to succeed, not having any free time to do things that they enjoy and resorting to physically deteriorating habits like all-nighters and excessive caffeine intake. We also tend to envy people that are always surrounded by friends without knowing what they may have to give up to be part of such a group. They may spend a lot of time, effort, energy and money that could have been used for something else to secure their membership and sta-
tus in a friend group. Perhaps they also must succumb to peer pressure and accept mistreatment to avoid conflict or to live up to group expectations. Knowing the true cost of what you want may give you the opportunity to reevaluate whether the benefit outweighs the cost.
You can work on combating your insecurities through self-improvement. Although you may be unable to change your physical appearance and personal background, many areas of your life are modifiable. Instead of beating yourself up and taking out your frustrations on other people, work on resolving your self-deprecating thoughts. For example, if you’re insecure about
your appearance, you can work on it by modifying how you dress, styling your hair, learning how to cover up what you perceive as a blemish, working out and refraining from junk food. If we wish to be more academically successful, we can cut out time spent meaninglessly, ask successful people for advice, try different study tools and devote more time to studying. We must try everything that we possibly can to address our insecurity-imposed anxieties by tackling the root causes. A person is too unique to fit into a box, therefore we should celebrate our different abilities and gifts rather than comparing them to those of others.
Mulan Ma/The Observer
Sports
Men’s soccer upsets No. 24-ranked
John Carroll 2-0 and earns draw 2-2
against Mount Union
Darcy Chew Sports Editor
On Wednesday, Sept. 25, under the DiSanto Field’s lights, the Case Western Reserve University men’s soccer team faced off against No. 24-ranked John Carroll University. For the Spartans, this was a highly anticipated match, as for the past three years they have tied with their crosstown rival.
The Spartans notched the team’s first goal after third-year defender Phillip Washington passed to unmarked fourth-year midfielder Lukas Dalakis, who fired a shot from outside the box into the lower left corner of the net past the Blue Streaks goalkeeper. With the play, Dalakis achieved his first goal of the season, and Washington earned his first career assist.
During the last minute of the first half, the Spartans defended against John Carroll’s frantic attack, keeping them off the scoreboard. Despite the Blue Streaks keeping up the momentum going into the second half—mak-
ing 5 shots within the first 10 minutes of the half—the Spartan defense held out.
With just a little over 10 minutes left in the game, second-year midfielder Sean Wilson recorded the second and final tally of the night, doubling the CWRU’s advantage. Wilson received a short pass from secondyear midfielder Ohta Kamiya in the middle of the box before centering the ball and taking a strike into the net. With the play, Kamiya had his second assist of the season.
Despite John Carroll doubling the Spartans in shots with a total of 16, the Blue Streaks were unable to find the back of the net. Third-year goalkeeper Bradley Winter recorded 3 saves for his third shutout of the season. Washington, fifth-year defender Josh Cook and second-year defender Cameron Thayer contributed to the clean sheet while playing all 90 minutes in the contest.
“It’s nice to win after three years of time,” Dalakis said. “We worked hard for 90 minutes, it was good to get a
result.”
On Saturday, Sept. 28, the Spartans played against the University of Mount Union in their second match of their three-game homestead.
The Spartans started the game off strong when third-year midfielder Camden Larson notched the team’s first tally during the seventh minute. After a give-and-go with graduate student midfielder Kellan Landefeld, Larson advanced to the middle of the field and fired a shot approximately 30 yards from the net. The ball deflected off a Mount Union player before landing in the back of the net. Larson recorded his first goal of the season.
Ten minutes later, the Purple Raiders cut their deficit, bringing the board to 1-1 after scoring on a corner kick. However, the Spartans responded just as quickly. Just over eight minutes later, Dalakis scored his second goal of the week. In a smooth play, Larson sent the ball to fourth-year forward Kysen Kroeger, who passed to second-
year midfielder Adam Pluszczyk. Pluszczyk then delivered a through ball to Dalakis, who made the final shot into the goal. With the play, Pluszczyk scored his third assist, tying for team lead, and Dalakis had his second goal of the season. With the two goals made in the past two games, Dalakis was named UAA Men’s Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week.
Despite the Spartans leading 2-1 going into halftime, they were unable to find the back of the net for the rest of the match. During the 58th minute, Mount Union was awarded a penalty kick that they converted from the spot to bring the final score to a draw.
Offensively, Mount Union led the game in shots with 11 over CWRU’s 7. However, the Spartans recorded more shots on goal with a total of 4.
The squad will begin UAA conference matches with their first game against New York University this Saturday, Oct. 5, on DiSanto. Kickoff is set to begin at 1:30 p.m.
Spotlights on success: DiSanto’s five women’s soccer seniors
biochemistry.
On Sept. 21, the Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team honored their five graduating fourth-years— Carolyn Koutures, Katie Rishel, Abigail Meneses, Montgomarie Essex and Sydney Schenk— during Senior Day festivities.
Over their collegiate careers, they have made three NCAA Division III tournament appearances and reached the national championship in 2022, finishing runner-up to Johns Hopkins University. Their class has compiled a 55-5-10 (.857) record over the last four seasons, the most wins and the secondbest four-year winning percentage in program history.
Carolyn Koutures
Fourthyear cocaptain and forward Carolyn Koutures began playing soccer at the age of four. As a first-
year at CWRU, Koutures was one of eight newcomers to the team. In her debut season, she scored 2 goals and logged 512 minutes of play. To date, Koutures has tallied 12 goals and 5 assists for the Spartans, amassing a total of 2,754 minutes on the field.
“It has definitely been a rollercoaster with all the changes that have happened over the past four years, but I have loved it,” Koutures said. “This team has become my family and this program has had so much success, which is rewarding to be a part of.”
Off the field, Koutures has distinguished herself academically. In her third year, she earned UAA All-Academic Honors, was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team and was inducted into the CWRU Van Horn Society, which honors student athletes with a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher who are in their third year or later at CWRU. Koutures will be graduating in the spring with a degree in
“It’s a range of emotions,” Koutures said. “It is really fun to be an upperclassman and to get to continue all the traditions we have developed throughout the years, but it is also crazy to think that this season is the last of everything.”
Koutures was recently elected as one of three team captains by
her teammates this season. Third-year forward Maggie Farra is thrilled to have Koutures in this leadership role and values her ability to bring energy to the practices and games.
“Carol has always brought so much energy and fun to this team,” Farra said. “She’s always been a great role model and this year she’s re -
ally started bringing the team together to help us play better on the field and be better teammates off the field.”
Head Coach Alyssa Johnson values Koutures’ leadership skills and her consistency on and off the field.
“From day one Carol has shown that she’s been somebody who can lead this program,” Johnson said. “She’s stepped into [the captain]
“Through my time at Case, I have made some of the best memories,” Essex said. “If I could do it all over again, I would do so in a heartbeat and I wouldn’t change a single
At CWRU, Essex earned both the UAA All-Academic Recognition and UAA All-Academic Honors in her second and third year and was inducted into the CWRU Van Horn Society in her third year. She will graduate in the spring with a degree in computer science.
In addition to being a varsity athlete and a STEM major, Essex is actively involved in various campus activities. She serves as president of Theta Tau, the professional engineering fraternity, and as a peer advisor for the Case School of Engineering, through which she provides guidance to students planning to major or minor in engineering.
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“I joined [Theta Tau] for the community aspect, wanting to expand my network of friends outside of the soccer team and in a similar major to myself,” Essex said. “And I know how important it is to have someone who understands what you’ve been through and I wanted to offer my ex perience to everyone else [as a peer tutor].”
Reflecting on the past four years, Essex is proud to have been a part of the women’s soccer team at CWRU.
“In some ways, it’s obviously super sad, especially to be leav ing CWRU women’s soc cer, but in other ways, I know I won’t totally leave it behind,” Es sex said. “Some times I do think about how I never ex pected to be here and so I can only be proud of my self for all the blood, sweat and tears, as well as time, commitment and energy I put into this sport.”
Abigail Meneses
Fourth-year holding mid
In her debut season, she was one of just nine players to par ticipate in all 20 games. She built on that success by appearing in 17 games during her second year, making nine starts, and playing in 15 games as a third-year. So far, Meneses has competed in 63 games for the Spartans, ac cumulating a total of 3,390 min utes on the field.
“It truly has not started to fully hit me yet,” Meneses said. “Aside from Senior Day, I have not processed that I am a senior, and I know that it will hit me like a truck once we finish out the season and eventually graduate. But until then, the tears will be saved.”
The Commack, New York native has received UAA All-Academic Honors in her second and third year and was inducted into the CWRU Van Horn Society in her third year. Meneses will be graduating in the spring with a degree in biology.
“I always knew that I wanted to pursue medicine in my future,” Meneses said. “I am very grateful that I chose biology because I was able to
get through my classes fairly quickly throughout my four years, but it offered me a lot of ‘extra time’ to pursue other minors including chemistry, psychology, economics and childhood studies.”
On top of being a varsity soccer player and a premed student, Meneses is also a part of Phi Delta Epsilon, a premedical fraternity at CWRU.
“I joined [PhiDE] to have another family that could provide me that support when it comes to my academics,” Meneses said.
“By being surrounded by a group of people that have very similar goals, I stay motivated and I am also comforted knowing that there are always people to rely on when I am at a loss for the next steps I should take.”
felt supported by her,” Goldfarb said. “She brings a calming presence to the team. I think a lot of us can freak out but she is someone I turn to when things aren’t going great because she always seems to keep her cool and have it together.”
Sydney Schenk
Fourth-year midfielder Sydney Schenk has been a pivotal player for the Spartans. During her first season on the team, she contributed 8 assists and 2 goals and earned the title of UAA Offensive Player of the Week. To date, Schenk has recorded 7 goals and 12 assists while logging 1,921 minutes on the field for the Spartans.
“If you told pre-freshman me what my on-field career would look like at CWRU, she probably wouldn’t believe you,” Schenk said.
Schenk has accumulated many academic achievements at CWRU, including UAA AllAcademic Recognition and UAA All-Academic Honors in her second and third year and was inducted into the CWRU Van Horn Society. Schenk will be graduating in the spring with a degree in mechanical engineering.
Outside of the locker room, Schenk serves as vice president, cofounder and campus captain of CWRU’s chapter of The Hidden Opponent, a national nonprofit focused on supporting mental wellness among athletes and reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness in sports.
it’s hard not to smile and laugh when Syd is having a good time. I love the energy that she brings and I think she has really flourished in the role that she has with this program both on and off the field.”
Third-year outside back Emma Struck, a longtime friend and teammate of Schenk, is grateful to have played alongside Schenk and values the friendship they share.
Third-year midfielder Jamie Goldfarb has loved sharing the field with Meneses the past three seasons and is appreciative of her calming presence and empathetic personality.
“Abby is extremely empathetic and understanding and I’ve always
“I co-founded the chapter with three other student-athletes at CWRU my sophomore year after a rough summer mentally,” Schenk said. “The program gave me the strength to get through my challenges while raising awareness and advocating for my peers.”
Johnson admires Schenk’s positive attitude and joyful perspective on both the game and life.
“Syd laughs more than anybody on the team,” Johnson said. “And
“My whole soccer career Syd has been such a guiding light and strong sense of support,” Struck said. “I have always been so honored to share the field with her and lucky to have her by my side. She is the glue of every team that she is on because of her presence and energy on and off the field.”
As a newcomer to the program, Johnson is extremely thankful for the senior class and their openness to embracing her style of play and leadership. “What I have absolutely loved from this class is, from day one, they were asking what they could do to support this team,” Johnson said. “And I think that is something that I have never really experienced with any pro-
gram I’ve been a part of. We’ve relied a lot on each of them to be leaders in their own right, and I think they’ve welcomed that really well. They deserve all the credit because our transition here would not have been as easy if it wasn’t for what all five of them are doing.”
Disclaimer: Ellie Palaian is a first-year on the women’s soccer team.
Left to right: Fourth-years Montgomarie Essex, Carolyn Koutures, Katie Rishel, Abigail Meneses and Sydney Schenk celebrate a successful season of women’s soccer on their Senior Day. All photos courtesy of Phillip Kornberg/The Observer
UAA Round Robin #1: No. 21-ranked volleyball beats Rochester, upsets No. 8-ranked WashU and falls to No. 7-ranked Emory
Darcy Chew Sports Editor
This past weekend, Case Western Reserve University No-21-ranked volleyball team traveled to Manhattan to compete in the first UAA Round Robin hosted by New York University at the John A. Paulson Center. The Spartans faced off against the University of Rochester, No. 8-ranked Washington University, St. Louis and No.7-ranked Emory University.
The Spartan’s busy weekend began with a matchup against Rochester. Despite the Yellowjackets taking the opening set, 25-19, the Spartans took the win after three consecutive set victories.
Against Rochester, fourth-year outside hitter Rea Marfatia led the squad with 13 kills, followed by third-year middle blocker Amanda Ngo with 12. Third-year middle blocker Kiya Levy recorded a new season-high in kills, blocks and digs with 7, 6 and 5, respectively. First-year defensive specialist Sophia Datto recorded 18 digs, matching her career high. First-year setter Avery Basinger led in assists with 25, followed by fourth-year setter and right side hitter Carly Scott with 20.
Following their win against Rochester, the Spartans continued with a second win for the day against WashU. The first set against WashU set the tone for the rest of the match as they played to 30 points with CWRU taking the marathon set 30-28. The Spartans claimed the victory after two consecutive attack errors made by the Bears.
WashU won the following set, bringing the teams to a tie. However, the Spartans took the lead once again after a kill from Marfatia earned them the third set. During the fifth set, the teams traded points tying at 7 before the Spartans pulled ahead. They ended the match with another kill from Marfatia with the Spartans claiming a gratifying victory over the No.8-ranked Bears.
Scott credits the win over the Bears to the team’s wealth of experience.
“Having grit and playing with an experienced group on the court. When
the game went to the 5th set, we knew we were going to win. We have won 5/5 5th set matches because we know how to win when the game is on the line,” she said. Offensively, Ngo led the team with 22 kills. Third-year outside hitter Kalli Wall, fourth-year middle blocker Lily Crouch and Marfatia all recorded double-digit kills aiding with the squad’s win over the Bears. During the match, Marfatia also recorded her 1000th career dig.
The Spartans finished the weekend against Emory University. Although they eventually fell to the Eagles, the squad held their ground taking Emory to the fifth set. Fourth-year right side and outside hitter Chloe Maciejewski notched the final point of the fourth set with a kill, forcing the fifth set with the Eagles.
Reflecting on the weekend, Scott
mentioned her favorite moment at the first conference round robin.
“Beating WashU for the third time out of our last 4 games against them [was my favorite moment],” she said. “This is a team that historically our program has rarely beaten, and the 3rd win just solidified how much this program has grown in the last 4 years. Also, even though we lost, the game against Emory was so competitive and fun, and that’s my favorite kind of game. We [left] the weekend hoping to face them again in the UAA championship.”
On Oct. 1, the squad moved up five places and currently ranks No. 16 nationally in Division III by the AVCA Coaches Poll. With this new ranking, the Spartans surpassed their previous ranking of 21 which was previously recorded as the highest in program history.
“We have such a veteran group with 9 seniors. We have helped to build this program over the past 4 years, and we want to leave it all on the court for our final season. We have been very successful at winning in pressure situations this season, and that’s because of our experience and mentality,” Scott commented on factors she believed contributed to the historic season.
“The goals for the rest of the season are to play our best volleyball. I believe that if we play well, we can go undefeated in the remaining games this season. The attainable goal from this would be winning the UAA championships for the first time, and making a run in the NCAA tournament,” Scott said.
The Spartans will have a week off before traveling to St. Louis to participate in the second UAA Round Robin against No. 20-ranked NYU and Brandeis University hosted by WashU.
Scores and Upcoming Games
Volleyball
Cross Country
Ohio Wesleyan Invitational (10/4)
CWRU
CWRU at Geneva (9/28) - W 56-14
CWRU at Allegheny (10/5)
Women’s Tennis
CWRU volleyball head coach Karen Farrell prepares the team to play at their first UAA match against University of Rochester this past weekend, with a final score of 3-1. Courtesy of Tim Phillis/CWRU Athletics
