Observer The Case Western Reserve
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Friday, January 24, 2025
Volume LVI, Issue 16 Est. 1969
Fall Dining Survey highlights improvements, need for student feedback
Sabrina Feldberg Contributing Writer
Campus dining locations allow Case Western Reserve University students to share meals with fellow students. The 2024 Dining Services survey results, which summarize student opinions of these locations, released to CWRU students through RHA Community Newsletter #13 in December 2024.
The results showed generally positive results across various aspects of dining services, indicating the influence that such feedback has on the work of the Food Committee. The Food Committee is a collaboration of Undergraduate Student Government (USG), Residence Hall Association (RHA) student leaders and Bon Appétit Management Company. Secondyear Makaila Burnham, chair of the Food Committee, explained its collaborative cycle.
“We find key areas for improvement from the survey, work with Bon Appetit administrators to come up with solutions, and then collect student feedback to see how the solutions work. If a solution isn’t effective, we refine it or come up with a new alternative,” she said.
Both residential and retail dining locations have shown considerable improvements in their ratings. In the area of retail dining, all 15 spots received a “Positive Performance Gap” rating in 2024, in contrast to the eight sites that had a “Negative Performance Gap” in 2023.
“During the last academic year, we introduced three new eateries from student suggestions— Choolaah and Med23 at the Tinkham Veale University Center—and a hot chicken concept at Carlton Commons,” Christine Torrence, associate vice president of Campus Services, said. She emphasized the value of student feedback: “These popular new options were driven by student input from the fall 2023 and spring 2024 surveys, feedback during pop-up events and in our weekly food committee meetings, which are open to students.”
There are several options for students who wish to express their opinions on the food. Students can fill out the Feedback Form accessible in the weekly RHA newsletters, attend Food Committee meetings or text (216) 208-5664 to provide feedback directly to dining services. According to Burnham, suggestions have a large impact on the food services at CWRU. Dining services encourage students to use the plethora of outlets to help improve the treasured dining services at their school.
Leutner Commons has also shown significant improvements, with a 19.9% increase in the overall rating and a 16.1% increase in the responsiveness of staff. Second-year neuroscience major Chelsea Kodiaga agreed with the increase in Leutner’s rating.
The food seasoning, which many students have complained about, has improved in her view, and she nodded to the Farm to Fork program’s role in helping the quality of the food. “I think [with] Leutner, specifically
coming from my experience, my first year to my second year, there’s been a substantial increase; I think the morale of the staff is much better,” she said.
Despite the many positives revealed in the Fall Dining Survey, it also revealed some areas for growth. Fribley Commons displayed inconsistent results, which could be from a higher student influx due to the construction of John Sykes Fayette House and Mary Chilton Noyes Houses. Some “Key Point Indicators” improved while others worsened. In contrast, when asked in person, students held mostly positive views about Fribley’s dining services.
The survey also reported a decline in speed of service ratings for both Fribley and Leutner, shifting from neutral to negative performance gaps. In person, though, most students appeared to express either indifferent or opposite responses to the negative results and did not see the speed of the service as a major problem in their dining experiences.
The most serious concern in the area of retail dining was The Den by Denny’s, seeing a 52.3% decline in its rating. Second-year computer science major Matthew Yee had strong feelings about the food at The Den, yet he noticed a positive shift.
“The food I’d say is markedly better,” he said. “Last year whenever you’d get The Den, you’d get a stomach ache forever … Now that no longer happens. The smell that lingers from The Den food is now gone.”
When asked if there was anything
dining could do to improve on their services, a couple students were outspoken about services celebrating the cultural diversity of the student body. Zijin Chen, a first-year computer science major, thought of her friends and her community when asked about suggestions.
“There’s a big Asian demographic here on campus and I feel like a lot of the dining halls don’t necessarily cater to it. I remember one of the things my friends were talking about, why can’t they just have a big pot of rice,” she said. “Good Jasmine rice or something, please cook it properly … and then students can just scoop it on their plate … that’d be a crazy improvement.”
At the end of the day, there was more positive than negative feedback. Even still, surveys such as these play a crucial role in relaying student suggestions to fuel the work that continues to go on on campus.
After emphasizing the importance of feedback, Torrence said, “We’re always looking to improve the dining experience and will be reviewing possible changes based on the most recent survey.”
Lucas Yang/The Observer
Playlist of the week: Not quite winter vibes
Kate Gordon Life Editor
It’s too dangerous to wallow. Melancholy music for melancholy weather was a fun game to play in October, when everyone I know was praying for it to dip below 50 degrees so they could finally break out their newlythrifted sweaters and order hot drinks at their coffee shop of choice. Now we are living in a different world. As I write this article, 26 mph gusts of wind are making the temperature— a whole 8 degrees—feel like minus 8. My favorite sweater is hidden under a 3-inch thick puffy coat and a hat, gloves and scarf. As I trudge to class through stinging sleet and snow I am not adding to my misery by listening to sad songs; instead, I am on damage control and blasting artificially cheerful tunes in my tinny, water-damaged airpods. While my particular struggles are surely unique, I am sure that I’m not the only student at this school who could use a more uplifting playlist this January. The following songs should fit the bill nicely.
“Pavement” - Mallrat
“Pavement” is another “clubby” hit, but unlike the former entry, it actually hails from this century—this past week, in fact. The verses by Australian indie artist Mallrat are nice, but the rhythm of the chorus, sampled from hip hop artist DJ Zirk’s “Born 2 Lose,” is downright addictive. Plus, it contrasts nicely against the ethereal vocals of the also sampled pre-chorus. I dare you not to dance along while listening.
“Thrown Down” - Fleetwood Mac
This song may be my best-kept secret. Its light, almost flowy guitar parts are reminiscent of ’80s Fleetwood Mac hits “Gypsy” and “Everywhere,” but because it’s from the band’s last studio album, it tends to fly under most people’s radar. The subject matter—Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham’s failed relationship—nor the sound are revolutionary, but I’m sure fans of the aforementioned tracks will delight in discovering another in a similar vein.
“It’s a Mirror” - Perfume Genius
A second brand-new indie release, this mellow rock track is steady and straightforward—a “muscular and direct sound,” as Pitchfork writes, until it slowly crescendos into a chaotic jumble of guitar. It’s a fitting representation of the mental health problems explored by the song’s lyrics. The music video, which features the artist drinking gasoline and straddling a HarleyDavidson, is also worth a watch.
“Goodnight and Go” - Imogen Heap IImogen Heap’s “Headlock” went viral on TikTok over break, which led me to discover more music from the English singer-songwriter, including “Goodnight and Go.” The song’s lyrics describe the “devastation of having a crush,” which I know more than a few college students can relate to. You may also recognize the melody and lyrics from Ariana Grande’s cover and remix, “goodnight n go.” And if you liked Grande’s lifeless, EDM-ified version, then you’ll love Heap’s. It’s bright, sweet and the keyboard riff that plays during the chorus is definitely magical.
“Only Love Can Break Your Heart” - Saint Etienne
Originally a “slow, sad waltz” released by Neil Young in 1970, the British band Saint Etienne reimagined “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” as a reggae-influenced dance hit. It’s synth-y, space-y and most of all, fun. There aren’t many songs that are both intense enough for the club and laid back enough for your living room, but this one manages to walk that line nicely.
“I’d Rather Go Blind” - Etta James I wish I was one of those cool people whose taste in music transcends genres, but the most I venture away from new indie releases is to backtrack to the indie releases of the ’90s and 2000s. I listen to soul or blues pretty much never. It took my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist to introduce me to this wildly popular Etta James track, but now that I’ve heard it I’m obsessed. The song’s instrumentals—including organ, guitar and saxophone—are warm and mellow, but the lyrics, which (depending on the interpretation) mourn the loss of either a romantic partner or a child, are quite sad. It’s a combination I find rare in modern music, and a good match for the winter atmosphere.
“Reckoner” - Radiohead I have to meet the weather where it’s at for just one song. I’ve been going through a Radiohead phase for the past three months and this is by far my favorite song by the band. Like the month of January, “Reckoner” is bleak and stripped down, but also extraordinarily beautiful. The off-kilter drums— Pitchfork actually writes “frosty, clanging percussion” if you needed more evidence of a wintry theme emerging—alongside bare bones guitar, sparse piano chords and Thom Yorke’s falsetto vocals combine to create an otherworldly song far greater than the sum of its parts. If you must wallow this winter, this is the only acceptable soundtrack, I believe.
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Season two of “XO, Kitty” is a step in the wrong direction
Shivangi Nanda Executive Editor
Following titular character Katherine “Kitty” Song-Covey, “XO, Kitty” is Netflix’s swoonworthy spinoff to the “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” franchise, blending the western highschool experience with elements of Korean dramas. Despite its unassuming premise, “XO, Kitty” surprised audiences with its relatable characters and engaging plotlines that made it as good, or perhaps even better, than its parent films. In season one, we followed Kitty’s first semester at the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS), the same school that her longdistance boyfriend and late mother attended. As Kitty uncovers aspects of
her mother’s life, she also rediscovers her identity and builds close friendships with many KISS students. The primary cast consists of Dae (Choi Min-young), Kitty’s former long-distance boyfriend turned close friend; Quincy (Anthony Keyvan), the gay best friend; Yuri (Gia Kim), Kitty’s first love interest, and Min-ho (Sang Heon Lee), the arguably better love interest. At the end of the season, Kitty is pulled between her feelings for Yuri and Minho while her scholarship to KISS hangs in the balance. After two years away, we are taken into Kitty’s second semester, which introduces even more romantic entanglements and family secrets.
Despite its cliché coming-of-age plotline, season one was able to rise above mediocrity by curating a charm-
ing cast of characters and a story with heart. My favorite plotline has been Kitty’s love triangle with Min-ho and Yuri. In season one, we were left questioning Kitty’s choice, as her feelings for Yuri surfaced just as Min-ho confessed his own. Season two starts right where we left off: with Kitty’s scholarship reinstated and the introduction of a new suitor, Praveena (Sasha Bhasin), whose playful spirit makes her an obvious match for Kitty. At the same time, we get to learn more about Kitty’s mother and a secret cousin “Simon” who becomes the key to another chamber of family secrets.
One of my favorite parts of this show has been its focus on friendship. No matter how mundane the scene or absurd the adventure, Kitty is joined by one or more of her friends as they uplift and support one another through the ups and downs of teenage life. From Kitty’s burgeoning friendship with Min-ho to a new friendship/ relationship with Praveena, the show always leans into its emotional anchor, reminding viewers about the power of connection. This season also welcomed back some old faces, namely Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), the lead in the “To All the Boys” franchise. While I am skeptical that this cameo was just Netflix’s attempt to generate buzz, it was nice to watch Kitty and Peter’s sibling-like banter on screen.
My main gripe with this season is its increasingly poor storytelling. Some have criticized the show for being overly direct with its narration, and I couldn’t agree more. With
a short run-time, the show forgoes nearly all exposition, forcing the audience to hear many aspects of the story without showing them in real time. Between Kitty’s miraculous return to KISS and her secret love letter to Yuri, there are many moments wherein the storyline is cut short and replaced with direct dialogue that leaves little room for speculation. While I have enjoyed many of the new characters, the show is unable to do them justice given the time constraints. Juliana (Regan Aliyah), Madison (Jocelyn Shelfo) and Praveena are all entertaining to watch, and yet they did not significantly contribute to the season’s plot. The same could be said for Q’s love interest, Jin (Joshua Hyunho Lee), who was the perfect candidate for a redemption arc but received so little screen time his personality appeared one-dimensional. Similarly, Stella’s (Audrey Huyhn) feud with Min-ho’s father came out of left field and only detracted from the more heartfelt moments of the season. Despite a great first venture, “XO, Kitty” season two struggles to balance its growing cast with the need for a cohesive and well-paced narrative. While the friendship dynamics and nostalgic callbacks to the original “To All the Boys” films continue to maintain the emotional core of the series, the rushed storytelling leaves much to be desired. I am hopeful that season three will overcome some of these narrative flaws, providing audiences with the authentic stories and relationships that made this show special in the first place.
“Demons, Ghosts and Goblins in Chinese Art” at the CMA
Rithika Karthikeyan Contributing Writer
This past September, the Cleveland Museum of Art unveiled “Demons, Ghosts and Goblins in Chinese Art,” a new exhibit featuring 20 Chinese artworks depicting monsters and other supernatural creatures. This unique exhibition showcases the duality of monsters in Buddhist, Daoist and Confucian belief systems, portraying them as both terrifying creatures and protectors against evil. This exhibit is located in the Julia and Larry Pollock Focus Gallery.
A focal point of this exhibit is the piece “Searching the Mountains,” which has been placed on display for the first time ever. Originally created as a handscroll of ink on silk, this piece required deep restoration as a result of degradation due to light exposure. Using digital technology, the museum’s restoration team was able to create a replica, allowing visitors to appreciate the detailed artwork. This piece is a depiction of a Daoist legend in which the god Erlang ends the floods devastating the Sichuan province of China. He battles a dragon—among other fearsome monsters—bringing peace and safety to his people. This piece is one of only 11 known depictions of Erlang dating back to the 900s.
Another intriguing piece consists of two glazed earthenware pieces called Tomb Guardians. Painted with a traditional three-color glaze, these monsters served not only to protect the deceased soul but also to keep it from wandering. Like many of the other demons in this exhibit, these “qitou,” or earth spirits, are chimeric. They combine the strongest parts of several creatures—claws, antlers and hooves—to be as powerful as possible. Although this piece is from the 700s, it is remarkably well-pre-
served with vibrant colors and minimal restorations.
One of my personal favorite pieces in this exhibit is the depiction of Zhong Kui, a demon king and Taoist deity. Originally a scholar, Zhong Kui was denied the highest academic honors by the emperor because of his disfigured appearance. In his grief, Zhong Kui committed suicide. After divine judgment in the underworld, Zhong Kui was granted the title of “King of Ghosts” due to his intelligence and unfulfilled potential. As a ghost, Zhong Kui maintained order among malevolent spirits, commanding an army to fight evil and hunt demons. The artwork—created using finger painting to emphasize his rough, powerful nature—depicts Zhong Kui with two horns to detect troublemaking demons nearby. This piece depicts demons and ghosts as powerful protectors against evil, contrary to popular negative connotations around the words “demon” and “ghost.”
Combining these roles of monsters in Chinese art, the piece “Shakyamuni under the Bodhi Tree” shows Buddha Shakyamuni seated on the backs of three horned demons. While Shakyamuni represents enlightenment from the Buddhist cycle of birth, death and rebirth, the monsters beneath him serve two purposes; their presence physically supports his meditation, while Shakyamuni’s weight keeps them subdued. This piece symbolizes the idea that evil cannot be entirely eradicated but must be controlled in order to coexist peacefully.
With a variety of media, cultural symbols and historic settings, this exhibit challenges the usual view of monsters as sources of fear by showing how, in Chinese traditions, these creatures can also be protectors, maintainers of balance and sources of spiritual strength. From the Tomb Guardians to the demons supporting the Buddha’s
meditation, each piece invites visitors to reconsider how evil is represented— not just as chaos, but as something necessary for order and peace. The exhibit serves as a powerful reminder that in
both art and life, good and evil aren’t always as clear-cut as we might think. Instead, they’re intertwined in ways that help us understand strength, vulnerability and the importance of control.
Season two of “XO, Kitty,” released last week, does not meet the standard set by the first season, with its messy storyline taking away from the enjoyment of the show. Courtesy of Netflix
The CMA exhibit “Demons, Ghosts, and Goblins in Chinese Art” featured Daoist, Confucian and Buddhist artwork, including this Tomb Guardian. Made in the early 700s, its multicolored glaze shows the deceased individual’s high social status.
Moses Fleischman/The Observer
Top 10 ways to stay warm
10. Consuming copious quantities of Tequila at all times.
9. Wearing all your clothes at once.
8. Don’t go outside and miss all of your classes (good for mental health too).
7. Grab someone you don’t know and “generate body heat.”
6. Drop out and move somewhere sunny.
5. Buy a space heater because the heater is broken in your room but accidently put it next to your blanket so your blanket catches on fire and maybe your room is on fire but at least it’s toasty.
4. Bake yourself!
3. Tell yourself you’re not cold until you gaslight yourself into believing it.
2. Get a bunch of those sticky hand warmers and stick them all over your body.
1. Carry an extremely hot beverage everywhere you go. If your hands get chilly, just open it up and pop a few fingers inside.
The Jumble
Which of Trump's Executive Orders are you?
Declaring a national emergency at the U.S.Mexico border.
Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Treaty.
Pardoning the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers.
Declaring a national energy emergency and ordering expedited, deregulated drilling. “Drill, baby, drill.”
Dismantling of government diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Pulling the U.S. from the World Health Organization.
Suspending the TikTok ban for 75 days.
Ending birthright citizenship.
Establishing a policy that the United States recognizes two sexes, male and female.
Revoking the Equal Employment Opportunity order of 1965.
Renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Pardoning Ross Ulbricht (Silk Road founder).
Overheard CWRU
Compilation of out-of-pocket things heard across campus
"I'm white, [Kaler] won't arrest me."
"Vaginas, unite."
"I need to pee, but I have so many pants on."
"If I ever had a wife or two kids, someone shoot me, something is wrong." 50 by 52 orthogonal maze
Maze
What We've Been Listening To
Shoulda Woulda Coulda FLO
Kethan Srinivasan
Simulation Swarm
Big Thief
Clay Preusch Fast Car
Tracy Chapman Lucas Yang
Olympus blondshell
Elizabeth McHugh
I Know It's Over The Smiths
Auden Koetters
Stop This Train
John Mayar Tyler Vu
In the Night
Childish Gambino
Anjali Bhuthpur
only love can break your heart saint etienne
Kate Gordon wires the neighbourhood
Ella Lasky
If you Don't Want My Love
Jalen Ngonda Sahar Kapasi
Ankles
Lucy Dacus Vani Subramony
The case of the chilly turtle
By: Auden Koetters
Tyler Vu/The Observer
EDITORIAL
The hypocrisy of Phi Delta Epsilon How the pre-medical fraternity meant
to support its members is effectively doing the opposite
Editorial Board
As any student at Case Western Reserve University will tell you, this is not an easy school. The academics are grueling, the weather is unforgiving and the social scene can sometimes feel isolating. For pre-med students, the challenges are even greater. Drawn in by the prestige of institutions such as Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and CWRU School of Medicine, many students come here with dreams of becoming doctors. They’re met with the infamous pre-med stereotype: the ruthless, grade-obsessed competitor who will do anything to secure a spot in medical school.
Phi Delta Epsilon (PhiDE) is a premedical fraternity that claims to offer mentorship, guidance and a supportive community for pre-med students. On paper, it sounds like the antidote to the cutthroat pre-med culture. PhiDE’s new president, third-year biomedical engineering major Creed Roschyk, says that the organization’s mission is to foster collaboration and support among aspiring doctors. “In my opinion, it’s just to be able to work with a group of students that are trying to achieve the same goals as you, right?” Roschyk said. “There’s very much a stereotype within the premedical community of students working against each other, and I think the goal of PhiDE is to do the opposite of that and really work with each other.”
But what happens when the rhetoric doesn’t match reality? Rather than providing a sanctuary from toxic premed culture, PhiDE seems to replicate it. Members and former members consistently describe the organization as cliquish, hierarchical and overly competitive. “It [PhiDE] perpetuates cliques and discourages actual camaraderie because everything is hyperfacilitated,” one past member said.
Even the rush process reflects these issues. Rushing PhiDE includes information sessions, mixers, service events, coffee chats and an invite-only dinner and interview. Critics argue that the process disproportionately favors those who can confidently “say the right things” during the inviteonly stages and successfully navigate hour-long interviews. These indi-
viduals, by virtue of their polished presentation and familiarity with the system, may not need as much guidance in the medical school application process. Meanwhile, students who might not stand out as much or struggle with the high-pressure environment—yet could significantly benefit from PhiDE’s mentorship and resources—are often left behind. Thus, PhiDE tends to favor individuals who already have advantages in navigating the path to medical school, further widening the divide between more and less privileged applicants.
What’s most troubling, however, is the effect that PhiDE’s culture has on its own members. Instead of alleviating the stresses of the pre-med journey, the fraternity has been described as amplifying them. The same competitive and hierarchical tendencies that PhiDE claims to fight against can leave members feeling inadequate or unsupported. “It’s ironic,” said a former member. “We joined to avoid the cutthroat pre-med culture, but we
ended up finding it in PhiDE.”
One member recounted a harrowing experience: “I don’t even know how to put into words what happened. I joined PhiDE hoping it would help me on my journey to becoming a doctor, and at first, I thought it would. But instead, they gave me bad study advice, spread lies about my friends and made cruel, targeted comments about me—going so far as to use my family’s personal business to tear me down.”
These behaviors are not just harmful; they’re antithetical to the values of compassion and empathy that doctors should embody. Roschyk acknowledged that PhiDE has a reputation for perpetuating toxic pre-med stereotypes. “I’ve heard it, obviously, I think most of our members have, and it makes me sad,” he said. “I know it makes some other members sad, and that’s not who we are as an organization.”
But words are not enough. If PhiDE truly wants to live up to its mission, it
We need to talk about AI
Milo Vetter Staff Writer
Artificial intelligence (AI) is on the brain at Case Western Reserve University. Your first day in class may have had anywhere from one to 20 minutes devoted to the subject of AI on the syllabus, depending on how forward-thinking your professor is—or on how much they like to hear themselves talk. In my case, a professor presented a color-coded chart on the syllabus, delineating the extent to which we will be allowed to use AI on each assignment. The world of education is really
beginning to take AI seriously, as evidenced by the recently unveiled CWRU AI, located at the simple, sleek and self-important URL “ai. case.edu.” Most coverage of AI will point out some of its most obvious issues, such as its immense power requirement, its use of copyrighted material for training or—if you’re in the mood to rage against capital—its ability to replace workers and channel the resulting savings to shareholders. But I’d like to focus on some lesser-discussed topics, especially its ability to shape the education and practice of professionals.
As a budding civil engineer, I can’t help but tie this into the struggles of
my field. Civil engineering is undergoing a generational shift. Older, experienced engineers are retiring, and many of them are concerned about the new ones replacing them. You see, engineering has become substantially more complicated the past few decades, and engineering education has struggled to catch up. The coursework is still strenuous, but it has sacrificed depth into each subject in order to cover all the new ones that engineers are expected to know. To use a civil engineering metaphor, this leaves freshly graduated engineers with a wide foundational knowledge in each subject. They can expand upon this foundation with
must stop pretending like it already does. The fraternity and its new executive board need a radical cultural shift—one that prioritizes authenticity, inclusivity and genuine support over hierarchy and competition. Without such change, PhiDE risks becoming a cautionary tale of what’s wrong with pre-med culture rather than a beacon of hope.
When Roschyk spoke about PhiDE’s goals, he repeatedly emphasized the desire to break the stereotype of pre-med students working against one another. “The goal of PhiDE is to do the opposite of that and really work with each other,” he claimed. He said this with passion, expressing a genuine belief in the potential for collaboration and mutual support. Yet, when considering the actual culture within PhiDE, it’s clear that the fraternity is doing the exact opposite of what Roschyk advocates for.
The reality within PhiDE contradicts the president’s well-intentioned words. The rush process, which favors those who already excel in navigating competitive environments, does little to support those who truly need mentorship and guidance, and the culture is more about advancing personal agendas at the expense of others than collaboration and shared growth. The fraternity continues to foster an environment of exclusivity and perpetuates a competitive hierarchy rather than the collaborative ethos that Roschyk so passionately describes. If PhiDE truly wants to be a place of support, as Roschyk claims it is, it needs to put its money where its mouth is. Actions speak louder than words.
The fraternity needs to take a hard look at itself and recognize the gap between its self-perception and the experiences of its members. Pretending to be supportive is not enough. To truly foster the community and mentorship that pre-med students need, PhiDE must embrace authenticity over performative gestures and prioritize real support over status.
If PhiDE wants to be different, it needs to stop pretending it already is—and start proving it.
Disclaimer: This Editorial was written by a current member of PhiDE.
a comparatively small but strong frame, supported by one subject but influenced by an engineer’s broad knowledge. But in the worst case, this foundation may be too shallow. If you listen to a more cynical retiring engineer, they’ll complain about how new hires only know how to plug numbers into equations without knowing where those equations or numbers come from. And I worry that the advent of AI in engineering education will exacerbate this problem if students come to rely on AI as a means to getting their degree.
Continue reading on page 9
Lucas Yang/The Observer
TikTok’s timeout: Nationwide TikTok ban has Trump’s fingerprints all over it
Aleksandra Majewski Staff Writer
In case we all forgot, President Donald Trump was one of the first to express his concerns about TikTok during his first presidential term. Yet, ironically, Trump vowed to save the social media app by delaying the ban upon his return to the White House for his second term. The nationwide ban was first discussed amidst immense paranoia from United States officials that the Chinese-owned application would be weaponized through the creation of profiles on American TikTok consumers. Trump’s sudden change of heart has been raising alarm from bystanders regarding the true intentions of his proactivity to rescue TikTok. Is it a strategic play to win over the younger generation? Is he softening the blow before something bigger, or worse, is enacted?
The ban remained active for a short 12 hours, and even so, owner of TikTok and ByteDance Zhang Yiming shut down the app at 10:30 p.m. EST on Jan. 18, earlier than anticipated for the ban. The entire operation was meticulously worded in such a way that credited Trump for his actions to promptly restore the app, painting him as its savior: “we are fortunate
that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” and once the app was back up, “as a result of Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the US!” were plastered on every American user’s screens.
Trump is motivated to gain 50% ownership of TikTok in a joint endeavor, entrusting TikTok in good, secure hands while simultaneously allowing for American users to enjoy it again. If this becomes the case, though, it begs the ultimate question of what the future holds for a social media outlet of this magnitude. Who then are the good hands that will be endowed with such a task? Is it wise to let someone who has been banned from X, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook decide the future for a social media app—someone who has abused its purposes to further his own agenda of violence? Could this make room for opportunities of propaganda work, like George Orwell’s Big Brother? What if U.S. government officials’ fear of the security risks imposed by TikTok are actually a form of projection based on our own government?
TikTok is the epitome of power in numbers. One hundred seventy million Americans are active users of the app, and roughly 7 million businesses thrive on the publicity TikTok
is able to provide. In the government’s hands, TikTok could be disastrous to our democracy.
The future holds much uncertainty indeed, and we shouldn’t be too hasty
to thank Trump for his potentially deceitful efforts to salvage TikTok. Allowing the government to own a large portion of the app is overall a threat to our freedom of speech.
Equal treatment, equal responsibility
Catherine Choi Staff Writer
In the early stages of women’s rights advocacy, society was largely resistant to the movement. Susan B. Anthony and other women’s rights advocates were faced with severe backlash and retaliation while fighting for women’s suffrage. However, as time went on and society began to focus more on intelligence rather than physical ability, as many women proved to be successful in previously male-dominated areas, the perception that men were superior to women had disappeared. Active social movements that raised awareness of pre-existing stereotypes have strongly contributed to society today. However, there is still work that needs to be done in order to acquire gender equality.
First we must understand the stereotypes and double standards that affect both women and men. Not only are these stereotypes outdated, they often are used as excuses during times of conflict and seen as a tool that can be used to manipulate others. For example, as much as women suffer from the claim that they are too emotiondriven and irrational, men also struggle from the standard that they have to be strong and not express hardship. It is important to know that as much as one side is struggling, the other is as well in order to follow the rules of society. During the time I was in elementary school, many teachers held male and female students to double standards. Female students were expected to be quiet and polite while accepting the fact that male students would often disrupt class, be rude to other students and young female teachers, make nasty comments towards female students and behave violently. These double standards were held with the assurance that “boys will be boys, they are at their animal stage,” and female students were required to endure. This tendency has led to male stu-
dents missing out on opportunities to correct their behavior and female students being unable to logically defend and explain themselves. Rather than having a judgmental attitude, understanding each other’s struggles, identifying stereotypes that pose a burden and attempting to alter our thoughts are the starting points towards gender equality.
Another way to enhance gender equality is to create a safe space for both women and men to express their thoughts. A lot of the fundamental gender norms are from a time where men were the head of the household, women were the homemakers and physical capabilities were most valued. However, as time went by, the emphasis on physical ability has shifted towards intellect and education. Unfortunately, our society still holds these outdated gendered beliefs. Communicating and gathering insight from people from various cultures, personal backgrounds and living conditions can close gaps of misunderstanding and enhance support for each other. Rather than blindly battling based on misinformation and creating a hostile situation, attempts to freely communicate can shed light on existing concerns to find a civil way to solve the problems. We can protest and utilize the media to tell a story. Educating young students from an early age can also help promote gender equality. Although it is uncommon nowadays for sons to be prioritized over daughters, learning about gender equality starting from an early age can significantly help with developing an understanding of the topic. By treating both male and female siblings equally—in regards to chores, education, prizes and punishment—by having open discussions rather than having children passively absorb what mass media tells them and by supporting diverse interests, parents can have a big impact on how their children will perceive gender stereotypes.
Another crucial step is to not limit
oneself based on gender. When I was working as a patient care nursing assistant at the Cleveland Clinic, I was floated to a different unit that needed a one-on-one sitter to take care of and monitor a patient so he did not cause harm to staff or himself. When I first stepped into the unit, the charge nurse let me choose between working on the floor with 12 patients and sitting for the potentially violent patient. As she was letting me choose, she said “if you don’t feel comfortable, there is a male PCNA who can sit instead of you.” Although I took the opportunity to keep myself out of danger after having to work with a stroke patient all day the day before, this sentence made me realize that I have been receiving a lot of privileges as a female worker at a physically laborious job. In areas like this, it was accepted that women be excused from labor intensive and dangerous tasks. However, in order to attain true gender equality and demand equal pay, women should not passively take advantage and understand that it is irrational for men to do certain tasks merely because they are stronger. Although it could be difficult for a woman to outperform a man, women should take an active role in all tasks of difficulty and show gratitude for those that are willing to do extra work for us. In this context, women should not limit their capability to thrive in maledominant fields such as engineering or science and instead take advantage of the fact that the biological difference has little to do with their success in the fields. The same applies for men attempting to enter into female-dominated fields such as nursing or teaching.
As a part of this process, it is also important to understand that what determines a person’s wage is the value of the profit the individual makes rather than gender discrimination. Throughout time, there have been a few incidents where female athletes have claimed that it is unfair for them to earn lower wages and less prize
money than their male counterparts without considering the gap in revenue male and female athletes bring in. For example, Swiss soccer player Alisha Lehmann playing for Juventus’s women’s team, made a statement complaining that she is paid far less than her boyfriend, Douglas Ruiz, who also plays for Juventus’s men’s team. However, it is easy to recognize that Lehmann’s statement is not fair. The men’s team is valued at €1.9B with an annual revenue of €438M as of May 2024, whereas the women’s team generated a revenue of €1.2M during the 2022-2023 season. Despite the fact that there is a difference in time frame and history between the two teams (the men’s team was founded in 1897 and the women’s team in 2017), the revenue gap is more than 400 times greater for the men’s team. In this context, it is considered rational for the owners—the Agnelli family—to pay more to the male players for they bring high profit, regardless of their gender. In contrast, in the fashion industry where most consumers are women, female models were paid far more than their male counterparts. In 2013, the highest paid male model was Sean O’Pry who earned $1.4M while his female counterpart, Gisele Bunchen, earned $42M. In the employer’s perspective, a valuable employee is someone who is versatile, compliant and can bring high revenue to their organization. Although it is true that some hiring managers and owners can have outdated gender perceptions, there are many regulations that help women combat inequality. As in the case of any movement, getting distracted and focusing on fighting others can distort the purpose of the battle. Distorted perceptions of gender equality can lead to intensified tension between men and women, reversed-gender inequality and suppression of those pursuing traditional feminine/masculine values by forcing them to change the way they conduct life.
Jana Ashour/The Observer
AI from page 7
The most important skill an engineer has is their “engineering judgment”—the intuition informed by decades of experiencing what works and what doesn’t, alongside the confidence to apply that intuition to completely novel situations that have limited precedent. One of the most dangerous capabilities of AI is to act as an accountability sink. In the same way it’s hard to hold a corporation accountable for individuals within it and vice versa, shifting our responsibilities onto AI makes it harder for us to control those responsibilities and their consequences. What happens if engineers one day begin to rely on AI for engineering judgment and subconsciously shift responsibility away from themselves? The lesson we’re told over and over again about design software by these cynical engineers is that you must be able to critically evaluate how it reaches its analysis results. Yet, part of the point of AI is that it’s so complicated that we can’t meaningfully comprehend exactly what it does to reach its conclusions. People who study AI call this the “Black Box Problem,” and it’s especially dangerous when AI is involved in making engineering decisions where human lives are at stake.
But to look at the bigger picture, it’s also worth asking whether or not AI is something we really need right now. It’s not controversial to point out that massive amounts of money have been sunk into large language models. And given that it’s novel, disruptive and has the potential to make even more massive amounts of money, it’s hardly a surprise how much venture capital has flowed to companies such as OpenAI. But it is controversial to question whether AI is something we should be pursuing at all. In most circles, AI is perceived to be inevitable— just look at CWRU, whose embrace of AI is framed as getting with the times. In a country where many pressing issues—such as hunger, housing or infrastructure—are mainly a matter of throwing loads of money at the right institutions, should we really be sinking this much money into AI? When their goal of artificial general intelligence—an AI capable of any task assigned to a human—is never guaranteed to arrive? Is the financial and electrical price of all these chatbots worth the extra convenience? Will AI ever be anything more than convenient?
Look, I’ll be honest. I struggled a lot writing and rewriting this. Thinking about all of the “what-ifs” of AI made me feel like a stereotypical crotchety old man, ranting about these new-fangled “computer” devices that management is giving to everybody in the office. Or, more to the point, an elementary school teacher in the ’90s, sternly telling their students that they won’t always have a calculator in the “real world.” Because these comparisons get at what AI really is—it’s a tool. Is it a useful one? I begrudgingly admit that it is. I’ve relied on ChatGPT to find things that Google could not more times than I’d like to admit. And I can’t pretend to know whether it’ll have as much staying power as the computer or smartphone. But using a tool well means knowing about the good as well as the bad—not just the jobs that are made easier because of it, but also the jobs that may be made more difficult by overreliance. We cannot just appreciate the benefits presented by a technology of the future; we also must recognize the very real risks that come with it.
LTTE: Re Paul Kerson
Thomas Kim Hill Contributing Writer
We need to apply some critical thinking, and a complete history, to Paul Kerson’s LTTE “Protests—now and then” in The Observer on Jan. 17. It is astounding how he gets the Case Western Reserve University protests against the Vietnam War so right and everything else so wrong!
It is very appropriate that he sets the context for Vietnam, and now for Gaza, by going back to World War II. That was where I developed my first fascination with history. He recommends we study Western civilization and 20th century American history to understand wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and the Middle East and “how all this fits in today’s issues.”
I first learned these lessons from my father who was a military intelligence officer in WWII. He went in on D-Day, was in the Battle of the Bulge, fought across Germany and drank vodka at the end with the Russians on the Eastern Front. He killed his share of Nazis, but one unforgettable memory I had as a child was seeing photos of him excavating a mass grave. He
was tasked with ordering nearby German villagers out to do the digging, to bury the bodies properly.
At a young age I became aware of the Holocaust. Teaching high school in Lebanon in the 1960s, I got to know Arabs and Palestinians as friends when the Middle East was at peace. I was evacuated from the 1967 ArabIsraeli War to Cyprus when Israel illegally occupied the West Bank. Then I taught for 30 years in Beachwood with a majority of Jewish students. Some of my students were Israelis, and others had Holocaust survivors in their families. Several of my students narrowly missed suicide bombers when visiting Israel during the Second Intifada. I took students to visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington.
Apologies for running on. But all of this is to say I don’t take it kindly when Zionists smear me as an “antisemite,” as has happened frequently when I stand with Palestinians against Israel’s crimes and genocide in Gaza. My father interrogated many German prisoners of war as well as civilians, and he held them in contempt when they claimed not to know about Hitler’s crimes. Now I feel the same way about Zionists who dehumanize
Palestinians.
Mr. Kerson lacks human empathy for the suffering of women and children non-combatants in Gaza. Palestinians are dying at a ratio of 50-1 in Gaza (worse yet if The Lancet is correct that over 100,000 Gazans have died). Mr. Kerson does not know about this? He obviously knows or should know.
I have two friends who live on, only on the Vietnam Wall in Washington. As we said about Vietnam, “the whole world is watching.” And the whole world agrees that South Africa is justified (except for a few U.S. partners in crime) in bringing its legal case against Israel for genocide to the International Criminal Court.
I will close with the great Jewish journalist I. F. Stone, who documented the U.S. crimes in Vietnam, even before Daniel Ellsberg. In 1976 Stone flatly stated that “Israel is creating moral schizophrenia in world Jewry.” Thank goodness anti-Zionists in Jewish Voice for Peace, along with allies neither Jewish nor Arab, stand with Palestinians against the injustice. We will prevail. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
Welcome to the broligarchy
Aambar Agarwal Social Media Manager
On Monday, the United States inaugurated its 47th president. During one of the coldest inaugurations on record, Donald Trump was sworn in as president in the Capitol Rotunda. Standing at the site of the attempted coup he incited just four years ago, he became the first convicted felon to take the oath of office.
Rather than the usual 10s of thousands, only around 600 people could attend his indoor inauguration. Between former presidents, lawmakers, Supreme Court justices and Cabinet nominees, there was not much room for additional guests. Yet, despite the limited space, Trump invited several tech CEOs. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Tesla’s Elon Musk were all seated in the second row, just behind the First Family. Apple’s Tim Cook, TikTok’s Shou Zi Chew and OpenAI’s Sam Altman sat in the third row. Their presence was unprecedented.
Tech CEOs had never received such prominent seats at an inauguration before. They sat ahead of even Trump’s Cabinet—his own political appointees.
In the weeks leading up to the event, the same CEOs had been currying favor with Trump. Musk spent $277 million on his re-election campaign and has become a ubiquitous presence at his rallies. Bezos blocked the Washington Post’s endorsement of his opponent. After his win, they all visited him at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and publicly congratulated him. Zuckerberg, Bezos, Pichai, Cook and Altman each contributed $1 million to his inaugural fund. Zuckerberg ended content factchecking on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, following Musk’s footprints at X. Through Amazon, Bezos is paying $40 million to license and stream a documentary about Melania Trump. And just last weekend, Chew publicly praised him through pop-up messages on TikTok while cutting and restoring service.
Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg are the three richest people in the world. Taken together, the tech CEOs are worth
nearly $1 trillion. They all own the largest information technology companies. Musk, Zuckerberg and Chew control the world’s most popular social media platforms. Their wealth and power are unparalleled. By using their wealth and power as tech CEOs to bolster Trump, they are courting political power. And they have succeeded in gaining it. Their front-row seats at the inauguration made it clear. Musk’s new position in the government, heading the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, is a direct result of his staggering financial support—it is just one example of the power they seek to wield. The tech bros are America’s new oligarchs—or as some might say, “broligarchs.”
Oligarchy is not new in the United States. Over a decade ago, researchers concluded that the U.S. is dominated by the wealthy—holding more power to shift policy than the average American. However, it has never been as blatant as it is now. Even former President Biden warned against it in his farewell address, saying, “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.” He then mentioned the rise of the “techindustrial complex” and the dangers it poses.
Today, the richest 1% already hold as much wealth as the bottom 90%. Given political power, their riches will only skyrocket. They will push for tax cuts for the wealthy, no antitrust enforcement and eliminating protections for workers, consumers and the environment—and they will succeed. Politicians will have no reason to resist as the ultra-wealthy line their pockets. The voices of average Americans will only diminish further.
Oligarchy and democracy cannot coexist. In a democracy, power between the people is equally shared. In an oligarchy, power is concentrated in the hands of the ultra-wealthy. With their wealth and power in the tech industry, the tech CEOs pose a significant threat to U.S. democracy. Yet, with our current president profiting from it, it is clear that the broligarchy is here to stay.
Lucas Yang/The Observer
Schools are still segregated: What are we going to do about it?
Hannah Johnson Opinion Editor
In practically any big city, you’ll notice that it contains its parallels. The very wealthy on one side of town and those who are struggling to get by on the other. It sounds fairytale-like, that such high degrees of separation could remain in a society that’s supposed to be so interconnected. We have a plethora of tools to give us more information—phones, iPads, laptops. Yet, still it seems that people cannot comprehend the fact that segregation based on economic class and race is still very much alive.
A 2022 report found that, “more than a third of students (about 18.5 million of them) attended a predominantly same-race/ethnicity school during the 2020-21 school year … And 14% of students attended schools where almost all of the student body was of a single race/ethnicity.” Moreover, schools where the predominant race is not white are many times severely underfunded and receive professionals who, in many cases, are underprepared for the role and find themselves quickly growing frustrated with their students and job.
I know many teachers who have complained about the children in their classes misbehaving and mistreating them. Meanwhile, though, these students are not receiving the education that they are entitled to, and many times, not even taught why their right to education is so important. Why would you care about something that you’ve been forced to go to and is taught by people you can’t relate to, who seem, in a way, determined to see you from their own biased perspective?
Out of at least fifty teachers, I only had one black teacher—an assistant to the main instructor—up until I graduated from a relatively socioeconomically diverse high school. One time at my predominantly white elementary school, I was waiting in the lunch line with a girl, probably three years younger, and I could feel her eyes on the side of my head. When I finally looked over, she smiled sweetly then asked “Are you black?” Thinking I’d misheard her, I asked her to repeat the question, bamboozled when I heard the same thing. The girl wasn’t that much younger than me, yet she was still unsure about my race, so unused to seeing anyone other than a white person in our school that she was genuinely curious when she saw me in line next to her. At the time, the question made me uncomfortable, but now I understand that it was an honest inquiry from a kid simply trying to understand her surroundings. Another time in middle school, when talking about music, I’d said to
my lunch group that I enjoyed pop, to which one of my classmates responded, “Really? I thought you’d be into, like, smooth jazz.” During election years, the school would run mock presidential elections, the same party candidate always gaining around ninety percent of the votes, highlighting an obvious lack of diversity of thought. And while these may sound like small incidents, believe me when I say that these were not even close to the most troubling events I endured. Living in bubbles, constantly surrounded only by people of our culture and skin color, can make us ignorant, especially when encountering new, diverse perspectives and people.
My middle school was right next to a school where almost every student was black. While these kids came to school on yellow school buses, the kids at my school were dropped in the carpool line by their parents and walked inside by a security guard. We enjoyed the privilege of an updated playground, multiple security guards, iPads, two gyms and a wide array of teachers, advisors and professionals at our disposal. We had fundraisers and fun weekend events, all put on by the school and professionally managed. I furthered my love of learning at the school, growing more passionate about reading and writing and receiving a fair amount of praise for my achievements in addition to challenges I had to fight to overcome, which made me a more competitive student.
But I also blindly accepted microaggressions from students and teachers as normal until I got older and realized the impact of the segregation of the school system and the entire city. People grow up knowing the kids they went to middle and high school with and stay in those bubbles, not wanting to venture outside. They form incorrect assumptions about people of other races and cultures and decide to not even ask questions like the little girl who questioned me in the lunch line. They prefer the comfort of what they know, subconsciously assuming that they are even better than the people they are separated from. This ignorance extends to our school system as a whole. When we have teachers, who don’t understand the culture that they are catering to, they can come across as insensitive and ignorant. They may not understand the African American Vernacular English that some black people speak, assuming that their students are simply uneducated and in severe need of correction. I know a professor who has even said to me that, “Black students are not [her] best students,” which is a wildly insensitive thing to say to a student asking for help, but I digress.
Perhaps black students are not this professor’s best students because time and time again they have been
placed in underfunded, segregated schools in segregated cities with a glaring lack of money and professionals equipped to help them gain knowledge. And so the cycle continues again and again and again. Instead of complaining about underperforming students, something should be done at the root to change how these students are expected to go through the school system. This starts with funding public education in all subject areas—math, English, science, the arts. It means not putting convenient “political” limits on what children are allowed to learn. We cannot sugarcoat
something like slavery or the Civil War because it “keeps the peace,” nor should we want to. It does not keep peace; it promotes further ignorance. And ignorance promotes complicity. We must force our government to make intentional efforts to affirm that schools will not be separated by race. We must encourage a wider distribution of wealth because money is power. And most importantly, we must actively try to understand the people around us. Your way of life is not superior, it is simply a way. Humility is the only way we’ll accomplish anything of substance.
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Sports
Men’s basketball falls 1-2 in conference after weekend against WashU and UChicago
Abhishek Nambiar Staff Writer
The Case Western Reserve University men’s basketball team continued their UAA play this past weekend with a pair of games: one against Washington University in St. Louis, and another against the University of Chicago. In the aftermath of their upset win over Carnegie Mellon University on Saturday, Jan. 11, CWRU failed to keep the momentum going as they suffered losses to both WashU (final score 64-104) and UChicago (final score 60-71).
The game against WashU took place on Friday, Jan. 17, in St. Louis. In this contest, CWRU was able to take an early lead in the game thanks to a layup by graduate student guard Nicholas Schiavello and a 3-pointer by fourth-year guard Sam Trunley; these two shots occurred during the first two minutes of play, putting the Spartans up 5-2. Throughout much of the first half, the Spartans and Bears kept up a close contest, with the point margins between the teams remaining relatively narrow for some time. However, during the latter portion of the period, WashU began pulling further away, consistently scoring most of their shots while CWRU struggled to keep up. By halftime, the Bears had achieved a 46-28 advantage over the Spartans.
With the start of the second half, CWRU made attempts to cut into the lead WashU had built up so far. Following a 3-pointer by Schiavello and a layup by third-year forward Aaron Rucker, the Spartans were able to reach a 16-point deficit over the Bears, with the score at 49-33 and more than 18 minutes left in play. This would prove to be the closest CWRU would get to WashU, however, as the latter continued to extend its lead over the course of the period. Meanwhile, the Spartans suffered several missed shots and fouls, preventing them from ever again mak-
Graduate student Nicholas Schiavello made key shots throughout CWRU’s recent games against WashU and UChicago, despite their back-to-back losses. Courtesy of Tim Phillis/CWRU Athletics
ing a significant dent in the Bears’s lead.
Reflecting on CWRU’s loss, graduate student forward Andy Barba attributed it to relative inaction on the part of the Spartans.
“I think that we lost due to our lack of energy and ball movement,” Barba reflected. “We did not show up to play and WashU took advantage of this. We did not pass the ball to each other enough, and against a disciplined team like WashU on the road, it is hard to overcome.”
Barba scored the most points out of any Spartan in the game, with 16 points to his name from 6 of 14 shots from the floor (and including 2 of 6 shots from beyond the arc). Trunley scored 14 points from 5 of 12 attempted shots—an effort that also included 2 of 6 long-range shots, while Schiavello finished the contest with 9
points coming from 4 out of 9 shots taken. Overall, the Spartans shot 2559 (42.4%) from the field with 6-24 (25.0%) from beyond the 3-point line.
Following this loss to WashU, CWRU traveled to Chicago to compete against the University of Chicago on Sunday, Jan. 19. The first half of the game saw the Spartans and the Maroons keep things neck-inneck, though much of the period saw UChicago hold a lead over CWRU; this peaked at a 9-point lead for the Maroons with five minutes left in the period. Over the course of those five minutes, however, the Spartans continued to close in on the gap thanks to key shots by Trunley, Schiavellod and fourth-year forward Umar Rashid. By the end of the period, CWRU had taken a 32-30 lead over UChicago.
With the tipoff of the second half,
the Spartans and the Maroons kept each other in check, as the two teams went back-and-forth over the lead in points. With less than 13 minutes left in the period, a 3-pointer by Rashid put the Spartans at a 43-41 lead. This would prove to be the last time CWRU held the lead in the game, however; UChicago also immediately answered with 5 points to take the lead, one that would hold for the remainder of the game despite the best efforts of the Spartans. While CWRU was able to come as close as a 1-point deficit—with the score at 52-51 with 8:35 left to play—the Maroons continued to pull away and maintain their lead for the rest of the game, at one point achieving a 15-point lead over the Spartans.
Looking at the game from a stats perspective, all 60 points scored by the Spartans came courtesy of their starters. Barba made 9 of his 18 shots from the floor, along with matching his career high 3-pointer count: 4 shots out of 9 attempts. Fourteen points came courtesy of Trunley, who scored them in 5 out of 19 attempt shots. Rashid scored 16 points, Schiavello added 6, while Rucker claimed 2 to his name. The Spartans shot 24-63 (38.1%) over the course of the game, with 5-25 (20.0%) coming from behind the 3-point line.
Barba had several thoughts about what the Spartans would need to work on moving forward.
“We need to improve our defense and share the ball more,” Barba commented. “We are a very talented team who has had a rough season partly due to bad luck, but we can turn the season around and make it a success if we come together.”
And indeed the Spartans have several chances to turn the season around, including this coming weekend when they will be hosting a pair of games inside Horsburgh Gymnasium. On Friday, Jan. 24 they will be inviting Brandeis University, followed by No. 4-ranked New York University on Saturday, Jan. 26.
Women’s basketball finishes 6-8 overall after packed three-game week
Ellie Palaian Staff Writer
With 14 games played, the Case Western Reserve University women’s basketball team holds a 1-2 conference record and a 6-8 overall record. Their recent stretch includes a victory over No. 13-ranked Washington University in St. Louis, along with losses to Marietta College and the University of Chicago.
The Spartans began their threegame week with a matchup against the Marietta Pioneers. Originally scheduled for Dec. 4 during nonconference play, the game had been postponed due to the Spartans’ travel delays, leading to a packed schedule of three games in just seven days.
The game between the Spartans and the Pioneers was tightly con-
tested, featuring 18 lead changes and 14 ties over 45 minutes of play. With six seconds left, the Pioneers held a 2-point lead, prompting the Spartans to call their final timeout to strategize. As the clock ticked down, second-year guard Mya Hartjes sank a shot from about 15 feet, tying the game with just 0.4 seconds remaining in regulation. The teams entered overtime, where Marietta gained an early advantage. Despite their efforts, the Spartans ultimately fell short, losing 67-73. Notable performances came from Hartjes and third-year guard and forward Emily Plachta, who led the Spartans in scoring for the game.
After the loss to Marietta, the Spartans looked ahead, focusing their energy on their two conference away games against WashU and UChicago.
On Jan. 17, the Spartans took on the No. 13-ranked Bears in their second UAA conference matchup. Plachta delivered another standout performance, leading the team with 13.1 points per game this season. She matched her career-high with 5 3-pointers on 12 attempts, making 8 of 16 shots overall, and she scored 12 of her career-best 22 points in the fourth quarter to help secure the win.
The Spartans entered halftime with a solid 33-21 lead, but the Bears roared back with a 12-0 run, cutting the deficit to just 4 points. Key baskets by fourth-year forward Evie Miller and second-year guard Jordyn Call helped the Spartans close the third period ahead 44-36.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Bears narrowed the gap to 3 points, but the Spartans held their ground. Plachta drained her third
3-pointer of the period, and clutch free throws by Plachta, third-year guard Maya Roberts and Hartjes sealed the upset victory, 64-57.
The Spartans concluded their weekend with a matchup against the University of Chicago on Sunday. For the sixth time in the last seven games, Plachta led the Spartans in scoring, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting. She also paced the team with 7 rebounds and 2 steals.
The game was tightly contested until the eight-minute mark of the third quarter, when the Maroons went on an 8-0 run to seize the lead permanently. The Spartans ultimately fell 51-64, marking their eighth loss of the season and their second defeat in UAA play.
The Spartans will next host Brandeis University on Jan. 24 and New York University on Jan. 26.
Swimming and Diving sweeps SUNY Geneseo
Darcy Chew Sports Editor
This past weekend, Case Western Reserve University’s No. 13-ranked men’s and No. 17-ranked women’s swimming and diving teams defeated SUNY Geneseo in their first meet of the spring semester. Hosted by the Spartans in Veale Natatorium on Saturday, Jan. 18, the men’s team won 191-109 and the women’s team won 215-85 over the Knights’ No. 18-ranked men’s team and No. 23-ranked women’s team. Overall both teams improved 3-1 in dual meets.
As the first meet after a relatively long break for the team, the Spartans did not let it affect their performance. The teams won a total of 25 out of the 32 events.
“It’s always a little nerve wracking after winter break to return to a normal meet schedule. I traveled a lot in December, so it was sometimes difficult to find a pool to train in. Coming in on Saturday I didn’t know what my times would be, however I had confidence in myself and stayed as relaxed as possible. I swim my best when I’m loose and smiling! After throwing down a good split in the first medley relay I was so pumped for the rest of the meet. So no, luckily there weren’t any significant setbacks, rather some good nerves in the beginning that fueled a good meet,” third-year Claire Kozma commented.
Kozma was one of the women’s teams top scores alongside teammate fourth-year Gabriella Chambers. Both swimmers contributed four wins with two individual races and two relays. Both Spartans were on the victorious 200-yard freestyle relay (1:37.29) with fourth-year teammates Simone Vale and Kate Menzer and the 200-yard medley relay (1:47.95) with fourth-year teammates Kelly Vann and Vale. In individual races, Chambers touched the wall first in the 50yard (23.91) and 100-yard freestyle (52.79), and Kozma took first in the 100-yard (57.83) and 200-yard butterfly (2:08.13).
“I’m really excited that I could clutch those wins this past weekend— I was looking forward to swimming both the 100 and 200 Fly coming in. I’ve been pushing my Fly training in practice a lot. I had full confidence in our relays, too; the 4 of us together make an incredible team and it is a pleasure to swim with those women every time!” Kozma said.
Other top finishers for the women’s team included fourth-year Amelia Myhrvold in the backstroke events finishing in 59.50 for the 100-yard race and 2:08.75 in the 200-yard race, second-year Maggie Rose Rook in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:56.82 and second-year Ava Ellis in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:16.87. Menzer also won the 200yard individual medley with a time of 2:14.87.
The women’s team also swept the diving events with fourth-year Abigail Wilkov taking the 1-meter dive with 298.73 points and fourth-year Jocelyn Schechter taking the 3-meter dive with 276.68 points.
“My most memorable moment for me was touching the wall of my 200
fly: I hadn’t swum the event in almost 10 months at NCAA, and so feeling strong and loose during the race this weekend (and completing it under 2:10.00) felt amazing. Definitely a confidence boost,” Kozma said.
On the men’s team, fourth-year Peter Meng and third-years William Froass and Mason Bencurik led the team with each contributing three victories. Meng took first in three different individual events—1000-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley. His distance race was completed in 9:51.17, and the medley race was finished in 1:58.31. He also achieved a personal best in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:05.87.
Froass and Bencurik were on the winning 200-yard medley relay alongside third-year teammates Emil LaSida and first-year Edgar Rutkauskas. The team finished 1:32.05 for the first-place win. Froass swept the backstroke events with a 51.96 100-yard time and a 1:55.81 200-yard time, and Bencurik swept the freestyle events with a 46.42 100-yard time and a 1:44.32 200-yard time. LaSida also
contributed to the Spartan’s victory by adding the 50-yard freestyle win (20.90). First-year Edward Steward swept the butterfly events with a 51.77 100-yard time and a 1:57.00 200-yard time. Fourth-year Stephan Hogeman also notched a victory in the 500-yard freestyle (4:50.96) for CWRU’s freestyle sweep.
In preparation for the meet and the rest of the season, the teams had traveled to West Palm Beach, Florida, for training over winter break.
“The training was hard—mainly from having so many doubles—but ultimately I think the team got closer over the trip. There’s opportunities to swim with new people at practice and talk to everybody. In addition, the soreness and challenge of the trip is a bonding experience for all of us. This closeness always seems to help us perform better for the rest of the season. We’re always tired coming back to Cleveland afterwards, but I’m confident in our camaraderie to push us to the end. We’re ready to roll for the rest of the season,” Kozma said.
The Spartans will continue to host their next two dual meets in Veale Natatorium before the UAA Championships and the NCAA Championships.
“I really hope to make it in the A final (top 8) at NCAA in the 100 fly— that would be incredible! Coming in last semester, I never thought I’d break 55 seconds in the event, but I did and clutched a pretty set spot going into NCAA this year. I also would like to break the school record in the 200 fly (which is currently a 2:03.04 I believe) and make it back to NCAA for it. I also have a lot of confidence in the women’s team to make 5th place at UAAs (or 4th even!),” Kozma commented regarding her future goals for the rest of the season.
This coming weekend, the teams will be facing off against Oberlin College on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 1 p.m., when they will also celebrate their seniors with Senior Day festivities. The following weekend, the Spartans will be challenging Kenyon College’s No. 8-ranked men’s team and No. 2-ranked women’s team.
Scores and Upcoming Games
Track and Field
CWRU at Fighting Scots Invitational (1/25)
Women’s Basketball
CWRU at WashU (1/17) - W 64-57
CWRU at UChicago (1/19) - L 51-64
CWRU vs Brandeis (1/24, 7:30 p.m., Horsburgh Gymnasium)
CWRU vs NYU (1/26, noon, Horsburgh Gymnasium
Men’s Basketball
CWRU at WashU (1/17) - L 64-104
CWRU at UChicago (1/19) - L 60-71
CWRU vs Brandeis (1/24, 5:30 p.m., Horsburgh Gymnasium)
CWRU vs NYU (1/26, 2 p.m., Horsburgh Gymnasium)
Swimming and Diving
CWRU vs SUNY Geneseo (1/18) Men’s team: W 191-109
Women’s team: W 215-85
CWRU vs Oberlin (1/25, 1 p.m., Veale Natatorium)
Wrestling
CWRU at Purple Raider Open (1/19)No team scoring
CWRU vs Baldwin Wallace (1/24, 7 p.m., Veale Convocation, Recreation and Athletic Center)
Second-year Maggie Rose Rook took first place in the 200-yard freestyle race at the meet against SUNY Geneseo last weekend. Courtesy of Tim Phillis/CWRU Athletics