The Observer, Volume LV, Issue 17, 02/02/24

NEWS

National search appoints Joy K. Ward as the new provost and executive vice president

Shivangi Nanda Executive Editor

The provost and executive vice president serves as the chief academic officer of Case Western Reserve University, providing leadership to promote the academic goals of the university. They also spearhead innovation in research and develop programs that encourage scholarship, collaboration and problem-solving among students and faculty. In short, the provost is the one making the big academic decisions— suggesting changes to curriculum and research that are in the best interests of the campus community.

In May 2023, President Eric Kaler announced that Ben Vinson III, former provost and executive vice president, would be stepping down to become president of Howard University; shortly after, a national search for a replacement was launched. A university committee, led by the School of Medicine Dean and Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs Stan Gerson, considered many “highly qualified candidates” identified by Education Executives, LLC, including then-Interim Provost Joy K. Ward. On Dec. 14, 2023, President Kaler announced that Ward would stay on in a permanent capacity, effective Jan. 1.

Prior to being interim provost, Ward served as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for three years. Here, she helped advance research through the Expanding Horizons program and efforts to increase research expenditures. She was also a co-creator of the HILLS program, which aims to promote diversity in leadership through the humanities.

In this new role, Ward will continue to oversee programs she started in her interim, as well as introduce some new ones. One of her most recent accomplishments was forming a 30-person AI taskforce in partnership with the Faculty Senate. Being guided by student-centered questions of “How do we best prepare our students for success in an AI world and beyond? How will AI affect the ways that students learn?” the task force has no student representation, composed solely of

After serving for three years as CWRU’s dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Joy K. Ward assumed the position of provost and executive vice president at the start of the new semester.

Courtesy of Anthony Gray/College of Arts and Sciences

faculty, staff and administration. Still, Ward stated that the taskforce will seek to “understand the impacts of AI on student learning and teaching and produce a ‘roadmap’ for future leadership,” and she says that some initiatives will be implemented this fall.

Ward is also involved in the wellknown transition to the new Unified General Education Requirements (UGER) curriculum, the replacement for SAGES. During this shift, Ward says several courses were revisited and many new courses were created. In some cases, departments “have taken

this opportunity to refresh their approaches to entire major programs.” When asked about the faculty and student responses to these changes, Ward stated that “the responses have been very positive and encouraging.”

One addition in particular, the Explore program, has successfully addressed students who have historically felt “disconnected from the community, and, at times, lack[ed] clarity on what the university, as well as the larger city and region, have to offer.” The Explore program is a series of pop-up events that help incoming students get immersed

in the campus and the local Cleveland area. According to Ward, students are reporting overall satisfaction with this change and are glad to be participating in programs they would not have otherwise.

Arguably, one of Ward’s more controversial efforts has been her involvement in the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB), a $300 million project that has led to the demolition of Yost Hall and the displacement of the Department of Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Statistics. In April 2023, The Observer reported on an open letter detailing faculty discontent with Yost’s demolition plans. While administrative offices in Yost were informed of potential changes, professors were left without direction, likely due to disrupted communication within the College of Arts and Sciences, then led by Ward. Now, when asked about the purpose of the ISEB and the benefits it poses for students and faculty, Ward said “the ISEB is intended to be a place that encourages interaction and collaboration among different disciplines—a place where scientists and researchers will solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.” Further, she believes that “[f]rom a student-perspective, the new lab space—plus the growth in faculty— means more opportunities for students to engage in cutting edge research and connect with mentors across disciplines.” Despite a rocky introduction, Ward believes that the ISEB will support a culture of collaboration and interdisciplinary engagement on campus.

Moving forward, Ward plans to meet regularly with student leadership and, like her predecessor, will hold student office hours for drop-in questions. By doing so, she seeks to acknowledge campus feedback to ensure changes are truly benefiting the people she serves.

From dean of the College of Arts and Sciences to provost of the university, Ward has been a leader at CWRU for years. Ward says she is “committed to the success of our students, the advancement of faculty teaching and research, and a focus on a community that values the dignity and humanity of each member of our community.”

CWRU implementing new policies, procedures following DOJ agreement

Téa Tamburo News Editor

Following an agreement made in August 2023 with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Case Western Reserve University is implementing new resources, focus groups and changes to the Office of Equity to improve the accessibility of incident reporting and awareness of resources regarding Title IX and sexual harassment incidents.

Throughout recent years, CWRU

increased its allocated funding toward the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women’s Title IX support resources and University Health and Counseling Services. As part of this funding increase, the university created the Outreach, Assessments, Resources and Response (OARR) team, consisting of a licensed clinician and police officer who are trained in crisis intervention to respond to and provide quality mental health crisis assistance to CWRU community members.

CWRU’s Office of Equity revised the policy about incident reports and

implemented a new reporting form to support people impacted by sexual harassment and discrimination. Since the agreement was released, training modules were offered to undergraduate and graduate students to serve as equity process advisors and members of hearing panels, and a process was implemented to ensure Greek Life chapters don’t retaliate against students who are experiencing or are accused of sexual harassment. The university is also producing its own training modules to educate the CWRU community on the resources

provided by the Office of Equity.

In January, Rachel Lutner, former senior associate vice president of equity, took on the role of vice president of equity and Title IX coordinator. Lutner hopes to raise awareness about the resources that the Office of Equity provides and to develop an environment of support and safety regarding sexual harassment.

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DOJ from page 1

“This might mean providing individuals with academic accommodations (deadline extensions, class changes, etc.); referrals to counseling, medical and/or other healthcare services; campus housing or workplace adjustments; safety escorts; or no-contact directives,” she said. “But it also might mean taking on a full investigation and resolution process, if the person experiencing the reported discrimination or harassment chooses this route of action.”

Under the agreement, the university moved the Office of Equity from the purview of the Office of the General Counsel to the Office of the Provost,

which Lutner said demonstrates President Kaler and Provost Ward’s commitment to campus equity.

“The No. 1 priority of the university has always been—and continues to be—the safety of our campus community,” Lutner said. “We will continue to enhance our safety measures across the university, including those referenced in the voluntary agreement.”

This summer and fall, the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women and the Office of Equity are partnering to provide live and asynchronous training on bystander intervention and consent. The Office of Equity is also developing training aimed at support-

ing students participating in Greek Life programs.

The Office of Equity is also working to create mechanisms—such as focus groups—to better understand the Title IX needs of the CWRU community, Lutner indicated. To make resources more available to the community, links to the Office of Equity’s website will soon be available on many of CWRU’s websites. Following the university’s usual surveying practice and the agreement, a survey will be distributed this semester to assess community members’ feelings of safety and support with the hope of sharing the results before the end of the academic year.

After implementing the DOJ agreement, the university has been working with a focus group of students, faculty, staff and postdocs to review and revise new policies aimed at maintaining safety and support for the community. At the end of the fall 2023 semester, policy revisions were sent to the DOJ, and the university hopes to receive feedback on the revisions and share them with the campus community.

Lutner said, “I am hopeful that with these additional recommendations from the Department of Justice and a growing awareness of the Office of Equity, we will continue to cultivate a safe, supportive environment for everyone.”

As semester starts, Ohio law requires fire drills to occur

Zachary Treseler News Editor

At approximately 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 24, residents of Stephanie Tubbs Jones Residence Hall (STJ) were interrupted from their evening routines with the sound of a fire alarm. Racing down the emergency exits, residents were not greeted by the Cleveland Fire Department or Case Western Reserve University Police, but instead by two middleaged men holding iPads.

The only indication of this event being a fire drill was the aforementioned officials and a lack of fire trucks in the aftermath.

Many of the students were confused why fire drills still occur on university campuses as they often associated the drills as an elementary school experience.

“Why are they so bad?” noted one disgruntled third-year student, referring to the timing and execution of the event.

“[CWRU’s Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) department] conducts the fire drills required on campus,” said Brandon Kirk, the assistant director construction, facilities, fire-life safety at EHS.

He noted that these are required by the Ohio Fire Code, and two drills are required per semester, one after sunrise and the other after sunset. This is similar to most other universities in Ohio, with the exception of the University of Akron, which only claims to do one per semester.

“The first set of drills must be conducted within 10 days of the semester starting,” he noted regarding the timing of the event, which would explain the most recent fire drill experienced by STJ’s residents.

Residents who were momentarily evacuated expressed their frustration with the timing.

“Can they have two different alarms so I know which one to take seriously? I could have been watching my biochem lecture,” one student said.

Other students were equally caught off guard, including one student seen attempting to calm their cat.

Nevertheless, Krik stresses that these fire drills “must be unannounced.”

“These drills are to be treated as a real incident to the residents,” he said. “If they are notified of the times, no one will participate. [Residents] will ignore the alarm, which may not be our drill alarm, and remain in their unit. We do not want that. The entire goal is to help familiarize residents with their emergency egress routes.”

Inside the residence halls, there are often many ways of staying safe in the case of a fire, and every building is fitted with a smoke detector system. Still, just under a third of CWRU students live in a residence hall with a sprinkler system.

EHS’ website claims that “sprinklers are installed in many building[s]” around campus. While many stovetops in common room kitchens have a fire suppression system in the hood above the stovetop, this does not cover the rest of the building.

The residence halls without the

sprinkler system include all first-year housing (except for Clarke Tower), all second year housing (except Triangle) and many of the older buildings owned by the university in the Upperclass Experience.

This is not the same across the United States. For example, state law in New Jersey requires there to be sprinklers in all college dormitories. Other higher education institutions in the UAA, such as New York University, have recently installed sprinklers in their residence halls.

Thankfully, actual fires on CWRU’s

campus are relatively rare. Last calendar year, only eight occurred, with only two fires causing over 500 dollars worth of property damage.

In response to questions the university stated, “All residence halls meet or exceed building and fire codes. When older structures don’t contain firesuppression systems, other building and fire codes must be followed and are. Higher-risk areas for fire—such as kitchens—have fire-suppression systems, and sprinkler systems are installed during larger renovations as required by code.”

“Past Lives” is a love story without the melodrama

Kethan Srinivasan Staff Writer

A Korean man, a Korean woman and a white man are seen together at a dimly lit bar on a quiet New York City evening. Two other people, though unseen, are heard speaking about the trio, wondering what their story is. They each quibble over whether the woman is in a relationship with one man or the other, whether the visibly Asian pair are siblings, whether they’re in town as tourists with a guide or simply as colleagues. It’s a droll set of dialogue that plays out while the camera gradually zooms in on the woman at the center: a woman that, though unremarkable at first glance, has a wealth of memories and feelings that have gone unresolved for a long time.

That scene depicts the beauty of life’s normalcy that is present throughout Celine Song’s directorial debut, “Past Lives.” The film, a semi-autobiographical feature written by Song herself, is nominated for two Academy Awards this year, one for Best Picture and the other for Best Original Screenplay. But upon watching the film and examining its ins and outs, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth seeing the Academy declare that’s all it deserves.

“Past Lives” follows the 24-year long story of two childhood friends and potential sweethearts, Na Young (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), who abruptly part ways after the former moves to Canada. The pair find each other again online after 12 years, with Na Young, who goes by her anglicized name Nora, aspiring to become a playwright, while Hae Sung completes his military service and returns to university to study engineering. Numerous Skype calls take place in the latest hours of the evening and the earliest of the morning, until Nora decides to cut off contact so that she can focus on her career.

Fast forward 12 years, and Nora is a successful playwright living in NYC with her Jewish-American husband Arthur (John Magaro). He’s a goofy, yet passionate, fellow writer who met Nora at a rural retreat. Meanwhile, Hae Sung plans a trip to the city following a recent separation from his girlfriend, intending to see Nora under the pretense of sightseeing. In the short time they have together, Nora and Hae Sung catch up and visit various spots together

In the midst of watching these characters’ identities unfold, it becomes difficult to not dote on them. Lee portrays Nora’s uncertainty with a sense of odd familiarity that makes you empathize with her. She gives Nora a sense of resilience that you can feel in her speech and facial expressions as she code-switches between Hae Sung and Arthur, up until the last moment when she sees the former off to his car. This is even more impressive given Lee’s low

underrated performance as Arthur, whose cultural barriers keep him from getting to know Na Young and not just Nora. Yet even through that doubt and awkwardness stemming from Hae Sung’s visit and thirdwheel presence during their night out together, Arthur possesses an understanding that transcends any level of Korean fluency.

“Past Lives” is a story that isn’t just unique to the immigrant experience, but is undoubtedly poignant because

“Past Lives,” a rich and poignant film, explores evolving relationships, lost loves and the sacrifices that come along them. Courtesy of A24

before having dinner with Arthur, while simultaneously contemplating the nature of their relationship after so many years. The recurring concept of “inyeon” is brought up, which refers to one’s fateful connection with another over the course of their life as a result of their relationship in a previous life. Through “inyeon,” the trio ponders the possibilities of a different path, albeit with some uncertainty.

expectations about taking on a role with so much non-English dialogue, which she found challenging considering it’s already difficult to act in English.

Yoo’s Hae Sung, an idealistic man with his heart on his sleeve in the face of repeated disappointment, makes your heart melt. It’s natural to empathize with a man whose favorite person is now an entire ocean away. Magaro also gives quite the

it comes from the lens of an immigrant. Free of melodrama and shock twists, the film carefully explores the enigma of lost love, childhood memories and alternative realities and learning about what it is that keeps them alive and people tethered to them. As much as one wishes to think about what might have been, one can only help but keep the past in its rightful place—until the next life comes to seek you out again.

“Mean Girls” is another remake gone wrong

Shivangi Nanda Executive Editor

Debuting in 2004, the original “Mean Girls” has since become a cult classic, giving audiences a time capsule of teenage life in the early 2000s. Its later transition to the Broadway stage only further cemented the movie’s place in pop culture history. Now in 2024, this beloved story has been given a modern makeover, with the same characters, music and plot as the Broadway musical. However, lacking the nuance and strong casting of the original, “Mean Girls” (2024) has landed itself in the annals of forgettable remakes.

Directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., “Mean Girls’’ follows former home-schooler Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) as she navigates the treacherous halls of North Shore High School. After befriending Janis (Auli’i Cravalho) and “too gay to function” Damian (Jaquel Spivey), Cady encounters the infamous Plastics: Regina George (Reneé Rapp), Karen Shetty (Avantika Vandanapu) and Gretchen Wieners (Bebe Wood).

In the midst of some pretty poor acting, Rapp’s charismatic reprisal as Regina George emerges as the standout performance. Having also

performed the role on Broadway, Rapp clearly has control of Regina’s character, echoing the strong female leader she is written to be. However,

the remainder of the cast struggles to match the energy and delivery of their characters. For example, despite Rice’s earnest attempt, she does not embody Cady’s transition from wide-eyed ingénue to cold, hard “plastic”—appearing reserved and shy throughout the film. Even Janis’ depiction veers into toxicity, straying from the nuanced portrayal we expect from this underdog. Vandanapu faces similar issues crafting a version of Karen that is, dare I say, too dumb.

Aside from casting, another of the film’s major missteps is its incorporation of musical elements. Unlike its predecessor, where the dialogue was seamlessly woven with song, here the interludes often disrupt, rather than enhance, the storyline. The only song I can really stand by is “Sexy.” Vandanapu owns her moment, capturing the raunchiness of the lyrics with an elegance only she could pull off in that dress. All of the movie’s other performances, though cinematically risky, lack depth.

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A disappointing ode to the iconic 2000s classic “Mean Girls” (2024) falls short in its attempt to bring the Broadway musical to the big screen with lackluster performances and mediocre musical numbers. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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Looking at dialogue, the new film stays true to the original script, mainly cleaning up outdated humor to fit Gen Z standards. In doing so, the film also uses TikTok and social media to emphasize the rapid dispersal of information, an element that is far off from the original. For example, in the original climactic scene where Regina throws around pages from the “Burn Book,” Rapp instead only drops the book in the hall, allowing students

to share the juicy pages through social media. While I can appreciate the attempt to connect with modern audiences, this change in particular felt unnecessary and took away the drama of this iconic moment.

Costuming further detracts from the film’s appeal. The Plastics are known for their iconic style, but this version leans a little too heavily on making the group stand out. Their clothing is far from trendy, and

the vibrant color palette only overwhelms the characters’ personalities and their understated authority in North Shore.

Despite these shortcomings, appearances by Ms. Norbury (Tina Fey) and Principal Duvall (Tim Meadows) add familiarity and nostalgia for fans. And Lindsay Lohan’s appearance as the Mathletes competition mediator is another welcome surprise, making the film feel more complete.

Overall, “Mean Girls” (2024) is mediocre at best. While Rapp comes out shining and this latest version of “Sexy” is quite the crowdpleaser, neither can make up for the other lackluster performances and the weak attempt to reboot an already excellent classic. “Mean Girls” has a large legacy in the world of teen comedies, and I think this latest adaptation proves some stories are better left untouched.

ABC’s “The Bachelor” returns for its 28th season, stoking drama and tears

Zachary Treseler News Editor

America’s favorite melodramatic dating competition show, “The Bachelor,” has returned for its 28th season. For those unfamiliar with the show’s premise, one man dates 32 women at the same time—who all live in the same house and go on group dates together—in an elimination-style game until there are only two contestants left. If all goes well, the Bachelor will propose to one of the remaining women.

The efficacy of “The Bachelor,” however, is another question. As of January 2024, there are only three surviving couples from the 28 seasons of the show. This does not include the franchise’s spinoff shows, which include “The Bachelorette,” “Bachelor in Paradise” and “The Golden Bachelor.” As someone who has been shamelessly watching America’s favorite guilty pleasure since 2018, I promptly dragged my roommates into our living room to watch this season’s first episode. Its leading man is Joey Graziadei, who can’t seem to decide whether he’s from Philadelphia proper or its suburbs—his answer changes depending on who he’s talking to.

What shocked me about this episode was its shortness compared to what I have typically experienced with this franchise. Pre-pandemic, the first episode of “The Bachelor” was a three-hour ordeal, with a

good third of its air time dedicated to introducing a handful of the contestants and the Bachelor himself. There also used to be a “live reaction” component where they would interview fans and contestants from a set in Hollywood. My confusion over the runtime was not helped by the most recent season of “Bachelor in Paradise,” where the season finale was also three hours long. One would then naturally expect the first episode of “The Bachelor” to be a similar length. You can imagine my shock when the show was only about an hour and a half long.

Personally, I liked the shortened runtime. It made the first episode flow much better, as it was all in sequential order. For example, the show introduced a handful of contestants—with interviews filmed at hometowns—at the same time as the contestants stepped out of the limousine and introduced themselves to Joey. This made the show more engaging, as those of us in the audience found out information about the contestants alongside the Bachelor himself.

This season also opened rather uniquely in comparison to previous ones. Instead of a montage of the season’s high and lowlights, it opened with a painfully awkward two-minute clip of Joey crying on a random island. A minute into the sobbing, the producers overlaid a Billie Eilish song, further throwing me into a state of emotional confusion.

My slightly confused feelings continued throughout the first episode. Its tone was either too artificial or downright weird. For example, the producers handed a letter to one contestant, Lea, which would have given her the power to steal a one-on-one date—which translates into exclusive time with Joey—from someone else later in the season. There was an excessive amount of build-up for this, and once she found out what the letter did, she told Joey, cried, told the other girls and then threw it in a fire. Joey was so impressed by this that she got the First Impression Rose, which made her safe from elimination during the first round. Her literally throwing away the instrument of chaos into the fire called into question why the episode made such a big deal about it, and created such artificial and overdone drama to begin with.

Throughout this episode, there were also several odd and silly moments that I just need to highlight due to their absurdity. The first moment that comes to mind is when we are introduced to two sisters who are both contestants on the show. They tried to hide their relationship at first, but found this difficult and only a few hours later told both the other women and Joey. Their actions left me and my friends utterly perplexed, but it does make for good, if not concerning, television. Another moment that comes to mind is the case of one proudly

Canadian contestant. She got out of the limousine holding a small Maple Leaf Flag—except for some reason the cloth flag was blurred out by ABC’s editors, as if it was some form of obscenity.

The vast majority of episodes in “The Bachelor” franchise end with an event known as a “Rose Ceremony,” and the first episode is no different in that regard. This is where Joey gets to decide who can stay by giving the chosen women a rose, and those without one must leave the show. The ceremony is emotional, with many parts narrated by contestants as if they were speaking in the moment. This season’s was consistent with previous ceremonies, lasting well into the morning hour with interviews conducted outside in the sunlight.

Can I seriously recommend watching “The Bachelor” as an individual source of entertainment? No. But can I wholeheartedly recommend it as a fun way to hang out with a group of flatmates or friends. It is so cringy and off-the-wall bonkers that it is best enjoyed with other people.

For Case Western Reserve University students living on campus, “The Bachelor” can be viewed live via the ABC channel on the Spectrum University webpage on Mondays starting at 8 p.m. You can access it through the My Case portal. Otherwise, students with Hulu accounts can watch it there the next day.

This year’s Bachelor, 28-year-old tennis pro Joey Graziadei, has only just begun his journey of narrowing down 32 elligible bachelorettes to ‘the one,’ with the latest season’s first episode airing Jan. 22. Courtesy of Michael Kirchoff/Disney

The

Girls" characters

Aquarius Ms.Norbury

Pisces Cady Heron

Aries

Gretchen Weiners

Taurus Regina George

Gemini Aaron Samuels

Cancer Shane Oman

Leo Janis Ian

Virgo Karen Smith

Libra Cady's mom

Scorpio Damian

Sagittarius Kevin Gnapoor

Capricorn Principal Duvall

Crossword

ACROSS

1 Backers primarily want offer to acquire right winger

6 Purple flower hidden in inverted optical illusion

7 A small amount of iron and tungsten

8 Listen in on what happens in "The Fall" after lead character goes missing

10 Sick after dose of medicine initally skipped

11 Commercial that is seen at university is so long!

13 Redesign ten lasers with vigilance DOWN

1 A braille novel about northern dancer

2 It bores everyone in audition

3 Get going with tricky task cooking unknown ducks

4 Reason popular judge retired

5 Penny caught in strange, wondrous heavy rains

9 Price of uranium found in valley

12 Son leaves father in anger

Word Search: Groundhog Day

Groundhog

Spring

Winter

Top hat

Phil

Shadow

Burrow

Tradition

Sleep

Pennsylvania

Den February

Forecast Hibernate

Prediction

Six weeks

Dirt

Legend

Sunshine

Underground Peek

What We've Been Listening To

Myth

Punxsutawney

Hiding

Emerge

Sign

Morning

Green Typewriters

Clay Preusch

A different perspective on body positivity

Catherine Choi Staff Writer

The body positive trend is seeking to combat discrimination and stereotypes based on weight and aims to help people feel comfortable about their unique body shape. Such a trend has contributed to identifying unrealistic appearance standards that are portrayed by the media and rejecting the thought that people must fit a specific body type to be considered beautiful. However, the message also holds the risk of being misunderstood as meaning that it is okay to remain obese because “all body shapes are beautiful,” eventually justifying and normalizing obesity despite the toll it takes on the person. Moreover, a healthy lifestyle and attempts to stay fit and manage weight can be considered “fatphobic” because they go against what body positive proponents view as “normal” and might spread the belief that being overweight is something to be ashamed of. Unfortunately, such a belief that people are healthy and thriving regardless of their size is not true and numerous efforts are needed to reduce and overcome obesity.

The primary step to make changes is to establish why one must lose weight. Obesity, by definition, is a state where the Body Mass Index (BMI) is above 30. Although one might be satisfied with the way they look and is comfortable with the life they are living, it does not mean that they are healthy.

EDITORIAL

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 4 million people die each year as a result of being obese. Gaining weight leads to increased blood pressure, higher cholesterol and high blood sugar. Each point increase in one’s BMI increases the risk of diabetes by 20%, coronary artery disease, heart failure, heart attack and stroke. Also, excess fats circulating in the blood accumulate in the liver, causing chronic liver inflammation. Higher blood cholesterol levels can cause gallstones to amass in the gallbladder. Obesity increases the risk for stroke, cancer, premature death and mental illnesses. Although people may not feel an immediate change in body function and well-being, subtle changes are occurring inside—but these negative effects can be prevented by staying fit and managing your weight rather than waiting to pay the consequences.

Attempting to overcome obesity also improves your quality of life, both physically and mentally. Some of the immediate impacts of obesity include asthma, sleep apnea, difficulty breathing, back and joint pain from the added weight, disabilities from osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal discomfort and gout, which can lead to damage to the heart and kidneys. Psychological impacts include impairments in memory and cognition, Alzheimer’s disease, female infertility and mood disorders. Obesity is associated with an increased rate of depression, eating disorders, anxiety, substance abuse and

low self esteem from outside criticism. Although disrespect based on appearance is not acceptable, it is difficult to not be swayed by outside opinions and criticism. Making changes to an area that you have control over and the foundational cause can help remove the discomforts and help you regain your health without undergoing complicated procedures or treatments.

Another reason to overcome obesity is to avoid the financial burden it can impose on the individual, healthcare institutions and the government.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the annual obesity-related medical care cost in the U.S. was estimated to be nearly $173 billion in 2019. This amount includes the treatment process, the need for special equipment to accommodate patients’ needs, loss of productivity due to frequent treatments and being unable to work. On the individual scale, medical costs for adults with obesity—which consist of medical treatment, preventive services, diagnostic testing, bariatric surgeries and medications—were $1,861 higher than those without obesity in 2019. Those with obesity are likely to experience a decrease in income due to impaired work performance and productivity resulting from cognitive impairments and physical limitations. This condition may also result in an inability to have certain jobs, like joining the military, and cause one to take frequent absences from work. By going through the temporary discomfort

Dare to tackle the unfamiliar

Editorial Board

Case Western Reserve University students come from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Some of us are local to the state of Ohio, some are from other states and some even are from countries on the other side of the globe. This means that our first year can be an enriching time: All of a sudden, we’re exposed to people with unique experiences that we’ve never seen before. This can be especially significant if our high school years were homogeneous, where one culture or set of beliefs dominated.

Going to college in a completely new environment opens up our world in ways we never could have imagined. And these few years after high school, but before the demanding responsibilities of full adulthood, can serve as a worthwhile time for us to get to know ourselves and our fellow students better.

Many people often say that college can be a time to “explore” yourself. Of course, that is often in reference to “typical” college experiences: partying, romantic relationships, eschewing personal responsibilities and the like. But there is more to personal growth than acting wild for one last time before the realities of post-graduation hit us. We have the option of conquering our fears and anxieties, and daring to go beyond what we thought we were capable of.

The vast majority of the decisions we make as students in college—even as working adults away from college— are inconsequential. Chances are making a decision won’t hurt you or negatively impact your life; that decision might instead be neutral or even good.

Despite the image of complete independence, college campuses such as CWRU’s are controlled environments. We all have to wake up, attend classes at regularly scheduled times and locations and interact with the same students we see every day. This might sound like a burden, but it can actually be freeing.

As students we have the ability to take risks and step outside our comfort zones with little harm. Afraid to reach out to a friend because you’re worried it might be taken the wrong way? Then reach out. You’re more than likely to receive a good response. Too overwhelmed to pick up a new hobby or skill because you won’t be good enough? Just give it a shot. No one is perfect the first time; that’s part of the learning process. Hesitant to act like your authentic self around your friends

and the other people you care about?

Let that authentic you shine as bright as you can. Your friends and loved ones might even be happy that you felt comfortable enough to open up and express your uniqueness.

Understandably, however, college is a time when many students develop anxiety, as transitioning to a new chapter in your life can lead to a lot of worries and confusion. If you feel this way, you are not alone. In fact, the recent Healthy Minds survey of more than 76,000 students from last year found that 36% of college students reported feelings of anxiety. And these feelings can be very challenging to manage and overcome.

But stepping outside of your comfort zone and taking on what is unfamiliar to you can be an effective way to overcome your fears. Anxiety can

stemming from attempting to overcome obesity and taking care of one’s health, people can prevent unnecessary costs and reduce one of the major barriers in enhancing their career.

The body positive movement and the increased understanding of obesity has helped fight the stereotype that obesity is due to overeating and laziness, but is rather caused by various reasons. Factors such as psychological stress, hormonal malfunction and changes in the workforce culture can contribute to habits that lead to weight gain. In some cases, there are uncontrollable reasons such as genetics, poverty, medications used to cure other illnesses and a lack of awareness about the impacts on our health or illnesses that make it difficult to manage one’s weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The movement also created an atmosphere of accepting people for the way they are rather than forcing unrealistic standards on them that are also unhealthy. Although nobody holds the right to criticize others for how they look, nor should anyone be lacking confidence and self-love, it is not normal to continue a lifestyle and a physical state that exposes oneself to a variety of dangerous health conditions and severe financial losses. Attempting to lose weight to a normal range and to gain some sort of control rather than merely blaming external factors and using it as an excuse to neglect fitness is not simply about becoming “pretty to look at” but more about selfcare and self-protection.

make you want to avoid the causes of your anxiety—but avoidance can actually worsen those symptoms. Instead, try to take on your fears slowly, one at a time. You don’t have to tackle every scary situation all at once. Over time, though, each small action builds up and you’ll come out the other side a much stronger and more resilient person.

Taking on the unfamiliar isn’t just helpful for those struggling with anxiety; it can also help all of us. Psychiatrist Abigail Brenner, who herself has dealt with significant life changes, suggests that stepping outside of your comfort zone can help you realize your untapped potential. Additionally, taking risks can act as important learning experiences, regardless of the outcome. You don’t have to succeed at everything you try. You are allowed to fail and stumble. Besides, if you grew from the risk, did you really fail?

Stepping outside of your comfort zone can be as simple or innocent as watching a show with a friend that you wouldn’t normally watch or learning a new game. No matter how big or small the effort, any kind of new experience is worth it. And who knows: You might even learn something new about yourself along the way.

College can be a scary time, absolutely. It’s full of twists and turns. Sometimes it might even seem like you’re walking through a dark forest with strange sounds that you don’t quite understand. But that strange sound you hear off in the distance might just be a forest animal trying to find its own way around. The best thing you can do for yourself in those moments is to be brave, at least for a little bit. Eventually, night will turn to day and you’ll find your way out.

Lucas Yang/

The most valuable lesson you can learn from a major in engineering

Milo Vetter Staff Writer

Engineering education has a problem—an apathy problem. This apathy varies, of course, but especially in the classes more focused on math and theory, students treat engineering education as a pill they have to swallow. I remember when I took dynamics that the general sentiment among students was one of passing by any means necessary.

Why does this sentiment exist among students? Well, ask them. The most common answer you’ll get is that “we won’t need to know most of this in our actual careers,” which is honestly true. I’m not an expert on the “real world,” being a college student myself, but I’ve talked to engineering graduates. Most of them would agree that when you start a career in engineering, you know nothing. What you learn in college is simply the “language” of your field. That language is the tool required

to learn the concepts and skills you actually need to know for your job.

But this disconnect between curriculum and career has widened as software and technology keep improving. Engineering software is so complicated, the theory so complex, that you don’t just need a master’s in engineering to understand it. You need a master’s in multiple kinds of engineering, and probably a master’s in a very specific type of computer science as well. In the face of that complexity, is it really worth your time to fully understand the process?

And, to touch on possibly the most over-discussed subject in the past year, another important factor in the specialization and automation of engineering is machine learning language models such as ChatGPT. To be clear, the likes of ChatGPT will never replace engineers because machine learning models cannot themselves be legally held liable for mistakes, which means that they cannot—legally or morally—be

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given a professional engineer’s stamp.

However, a much more realistic concern is the inevitability of machine learning models being used as tools to supplement design. This introduces the “black box” problem, the idea that the process by which machine learning models reach their conclusions is almost impossible to figure out, which makes catching mistakes much more difficult. What this means is that in engineering design the importance of critical thinking is about to increase. It’s no longer critical to understand the steps to reach an output from an input. Today, the much more important concept to understand is how the input and output are related, and, critically, which inputs are selected and why. To meet the requirements of the current day, an engineer must know not just what they’re designing or how, but also why.

To understand the importance of “why” in engineering, let’s talk about an important example: highways. To tell it one way, the history of highways in the United States has been one of connection. If your grandparents lived in the U.S., you could ask them about road trips, and they’d probably tell you about the first cross-country road trip they ever took on the brand-new Interstate Highway System. It’s possibly the most critical piece of infrastructure that we have; not only do commuters and travelers rely on it, but American shipping via trucks would also be impossible without it.

And yet, to tell it another way, the history of highways has been a history of destruction. Those highways had to go somewhere, and whatever was in the way had to be demolished. This footprint is larger than you may think: In addition to direct spatial conflicts, living near a highway can lead to long-term respiratory problems, and it massively drives down quality of life and property values. Now, if you were an engineer in 1950s America, and you had to choose which neighborhood to demolish in order to build a highway, where might you choose? Here’s a hint: Go to Google and search up the name of any city and “black neighborhood highway construction.”

We’ve got our own story of destructive highways in Cleveland with an ironic twist: One of the only stretches of highway that got canceled due to community backlash, the Clark Free-

way, was to run through the comparatively rich and white suburbs of Shaker Heights. The sad truth about highways in the U.S. is that the engineering design decisions about where they should go were not apolitical. The decision makers failed to rise above the political biases of their time.

This story will have been familiar to anyone who took ENGR 398: Professional Communication for Engineers, but I’d like to go one layer deeper. Adjusted for inflation, the U.S. Interstate Highway System as a whole cost more than $500 billion, not counting the money spent maintaining it. In comparison, the International Space Station has cost somewhere near $100 billion. Why did politicians and engineers decide that the largest highway network in the world was worth the price tag? Why not, say, an equally expensive and robust rail network accompanied by much smaller and cheaper highways? Whom has that fateful decision served, and how has it affected the collective and individual decisions that we’re able to make today?

These are the questions that every engineer should ask and answer. Sometimes, I get asked why I have a major in civil engineering but a minor in sociology. The answer is because the built world and the social world inform each other. Our design decisions influence our social beliefs, and, in turn, our social beliefs influence our design decisions. The emphasis on “why” that I’ve been discussing has a name among sociologists; they call it “sociological imagination.” Just like how a scientist should be able to justify the intellectual value of their research, an engineer should be able to justify the political and social value of the world they want to build.

However, returning to our curriculum here at CWRU, I don’t think that we should abandon all our technical standards and instead take only classes on software and sociology. But we should be shifting the way we think about our education. When you learn equations, you should not just be thinking about how they work, but also about what purpose they serve. College may end up being the only time in your life when you need to know what the fourth order Runge-Kutta method is, but it certainly won’t be the only time in your life when you need to be curious.

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Men’s basketball drops 2 straight away from home, falls to No. 11 ranking

Marvin Lee Staff Writer

The UAA competition is never easy, especially when the league boasts four nationally ranked squads and one more receiving votes in the D3hoops.com Top 25. The league has zero teams with a losing overall record. The worst team is the University of Rochester with an even 9-9 record. So it’s understandable that any team would have some difficulty when they have to play those teams back to back every single weekend for two months. CWRU was fully aware of that difficulty last weekend as they embarked on their third and fourth straight games away from home against the University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis, respectively.

The contest against the Maroons of UChicago was the culmination of playing three straight games with razor-thin margins, as CWRU could not engineer a way to hold on to a lead and fend off the opposition in this one. UChicago sprung out to a 15-8 lead 5 minutes into the first half and maintained that lead until a layup made it 18-17 for the Spartans with around 10 minutes to go. The back-and-forth affair would continue until a 14-2 CWRU run over the final 5 minutes of the first half put CWRU ahead 40-31 at the halftime buzzer.

The buzzer unfortunately signaled impending doom for CWRU. For the first five minutes of the second half, the Spartans went scoreless, while the Maroons got red-hot, literally. They shot 71.4% (20-28) from the field and went 75% (6-8) from the 3-point line in the second half.

After squandering their lead, the closest that CWRU came to UChicago was a point with 5:52 left to play after a 3-pointer by graduate student forward Colin Kahl. The next couple minutes went exactly how you would expect them to go when a team is shooting that well: The Maroons went on a 12-4 run that essentially put the game away. The final score

was 85-75 in favor of UChicago.

It’s extremely hard to win a contest when your opponent shoots over 53.3% from the field and 44.0% from the 3-point line. Kahl was the leading scorer for CWRU, scoring 20 and adding 6 rebounds. It marked the fifth time he scored 20 or more points in a game this season. Thirdyear guard Sam Trunley continued his hot streak, building off an appearance on the D3hoops.com Team of the Week by scoring 17 points off the bench with 3 assists and 2 steals.

The next contest, in typical UAA fashion, was a thriller that came down to the final possession of the game. In CWRU’s 7 UAA games so far, only one has had a final margin of more than 10 points. Somewhat ironically, the largest margin so far, 20 points, was in a win over then No. 4 ranked New York University. This well attended Sunday afternoon contest in St. Louis against WashU started just as CWRU would wish for: with them raining 3-pointers and taking a big lead early. The Spartans hit 10 of their 21 3-point attempts in the first half and led by as many as 16 points. But just as in the last game, CWRU could not hold on to their lead. WashU clawed back, and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer cut the Spartan’s lead to 42-35 heading into the break.

The Bears kept hanging around just within striking distance in the early part of the second half as CWRU could never fully put them away. Despite the Spartans taking a 12-point lead with 13:37 to go, the game was tied at 63 points with 5:46 left. The last 2:16 of regulation was ugly: CWRU didn’t score at all after taking a 75-72 lead. The Bears came right back, scoring a layup and a free throw to even the score at 75. The Spartans missed a free throw on the front end of the one-and-one and missed a potential game-winning 3-point shot at the buzzer.

The game now went into overtime, with the Bears energized and the Spartans distraught. Despite never trailing to WashU in regulation,

Courtesy of Tim Phillis/CWRU Athletics

CWRU had let the Bears make their way back into the game. The overtime period was a thrilling back-andforth affair, as both teams sat at 82 points with one minute to go. Graduate student guard Anthony Mazzeo, who was spectacular all game, hit a layup to give the Spartans an 8482 lead. WashU answered with a 3-pointer at the 28 second mark, but CWRU quickly punched back with a Trunley turnaround jumper to give the Spartans a 86-85 lead with 12 seconds left to play. The thrills continued as the Bears hit a jumper with five seconds left to put WashU ahead 87-86. A Mazzeo 3-pointer at the buzzer was no good, and the Bears prevailed 87-86. The loss meant CWRU fell out of first place in the UAA and now sits at

4-3, one game behind the 5-2 NYU Violets. The star in this contest was Mazzeo, who added to his spectacular season so far with another performance of 25 points or more, his eighth such performance so far this season. He led all scorers with 27 points, shooting 12-21 from the field and 2-5 from beyond the arc while adding 3 assists. Fellow graduate student guard Richie Manigault added 18 points on a blistering 7-11 from the field and 4-5 from distance.

CWRU is finally back at home in Horsburgh Gymnasium for two contests this weekend as they will face UChicago on Friday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and the No. 17 WashU on Sunday, Feb. 4 at noon. Both games are rematches from the previous weekend and are sure to be thrillers.

Women’s basketball continues to skid following two losses to UChicago, WashU

Paola Van der Linden Costello Staff Writer

The Case Western Reserve University women’s basketball team traveled this weekend to Chicago and St. Louis but came back home with two losses, leaving their conference score record at 1-6 and their overall record at 8-10.

On Friday night they faced the University of Chicago in a close match that resulted in an unfortunate loss. Fourth-year guard Sarah Mitchell recorded a career high with 22 points and 6 steals, but it was still not enough for this team to take home the win. Overall, the Spartans shot 35.5% from the field goal range and 19.0% from the 3-point line compared to 41.5% and 27.8% from the Maroons. Both teams had a total of 40 rebounds, 16 turnovers and 10 steals. Fourthyear forward Kayla Characklis add-

ed 12 points and graduate student guard Kate Montgomery added 10 points.

The game had 7 ties and 9 lead changes. The Spartans had their largest lead of the night after a layup by first-year guard Mya Hartjes had them leading by 7 with 4:03 left in that quarter. The Maroons fought the Spartans and managed to cut down the difference to 2 points going into the second quarter.

The Spartans kept their stamina up and managed to end up 3 points over after 2 free-throws leading them into the third quarter. At the start of the third quarter, a 3-pointer by second-year guard/forward Emily Plachta gave the Spartans a 6 point lead, but they were unable to keep this up and ended up trailing by 3 at the end of this quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Spartans tried to catch up to the Maroons, managing to get a point

away from the scoreboard but could not tie the game. In the end, a free throw by the opposing team sealed the game 59-64 in UChicago’s favor.

After their unfortunate loss in Chicago, the Spartans traveled to St. Louis to face Washington University, but their efforts were not enough to win against the Bears. Mitchell managed to score 20 points followed by Montgomery who got 16 points. Characklis added 9 rebounds and 6 points as well. The team shot 35.0% from the field goal range and 32.1% from the 3-point line which was not enough to match WashU’s 57.1% from the field goal range and 34.8% from the free throw line.

Although being down for most of the first quarter, a layup by graduate student forward Morgan Micallef gave the Spartans the first lead of the night with 2:16 left in the first quarter. They were able to

keep this lead throughout the second quarter, leading by as much as 8 points after Montgomery completed a 3-point shot. Keeping their stamina, a jumper by Montgomery with 56 seconds left in the second quarter gave CWRU a 7-point lead heading into the second half of the game. WashU was quick to trim down this lead and with 3:44 left in the third quarter they were able to take the lead. The Bears’ impressive shooting accuracy made it hard for the Spartans to come back and with 1:31 left, a layup by the opposing team had the final score of 65-82.

Both UChicago and WashU will be traveling to Cleveland to face the Spartans in Horsburgh Gymnasium Friday, Feb. 2 at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 4 at 2:00 p.m., respectively. We hope to see this team turn their losing streak around and deliver a win in the upcoming home games.

During CWRU men’s basketball team’s game against Washington University in St. Louis, graduate student guard Richie Manigault added 18 points to their score.

Action-packed NFL conference championships set up highly anticipated Super Bowl LVIII

Sidharth Ranga Staff Writer

The 2024 NFL conference championships provided the entertainment fans were craving for after an equally riveting divisional round. Whether it be the continued brilliance of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who some say has now overtaken legendary quarterback Tom Brady as the greatest quarterback of all time, or the Lions’ questionable gameplan, the NFC and AFC championship games certainly did not disappoint.

The AFC championship saw the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, face off against their most ruthless and well-rounded opponent yet, the Lamar Jackson-led Baltimore Ravens. With this year’s MVP almost certainly being awarded to the league’s most versatile dual-threat quarterback, many questioned whether the Chiefs’ offense would keep pace with the Ravens. However, Mahomes skillfully exposed the Ravens’ defense with his quick passes

and immaculate connection with star tight end Travis Kelce.

In conjunction with Mahomes’ blazing start to his sixth consecutive conference championship game, the Chiefs’ defense rendered the Ravens’ run-and-pass game obsolete. Aside from the first drive capped off by a touchdown from wide receiver Zay Flowers, the Ravens were not themselves. Buoyed by Kelce’s incredible catching and running back Isiah Pacheco’s agile moves, the Chiefs went up 17-7 on the Ravens by halftime.

Surprisingly, the second half was a defensive affair with only 3 total points scored by either team and two takeaways by the Chiefs. With Ravens’ run game being almost nonexistent and Flowers making costly mistakes, the Ravens beat themselves up in this AFC heavyweight bout. In the end, Mahomes managed the game flawlessly and trusted his teammates when he needed them the most. Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling finished the Ravens off with a 32-yard reception on third down. Though some may say that the Ravens choked, no one can undermine

In the 2023 season AFC championship game, the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl champions, defeated the Baltimore Ravens 17-10. Courtesy of Terrance Williams/AP Photo

the poise shown by Mahomes who will now compete for his third Super Bowl ring.

The latter half of the championship weekend saw the San Francisco 49ers host the Detroit Lions. In their first conference championship game since 1991, the Lions were hungry under pivotal head coach Dan Campbell. The Lions came running through the gates in the first half with 148 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Wide receiver AmonRa St. Brown supplemented the run game with a couple of catches of his own. The Lions defense also held the 49ers to only 7 points, which were scored by the touchdown machine Christian McCaffrey.

Down 24-7, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was on the brink of total defeat. Before their game with the Green Bay Packers, Kyle Shanahan was 0-30 when trailing in the fourth quarter. He desperately needed a miracle to avoid a third consecutive loss in the NFC championship.

“Game manager” Brock Purdy was perhaps the reason why the 49ers ended up with the win. In the third quarter alone, the 49ers erased the deficit and tied it at 24 points. A combination of luck, smart deci-

sion-making and grit set the Niners up perfectly for the fourth quarter. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk erupted in the third quarter with a monster 51-yard grab which first bounced off a Lions-defender facemask. The Lions had no answers for the surging 49ers’ offense. Experience in high pressure situations seemed to prevail over the young and inexperienced Lions squad. A field goal by Jake Moody and a rushing touchdown by running back Elijah Mitchell completed the comeback win by the 49ers.

However, Campbell made some controversial coaching decisions by going for it on fourth down in field goal territory twice. Both drives resulted in a turnover on downs, which many point to as the reason for the Lions’ excruciating loss. The 49ers’ relentless usage of McCaffrey coupled with Purdy’s decisionmaking in the clutch vaulted them to a rematch with the Chiefs.

Super Bowl LVIII will be held on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m. on CBS. The reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, will take one of the most dominant NFC teams of recent times, the San Francisco 49ers, in a classic matchup at Allegiant Stadium.

Swimming and diving defeats SUNY Geneseo, Oberlin to open spring season

Puneet Bansal Sports Editor

Paola Van der Linden Costello Staff Writer

The Case Western Reserve University swimming and diving team have won two straight events to open the spring portion of their 20232024 season. Traveling to Buffalo on Jan. 20, New York, the men’s team defeated SUNY Geneseo 162-136 while the women’s team won 187.5112.5. This past weekend on Jan. 27, both teams dominated again, with the men winning it 226-68 and the women’s team taking it 252-44 on home court in Veale Natatorium. For the whole season, both teams stand at an undefeated 5-0.

Against Geneseo, the women’s team notched 11 victories led by third-year Gabriella Chambers, who brought in three wins. She won the 100- and 200-yard freestyle races with times of 52.98 and 1:57.12, re-

spectively before joining forces with third-year Kelly Vann and secondyears Eliza Dixon and Claire Kozma to place first in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:38.07.

Kozma managed to tie in the 100 fly with Geneseo athlete Alise Hale at 59.12. Third-year Erica Rice won the 100 backstroke and the 200 breaststroke with the times 1:00.36 and 2:32.42 respectively while third-year Elishka Bailey finished the backstroke sweep with a time of 2:08.81 after winning the 200 event. To round off the swimming events, first-year Maggie Rose Rook won the 500 freestyle and third-year Kate Menzer took the 200 individual medley.

The women’s team also swept the diving events, as third-year Abigail Wilkov took the 1-meter drive with a score of 268.30 while third-year Jocelyn Schechter won the 3-meter dive after scoring 283.75.

Meanwhile, the men’s team earned eight wins. Third-year Peter Meng recorded three victories, tak-

ing the 200 freestyle, the 500 freestyle and the 200 individual medley. Fourth-year Ethan Chuang owned both breaststroke events, winning the 100 in 58.28 seconds and the 200 in 2:10.27. Second-year Emil LaSida won the 100 backstroke, fourth-year Sean Yetter took first in

Continue reading on page 12

the 1000 freestyle and second-year John Drumm rounded out the victories with the top performance in the 100 fly finishing at 52:47 seconds

The CWRU swimming and diving team heads to Kenyon College this weekend after dominating Oberlin in their most recent meet. Courtesy of Tim Phillis/CWRU Athletics

After a nail-biting game against the Detroit Lions, the San Francisco 49ers advance to the 2024 Super Bowl. Courtesy of Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports

Swimming and diving from page 11

The teams were similarly dominant against the Oberlin meet. This time, it was Kozma who spearheaded the victory, taking two individual and two team events. She won the 50 fly in 26.26 seconds and the 200 freestyle in 1:56.00. Kozma teamed with Rice, Menzer and Chambers for the 200 medley relay and with third-year Angeli Paull, Vann and Chambers for the 400 freestyle relay.

Chambers also claimed the 50 freestyle, Menzer won the 100 individual medley and Paull placed first in the 100 freestyle. Third-years Amelia Myhrvold, Madison McDaniels and Bailey claimed the 50 backstroke, 50 breaststroke and 200

backstroke, respectively.

Second-year Lauren Valentine came in first for the 500 freestyle while fellow second-year Kailyn Smith won the 200 fly. To finish off the individual events, firstyears Erin Butler and Lillian Paley won the 1650 freestyle and the 200 breaststroke, respectively.

Wilkov swept the diving events, scoring 287.93 in the 1-meter dive and 284.63 in the 3-meter dive.

The Spartans celebrated Senior Day against Oberlin, honoring Chuang, Yetter, Sydney Criscitiello, Emma Guarnieri, Elena Igic, Neeraj Javadekar, Zoe Michos, Rei Miyauchi, Maria Pritchett, Casey Slaterbeck and Alex Sorensen.

Photos of the Week

For the men’s team, LaSida set a school record in the 50-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 20.44 seconds and beating his own previous record of 20.58 seconds. LaSida also touched the wall first in the 100 individual medley after 51.25 seconds and joined third-year Ben Zuo, second-year Mason Bencurik and Chuang for first in the medley relay.

Meng placed first in the 200 freestyle and in the 200 breaststroke with times of 1:42.45 and 2:05.92, respectively. Bencurik won the 100 freestyle. In 3:09.25 minutes, Meng, Zuo and third-year Jackson Pollard and Stephen Hogeman won the 400 freestyle relay. Pollard and second-year Ben Borvendeg tied for

first in the 50 fly after both touching the wall at 23.12 seconds. Drumm added two wins in the 200 fly and 500 freestyle. To cap off the wins, second-year Tyler Ahten won the 50-meter backstroke, second-year Julian Kim took the 50 breaststroke and first-year Michael Boelens won the 200 backstroke.

Third-year Alex Waltman also swept the diving events, winning the 1-meter dive with 276.68 points and the 3-meter dive with 265.50 points.

The Spartans will be traveling to Kenyon College on Feb. 3 to compete in their final dual meet of the season before heading out to Chicago for the UAA Championships from Feb. 14-17.

Scores and Upcoming Games

Men’s Basketball

CWRU at UChicago (1/26) - L 75-85

CWRU at WashU (1/28) - L 86-87 (OT)

CWRU vs UChicago (2/1, 7:30 p.m., Horsburgh Gymnasium)

CWRU vs WashU (2/4, noon, Horsburgh Gymnasium)

CWRU at NYU (2/9)

CWRU at Brandeis (2/11)

Track and Field

CWRU at Dr. Taraschke Team Challenge

Men’s team: 2nd of 6 (91.0 points)

Women’s team: 1st of 6 (92.0 points)

CWRU vs 15th Annual Battle for the Obelisk (2/3, 2 p.m., Veale Center)

CWRU at Crimson & Gold Invite (2/9)

CWRU at GVSU Big Meet (2/10)

CWRU at Indoor All-Ohio Championships (2/10)

Swimming and Diving

CWRU vs Oberlin (1/27)

Men’s team: W 226-68

Women’s team: W 252-44

CWRU at Kenyon (2/3)

CWRU at UAA Championships (2/14-17)

Women’s Basketball

CWRU at UChicago (1/26) - L 59-64

CWRU at WashU (1/28) - L 65-82

CWRU vs UChicago (2/2, 5:30 p.m., Horsburgh Gymnasium)

CWRU vs WashU (2/4, 2 p.m., Horsburgh Gymnasium)

CWRU at NYU (2/9)

CWRU at Brandeis (2/11)

Wrestling

CWRU at Pete Willson Invite (1/26-27)18th of 32 (43.0 points)

CWRU at Penn State Behrend (2/2)

CWRU at Gannon (2/2)

CWRU at John Summa Invitational (2/3)

CWRU at Ohio Wesleyan (2/10)

CWRU at JCU Open (2/11)

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