The Observer, Volume LV, Issue 25, 04/12/24

Observer The Case Western Reserve

Otherworldly: CWRU gathers for total solar eclipse NEWS

Elie Aoun Director of Print

Campus was overfowing with excitement as countless people stood outdoors and eagerly awaited the solar eclipse’s totality, the brief period when the Moon completely obscures the Sun. During a campus-wide day of, over a thousand Case Western Reserve University students, professors and community members took to Freiberger Field on Monday, April 8 for the Solar Eclipse Viewing. The event was put on by the University Program Board and Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), and it featured numerous student organizations tabling and performing before and after totality.

The watch party began at noon. Music played throughout the afternoon, and there were many tables for everyone to explore. Eclipse glasses were readily available and necessary for viewing the Sun before and after totality.

The students from the astronomy department brought a big telescope through which people could view the Sun. Its resolution was strong enough that even sunspots were visible. Third-year math, physics and astronomy major Ananda Smith, the treasurer of SEDS, said, “the image [of the Sun is] projected onto the screen so that you don’t have to look through the telescope because that’d be really dangerous if you did.”

CWRU Lego Club had a raffe and a table where students could build their own rockets. Big Games Club held a scavenger hunt, and there was a trivia wheel where students could answer questions for prizes. There were also tables where students could make suncatchers and pinhole cameras.

On the side closest to Kelvin Smith Library, a massive line of students formed to grab custom eclipse

T-shirts. Those who chose not to wait in line or came too late could also get a T-shirt as a prize at the trivia wheel.

The grass on East Boulevard was lined with tables where students could grab free food and snacks. The road right behind them had several food trucks, including one run by CWRU’s very own Bon Appétit.

Those who understood the stages and sights of an eclipse came ready to see what they had studied. Third-year engineering physics major Luke Adelman said, “I’m looking forward to the kind of phenomena that you see as the eclipse is starting and stopping: the Baily’s beads and the other fringe efects. I’m just really excited to watch that transition happen.”

Baily’s beads are a phenomenon that occurs in the moments before totality as scattered bits of the Sun’s photosphere are still visible behind the Moon, causing a line of light beads to appear.

Other students were eager to see the amazement of everyone present. Fourthyear stu -

dent Summer Carver said, “me being a physics major and being an astronomy minor, I had been excited about this event for the past year.

party began with clear skies, but by 1 p.m. some thin clouds had moved in, beginning to obscure the Sun. The clouds remained in front of the Sun for the duration of the eclipse, though they did not impede the view of the Sun

And seeing everyone get equally as excited as me has just been super duper nice.” The watch

through eclipse glasses. At 1:59 p.m. the partial eclipse began. For over an hour, the Moon slowly crept in front of the Sun, creating a shrinking yellow crescent to onlookers who peered through eclipse glasses. The temperature noticeably plummeted in the minutes leading up to totality. Freiberger was completely packed with eager spectators, most of whom had never seen totality before. At 3:13 p.m. the fnal vestiges of the Sun vanished as the crowd cheered and clapped in astonishment: For the frst time since 1806, Cleveland was shrouded in darkness in the middle of the day. The Sun’s white corona shone around the black Moon for nearly four minutes and could be viewed safely without eclipse glasses. A visible red dot called a “prominence” radiated at the bottom of the Sun. The horizon was flled with a yellow layer of light resembling a 360-degree sunset. Below the Sun and to the right, Venus was clearly visible as a bright white dot. At 3:17 p.m., the sky lit up again as the bottom of the Sun shone with blinding force—it was time to put the glasses back on. “Totality of the eclipse is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen,” said third-year physics

major Joey Rodriguez, echoing the sentiments of many who were awestruck by fourminute experience

Third-year computer science major Asya Akkus was especially moved by the sight of the eclipse: “I’m not even a really religious person, and seeing totality I just went down on my knees and I started praying. It was probably the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in my life.”

Some students anticipated the eclipse for a while, and the experience lived up to the hype. “I put this on my calendar since July 20, 2023, and I’ve been waiting for this moment for probably a year. And I’m so glad I got the opportunity to see it in Cleveland, Ohio,” third-year political science and psychology major Mira Sethi said. “I’m so excited that I got to experience it with my friends, and I got to see it with my glasses with good protection.”

Many students reported that they saw the solar eclipse that passed over the continental United States on Aug. 21, 2017 but were unable to see its totality. Steven Johnson, a second-year mechanical engineering student from the University of Maryland, said that the partial eclipse he saw in California in 2017 doesn’t compare to this one. He said, “to see complete darkness was just surreal.”

Starting at 3:45 p.m. Case In Point, Undivided, Klover CWRU, Dhamakapella, the Korean Student Association and Solstice performed before an excited crowd. The partial eclipse ended at 4:29 p.m. and the performances concluded around 4:40 p.m.

The Solar Eclipse Viewing was an extraordinary experience for the CWRU community and tens of millions of others in North America. CWRU students will have to wait until 2444 to see another total solar eclipse on Freiberger. Summarizing the experience of totality, Akkus said, “It was otherworldly. It was actually breathtaking.”

“Funny Girl” delivers showstopping performances at Playhouse Square

Zachary Treseler News Editor

Shivangi Nanda Executive Editor

The classic 1964 musical “Funny Girl” hit Playhouse Square at the start of spring break, bringing with it Fanny Brice’s story of ambition, love and the price of fame. While this rendition was not nearly a Barbara Streisand equivalent, the cast performances, sets and lighting still made for a memorable viewing experience.

The show revolves around the titular “Funny Girl” Fanny (Katerina McCrimmon) who wants to enter the 1920s Broadway scene. Along the way, Fanny is met with criticism and doubts from theater owners, neighbors, friends and even her own mother, all who feel her unshapely figure and quirky personality will keep her from the spotlight. Still, with help from her choreographer friend Eddie Ryan (Izaiah Montaque Harris), Fanny secures a permanent spot in the Ziegfeld Follies, where she rises to comedic stardom.

In addition to her career path, the show highlights Fanny’s tumultuous marriage to Nick Arnstein (Stephen Mark Lukas), a con artist and gambler in serious financial trouble. Arnstein is suave, no doubt about it, but his charm is a guise for a criminal background. Even after Fanny’s repeated attempts to help him, Arnstein still finds himself buried in bad choices that eventually lead to a prison sentence. The marital troubles that ensue prove to be a core feature of the show from the very beginning.

“Funny Girl” remains a prominent part of Streisand’s legacy, and this version did not disappoint. The casting was exquisite, the sets dynamic and the costumes and lighting all came together to immerse the audience in the 1920s scene. Katerina McCrimmon was breathtaking as Fanny, achieving the comedic timing and powerful vocals needed for this demanding role. Still, while the supporting actors’ performances were equally as fulfilling—able to emulate emotions through gestures and tones—their characters felt a bit underdeveloped and left something to be desired. In terms of its musical numbers, “Funny Girl” was a knockout. The

score is full of unforgettable tunes, from the iconic anthem “Don’t Rain on My Parade” to the tender ballad “People.” Aside from Fanny’s moments, Eddie’s tap solo at the beginning of the show was a true joy to watch, as was the tap dance duo later in the show, with both receiving uproarious applause from the audience.

However, it was the costuming that really tied the production together. Like her personality, Fanny’s outfits were colorful and bright, capturing the gaze of everyone in the audience. Her Follies performance outfits were the real winners, with both her sergeant outfit and her maternity outfit—fitted with a fake belly—selling the funny in “Funny Girl.”

Much like the costumes, the set pieces were detailed and helped flesh out the environment. Part of this was because the show used a series of rotating background tapestries, but also each unique location featured in the show had its own set arrangement. As a result, there was a lot of movement and dynamism to show the actors’ progression through space.

As with any musical, there were some oddities, like everyone’s New

York accents completely disappearing as they started singing. But though the accent change was jarring, the singing was beautiful, and the choreography was entertaining while also being accessible and engaging. It is also worth giving a shout-out to the live pit orchestra, which alleviated any concerns of backtracking that other shows had.

The one point of criticism to be had is the ambiguous timeline of events. For one, information as to what decade the show was set in was not apparently obvious as everything from the dress to the set backgrounds could have been from any part of the early 20th century. Secondly, there are some large time gaps in the show—for example, the three years between Nicky going to prison and getting released. There was very little in the show to signify these gaps, which would only become apparent upwards of five minutes into the next scene, causing a brief moment of confusion.

That being said, if you’re looking for a night of laughter, tears and powerful musical numbers, “Funny Girl” is a sure bet. Bold performances and an iconic soundtrack make for a musical that is well worth the watch.

Lizzy McAlpine breaks through her personal ceilings with “Older”at its finest

Kethan Srinivasan Social Media Content Creator

Lizzy McAlpine has been lost on the path to finding her perfect sound for a long time. Despite the remarkable success of her previous album, “five seconds flat,” and the sudden breakthrough of her single “ceilings,” the singer found herself not wanting to base her third album on that same sound.

While discussing “five seconds flat” in an interview with Zach Sang, McAlpine said, “I think that that’s not necessarily what I actually sound like as an artist ... my first album [‘Give Me A Minute’] was very much in the folk singersongwriter vein, and with ‘five seconds flat’ I wanted to … do something completely different, I didn’t want to be pigeonholed…into that genre.” McAlpine thus decided to revert to her folk-pop roots with “Older,” a sonically pensive album that is lyrically rooted in realism as opposed to the escapism of previous records.

The single that shares the album’s name was released almost two months before the album itself, and the stark contrast in the track’s production and poeticism compared to McAlpine’s previous work was a clear sign of what direction she was headed, both in terms of artistry and state of mind. It is a passage detailing the fallout of a relationship. The lines “Thought it’d be over by now / Thought you would leave / Thought I would come to my senses / Wish I was stronger somehow / Wish it was easy / Somewhere I lost all my senses / I wish I knew what the end is” conveys her sense of regret and criticism of her

inability to carry herself through the motions of a relationship.

The rest of the album’s tracks carry on the trend of stripped-back production, made from a blend of piano, strings, guitar and a gradual introduction of percussion. “The Elevator,” the album’s opening track, gives the perfect opening into McAlpine’s world and mind as the listener proceeds into the thick of it all. “It wasn’t slow, it happened fast

/ And suddenly the only thing I saw was you,” she says plainly yet succinctly.

Numerous tracks across the album speak to McAlpine’s realism.

“I Guess” also plays into her insecurity over a stable relationship as an emotionally unhealthy person, set to a mellow backtrack that builds up to a triumphant last-minute bridge. “Broken Glass” shows the listener scenes from a violent re-

lationship that she could not leave or retaliate against out of fear of solitude, as she conveys in the following bridge: “I want you now and then I don’t / And every word is a landmine / I hold the glass against your throat / But I can’t do it this time / It might seem like I love you / But I just don’t want to be alone.”

“You Forced Me To,” a personal favorite, has McAlpine self-chastising over her relationship with a person who is so committed to loving her for who she is that it actually changes her emotionally. “I want you to hate me / I deserve it for my crimes / I know that I loved you / But you loved me harder / Every time” she explains during the chorus.

Perhaps the most impactful—and most personal—piece is “March.” The thirteenth track on the record, “March” was penned in the memory of McAlpine’s father, who passed away on March 13, 2020. The song delves into how she constantly finds her father in the little things and her surprise at how much it hurts her. The song tugs at the heartstrings just as much as “chemtrails” on “five seconds flat,” which discusses the exact same subject and how she misses what she took for granted. “I didn’t know it’d be this hard / So far away, and then it hits you,” she sings in a whisper-like tone.

“Older” is an album that showcases a perfect blend of intimacy and boldness, with a lyrical poignancy and melodies that reveal raw emotions yet instill confidence in the path ahead. The self-awareness and wealth of life experiences featured just go to show just how much McAlpine is not just an artist in her prime, but a storyteller who is wise beyond her years.

Lizzy McAlpine bares her soul in her third studio album “Older,” which released earlier this month. It is a return to form for the 24-year-old as the tortured artist returns to her folk-pop roots, poetically tackling grief, guilt and love gone astray. Courtesy of RCA Records

Your sign as eclipse conspiracy theories

Aquarius

Globalists have planned for the imminent total solar eclipse

Pisces

NASA will shoot rockets at the moon

Aries

Massive human sacrifices will be made

Taurus

The Rapture

Gemini

A Biological Attack will occur

Cancer

A second sun will be revealed

Leo

The eclipse will cause massive earthquakes

Virgo

Everyone will get superpowers

Libra

A time-jumping portal will open into a parallel reality

Scorpio

The aliens will come

Sagittarius

The moon is really just a giant alien spaceship

Capricorn

The Biden administration is using the eclipse as an excuse to bring in the National Gaurd to make beautiful blond children who play sports transgender Weekly Horoscope

Across 2. The fraction of the Sun’s diameter covered by the Moon.

6. Something that prevents something else from being seen.

7. A regular, repeating path that one object in space takes around another one.

9. A region of complete shadow.

10. When the Moon is farther away from Earth, and does not completely cover the Sun.

12. Happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth.

Down

1. The study of everything in the universe beyond Earth's atmosphere.

Overheard CWRU

3. A partial shadow.

4. The Sun’s upper atmosphere, visible as a pearly glow during totality.

5. The point in the orbit of a planet or other astronomical body, at which it is closest to the sun.

8. The point at which the Moon is nearest to the Earth.

11. The path traced across Earth by the antumbra.

Compilation of out-of-pocket things heard across campus

Cheerleader Porter Robinson Beau Bilinovich Tyler Vu/The Observer

Clay Preusch

"IT"S SO COLD!"

"If you take a video of the sun is it dangerous to watch?"

"OMG that's why my photos turned out so bad! I had my glasses on my phone!"

"Bestie Timothy is on the bus doing something nasty!"

Heavan Knows I'm Miserable Now

The Smiths Auden Koetters La Mort de Socrate Barbara Hannigan Lexy Jensen

Make the squiggles into a drawing!

Cryptic famous quotes

Wanax1 Director of Print >:)

The Observeriad (a parody of Iliad 1.1-7)

Sing, goddess, of the wrath of The Observer, CWRU's newspaper, That devastating wrath which caused the Print Team countless woes And sent forth into the UMB Office so many overworked souls Of Copy Editors, making them burnt-out victims for every professor And future employer; thus the plan of President Kaler came to fulfillment, From the time when the two first united in malice after having conspired: Sinjoy's son Shreyas, lord of editors, and malevolent Sara.

Bros, should I read this?

I'm really sorry, dear readers of The Observer, for subjecting your eyes to this. We needed to fill space...

Elie vs. Shivangi

Extremely Obscure Grammatical Terms Word Search (Look them up if you're bored lol)

Ablative Hendecasyllabic Jussive Aposiopesis Protasis

Diaeresis Anceps Vetitive Caesura Polysyndeton

Enclitic Properispomenon Apodosis Litotes Correption

Synizesis Periphrastic Hendiadys Choriamb Optative

Something Smells Fishy Word Search

My favorite little friend

Let’s do it for democracy: The pressing importance of voting

Why we should fix low turnout in a high-stakes state

Katharina Staehr Staff Writer

On March 19 I walked into a polling station for the first time in my life. As I stepped up to the check-in table, the poll worker asked me, “Are you a firsttime voter?” Oddly enough, I hesitated for a split second, the weight of this moment seeping to my consciousness for the first time. “Yes. Yes, I am,” I replied, almost in disbelief. Immediately, the gymnasium broke into celebration—“We have a first-time voter!” reverberated through the room.

After diligently completing my ballot for the Ohio primaries according to my prior research, I left the polling station with a smile plastered on my face, and a feeling of accomplishment and success washing over me. Not even the uncompetitive nature of the election could take that feeling away from me. I had voted, a right so fundamental to any democracy. I was proud.

No later, however, did I realize that my inexorable pride was cast against a huge wave of indifference. The polling location I went to was nearly empty, the Center for Civic Engagement and Learning (CCEL) office transporting students to cast their vote was rarely busy and when I asked friends whether they were registered to vote, they guiltily shook their heads. It wasn’t merely the apathy that scared me, but more so its consequences: If we carry the same aloofness to elections that are extremely important—especially in a swing state like Ohio—how will we be able to sustain a democracy?

Low voter engagement is not a new issue, but it seems to be getting more acute. Data from News 5 Cleveland corroborated a low voter engagement for the Ohio primaries. In Cuyahoga County, early voter turnout for the 2024 Ohio primaries was down 47% since 2016, and the two other election powerhouses in Ohio—Franklin and Hamilton Counties—followed a similar trend.

Granted, the Ohio primaries this

year were largely uncompetitive. Most candidates ran uncontested, and the 2024 presidential race—President Joe Biden versus former President Donald Trump—was already decided. As far as issues go, Issue 26—deciding on a tax levy—may have been important, but “it doesn’t bring the folks out like they did last August… with Issue 1,” which was a constitutional amendment to increase the threshold for passing future amendments, says Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Director Tony Perlatti. Nor have the primaries received as much attention as last November’s general election, which saw 3.96 million voters show up to the polls to vote on a major reproductive rights amendment and marijuana legalization.

And that may just be part of the problem. Political scientists call it “voter fatigue,” the phenomenon where voters are called to step to the polls too often, to vote on too many issues with no easy access to relevant information. As a result, voters become annoyed and disengaged; many choose not to cast their ballot at all.

Yet, with the general election on our heels that is bound to be a tight race, it’s time we haul ourselves out of our lethargy. Ultimately, we cannot conveniently hide in the shadows of “voter fatigue” to excuse our behavior. As members of a democracy, we must rise to our voting responsibility, a right we are so grateful to have.

Voting may sound cumbersome, and especially as college students it’s yet one more thing to worry about— but your vote matters. What’s more, Case Western Reserve University makes it so easy to take responsibility, with resources for registering, getting informed and actually voting. Stop by the CCEL office in Tinkham Veale University Center to fill out a voter registration form. If you have questions, there is always someone to help you through the process. With voter registration also comes an unspoken duty to submerge ourselves in the political arena: researching candidates, diving into local and national political issues and de-

veloping critical opinions toward them. Especially with seats in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives up for election in November, doing our research is vital. National Public Radio (NPR) is a great place to start—they provide high-quality journalism with the goal of informing and involving the public. Lastly, when it comes to getting to the polls or casting a ballot, the CCEL office shuttles students to the polls for free on election day, and supplies absentee ballots for mail-in voting.

With such a seamless voting process

here at CWRU, there is no reason you shouldn’t be picking up your voter registration form today. Regardless of the significance of an election, we need to be active voters. When we don’t vote, we risk adopting the mindset of detachment to elections that matter, and in a swing state like Ohio, our vote can have a sizable impact. Beyond that, however, voting is a hallmark of every democracy, and it’s central to preserving our political system. So, let’s make use of our right to vote. See you at the polls in November!

You might be burned out, not lazy

Board

As we approach the end of the semester and race to finish up our classes, the feeling of burnout becomes more apparent. Many of us have had to put up with constant studying, long paper writing sessions, neverending homework and dreaded exams. When the end seems so close, the impulse to just let go and be done with everything can seem tempting—and it’s not wrong to feel that way.

Often, however, these feelings can turn into demeaning attitudes about our own self worth: “Why can’t I get anything done? Why am I so tired? Am I just lazy?” That word, “lazy,” is the most destructive: In just one utterance your perception of your worth is immediately doubted. If you can’t get anything done or can’t stay on top of your work, then perhaps you aren’t as worthy of respect.

But that is simply not true. Your worth is not determined by how productive you are, and struggling with staying on top of work does not make you any less of a student. Perhaps, instead of laziness, the issue is actually burnout.

There are three key aspects to burnout. First is an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion. This is the most obvious sign and includes a loss of energy and fatigue. Second, there are feelings of cynicism and detachment from your work as you begin to doubt if the work you are doing is even worth it anymore. Last is a belief that you are ineffective at your job and can’t accomplish anything. All of these features together can make it seem almost impossible to get any more work done. Thus, it’s no wonder why wanting to let go can feel so enticing.

But just because you are having a difficult time being productive and getting work done does not make you lazy. Being in a competitive school such as Case Western Reserve University with challenging curricula, you might feel like you have to live up to the golden ideal of maximum productivity. This pernicious “productivity culture” is all too familiar to us and can follow us all throughout our lives.

The label of laziness is also oftentimes attached to those who have mental health struggles such as anxiety, ADHD or depression. When living in a world that prioritizes able-bodied people, these labels turn into attacks on

one’s character. Consequently, these attacks feed back into the already countless struggles that disabled people and those facing mental health issues deal with, creating a vicious cycle. Despite these claims, though, you aren’t “lazy” if you’re finding it hard to get through school.

But what can you do to take care of yourself if you’re feeling burned out? There are a few strategies.

If burnout is caused by a sense of a lack of control in your life, then finding ways to regain that control can help to combat the exhaustion. Psychiatrist Dr. Jessi Gold from Washington University in Saint Louis suggests keeping track of your mood throughout the day; note when you feel particularly exhausted or overwhelmed and when you feel energized. That way you’re able to pinpoint the exact cause of your burnout.

Creating a routine can help as well. If you’re always feeling obligated to work, make sure to add time for self care.

Block off time in your schedule for relaxing and spending time with friends like you would for class assignments. Hold yourself to that schedule; don’t cancel plans so you can get more work done. This new routine will allow you to set boundaries for yourself, giving you

time to unwind after a long, stressful day or week. In the end, you’ll find that you’re more than capable of the challenges of college.

Speaking of boundaries, physically and mentally distancing yourself from work during your self care time is essential. Silence notifications, put down your phone, walk away from your computer—anything you think is necessary to create that distance. You don’t have to be working all the time. In fact, working too much can have the exact opposite effect on productivity. According to psychological research, burnout may negatively affect short-term memory and attention, leading to increased risk of errors. So staying up until 4 a.m. might not actually be as good of an idea as you thought.

Over these next few weeks try to keep these strategies in mind. Find space to relax and separate yourself from work. Don’t feel like you have to sacrifice your health just so another assignment can be turned in. You’re allowed a break every now and then. And remember: A little bit each day is all it takes. You’ll make it to the end sooner than you realize, and you’ll be proud of the accomplishments you made along the way. Let that be the reason you keep moving forward.

CWRU softball team racks up 15 straight wins after an undefeated four-game series against Emory

Conference play could not have gotten off to a better start for the Case Western Reserve University softball team as the Spartans swept their second series, with Emory University falling victim to the Spartans. With the four wins from April 5-7, the Spartans now stand at a whopping 23-2 overall, a perfect 8-0 against UAA teams and a 15-game win streak on the season. The team also earned their 24th straight UAA victory including last season’s performances. The Eagles fell to 16-12 overall and 2-5 in the conference.

Despite this marked difference in overall success, it was the Eagles that clawed to an early lead in Game 1 on Friday off a home run to left field, which gave Emory the 2-0 advantage. The Spartans did not hold back in the second inning. Fourth-year Stevie Rieger and first-year Alaina Steffes hit singles, allowing a ground ball hit from third-year Isabella Russo to bring Rieger to home plate. A subsequent double from third-year Katelyn Lamm plated Steffes and Russo. A pinch-hit

double from fourth-year Jordon Manworren brought Lamm home for the 4-2 Spartan lead. Manworren then scored off a throwing error following a single from fourth-year Kela Jagoda. Finally, fourth-year KaiLi Gross hit a single to plate Jagoda for the 6-2 lead.

In the same inning, Gross not only extended her hitting streak to 15 games but she also stole her 76th career base, tying the program record previously set by Katie Wede in 2018.

After allowing a home run in the first, third-year pitcher Lexi Miskey allowed just two runs and one hit in five innings along with six strikeouts. Second-year Devanghi Misra took Miskey’s place in the last two innings, giving up just one hit while recording a strikeout.

In the fourth, Rieger hit a two-out two-run single to bring Jagoda and second-year Tara Fritscher home to increase the Spartan advantage to 8-2. Jagoda then scored her third run in the sixth inning after capitalizing on a throwing error, bringing the final score to 9-2 in favor of CWRU.

For Game 2, Gross opened with a double to right center field to bring Jagoda to home plate and Rieger hit

a sacrifice fly to plate first-year Karen Potts for the 2-0 CWRU lead. Though the Eagles hit a home run in the third to cut the Spartan lead, Steffes responded with a two-out scoring double to bring the lead to 3-1. Two scoreless innings later, Russo drove in a run with a twoout double while second-year Elizabeth Berry followed with a run-scoring double to make the final score 5-1.

Emory opened Game 3 with a run, but a double from Rieger drove in three runners to give the Spartans a 3-1 lead. Manworren drove in a run on a ground ball, which the Spartans followed up with a double steal for another run. Steffes’s sacrifice fly then drove in their third run of the inning for the 6-1 lead. After the Eagles notched a run in the fourth inning, the Spartans scored three runs after a home run from Gross. CWRU earned their 10th run on a wild pitch to finish the game 10-2.

Third-year Kylie Hosey improved to 9-0 overall after pitching four innings. Hosey struck out two batters after allowing two runs and six hits. The Spartans closed the series with a dominant 8-0 victory in Game 4, headlined by Gross breaking the pro-

gram record in steals. She recorded her 77th steal in the fifth inning while also recording 100 career runs-battedin, becoming the third player in program history to do so.

Gross fittingly hit a home run to give CWRU the 1-0 lead in the first inning. Rieger’s single in the fourth inning plated Potts. With bases loaded in the fifth, Jagoda first plated a run on an error. Potts then added a two-run double, Gross hit a single and Rieger closed scoring for the inning with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 7-0. Manworren hit a run-scoring single to end the game 8-0 by run rule in the sixth inning.

Hosey earned another win, holding a perfect 10-0 record. She allows only one hit while striking out three players. Fourth-year pitcher Jenna Jaklich and Miskey finished the one-hit shutout after combining for two strikeouts in the final two innings.

The Spartans will now hit the road for two weekends, first visiting Washington University in St. Louis for four games from April 12-14. CWRU will then travel to Waltham, Massachusetts from April 19-21 to play Brandeis University.

Puneet Bansal Sports Editor

Courtesy of Tim Phillis/CWRU Athletics

Track and field teams compete at Wooster and Marv Frye Invitationals

Darcy Chew Copy Editor

This past weekend, the Case Western Reserve University track and field teams participated in two separate invitationals, with their throwers going to the Wooster Invitational and the rest of the teams going to the Marv Frye Invitational hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University. At the Marv Frye Invitational, the women’s team scored a total of 152 points, placing second out of ten teams, while the men’s team accumulated a total of 98 points for fourth out of ten teams. Both teams saw impressive results this weekend with many first place finishes by the Spartan athletes.

On the field, the CWRU’s women pole vaulters dominated the event, with first-year Holly Schreiber clearing 3.61 meters, graduate student Victoria Zhao clearing 3.05 meters and firstyear Kendall Glaser clearing 2.90 meter allowing CWRU to earn first, fourth and fifth podium places, respectively. With her first place finish, Schreiber set a new program record for outdoor pole vaulting, joining her indoor record of 3.70 meters.

The Spartan women continued with their domination and took three of the top five places in the hammer throw. Third-year Lauren Roskuszka placed first with a throw of 47.74 meters, followed by third-year Rachel Ginn placing third with 45.76 meters and

fourth-year Ailean Duffie placing fifth with 43.79 meters. Second-year thrower Madison Martinez also placed fifth in the javelin throw with a distance of 31.13 meters.

In the women’s triple jump, CWRU took two top-five places, with thirdyear Sarah Ozeki bounding 10.71 meters and fourth-year Emily Hopkins bounding 10.70 meters for second and third place, respectively.

On the men’s team, second-year vaulter Anthony DeCarlo placed first, clearing the fifth-best mark in program history with 4.55 meters. In the triple jump, first-year Tanush Anand and second-year Connor Evans placed second and fourth with distances of 13.09 and 12.41 meters, respectively. Anand also contributed to the team’s points by placing third in the high jump after clearing 1.90 meters.

On the track, fourth-year distance runner Grace Jackson and secondyear distance runner Arianna Holbrook both won their events of the mile and 800-meter with times of 5:09.21 and 2:20.37, respectively.

Another outstanding Spartan at the invitational was second-year distance runner Ayla Grabenbauer, who earned three top-four finishes. She took home first with fellow teammates secondyear Melanie Taylor, third-year Marquis Globokar and fourth-year Jessica Kwasny in the 4x400 relay with a time of 4:09.04. Grabenbauer’s other top finishes included placing second in the mile with 5:13.20 and fourth in the

Baseball

CWRU vs Brandeis (4/5-7)

Game 1 (4/5): W 5-3

Game 2 (4/6): W 8-0

Game 3 (4/6): W 7-3

Game 4 (4/7): W 12-0

CWRU vs Kenyon (4/13) - 2 games

CWRU at Ohio Wesleyan (4/14)

CWRU at Denison (4/14)

Second-year Aaron Brula participated in the men’s 4x400 team that came in with the 22nd-fastest time in DIII this season. Overall, the Spartans saw an impressive weekend of wins at the Marv Frye and Wooster Invitationals. Courtesy of Tim Phillis/CWRU Athletics

400-meter hurdles with 1:12.07.

“The 4x400 is definitely out of my comfort zone, being both a relay and a sprint event (I train for long distances), but I’ve competed in it a few times over the indoor and outdoor season this year and it’s always a good experience,” Grabenbauer said. “I love being part of a (more directly) team race, and the combination of different strengths (with members from the long sprint, mid distance, and long distance training groups) has worked well for us so far in the season. Marv Frye was especially exciting because placing first won us all a t-shirt with the titular man’s face on it.”

Kwasny took home gold with a time of 1:09.29 in the 400-meter hurdle, and in the 100-meter hurdle, secondyear Grace Misiunas crossed the line in 15.64 seconds, finishing in second. Ozeki placed fourth in the same event with a time of 16.18 seconds. Globar also contributed to the women’s 152 points with a fourth-place finish in the 800-meter (2:22.20).

The men’s team also had a pair of first place finishes on the track, with fourth-year hurdler Yusuf Shaaban

Scores and Upcoming Games

Women’s Tennis

CWRU vs Walsh (4/5) - W 8-1

CWRU vs Rochester (4/6) - W 9-0

taking gold in the 400-meter hurdles with 55.48 seconds and the Spartan 4x400 team crossing the finish line first. The men’s 4x400 team consisting of third-year Nicolas Lende, first-year Nico Matt and second years Aaron Brula and Josh Bates also recorded the 22nd-fastest time in DIII this season with their 3:21.89 finish.

Other top five finishes for the Spartan men include second place finishes from second-year hurdler Joshua Park in the 110-meter hurdles (15.48 seconds) and first-year distance runner Finn Bonner in the 3000-meter steeplechase (10:50.76) as well as fourth places finishes from graduate student sprinter Juan Perez in the 100-meter dash (10.75) and fourth-year sprinter Brett Callow in the 200-meter dash (22.05). With his time of 10.75, Perez recorded the second-fastest time in program history.

Next weekend, the track and field teams will split up again, but this time with the distance runner traveling to participate in the Bison Outdoor Classic hosted by Bucknell University and the rest of the team competing in the All-Ohio Outdoor Championships.

Softball

CWRU vs Emory (4/5-7)

Game 1 (4/5): W 9-2

Game 2 (4/6): W 5-1

Game 3 (4/6): W 10-2

Game 4 (4/7): W 8-0

CWRU at WashU (4/12-14) - 4 games

Men’s Tennis

CWRU vs Kenyon (4/5) - W 7-2

CWRU vs Otterbein (4/5) - W 9-0

CWRU vs Rochester (4/6) - W 9-0

CWRU vs Grove City (4/13)

At this past Marv Frye Invitational, third-year Rachel Ginn placed third in the hammer throw with a distance of 45.76 meters. Courtesy of Tim Phillis/CWRU Athletics