Opinion: Editorial: Issue 1 and the power of a vote (pg. 8)
The Case Western Reserve
Observer
Friday, September 1, 2023 Volume LV, Issue 2 Est. 1969
NEWS
Tornado hits Cleveland, sends students into whirlwind of panic Zachery Treseler News Editor During the middle of Discover Week, students were rudely awoken by an alert from the National Weather Service (NWS), warning them of a Tornado Warning in effect and instructing them to find shelter. A minute later, the NWS reported a tornado in Cleveland. Starting at East 71st Street and Chester Avenue, it traveled 0.79 miles until it hit East 89th Street and Euclid Avenue. While no direct fatalities were reported by the NWS, the tornado caused property damage and major issues for Northeast Ohio. According to First Energy, the main utility company in Northeast Ohio, 155,000 households, including many community members in Cleveland Heights, lost power. The NWS later said, in an email to The Observer, that they were able to confirm nine tornado related events in Northeast Ohio. Still, “it is possible we may have a couple more confirmed tornadoes as surveys continue over the next few days.” Dean Tufts, the vice president of campus facilities and management, noted that the impact of the storms
was minimal. “We had a relatively small amount of water enter a handful of buildings (maybe 10 total) after the high winds and heavy rain,” he said. He notes that “the impact was much less severe than after previous storms; we had done extensive work to clean drains, ensuring water-tight building envelopes and other mea-
sures.” While its impact to the campus community was minimal, it drove fear at Case Western Reserve University and panic among students, especially after a second notification was sent via the Spartan Safe app. Third-year student Kethan Srinivasan, who lives in on-campus housing, remembered that the alarm
The tornado impacting much of Northeast Ohio caused severe power outages and property damage, including the destruction of the New Life at Calvary Church. Courtesy of Molly Walsh/cleveland.com
“was blaring, so [it] woke [him] up.” “I heard shaking, I heard the windows in my flat physically shake and at that point,” he said about his experience. “When we were getting to the stairs, we saw outside the window that a tree had fallen down outside the building, [and] at that point I was like yikes, this is very serious. I was pretty cautious if they were going to send another alert later that night.” Sandra Mackey, the public affairs program manager of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, recommends “seek[ing] shelter in the lowest level possible or the center room of a building. Closets and bathrooms are also good choices for sheltering. Look for smaller rooms with as few windows as possible.” Though, for CWRU students, this caused some confusion. Kethan said, “There should be more adequate instruction for [oncampus] residents, with not every building on campus built in the same way; it does give me some concern. What should I be doing to prepare for an emergency?” Continue reading on page 2
LIFE
Your guide to the best spots to eat on campus Megan Abel Staff Writer Do you struggle to use your meal swipes effectively? Do you regret spending money on lackluster food? Have you ever had your order stolen at The Den by Denny’s? If any of these apply to you, then this guide to all the best places to eat around campus should help. Some options are available on the meal plan, others accept CaseCash and a few are a fun treat if you’re willing to drop a little cash. All of the above will leave you feeling full, satisfied and ready to get on with the rest of your day. On Campus Tomlinson Subway One of the most popular places to eat on the Quad. At their busiest, it can take an hour to get your sandwich, and the hours are very limited. However, it does take a meal swipe, unlike the Subway on Euclid Avenue. Continue reading on page 3
Lucas Yang/The Observer