The Observer, Volume L, Issue 13, 11/30/18

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Case Western Reserve University volume L, issue 13 friday, 11/30/2018

Observer A farewell to the Happy Dog at Euclid Tavern Uptown staple leaves the University Circle area

Administration responds to neoNazi flyers, antiSemitic actions Anna Giubileo Staff Reporter

Courtesy of Edsel Little/Flickr Happy Dog at Euclid Tavern closed on Nov. 17 after four years in the historic space.

Justin Hu Staff Reporter The Euclid Tavern has been the reliable fixture of a constantly changing University Circle. The historic bar has been around in some form or another since 1909, with new owners taking over as the years went by.

Now its latest owner, Happy Dog, is closing the location marking the fourth time in the new millennium that the bar has closed.

On Nov. 16, one day before its final day of business, the venue hosted its last concert. The venue came to an end that fit its reputation for eclectic programming with two simultaneous shows. The main bar featured three local rock bands: Ceiling Fan,

Sweepyheads, and ITEM. In the basement club, called The Underdog, the recurring techno night Headspace kept things going until 2 a.m. letting the patrons of Happy Dog soak up as many beverages as they could muster before the beer taps ran dry.

“We’ve always been about supporting the local music scene,” said co-owner Sean Watterson. “That’s why we give bands 100 percent of what we take in at the door.”

The night’s variety is just one part of what made Happy Dog a unique place in University Circle. There are few venues anywhere in Cleveland that could have a rock group like ITEM perform with a string section, while the dim thud of techno bass bled through the floorboards without seeming out of place.

“We occasionally hosted drag shows here and we called it Dungeons & Drag Queens. Because while there was a drag show upstairs on the stage, downstairs there were Dungeons & Dragons games,” said Watterson. “That kind of event where you wouldn’t think these two things would work together was our wheelhouse.”

Outside of its reputation as a music venue, the satellite of Happy Dog’s main location in Ohio City served hot dogs, burgers, tater tots and fries. They put a unique spin on these staples of American bar food by letting people choose from an assortment of over 50 toppings, ranging from confit pulled-pork, to Spaghetti O’s

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History department to search for Postdoctoral Fellow in African-American history Sophia Yakumithis News Editor

“We try to do the right thing at the right time,” said President Barbara Snyder at Tuesday evening’s community conversation about neo-Nazi flyers found over Thanksgiving break on campus.

She began the talk by addressing recent months’ disturbing spike in anti-Semitic acts across the country, where college campuses are being inundated with anti-Semitic and discriminatory graffiti and attacks on minority groups.

Various faculty, staff, community members and students from both the undergraduate and graduate schools were present to share their concerns and dialogue about what should be done next. In addition to Snyder, Vice President of Student Affairs Lou Stark; Vice President for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity Marilyn Mobley and Chief of Police Jay Hodge were present to answer any questions pertaining to their area of specialty.

Mobley called the crowd to action, sharing a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people.”

A campus which rallied together after the shooting at the Pittsburgh synagogue is now facing its own version of discriminatory attacks, and the administration is reminding everyone that inaction is just as bad.

Stark brought attention to many efforts which have already been implemented to increase visibility of the Case Western Reserve University commitment to diversity.

These include the Office for Multicultural Affairs and the Green Dot Program, in addition to programs such as the Sustained Dialogue program, diversity celebrations and days of dialogue, among others.

“We cannot fight hate speech with violence,” said Snyder in her talk. She also discussed, along with Hodge, the resources available for witnesses to be able to safely and effectively report anything they observe.

Different administrative offices spoke out as well, labelling themselves as resources for anyone who might need support. From Counseling Services to the LGBT Center to the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and the Social Justice Institute, many on-campus organizations pledged themselves as available for anyone who might need somewhere to turn.

In January, the department of history will begin searching for a postdoctoral fellow in African-American History. This announcement, which will impact the 2019-20 academic year, comes more than a month after an open letter surfaced among the campus community calling on the central administration to fill vacant positions in the department for

African-American history.

Support was given to the department of history to search for a visiting faculty position in 2018-19, but not for a tenure-track faculty position, which was made vacant in 2017. The University instead approved the department’s request to search for a postdoctoral fellow.

“As the name of the position implies,” said the University in a statement, “these positions are for individuals who recently earned their doctoral degrees and provide an opportunity

to continue scholarly work—for example, make final dissertation additions and revisions to have the document ready for publication— and also receive ongoing advising and mentoring from a faculty member in that individual’s field.”

Chair of the department of history Kenneth Ledford emphasized the importance of this position in the academic community.

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pg. 10 A response to hate speech

pg. 15 Hellmann sets new record

pg. 2 pg. 6 EMS provides aid French chefs visto campus it campus

to HISTORY I 2

to FLYERS I 2

news Editor’s Choice

Those at risk in good hands with EMS Nathan Lesch Staff Reporter

The Case Western Reserve University Emergency Medical Service (EMS) have been responding to campus emergencies since 2005. Operating two ambulances, CWRU EMS cooperates with the CWRU Police Department, CWRU Public Safety, University Hospitals and municipal agencies to keep the community healthy and safe.

Located on the north side of campus, CWRU EMS has nearly 100 clinical members, 25 of which are emergency medical technician (EMT) students.

All CWRU EMS clinical members are Ohio certified EMTs and many are also licensed in other states.

CWRU EMS’ services have continually expanded since its establishment. In 2018 alone, CWRU EMS has responded to 334 calls, most of which came during the fall 2018 semester. This was a siz-

able uptick from the 299 calls CWRU EMS responded to in 2017.

According to Public Relations Officer Hazel Herr, “The call volume and need has probably always been there, people have just begun to realize that we are around, ready to help and well trained.”

Besides responding to medical emergencies, CWRU EMS offers several programs intended for the broader community. Among them is a program called “Stop the Bleed,” which aims to teach severe bleeding control techniques. A nationwide initiative, Stop the Bleed was brought to the University

by CWRU EMS and offers a free, hourlong training class.

Herr underscored the importance of this training, explaining, “Severe bleeding can kill someone within five minutes and by giving students and staff the skill to stop it, they can be the difference between life and death.”

CWRU EMS also offers CPR training taught by the group’s members. One of the programs, the American Heart As-

sociation (AHA) Heartsaver and Basic Life Support CPR Training, requires a small fee, but completion earns official AHA certification. For students, faculty and CWRU affiliates not interested in official certification, CWRU EMS also offers a free hands-only CPR training program. Herr recommends this program for student groups.

The group’s current expansion plans center around Stop the Bleed.

“We are working to partner with community organizations to expand the Stop the Bleed classes beyond CWRU, into local schools and neighborhoods,” said Herr. Additionally, CWRU EMS intends to continue expanding accessibility to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and Bleeding Control kits.

In light of recent campus security concerns, Herr highlighted the importance of CWRU EMS. “Recent campus security concerns have not altered our ability to respond,” she said, “however, we encourage everyone on campus to be prepared for an emergency with both training and equip-

ment. A small first aid kit accompanied

by Stop the Bleed and CPR training can truly save a life.”

CWRU EMS members come from a diverse backgrounds and study many different disciplines at CWRU. Not all are on a pre-health track, for example; Herr became an EMT during her senior year of high school, but prior experience is not necessary for students interested in signing up for the EMT class.

Herr believes that CWRU EMS offers a rewarding experience for students, as well as provides an important function on campus.

“CWRU EMS is necessary because we are uniquely equipped and trained to handle emergencies within the CWRU community. Being student-run allows us to know the CWRU campus and population exceptionally well, improving the care we are able to provide,” said Herr.

“On another note, having a studentrun EMS gives students an opportunity to grow as a healthcare provider with hands on experience while giving back to the community.”

Thanksgiving weekend gives much needed break before finals Nihal Manjila Staff Reporter Thanksgiving break was a welcome respite from schoolwork for students. It also gave them a chance to recharge before finals and spend time with friends and family back home. This took place in many different ways for students from Cleveland and beyond.

Case Western Reserve University students traveled all across the United States and out of the country for Thanksgiving

from HISTORY pg. 1 “The postdoctoral fellow in AfricanAmerican history remains of paramount importance and significance for the department of history, and we look forward to resuming the regular presence of a great young scholar of African-American history in the department,” said Ledford.

“Heretofore, the postdoctoral fellow position has been for one year,” he explained.

“Before we advertise and begin the search in January, we will consider possible reconfigurations that might make the fellow position

from FLYERS pg. 1 In addition to on-campus organizations, the administration and CWRU Police have partnered with the AntiDefamation League to track nationwide trends and better learn how to prevent future occurrences.

Snyder expressed her wish to the audience to “not let this divide us or pit us

break. Due to distance, some students who live farther away have been unable to visit their homes during the past months. This break gave those students the opportunity to do just that.

First-year student Maite Rey visited her family in Florida over break. Upon returning home, she prepared and enjoyed classic Thanksgiving food to celebrate the holiday.

She also went Black Friday shopping, but Rey was never entirely free of schoolwork.

“I was doing ALEKS when I was able to,” she said, referring to the online homework portal used for chemistry courses.

Homework, however, did not take away from enjoying the warm temperatures and relaxing locale. Florida has a large number of beaches, and Rey took advantage of that fact.

“I hung out with a friend at the beach,” said Rey. She also spoke about how different warm temperatures and sand felt after being in the Cleveland snow.

Another first-year student, Meghna Srinivasan, flew back to her hometown in New Jersey for break. She went to her high school’s football game against their rival on Thanksgiving, when alumni traditionally at-

tend to spectate or participate in the game, marching band or other activities. Srinivasan’s family also holds an annual Thanksgiving tournament consisting of various games and challenges, such as cards or charades.

“My [sister] and I won for the second year in a row,” Srinivasan said, noting that the family member(s) in charge of organizing the tournament can add new events.

“This year, we added an escape room event.”

All in all, many spent the weekend after Thanksgiving seeing old friends and relaxing with family before returning to campus and preparing for finals.

multiyear, which would increase its attractiveness for candidates and its usefulness for CWRU students.”

Arik Stewart, president of the Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative (UDC), said the organization was “proud to see so many students passionate about ensuring the success of the African-American history position and the newly formed African and AfricanAmerican Studies minor that accompanies it, in addition to the outrage and conversations that the potential budget change had sparked.

However, the UDC was disappointed on what Stewart considers the “poor incorporation of black students and their voices within

this conversation.”

He continued to explain that the open letter was released without consulting black leadership on campus, including the Black Student Union, who “had not been consulted nor incorporated outside of simply being asked to read and sign it themselves.” Stewart credited Vice President of Student Affairs Lou Stark and Provost Ben Vinson III for reaching out to the UDC to address the situation.

“We hope that going forward, this will change,” he said on the lack of communication.

Part of the search’s approval involves

Vinson serving as the scholar’s advisor in addition to his role as provost. The University said that Vinson, a tenured professor in the history department, “has authored and edited several books regarding Africans in Mexico.”

According Ledford, also an associate professor of history and law, the history department “would also be pleased to search in early 2019 for a one-year visiting assistant professor of African-American history, who can fill the void of courses in African-American history that will exist in [Academic Year] 2019-20, while we will be searching for a tenure-track appointment if we are so authorized to search.”

against one another. That is the goal of the people who are putting up these flyers.” She noted that this is a trying time as a university and can either separate CWRU into factions or bring the community together.

While the administrative representatives recognized that they had to walk a fine line between calling too much attention to the issues occuring on campus—and therefore inspiring others to

act similarly—and not doing enough to combat the problem, much of the audience seemed to agree that a public forum was a good starting place.

Timothy Black, co-director of the Social Justice Institute, said, “It is time for the University community to come together and reinforce who we are.”

“It is not your fault, but it is your responsibility,” added a Mandel School for Social Work graduate student.

Snyder reinforced the CWRU community’s responsibility to speak up and report observations of actions which goes against the University’s values of diversity, as well as making it known that particular category of behavior is not accepted on the campus.

“One of the reasons we had this community conversation was to remind students they should be proud of who they are,” she said.

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Student Sustainability Council keeps campus clean Justin Hu Staff Reporter

While the Student Sustainability Council (SSC) may not have the most visible presence on campus, its efforts have had a huge impact on the Case Western Reserve University community. The SSC runs similarly to a club, but being an ad-hoc council under Undergraduate Student Government (USG) means that it is able to introduce sustainable legislation and infrastructure to the university.

USG formed the SSC as a committee in response to the lack of environmentally-focused student organizations at CWRU. Its mission is made up of four parts: education, engagement with sustainable behavior, networking for sustainability and implementing environmentally restorative projects. The SSC’s formation under USG is a result of the environmental issues which require broader oversight and communication compared to most clubs.

Currently, the Council is working on its SEED program, an acronym for “Students Encouraging Environmental Dedication,” with the goal of making

student organizations more sustainable in areas such as waste management.

“Our projects were all proposed by our members, either from their own research and connections or their own brain children,” said Maia Gallagher, a third-year civil engineering major and one of the SSC co-chairs. “Every semester we put aside part of our funds for new projects that may arise and encourage anyone with a sustainable idea or concern to come to talk to us.”

Besides coming up with ideas for initiatives, members also work to organize information campaigns, plan outings and run the Farm Harvest Festival.

Farm Harvest Festival, which took place in September, is the SSC’s marquee event. The annual festival has been hosted nine times and in previous years, the participation has reached up to 1,500 attendees. The event is located about 25 minutes off campus at the Squire Valleevue Farm and consists of farm trails, a petting zoo and other activities. Although the event had its usual favorites this year like apple cider and Mitchell’s Ice Cream, students also had the opportunity to eat crickets.

“It seemed like everyone was having a great time, learning about sustainability [through various activities],” said

Gallagher.

In spite of the event’s success, Gallagher is confident that it can be even better in the future. She said, “We’re always looking to improve the event and introduce more sustainability-themed, educational and fun activities.”

After winter break, the SSC will be working on a recycling campaign, focusing on informing the campus about Cuyahoga County’s new recycling standards. One of the SSC’s largest victories came from the removal of plastic bags from Bag-it and Grab-it on campus, and the campaign will further that effort by trying to reduce single-use items as well.

However, the SSC also knows how to have fun: it often hosts outings where members go to the beach together, as well as hiking and camping activities.

Not only does this allow members to gain more appreciation for the outdoors, but the events also often include keeping the environment clean.

“We encourage anyone with a passion to join us and we can help teach what you need to succeed,” said Gallagher. “We hope to facilitate meaningful conversation during our general body meetings and encourage everyone to share their thoughts and ideas regardless of seniority or position.”

Innovation, creativity cultivated by Design for America Anna Giubileo Staff Reporter

Case Western Reserve University offers an environment where students from a variety of backgrounds can become involved in creating and designing innovative projects. One organization which offers just that is CWRU’s chapter of Design For America.

The group works to solve issues and work for social change through various projects. In the past Design for America has worked with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to help make cars more accessible for people with disabilities and with various Cleveland businesses to help streamline their day-to-day business.

The group consists of students from a broad spectrum of majors from both CWRU and Cleveland Institute of Art. Jasmine Lee, fourth-year student and current president, explained what she loves about the intermingling of the two schools. “We all have our own areas of

strength. For example, engineers have the background to make the designs work, but art students are able to work on the project’s aesthetic presentation, and psychology students can make sure it connects on a personal basis to the people we’re trying to help,” she said.

“It’s all about interdisciplinary design.”

This year, Design For America is focusing on partnering with several on-campus groups to improve campus life. The task force working with Kelvin Smith Library (KSL) is increasing awareness about the resources available, in an effort to get even more students to use KSL and its resources.

The sub-committee working with the Center for Post-Graduate Planning and Experiential Education and Counseling Services is creating posters to be hung up around residential halls and classrooms, informing the student body about the services they offer.

“We want to help make the student body’s experience on campus as good as possible, through designing posters and other methods of getting the word out

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about these the programs,” said Lee. Outside of campus, Design for America is currently partnering with Rust Belt Riders in an effort to promote composting habits in Cleveland neighborhoods.

Students in this sub-committee are creating a compost bin that will allow for a clean, easy to use compost experience that minimizes odor and mess.

“Our group is about championing the fact that students are designing in their free time,” explained Lee. One way the groups highlights this is by hosting the Design Showcase. This year’s event will occur on Dec. 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Larry Sears and Sally Zlotnick Sears think[box].

It is an opportunity for students— those in Design for America as well as freelance innovators—to show off to the community their start-ups, team projects and creative endeavors.

“No matter where you are from or what year you are, you can make social impact outside of the classroom,” said Lee. Design for America creates an outlet for students who want to make a social impact.

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Cleveland Catchup Sophia Yakumithis News Editor Ohio House proposes constitutional amendment about constitutional amendments Cleveland.com reported that a proposed constitutional amendment that would make it harder to alter the state constitution was introduced on Wednesday by Ohio House members.

Sixty percent of Ohio voters would, under the resolution, be required to approve a proposed constitutional amendment for it to pass. As it presently stands, any proposed constitutional amendment requires only a simple majority.

Each petition signature would be valid for only 180 days, while now, petition signatures have no expiration date. The amendment would also move up the deadline to submit the petition signatures, the hundreds of thousands of them, needed to officiate a proposed amendment on the ballot.

Man sentenced to 21 years for torture On Wednesday, a Euclid resident who used a blowtorch, knife, pliers, belt and a shotgun to inflict “sadistic torture,” as a judge called it, on his girlfriend was sentenced to 21 years in prison, according to Cleveland.com.

Damon Crim, 39, spent hours torturing the woman in the attack earlier this year. He pleaded guilty to felonious assault, kidnapping, domestic violence and drug possession, and apologized for “not being himself” during the attack.

The domestic abuser is 13 years older than his long time girlfriend, whom he lived with in Euclid.

Senior Cleveland FBI agent to retire After more than 30 years of his working for the bureau, Cleveland.com reports that Cleveland FBI special agent Steve Anthony has announced his retirement.

He was in this specific position for the past eight years, earning himself the record for longest tenure of special agent in charge of the local office. The FBI requires agents to retire at age 57, so the 56-year-old’s retirement was expected.

In 1988, Anthony began working as an FBI agent in Memphis. At the time, Robert Mueller served as the FBI Director and appointed the agent to replace Frank Figliuzzi. He came to Cleveland in 2011 when federal officials were involved with a corruption investigation in Cuyahoga County.

Vote blocks local bans, fees on plastic bags The Ohio House passed legislation on Wednesday which prohibits city fees for plastic bags and other methods of packaging in order to reduce trash, according to Cleveland. com.

While it has yet to be approved by the state senate and Gov. John Kasich, the bill was applauded by supporters as a pro-business move. Democratic critics, however, believe the bill could intrude on cities’ regulation and removal of discarded grocery bags and other disposable packaging.

Cuyahoga Community College alum appointed trustee of Tri-C Cleveland.com reported that the newest member of the Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) board of trustees, Phoebe Lee, was appointed to the position after taking classes there almost two decades ago.

Lee, the CEO of Affinity Apparel, took classes through Tri-C as part of the College Credit Plus program, a state initiative which permits high school students to get a jump start on obtaining college credits. She was appointed to the board with a term ending in 2023 by Kasich.

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Horoscopes

Ken Ken The aim of the puzzle is to fill the whole grid with numbers. The only numbers you are allowed to use are 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. No number may repeat in a column or a row. Each “cage” (or a shaded box) contains a target number and the arithmetic method needed to be used to obtain the target number.

Aquarius Walks past the heater on Mather Quad Pisces Looks at pictures of the sun Aries Invests in legwarmers Taurus Drops out

Sudoku Normal

Gemini Moves to Florida

Hard

Cancer More layers Leo More layers Virgo Even more layers Libra Sleeps inside animal carcass

Word Search Can you find all these words related to articles in this issue?

T A F E F R D S F S C T

H D G C G T A E D D D E

A Y M E E A D H F H R F

N W O Y T E D X Y D D S

K R R M Y S Y E D F F E

S K A T E B O A R D C T

G I V C H I L I T B S B D R G E Y E T E X I T R C P O N D F I T S Y I D

I P Y S B G E E S G A D

N A T I O N A L S Y T G

G A B E D D E D I U N A

A F D D T D R W I R W A B E L E S O T V G D G U B L E I D V A F C R D C

THANKSGIVING DIALOGUE INNOVATION DADDY FANTASTIC SKATEBOARD INCITE MORALITY NATIONALS TOURNAMENT SWIMMING POSSIBLE

For solutions and more content, visit our website at observer.case.edu

Scorpio Advocates global warming Capricorn Looks at pictures of hot man Sagittarius Sits on hands

arts & entertainment Editor’s Choice

Chef duo from Edwins Resturant visits campus Henry Bendon Staff Reporter Chris Terry is the chef de cuisine at Edwins Leadership and Restaurant, a restaurant that pairs fine dining with opportunities for the formerly incarcerated to make an experience designed to improve the lives of both customers and staff. On Nov. 27 Terry and one of his trainees visited the kitchen in House 5 at The Village at 115 for a presentation that combined a cooking demonstration with an interactive history lesson about Terry’s career as a chef and Edwins as an institution.

Terry’s appearance was part of a series of presentations coordinated through the French department. Although the guests spoke English, the dish prepared, Artichoke a la Barigoule, was classic French cuisine. Terry prepared each part of the dish in front of a small crowd of curious onlookers explaining as he went.

Lessons ranged from day-to-day tips, like how to peel an artichoke or properly dice an onion, to more complex technical items, such as the proper way

to produce a Sauce Tomate, the tomatobased cornerstone of French cooking that serves as one of the five “mother sauces” of French cuisine.

One of Terry’s most popular pieces of advice included a way to avoid the bane of all home cooks, the crying caused by cutting onions. To limit the crying normally caused by dicing onions, Terry said you should use very sharp knives to avoid crushing the plants cell walls. He also said that in the restaurant if someone has to cut a large quantity of onions, they will set up a fan to blow the offending vapors away before they can reach the eyes.

The entertainment factor spiked during a story about a high profile demonstration Terry gave about Artichoke a la Barigoule on the Cooking Channel TV show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” The guest on the show was a fellow Cleveland chef, Trentina’s Jonathon Sawyer. Sawyer, whose restaurant specializes in Northern Italian cooking, complemented Edwin’s version of the aforementioned vegetable dish. Despite this praise, Terry felt Sawyer did a poor job describing the dish. Sawyer ending up with two minutes of airtime talking

Henry Bendon/Observer Chef Chris Terry and his assistant demonstrates cooking to CWRU students. about the dish incorrectly. Terry himself went through two full days of filming to only appear on screen for a few seconds.

A slight trick played a role in the dish the presenting duo served, to the crowd at House 5. They had prepared artichokes in

CWRU DEPT. OF MODERN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES Many of these 300-level courses satisfy the CAS Global & Cultural Diversity Requirement!

LANGUAGES: French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese

advance and hid them in the refrigerator so they could swap a fully cooked version into the dish instead of waiting for the vegetables to steam. The final product was then passed around to satisfy a very hungry crowd.

COURSES: Russian Song Medical French

The World of Manga *Japan Experience: Kyoto 20th Century French Literature

Witches, Weddings, and Wolves

*Arab World Experience: Jordan

Spanish for Health Professionals

The Green Energy Transformation in Germany

Contemporary Spanish/Latin American Culture French for Diplomacy and International Relations Russian Literature in Translation (Dostoevsky)

* STUDY ABROAD COMPONENT SPRING 2O19

CLASS ENROLLMENT

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Playlist of the Week

Kyle Smith Staff Reporter

Thanksgiving break is a welcome break from classes and studying. However, it comes with its own share of responsibilities: cooking, eating and especially talking. This week’s playlist will do the talking for you with a selection of songs with spoken-word influences.

“You Were A House On Fire” - Listener

Originally a hip-hop group, the band “LisOriginally a hip-hop group, the band Listener from Fayetteville, Arkansas has evolved into something completely different. The song’s unique instrumentation, featuring a lone trumpet in the bridge, is understated compared to singer Dan Smith’s harsh voice, a gravelly southern twang packing frustrated emotion into every syllable. In “You Were A House On Fire,” Smith laments the experience of watching a loved one become consumed by an internal struggle. In a desperate conversation, Smith tries to convince the subject of the song that things will get better, even though he worries that this person is already too far gone to help.

“Deadly Dull” - Movements

Named 2017’s “Best Underground Band”

by Alternative Press, Movements owe much of their meteoric rise to a sound that stands in sharp contrast to hundreds of nearidentical punk bands. Their songs feature spoken-word breakdowns where frontman Patrick Miranda plainly voices his thoughts, shedding musical expression for earnestness. In “Deadly Dull,” Miranda describes the pain of slowly losing his grandfather to Alzheimer’s, a disease which also claimed his grandmother.

“A Keepsake” - Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)

Empire! Empire!’s spoken-word influences are found not in their vocal delivery but the lyrics themselves. In contrast to their complex, layered instrumental melodies, Empire! Empire!’s lyrics are intentionally plain. In “A Keepsake,” singer Keith Latinen describes a childhood canoe trip in Michigan that sounds like something out of a journal, with lyrics like “We woke up early and packed bagged lunches and cans of pop into a cooler and drove to a canoe rental in Mesick.” The effect is nostalgic like a close friend telling the story of an impactful event in their life.

“A Letter for Zach” - Old Gray

A post-rock side project from Sorority Noise frontman Charlie Singer, Old Gray has produced music in a spectacular array of styles.

In “A Letter for Zach,” Singer deals with the grief and guilt of losing a close friend, narrating a letter to the deceased. He touches on many common displays of grief with lyrics like, “we all knew that I was supposed to be the one found on a cold tile floor.”

“Woman (in mirror)” - La Dispute

A post-rock side project from Sorority Noise frontman Charlie Singer, Old Gray has produced music in a spectacular array of styles.

In “A Letter for Zach,” Singer deals with the grief and guilt of losing a close friend, narrating a letter to the deceased. He touches on many common displays of grief with lyrics like, “We all knew that I was supposed to be the one found on a cold tile floor.”

Find all these tracks online with our weekly Spotify playlist at observer.case.edu All photos courtesy pluspremiers.us, genius.com, directlyrics.com, and wikipedia.com

What to do this weekend Matt Hooke Arts & Entertainment Editor

Friday, Nov. 30 What: 25th Annual Holiday CircleFest When: Friday 5 - 9 p.m. Saturday/ Sunday 1 - 7 p.m.

Where: Wade Oval Grab your skates and get ready to listen to some music at this weekend’s celebration of the holiday season in Wade Oval. The free festival features performances by the Chardon Polka Band, songwriter Chris Allen, steel drum players from Oberlin College and more. On Sunday from 1 - 5:30 p.m., more than a dozen of University Circle’s cultural institutions will be open free of charge.

What: Little Italy Holiday Art Walk When: Friday 5 - 9 p.m., Saturday Noon - 9 p.m., Sunday Noon - 5 p.m.

Where: Little Italy Explore the restaurants and art galleries of Little Italy this weekend at this free event. Several galleries will be hosting live music along with their new pieces of fine art. If art and music does not interest you, Little Italy Wines will be hosting a $10 wine tasting.

What: One-Act Festival When: Friday/Saturday 7 - 9 p.m.

Where: Black Box at Eldred Theater This free festival by the Players’ Theatre Group features five different plays, including the Monica Hammil

adaption of the classic Edgar Allen short story “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

Every play is directed by Case Western Reserve University students.

There is a suggested donation of $5.

Saturday, Dec. 1 What: Understanding, Appreciating, Collecting Inuit Art of Canada When: 1 - 3 p.m.

Where: Artists Archives of the Western Reserve The Inuit have created art from their home above the Arctic Circle in Canada for thousands of years. This presentation by John Kunikis, the former owner of Native Spirit and First People’s galleries, will examine the fine art of the Inuit and address the misconceptions that often dominate people’s perception of it. Register for the free talk through the event’s Facebook page, Eventbrite or by calling the archive. A question and answer period will follow the event.

What: CWRU Saxophone Chamber Music and Holiday Music at Glow When: 2 - 4 p.m.

Where: Cleveland Botanical Gardens Walk through the beautiful Cleveland Botanical Gardens while listening to jazz at this free event. The CWRU saxophone ensembles will bring jazz and classical music to the 88-yearold institution. After the saxophone chamber ensemble and quartet perform, CWRU-based jazz combo Quintessence will perform a mix of standards and original pieces.

How “Call Her Daddy” is empowering women Aura Rossy Accounts Manager

When you first tune in to the Barstool Sports’ “Call Her Daddy” podcast, your mind may overflow with judgements and misconceptions. The voices of the two women that fill your ears are high-pitched and energized, as if they consumed five cups of coffee before showing up to record. They may remind you of some preppy overly enthusiastic person from your high school. The podcast is unique in how it talks about unusual topics with a comical twist. Minutes after you put your earbuds on, despite your initial impressions, you may be laughing in front of strangers without realizing it.

The podcast is hosted by Alexandra Cooper and Sofia Franklyn, two women in their twenties who have recently moved to New York City and are exploring their new life, while maybe simultaneously exploiting it. Cooper is a Boston University graduate who vlogs full-time for YouTube. Franklyn, who did not know Cooper before they became apartment-mates thanks to New York City’s sky-high rent, has become Cooper’s best friend and splits her time between a nine-to-five job and the Barstool offices.

“Call Her Daddy” is both a new and established concept in the world of podcasts. The content of the podcast is a blend of advice, whether you are in a relationship or not, hilarious stories and content from their listeners. Much of their content is not simply advice but sometimes just outright hysterical stories. Most of the advice the women lay out for their audience is about sex. The majority of the embarrassing moments detailed in their episodes talk about what some might consider taboo, but all the stories are framed in a hilarious context that makes them more approachable.

Although the podcast is hosted by two women and the name suggests that the target audience is strictly women, it is not. While the duo dedicates a good portion of their content to offering sexual and romantic advice to women, they are also dedicated to roasting men and offering them advice in today’s chaotic dating world.

What makes “Call Her Daddy” stand out from other podcasts in the realm of self-help content is that it is not afraid to touch on taboo topics. Despite the content not being for everyone, there is something to take away from their approach. These Barstool Sports women are normalizing discussing the many aspects of sexuality and relationships, a healthy, refreshing and empowering approach.

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Latest J.K. Rowling movie entertaining but cluttered Henry Bendon Staff Reporter

After establishing a new set of characters within the fictional world of Harry Potter in 2016’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” Warner Bros. returned to the universe earlier this month with “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” Like its predecessor, “The Crimes of Grindelwald” was written by “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling and is based around characters and stories mentioned in the the book series.

Over the film’s first ten days, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” has weathered a lackluster critical reception and a slow domestic debut.

There is no disguising the fact that “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” has flaws.

The second installment in the planned five part “Fantastic Beasts” series is sometimes slow. The film struggles to find a balance between telling a compelling standalone story and setting up plot lines for larger, multi-movie story arcs.

The film stars Johnny Depp as the titular villain Gellert Grindelwald. Depp became a controversial enough casting to push some fans away, as a result of allegations of domestic abuse that were denied by him and the studio.

That said, there are many aspects of this movie that are both entertaining and well written. Fantastic Beasts’ hero Newt Scamander, played by a charmingly dorky Eddie Redmayne, continues to be one of the best characters created

by Rowling and her special effects department. Redmayne is able to impress both as a talented magic beast handler, which allows the computer graphics team at Warner Bros. to show off their

stunningly beautiful animations, and as the confused and hopeless suitor of the equally awkward American witch Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston).

Some parts of the movie were very predictable, like the opening sequence of Grindelwald escaping a prison transfer after ending his appearance in the first movie with the line “do you think you can hold me.”

At other times, however, Rowling really impresses. Grindelwald’s motiva-

There is no disguising the fact that “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” has flaws. tion for wizard superiority is the most striking. He claims that a wizard-run world is necessary by showing images of the impending Second World War and pointing out that it’s only a matter of time before those weapons are turned on wizards.

The biggest problem with the movie is that even with a run time of a little over two hours, “The Crimes of Grindelwald” struggles to find room for the all the things happening within it.

While the film is entertaining and the CGI magic and music—the hallmarks of a “Harry Potter” film—carry the movie, the number of different subplots and scenes designed to set-up the next three movies in the series made for a final product that left moviegoers a little overwhelmed.

Launch Poster “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” starring Johnny Depp and Eddie Redmayne, manages to be entertaining despite its flaws.

MaDaCol to present a unique modern dance show on Nov. 29

Courtesy of Mather Dance Collective/Facebook MaDaCol, CWRU’s modern dance group, will be performing on Nov. 29 and 30 and Dec. 1.

Kyle Smith Staff Reporter On Nov. 29, students and faculty from Case Western Reserve University will come together with members of the greater Cleve-

land community to perform a dance show unlike any other. The Mather Dance Collective (MaDaCol) is one of CWRU’s oldest undergraduate student organizations, and the group creates an opportunity to blur the lines between the university and the city it inhabits.

MaDaCol is a student-run modern dance

club, but anyone is welcome to join regardless of university affiliation or experience. The club selects choreographers, usually dance department graduate students, to perform pieces for a showcase at the end of each semester.

The club holds open auditions for dancers, and the choreographers fill their pieces with dancers from the community at large. The rest of the semester is spent training and rehearsing for the show. This week’s performances will be the culmination of countless hours of work.

The performances will take place on Nov. 29 and 30 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. in the Mather Dance Studio. Tickets can be purchased for $7 at the door but seating is limited.

The last performance during the spring included several breathtaking pieces. “Metamorphosis” featured a single dancer undergoing an unsettling transformation in a humansized cocoon, while “Go” was an abstract representation of the strategy and spirit of the ancient chinese board game of the same name.

Other dances from last spring’s show included “Steal the Thunder,” a high-octane martial arts inspired show and “Pounding the Pavement,” a light-hearted, bombastic glimpse into life in

1950s New York City.

This semester’s show will contain three pieces, all from CWRU graduate students. “Down & Through,” from second-year graduate student Brandon Gregoire, gives physical representation to complex emotional upheaval. “Metro Life,” from fellow second-year graduate student Yuting Zhao, draws inspiration from subway commutes in big cities, exploring the way the mind wanders when the body is confined. Lastly, third-year graduate student Yizhen Hu explores the emotions of death and loss in “Inevitable.”

Hu is a returning choreographer for MaDaCol. Last spring, Hu choreographed “Steal the Thunder,” a piece that represented how two sides of a passionate argument can disagree while still respecting each other as individuals. This synthesis of thought-provoking themes with eyecatching choreography is the kind of entertainment you can expect from MaDaCol. This semester’s show is sure to be nothing less than another chapter in a storied line of outstanding performances.

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observer.case.edu from HAPPY pg. 1 Watterson said financial concerns caused the bar to close.

“Our lease was up at the end of the year,” said Watterson. “We were looking at renewing and the numbers just weren’t there to double down on sticking around.

Which is a shame cause it’s a great space and we put our heart and soul into it and I think we’ve done some great stuff in the four years we’ve been here.”

Happy Dog took over the space in 2014. Watterson said he set out to build ties with the people who lived in the neighborhoods around University Circle.

“We’ve had over 775 different bands play here. Some of them have played more than once, so that’s over 1,250 gigs. Add to that over a hundred poetry events, the dozens of science talks that we did with the Institute for the Science of Origins, and the author talks we did with Literary Cleveland and the East Cleveland Public Library,” said Watterson. “I’m proud of the stuff we did.”

He plans to carry over some of the events, such as the regular poetry shows and monthly bluegrass jam to the West Side Happy Dog. Watterson said University Circle Inc. plans to preserve the tavern. Happy Dog is working with the development corporation to ensure that whoever takes over the space will have access to the venue’s concert stage and its sound system.

The closing of Happy Dog, coming closely after the closing of another Euclid avenue institution Falafel Cafe has sparked outrage among CWRU students.

The Radical Student Union (RSU) organized a protest on Nov. 30 in response to the closing of the two restaurants and to bring more attention to the issue of gentrification.

“We see this as a way for Case students to see the impact of gentrification on them. Two affordable places to eat in the neighborhood have closed without any plan to replace them in any mean-

ingful way,” said RSU co-chair Eamon Sheehan. “Our goal is to raise awareness of the wider issue of gentrification, not just in how it has affected these two businesses, but how it has essentially

made our campus a campus that has borders and really distinct demarcations from the neighborhood around us.”

University Circle Inc. did not return requests for comment.

Jack Lewis/Observer Patrons at the bar of Happy Dog at Euclid Tavern before it closed on Nov. 17.

“Dirty John” presents disturbing, but poorly acted thrills

Sophia Yakumithis News Editor

Normally, I’m not a fan of true crime.

I have this weird anxiety that if I learn about horrific events that actually happened in real life that they will somehow become real and happen to me.

“Dirty John” is an exception.

Last weekend, my mother—the same woman who got me hooked on “The Real Housewives” franchise—dragged me into the realm of Bravo TV’s new true crime show “Dirty John.” She was wildly excited for the Nov. 25 premiere, since the “perfect man,” according to her, Eric Bana, plays the titular role.

The Australian actor is well known for his roles in “Troy” and “The Time Traveller’s Wife,” two movies that showcase his defined abdomen and muscle system at large. The lead female role in “Dirty John” is played by “American Horror Story” actress Connie Britton, someone my mother is less interested in and quite jealous of because of her fictional arm candy.

The Bravo series was inspired by Christopher Goffard’s Los Angeles Times podcast by the same name, which focused on the life of serial predator John Meehan. The registered nurse used deception and elusive strategies to lure in victim after victim, even bringing a gun into an operating room at one point.

Sixteen years ago, Meehan pled guilty to felony drug theft and then fled to

Ohio with an anesthesia kit to avoid surrender. Police found him nearly unconscious and surrounded by drug vials in a hotel, and on his way to the hospital, Meehan escaped from his restraints. He tried escaping the ambulance and was then sentenced to 17 months in prison.

The podcast and TV series focus on Meehan’s post-prison activities; on his first night out, the criminal set up a profile on Match.com to attract female victims. Debra Newell matched with Meehan in 2014 and on their first date he claimed to have been an anesthesiologist in Iraq for Doctors Without Borders.

Soon after they started dating, Meehan and Newell moved in together—despite her daughters’ adamant disapproval.

“Dirty John’s” premiere ends with the new couple’s impulsive marriage in Las Vegas.

As one could imagine, my mom thoroughly enjoyed the show for its visual presentation. We both agreed that the acting was generally subpar but that it suited the romanticized take on a true crime story.

“It’s pretty disconcerting not only to hear an American accent come out of that perfect Australian mouth [of Eric Bana], but to be so uncomfortable with how brilliantly this smooth, cooler than cool actor can play such a slimy, creepy fraud so easily,” my mom said.“It’s a gripping and suspenseful true story.

They’re doing such a great job on this series that I simply can’t wait until the next episode.”

Courtesy of Deadline.com Eric Bana plays the deceptive John Meehan in Bravo TV’s true crime drama “Dirty John.”

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opinion Editorial

The limitations of free speech

It can often be difficult to quantify “violence.” Most often we think of blatant physical incidents, such as the riots in Charlottesville that broke out in response to the “Unite the Right” demonstration put on by white nationalists. We imagine scenes of fist fights, tear gas and police in riot gear, visuals so conspicuous that they would be impossible to ignore.

Perhaps this association is exactly what has caused us to become so blind to the danger of hate speech.

This past week, the Case Western Reserve University community was again shaken by an email from President Barbara Snyder to the entire student body.

It detailed that two swastikas had been graffitied onto bathroom stalls on campus.

Reports released later in the week also described fliers containing hate speech that had been posted around campus.

The timing struck many as deliberate.

We’re just a few weeks removed from a shooting that left 11 dead at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. As a campus with a relatively large Jewish student population, the attack left us with a particularly prominent and still healing emotional wound. In a year that was already rife with incidents of targeted violence, it marked another stage in what has been a tumultuous first term for President Donald Trump.

As provocative as the images and messages discovered on campus were, some people felt they were not of immediate concern. To them, the disseminator of these images sought a reaction and this was exactly what we were giving them. Besides, at the end of day, free speech means that there is not a whole lot we can do about it anyway.

But these tropes represent a mindset that only enables the nascent forms of violence that lead to the more blatant ones described earlier.

Political violence is not limited to maiming those you disagree with. It extends to the threats of these acts or the symbols associated with them. We live in an unfortunate era where too often, imagery such as the swastika are considered tokens of past troubles. It lines up with the way “Nazi” has worked its way into casual jargon. The violence and contempt these terms and symbols represent isn’t necessarily forgotten, just irrelevant to the modern sphere.

It’s a privileged viewpoint that many possess and blanket as the darker components of our First Amendment tradition. Back in 1969, Brandenburg v. Ohio set the precedent that inflammatory speech was acceptable as long as it did not directly incite lawless action. All this has accomplished is to make the matters of hate speech that much more complicated.

This is not to say that free speech is not

one of the most crucial components of this country. As a media organization, it goes without saying that we are constantly indebted to our right to free speech. But we also possess a certain level of responsibility that underrides every bit of reporting, writing and publication that we undertake. We do our best to meet a standard that best provides for our readers and general community.

It’s this very aspect of responsibility that many appear to neglect when it comes to debates over free speech. Because the line between acceptable and unacceptable speech was left rather indistinct, it falls to us as citizens not to breach the threshold for political violence. Perhaps more importantly, it becomes our job to call out and denounce those who do.

The last few years have complicated this speech environment to a degree not seen in decades. Throughout the 2016 election, Trump made numerous comments promoting and welcoming violent acts from his supporters. Just weeks ago, he made bizarre but in-character claims regarding “nationalism” as appropriate in today’s discourse.

Members of the alternative right, nationalist groups and other once-guarded movements have responded pridefully. They began with Twitter brigades against persons of color, before moving onto more visible

and open protests. Their “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville left one dead and numerous others injured. More recently, the Proud Boys conducted a number of demonstrations that turned violent.

It’s evident of what happens when you give even an inch to these types of political groups. Reacting strongly to their rhetoric and images is necessary, because if you give them any ground, they will just continue to push the boundary further. It’s often easy for many of us to sit comfortably while perpetrators of violence test the waters, and it’s the trap we fall into if we only worry about what affects us personally.

So when you consider how to read into this debate over free speech, consider the two options we’re left with. We can either unequivocally condemn hate speech and those who spout it, or we could just say “it’s bad” but pretend like these are isolated incidents, significant to only those who take it too seriously. We would side with the former, even though some might call it a slippery slope to censorship or an infringement on the freedom of other individuals.

It’s a rather ironic sentiment if you think about it, given the core goal of hate speech is to remind its targets of who is truly free to exist in America.

Is campus carry viable at CWRU? Asking the Real Questions Jason Richards On Saturday, Nov. 3, a shooting took place on the south side of Case Western Reserve University’s campus on Murray Hill Road, next door to Cleveland’s Little Italy Historic District. Per CWRU police updates and messages, one undergraduate student was shot in the torso following an attempted armed carjacking. All students received text updates and emails from CWRU’s emergency messaging system. The student underwent surgery overnight and came through in a stable condition.

Following the tragic events in Pittsburgh the week prior, where 11 Jewish citizens were killed when a gunman entered a synagogue in the Squirrel Hill area and opened fire, these happenings have brought questions to communities nationwide about the root of violent acts in this country involving weapons.

After the shooting on campus, students received an alert via text message and email that CWRU Police had “added more officers to patrol the campus.” One second-year student

living on South Side near the shooting says this “was an act of hindsight” and “that number of police should have been patrolling in the first place.”

There’s no telling if having this number of police initially could have prevented the incident, but this was a decision made in response to an event which the police should strive to prevent. In events like these, there are many “ifs” and “buts” to reflect upon, but now, what matters are the changes going forward to prevent it from happening again.

Students are not permitted to possess or use any item considered a weapon on campus per the Student Code of Conduct. Should this regulation be changed based on the events that unfolded this weekend? Should students legally certified to carry a firearm be able to arm themselves on campus as an act of protection for themselves or others?

I conducted interviews with several students concerning this question. The responses were mixed.

One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, agreed that allowing students to arm themselves would “make [the campus] more dangerous.”

The Observer is the weekly undergraduate student newspaper of Case Western Reserve University. Established in 1969, The Observer reports news affecting students and provides an editorial forum for the university community.

Unsigned editorials are typically written by the opinion editor but reflect the majority opinion of the senior editorial staff. Opinion columns are the views of their writers and not necessarily of The Observer staff. For advertising information, contact The Observer at (216) 302-4442 or e-mail observer-ads@case.edu.

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Another student stated that “if they’re [going to] say no [to allowing students to carry guns], then they have to step up their security” in a way to make up for the students’ safety.

In opposition, one interviewee responded by stating that carrying a weapon on campus was okay “for concealed carry … as long as someone has [the firearm] responsibly, legally, is trained with that specific firearm and [is] certified with that firearm.”

CWRU President Barbara Snyder said in a livestream the Sunday after the shooting that “a 2016 study by Johns Hopkins found that campuses that allow guns actually had more gun violence, not less.” Continuing, she noted that “they had more shootings, more homicides and more suicides than campuses that do not allow guns.” Regarding allowing guns on campus she said, “it’s something that we can continue to discuss, but the research that is available—and we think the best research—shows that the campus is safer by prohibiting guns than by allowing them,” standing by the university’s Student Code of Conduct.

The University as a whole has learned a great deal from this incident.

Through these mixed responses, I was

able to see both sides of the argument, but one struck me as more appropriate for our campus.

Whichever side you agree with, an increase in campus security is definitely required. In the weeks following the incident, CWRU has assigned security officers to the bottom and top of the hill on South Side near the location of the incident. Snyder included in an email following the incident that “additional vehicles providing Safe Rides” were put in place, “with plans to add more by the middle of [the following] week.”

It’s important to note that changes are in fact being made from what we’ve learned from this incident. I believe campus carry is not a viable option in response to this incident. The changes being made are increasing the safety of students in areas where arming students cannot.

The updated security measures will ensure safety, while also helping to prevent another shooting based on misunderstanding or reflex.

Jason Richards is a second-year computer science major. He enjoys programming, biking and spending his money at Chipotle.

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established in 1969 by the undergraduate students of case western reserve university executive editor & publisher EDDIE KEREKES director of web & multimedia ALEXANDRA FACCENDA director of business operations SARAH PARR director of design RYAN YOO news editor SOPHIA YAKUMITHIS a&e editor MATT HOOKE opinion editor JACKSON RUDOFF sports editor ANDREW FORD a&e designer DALLAN GOLDBLATT web editor PRESTON WILLIS opinion designer KATHY YAO social media editor CHRIS HEERMAN adviertising manager DARIA RYABOGIN photo editor JAY KASSEL LEWIS accounts manager AURA ROSSY copy editors marketing manager BRADLEY SCHNEIDER development editor GRACE HOWARD MARY MCPHEETERS EMILY YOUNG advisor JIM SHEELER WON HEE KIM

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observer.case.edu

Words do hurt when speech incites violence In Case it Matters Jordan Reif

President Donald Trump does not need to go to Fifth Avenue to get away with violence; he can, and does, do it straight from his podium.

In our country, apparently, power excuses a leader from punishment for violence.

Weeks following the horrific terrorist attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, the FBI released their latest annual crime report. The United States— supposedly the “greatest country in the world”—experienced a 17 percent increase in hate crimes in 2017. When dissected, that percentage includes a 23 percent increase in religion-based hate crimes and an astounding 37 percent increase in antiSemitic hate crimes, although a portion of these are reported to be the result of an Israeli teenager’s bomb-threat hoax.

Hate crimes had been on a downward trend until 2014 and spiked in 2016. A similar trend—though much more sudden— was seen post-9/11, resulting in almost 10,000 incidents. The 2001 terrorist attacks resulted in a spike in fear and divisiveness among Americans, primarily toward people of color and Middle Eastern descent. As a result, the lives of these fellow humans are indisputably worsened.

So, the question remains, what accounts for our current increase?

We can identify an event in 2016 as a potential cause for escalation in hate crimes: the election of Trump as President of the United States.

By Nov. 8, 2016, Americans already had a clear picture of Trump’s ideals. He had spouted xenophobic, racist, sexist and other, unsubstantiated, comments along the campaign trail. Specifically notable were his comments in person and on Twitter, his apparent preferred means of communication, encouraging his supporters to use violence as a means to an end. Starting in Iowa in January 2016, Trump blatantly told rally-attendees to “knock the crap out of” counter-protesters, promising them he would cover any legal fees. Two months later in Michigan, he asked his supporters to try not to hurt protesters, but vowed to defend them in court if they did inflict injuries. These are just a couple examples of Trump flagrantly promoting the use of violence against other humans, particularly his political opponents.

The precarious balance of free speech

versus public safety tends to tip in favor of free speech, which has only augmented an era with a greater number hate crimes.

The 1969 landmark Supreme Court case Brandenburg v. Ohio limits free speech when it incites or proves likely to incite a crime. The Justices’ wording of this decision protects speech that prompts violent acts, declaring it not punishable as a crime.

Through this loophole, Trump and his supporters are able to encourage violence without repercussions.

All of this behavior is supplemented

by Trump’s consistent failure to condemn hate crimes. In August of last year, white supremacists marched through the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia chanting “Jews will not replace us” and “Sieg heil”, protesting the removal of Confederate monuments. The “Unite the Right” rally turned fatal when 32-year-old counter-protester Heather Heyer was killed by one of the white supremacists.

Traditionally, the president, as head of state, has addressed and comforted the nation during times of mourning such as this.

Instead, Trump took to criticizing errors on “both sides,” referring to the white supremacists and counter-protesters. Over a year later, in late 2018, Trump struggled again to denounce the actions of white nationalists like the Proud Boys, a “club” of far-right men who promote political violence.

Instead of trying to delegitimize the ongoing Special Counsel investigation, a better use of Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker’s time might be to encourage Trump to denounce the actions of white nationalism. As long as speech that incites violence is difficult to pursue legally, white nationalists, racists and Trump will be emboldened in their rhetoric and actions.

We must remember an increase in hate crimes inherently affects all American communities, including ours. We, as members of the Case Western Reserve University community, are a beautiful patchwork of experiences, colors, religions, identities and beliefs. We are Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, atheists. We are immigrants and refugees, we are Latinx, African-American, Asian. We are him, her, them.

It is imperative that we celebrate our differences and denounce the “ambiguous” propaganda emanating from the man in the White House and the violence it instigates.

Jordan Reif is a first-year student studying political science on the pre-med track. She likes to spend her time reading, saving the bees or innovating new ideas for her start up “Ned talks”—a discussion forum for those who are just not quite good enough to make it to TED.

Turning the other cheek Dastardly Liberal Schemes Steve Kerby Is “turning the other cheek” not the first guidance provided by a loving parent to their bullied child? When I was young, my parents instructed to just ignore bullies. “Bullies and other lowbrows thrive on visceral reactions from their victims,” they said.

Knee-jerk shouts and shoves tell a bully that they are powerful, that they exert control and influence just by saying that Steve “sucks at kickball.”

Only spending a few breaths to spit a taunt, a bully can receive the satisfaction of starting a shouting match.

In its most literal sense, turning the other cheek means if one is subjected to a demeaning slap, one should simply turn and allow the offender to strike again. Matthew quotes Jesus describing this philosophy at the Sermon on the Mount, a cornerstone of Christian thought. Jesus contrasts this peaceful approach with the reactionary “eye for an eye,” which directs an assaulted party to respond until an equal toll has been exacted.

“An eye for an eye” dates back at least to 1754 B.C. in Hammurabi’s Code, a collection of Babylonian laws.

The 196th law states “If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.”

Though made famous by Hammurabi, it is not difficult to conclude that reactionary punishment of this type is the human default. Humans desire equality, fairness and justice. We channel Hammurabi when we execute murderers or fine fraudsters. There is no fundamental reason to create more suffering as punishment for past crimes, but law-givers for almost four millennia have made it so.

This is why “turning the other cheek” is revolutionary. As recently as 1900, a personal insult could quickly escalate into institutionalized violence, but Jesus instructs his followers to let the blow land unanswered. He argues that violence cannot answer violence, nor hatred hatred. The wrong-doer becomes an object of pity instead of a personal enemy when they fail to break an unflappable victim.

What does turning the other cheek look like? Suffer me two examples.

Suppose you are running for a position on a club’s executive board.

During the open-floor debate just before the election, a rival candidate spits some exaggerated accusations or trumped-up anecdotes about how awful you are.

Clearly, they are wrong, because I know you are a great person. An “eye for an eye” response would be to unload in a similar manner, transforming the small mistakes in your opponent’s past into a firestorm. All that this accomplishes is normalizing those dirty tactics. The situation escalates, the gloves go down … you know the rest. “Turning the other cheek” is refusing to stoop to get ahead.

Let other people descend that low, I know you are better than that.

Another example: suppose some political splinter group is trying to stir up trouble by scratching or taping offensive messages around campus.

We, being decent folks, find these messages abhorrent, we know they are maliciously and purposefully wrong.

How do we punish these vandals?

Even the assumption that they deserve punishment not for vandalism but instead for the hateful message is “eye for an eye.”

It betrays a desire to see them pay, watch them get kicked out of the university, let them be the subject of our ire. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a pariah get collectively punished by an offended majority.

It may be difficult at times, but I suggest we “turn the other cheek” in this situation. The purveyors of the hateful messages that whirl around our campus and our country are not academic thinkers interested in debate, nor are they true political activists trying to change the world. They are simply provocateurs, waiting to feast on liberal tears. In the past two years, we have fed and energized them. We have given the bullies around us exactly what they want by blowing up into a raging tempest.

Let’s take the wind out of their sails.

They will face justice for their real misdeeds, but we should not give them the satisfaction of watching us shout and froth. This is my challenge to you, and it is also, I think, what Jesus was telling his followers. Deprive the bullies of the mud in which they grow their crop. Be unblinking in defiance. Turn the other cheek and let the cowardly slap roll off.

Steve Kerby is a fourth-year studying astronomy and physics. It seems to him that we’re living our lives like some candles in the wind.

It’s time for Zuckerberg to step down Peter For You Peter Wilson It would not be surprising if you are one of Facebook’s 2.2 billion users. It would be surprising if you have no experience with the social media giant.

As many know, and as was depicted in the movie “The Social Network,” Mark Zuckerberg came up with the idea for Facebook with his college roommates.

Zuckerberg still serves as the CEO and Chairman for the company today 14 years after its creation.

In recent years, Facebook has endured numerous scandals surrounding their gathering and usage of people’s personal data entered into the social network. The data was gathered to aid the program in showing you customized ads and marketing efforts, as the company has said. But, this data has been leaked and stolen on multiple occasions, with some leaks affecting over 50 million users.

Zuckerberg has weathered the storm

of each scandal and remained CEO of the company. He has even testified before Congress on multiple occasions on the subject of private data usage, and the misinformation campaigns launched by Russian agents during the 2016 presidential election.

But with each scandal, Zuckerberg has shown more and more that he must step down as CEO of Facebook. He must allow new leadership to steer the company’s policies on data collection, usage and the spread of misinformation in a new direction.

As I remarked, Facebook has over 2.2 billion users worldwide. That’s a larger population than any single country. It is also larger than the combined populations of Europe, the United States and all of South America. Facebook’s user population is the largest community in the history of the Earth.

Data is actively being collected on every single one of those users based on their friends, the pages they view, their friends’ friends and several additional metrics.

Zuckerberg’s mission for the company has pushed it into becoming an enormous data-

mining operation.

Why is all this data collected?

Supposedly to improve the overall experience for Facebook users in terms of catered advertising and friend suggestions.

Though this may be, that doesn’t change how often this data has been compromised.

The most notable theft was undertaken by the British company Cambridge Analytica, which stole data from Facebook during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and during the build-up to the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom in 2016. This data was used to implant far-right ads across Facebook and other social media platforms to drum up support for Donald Trump and the Vote Leave campaign in Britain.

In response to this data breach and breach of personal trust, Zuckerberg and Facebook apologized, and promised to change their policies regarding third-party companies access to their data pool. Zuckerberg made similar promises to Congress both times that he has testified. Little appears to have changed though, as problems continue to persist.

Facebook’s own Chief Operating Officer

Sheryl Sandberg was quoted in September, saying that Facebook was “too slow to see this and too slow to act.” Facebook’s own employees seem to doubt Zuckerberg’s leadership.

Facebook has been ripe with issues, both of privacy and politically. The website has been used to keep in contact with loved ones, but also to sway public opinion in the U.S. and the U.K. The website has been manipulated by foreign and domestic agents to obtain people’s private data, which was only given with their consent on the assumption that it would be kept private.

Facebook is not an inherently evil or detrimental website, and Zuckerberg has done well up until this point. But the internet behemoth needs someone new who can guide the company toward a better, more secure direction.

Peter Wilson is a second-year biomedical engineering student on the bioinformatics and computing track. He works in the Gustafson Lab and can be found on Twitter at @ wpieltseorn.

12 opinion

11/30/18

Education as a zero-sum game hurts collaboration Zhuscleus Caroline Zhu As competition among high school and college age students rises, the negative effects begin to show themselves as students start to enter the workforce. Too many students see education, and later their careers, as zero-sum games, a situation where another person’s success means your own failure.

This perception is counterproductive because people who have it lose important interpersonal skills, which can eventually harm job prospects and other relationships.

Approaching education as a zero-sum game leads to an individualistic mentality that makes it difficult to establish relationships with peers and can worsen communication skills. The development of this mindset is

one that comes with the heavy competition involved in higher education and job markets. In 2018, the number of college applicants hit record highs, with institutions such as the University of California system reporting increases of up to 12.4 percent in applications, driving acceptance rates down and competition up.

With the sudden increase in people competing for higher education and skilled jobs, it can seem there are only winners and losers in the search for job opportunities and school acceptances.

However, the perception that we lose the opportunities that other people gain is reductive, as it shrinks the multitude of paths and choices available to students into two possibilities: success or failure.

In reality, there are too many opportunities in both the academic and professional worlds for students to act as though they are competing for an ultrascarce resource. As such, success and

failure must be redefined to include the many options students have, as success does not need to be limited to a single offer. Too often, they develop tunnel vision, visualising success in only one possibility, when so many are open for students to explore.

This is not to condemn students who prioritize their own careers over others but to warn against overzealous competition. In a healthy environment, students who compete with one another drive each other to be better. However, doing so at the cost of communication skills only leads to deterioration in terms of academic and professional progress.

In recent years, the emergence of project-based jobs has prompted employers to seek people who can collaborate, but the individualistic mindset many candidates have developed puts these students at a disadvantage.

Students must learn collaboration

and cooperative work in order to find jobs in the future. Without altering the way students perceive success and competition, we put incoming workers at a disadvantage.

In order to create a better environment for students to truly develop collaborative skill sets, we must stop describing education as an area in which there are winners and losers, but return to the original purpose of education: to learn.

We need to remind students of the value of an education which is ultimately to establish individual careers to collectively drive progress.

Caroline Zhu is a first-year computer science and economics major with a deep and abiding love for Shakespeare. She is currently trapped indefinitely within a block of ice due to the combination of a southern Californian constitution and Cleveland’s cold weather.

Appreciating Armistice Day Publicized Confab Josiah Smith Too often I am guilty of harboring an overwhelming sense of dread. There are so many things happening in this world that I don’t just casually disagree with, I fundamentally oppose them without any space for mutual acceptance.

At times, reading through a bad newscycle leaves me questioning how much longer humans will be able to cohabitate peacefully. How long until we inevitably destroy ourselves? Several news outlets seem to only cover the impending doom—wars, poverty and loss, hunger and decrepitness. These headlines seem to have become the norm, as if fear should be a natural part of news consumption.

Where the news fails us is in its portrayal of the ways that this world is getting better. There are troves of data providing evidence for how quality of life, especially within developed countries, is

continually increasing.

For example, when looking at trends that reflect extreme poverty, in 1980, over 40 percent of the world was still caught within the grasp of poverty. Today, that percentage has decreased to around 10 percent. If you look at metrics that show active wars during a specific era, you’d notice an incredible decrease in those numbers as well. Thirty years ago the world’s countries were involved in nearly 23 active wars, while today that number has essentially been halved.

I’ve included these statistics because they highlight how life has progressively improved at the hands of the hard-working citizens of the world. I wish I could include the entire scope of the impressive statistics showing what challenges have been conquered over time. But since I am unable, I’ll stick with the most important.

For me, the statistic about war is highly significant because the 20th century was plagued by numerous highstakes conflicts. I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been to be alive during these times.

On Sunday, Nov. 11, the world

again celebrated the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I. In fact, that Sunday marked the hundredth anniversary of the signing.

The Armistice was, and still is, so radically important because it signifies a collective effort for peace. Officially, the document ceased fighting on land, sea and air and declared victory for the Allies over their opponent, Germany.

But, most importantly, the document became symbolic for peace and an effort to sustain it collectively.

Unfortunately, this day seems to be a relic of history, with few people aware of its existence. To be fair, there’s nothing inherently wrong about not knowing when Armistice Day is, even if it does have its own catchy slogan: “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” How could anyone forget that?

Personally, I keep it in mind because it signifies another instance of a world that seemed beyond repair. If this feat was achieved before, just beyond the reach of our average lifespans, then there is no reason that it can’t and won’t be achieved again.

I’m sure that during the devastating days of the Great War, many thought similarly; that this conflict could potentially ensure the end. But like all of the positive trends that have been observed over time, their conflicts have been only that: problems that needed solving and not some doomsday death sentence for the planet.

Armistice Day is a reminder that it is neither too hopeful or woefully wrong to experience both feelings of optimism or pessimism in a conflicted time. In fact, both feelings are natural and necessary in order to solve the problems that face us.

What’s unnatural is a daily news feed that reports only on what isn’t working, what hasn’t happened yet and what is most likely to kill us. The world has never existed without a conflict that seemed like it would it bring the end of days.

But, as you’ve probably noticed, that hasn’t happened yet. And, this world is becoming a better place because of a collective effort to right its wrongs.

Josiah Smith is a fourth-year English and business management double major.

How skateboarding changed my life Columnist

Erya Du When my schedule normalized, I started feeling existential about my place on campus. It is a feeling that is hard to describe or explain. It was like walking on a Mobius strip or living on a cloud. Though you are aware of who you are and what you are doing, you cannot figure out where you are going.

People told me that college would be like a bubble. You stay inside comfortably without feeling any pain. I thought I might be living in the wrong bubble.

But life became interesting again when my roommate Nico got a skateboard for us from Beachwood, which was the only place where I felt in touch with the whole city.

I had never thought of learning to skateboard before. I am not the most athletic or healthy, and sports usually fail to satisfy me. I don’t like to hear

these words from other people, but I’m just being honest about myself here.

However, skateboarding was different for me. My skateboard was small, shiny and cool. It also proved to be the best transportation to class for me when I was stupid enough to ignore the GreenLink shuttle.

Then I started to practice on my own. Compared to my roommate, I seemed to be much more brave. I fell much more often than she did when we were practicing. My knees, elbows and legs all got hurt, leaving me covered in bandages. Even my roommate was

worried by all the bruises I got. I still skateboarded all the time, because when I did it, I felt happy.

Skateboarding became the main way for me to get closer to the outside world.

On the way to class, I could see nature: dozens of birds taking off together, squirrels chasing each other and leaves turning yellow.

With skateboarding, the streets are no longer only cement. The speed helped me notice small hills. Every bump in the sidewalk was apparent when I fell or wobbled on the board. I was never worried about falling over as

“With skateboarding, the streets are no longer only cement.”

long as I didn’t hurt my head. I felt like a dancing queen every time I skated a long distance without falling.

Most importantly, I felt existent again.

But I was still embarrassed when skateboarding in a crowd. I remembered once when I skateboarded all along from Thwing Center to my dorm, I felt so cool until I fell in front of three people, in front of my dorm.

Pain, embarrassment and regret all came to my mind at the moment. I soon turned back into the original girl, with weak legs, easily injured skin and a usual blush in the face. Then I heard people asking if I was okay and they helped me stand up and pick up my belongings. I realized again I was experiencing a new environment but also that I was sharing it.

I felt myself fitting in the culture and experienced kindness from people around me and the world I am now apart of.

Erya Du is a first-year pre-law student double majoring in international studies and economics. She loves deer, pandas and architecture.

opinion 13

observer.case.edu

CWRU needs to emphasize moral education Letter to the Editor Jeremy Bendik-Keymer The event convened by President Barbara Snyder on Tuesday, Nov. 27 to discuss Nazism and white supremacy’s traces on campus was helpful, especially Director of the LGBT Center Liz Roccoforte’s suggestion for developing a ready task force to address hate slurs on campus.

One thing was missing, though: the importance of moral learning in our university. Certainly, moral values were implicit everywhere, but moral learning was never explicit.

Diversity is oriented by moral perception and values. Without these values, diversity loses its way and can even be problematic. Some people become radicalized and reactive when they encounter diversity, a phenomenon that is underneath the stories of many fundamentalists.

And if the global diversity requirement for the College of Arts and Sciences allows the course “Witches, Weddings, and Wolves” to count as much toward diversity as a course on the Holocaust, one can see what happens when diversity is not guided by social justice. Diversity needs to be joined with moral equality and that with moral perception to do its work.

The absence of moral perception was sometimes on display Tuesday night.

A student who wants to beat up the person who offended them has lost moral perception. Someone who conflates criticism of a state and its use of force with hate crimes against people has also lost moral perception. The very presence of Nazi ideology begins under this larger problem of suppressing moral perception in the abstract delusion of a political movement.

It all points toward a need for moral learning on this campus and more explicit attention to the moral perception of people and of everything else morally considerable, such as other forms of life. Yet not only are this language and its concepts not forefronted in events like Tuesday’s, but Case Western Reserve University’s faculty provides very little curricular and programmatic emphasis on them.

The autobiographies and in-depth reports I’ve read of former American Nazis are quite clear. The converts became what they were because they had massive voids inside them and lacked moral perception.

These two were linked. The voids were a result of the way their upbringing had left them feeling that they had no moral value, that they did not deserve care, concern and respect. So they repaid the world in kind.

At CWRU, we contribute to some aspects of this void. We are career-focused and technical but not equally focused on learning how to be human beings with good judgment. And we frequently— whether according to students, staff or

faculty—are struck by the “coldness” or lack of care in this place.

We all contribute to the void in each other in our own way. We do not create Nazis, but we quite often produce alienated students, staff and faculty. A big part of the problem here is unclarity and lack of follow-through on creating an environment where moral attention and perception are genuinely put among the most important things we learn and where they are emphasized and thus explicitly valued.

So I have two suggestions, both on the depth side.

First, I propose we consider a common reading of one of the biographies of a recovered neo-Nazi. Help incoming students learn about why someone becomes a Nazi and how important a genuinely moral environment is to bringing someone back from the void.

My second proposition is that we advocate for the faculty to remember the importance of moral learning. We are constantly at risk of letting this core area of our mission drop. The Commission on the Undergraduate Experience report had no ethicist on it. The new universal general education requirement proposal makes no mention of moral learning, even though it aims to produce productive members of society, and it has seemingly abandoned the one feature of Seminar Approach to General Education and Scholarship (SAGES) that contributed to moral development: learning goals in

moral reflection that refined along the four courses of SAGES in what is called “spiral learning.”

It is this spiral learning that the nursing school does and which explains in large part why its students graduate with a strong moral sensibility, whereas the rest of our undergraduates plateau and even decline in moral judgment, graduating without a civic sense, without a sense of social justice and without a sense of the important human goods of life beyond one’s immediate career. We need to improve our moral education throughout the entire school, but currently are continuing to sideline it.

In this divided America, slogans won’t work. We need to help people see each other as people, and this does not begin with abstractions; it begins by coming close up to people and perceiving their humanity. This is a moral art.

The response I hope we can show to the events on campus is not so much a reassertion of identity, as was claimed often Tuesday night, but concrete acts of moral perception by which we try to see people in their complexity with care.

Emphasizing that in campus practices would be the place to start. It would reassert respect concretely and help all people feel safe.

Jeremy Bendik-Keymer Beamer-Schneider Professor in Ethics & Associate Professor of Philosophy

Dear Uncle Euclid Dear Uncle Euclid, I am currently in trouble. I am extremely upset because I am stuck majoring in engineering but I have a deep passion for visual arts. What should I do? I want to follow my dreams, but financial security comes first. I can use any advice I can get.

Fretting in Fribley Dear Fretting in Fribley: So you’re feeling blue about where you are on your career path. Luckily, there is always a solution. Come on in, son, and warm yourself by the fire. It can be hard to express creative passion at Case Western Reserve University without it being shot down immediately because it isn’t “sciency” enough.

Being passionate about the arts and wanting to pursue them professionally is risky. We all want to follow our dreams but at the same time, financial security is necessary in this day and age. Honestly, there are three paths you can take, and each relies on what you feel is more important to you.

The first option is the more “reasonable” of the three: since you have already begun an engineering degree, continuing with it could be extremely beneficial professionally. Engineering is a great degree, with a fantastic job market and many opportunities for success. You could find a way to combine engineering and art, perhaps through a cognitive science approach (there are plenty of engineers in design), or even in advertising (every gadget advertisement you see involves the work of a talented designer as well).

The second option is to focus completely on engineering and lay your dreams of being an artist to rest for the time being. If you are very far along in your engineering degree, and financial security is your priority right now, focus on finding an engineering job and pursuing art as a hobby. Again, this may not be what you want to hear; however, finding that perfect inbetween with art and engineering could give you the salary and stability you desire while fueling your passions.

Lastly, you could do the ultimate sacrificial move: drop everything and pursue your art wholeheartedly. This would require your complete commitment; focus on your passion, present your vision to individuals who will support you and play it fast and loose until you make it.

This might be the riskiest and most unstable option, but it would be the most fulfilling.

For now, Uncle Euclid advises you to focus on your degree and engage in the arts in your free time, or find a perfect medium that pays you and entertains you. Find a way to support yourself in case your decision changes, my child.

Yours Truly, Uncle Euclid

14

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Athlete Spotlight

Fifth-year basketball player returns after season long injury Niko Kamlet Staff Reporter Kara Hageman is a graduate student and forward on the Case Western Reserve University women’s basketball team. She retained a year of athletic eligibility due to a year-long injury in her fourth year but is back with a passion to succeed. She graduated with a degree in biomedical engineering and is currently pursuing a dual masters degree with a master of arts in bioethics and medical humanities and a masters of public health. In her free time, she loves to simply relax and hang out with friends at the Jolly Scholar.

What is your favorite part of being on the basketball team? Why? My favorite part of being on the team has to be doing what I love with people that I love. I just think that being able to come together with other people who are also so passionate about this sport and being able to push each other to get better and play with them everyday is unlike any other experience I’ve had. Being on the team has not only allowed me to grow as a person but it has also given me life long friends.

Where did you get your passion for basketball? Any good stories?

I have two older sisters and two brothers, so even as a baby I was in the gym watching some of my siblings play. Then as I got older, one of my brothers was always trying to play basketball with me so he really was a big reason I got into the sport.

I also have always been quite tall for my age and used to be pretty embarrassed about it, but then I found that it was a helpful thing when playing basketball, so being out on the court made me feel much more confident about my height. It’s just always been something in my life that I have fun with and get to relieve any stress.

Do you have any games that you remember being particularly special?

Why? I think the one game I specifically remember was from my junior year in college (2016-17 season). It was Throwback Weekend so we were playing in Adelbert Gymnasium rather than Horsburgh. I al-

ways love Throwback Weekend because the whole gym has a more old school vibe and I think it can throw other teams off.

Anyway, we were playing University of Chicago who was ranked in the top 25, I believe. They were also ranked top of our conference at the time. I had been feeling a little sick before the game, but once I got out there and had my teammates by my side everything just flowed, and we played together so well. We ended up beating them 80-78, which was the upset of our season. It was just one of the happiest and most exciting endings, and it was a game I will never forget.

Aside from basketball, what else are you involved in on campus? Can you explain what you do in them?

Yeah so I am actually a graduate student now, I missed my senior season last year due to an ACL injury, but am back as a grad student to use my fourth year of eligibility. That being said, the things I am involved in this year [are] slightly different than what I was in undergrad. But I was a member of Delta Gamma where I served as director of sisterhood events and director of Spartan Cup throughout my time there. I also was in Case Association of Student Athletes (CASA). I also worked in a biomedical engineering lab for Dr. [Anirban] Sen Gupta where I conducted research on platelet interactions with metastatic cancer cells. Currently, I still work in this lab as well as part-time as a research intern for a company called Haima Therapeutics, where I run different tests on synthetic platelets that we are making.

Why did you major in biomedical engineering? What interests you about it?

I decided to major in biomedical engineering [BME] because it was challenging, and I know how needed it is going to be as technology continues to develop.

My whole family is very science-oriented, and two of my siblings actually graduated from CWRU as BME majors as well. So, I was exposed to this topic from an early age and found what they talked about and what they were doing to be extremely interesting, so I decided to pursue it myself. I find the intersection of human health and technology to be interesting and extremely important. Currently, I am pursuing a dual masters degree

Courtesy of CWRU Athletics in the graduate school in bioethics and public health. I chose this route because I think it exposes me to a different kind of problem solving that might not be so black and white. It also is allowing me to gain insight on what types of medical developments are needed across populations as well as how to tackle problems that could arise with the rapid development of technology.

What do you hope to accomplish with the degree?

I am hoping to further my education to med school or in a Ph.D. program. I am very interested in clinical research and the translational aspects of research as it allows me to continue research while also interacting with patients and people to solve current health problems. I also am very passionate about trying to help those in underserved communities and trying to

figure out the best way to have medical care available to them as well.

What are your favorite free time activities? Why? My favorite thing to do in my free time is probably just grabbing some dinner and drinks with friends, typically at the Jolly Scholar. I just love the atmosphere of that place, and I think it is a perfect place to just relax and catch up with friends. I also enjoy playing the piano every now and again when I get the chance.

What is your favorite quote or what inspires you?

This is tough. I have quite a few favorite quotes all of which kind of inspire me at different times. This one may be a bit cheesy, but it is one from Ralph Waldo Emerson. I just think it sums up everything pretty well.

Men’s cross country places 21st at nationals

Andrew Ford Sports Editor

Second-year runner Trey Razanauskas finished in 64th place, the Spartans’ top finisher, at the NCAA Division III Championships for the Case Western Reserve University men’s cross country team. As a team, CWRU finished in 21st place, their best finish since 2003, when they placed 20th.

The championships were held in Winneconne, Wisconsin, near the campus of University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, featuring 32 teams from across the country and a total of 280 runners.

Third-year runner David Hall was the second Spartan to cross the finish line, coming in 87th.

CWRU had two other runners finish in the top 200, fourth-year runner Zach Roshon and thirdyear runner Andrew Green. First-year runner Spencer Weigand came in 210th place. Thirdyear runners Michael Klein and Tim Andrews closed out the team of seven Spartan runners, finishing in 270th and 274th place, respectively.

best finish since

2003

men’s team placed overall

21

st

Trey Razanauskas placed

64

th

Chris Heerman/Observer The CWRU men’s cross country team finished in 21st at the NCAA DIII Championships. They were led by second-year runner Trey Razanauskas and thirdyear runner David Hall, both of whom finished in the top 100 of 280 total runners.

To see more photos from the cross country championships, visit our website at observer.case.edu

sports

observer.case.edu

15

Women’s basketball starts strong, Hillary Hellman breaks record David Chang Staff Reporter The Case Western Reserve University women’s basketball started the season 4-0, winning against Allegheny College and Chatham University in the Greg Richards Tournament, topping Denison University 91-84 in overtime and defeating John Carroll University 79-65.

With the addition of graduate student forward Mercedes Jones and returning from injury graduate student forward Kara Hageman, the Spartans added some much-needed height to round out the young core from last season.

Going into the game against Denison, fourth-year guard Hillary Hellmann needed one more three-pointer to pass the record for the most three-pointers in a career for a Spartan woman. Hellmann

made two threes to start the game, quickly notching the record and starting the Spartans strong with an 8-2 lead. Denison eventually tied the score at the end of the first quarter at 18.

Both teams started the second quarter cold, and second-year forward Emma Cain protected the paint and altered Denison’s layups. The Spartans turned to Hageman to score in isolation, putting in seven points alone in the last three minutes of the second quarter, giving the Spartans 38-33 lead heading into the half.

Realizing their three-pointers were not falling, Denison attacked the basketball more in the second half. The score remained tight all through the third and fourth quarter, and Hellmann missed a go-ahead three with the Spartans down two and 50 seconds remaining on the clock. Luckily, Denison only made one

of two free throws after a Spartans’ foul.

First-year guard Alyssa Hyland got open by losing her man after setting a pick for Hellmann. With two seconds left, thirdyear guard Alice Marie Gonzales inbounded the ball to Hyland for the tie to force overtime.

In her first four games, Hyland has been efficient behind the three point line, shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 10.8 points in just 17 minutes per game.

Both teams traded baskets to start overtime, but the Spartans continued to push the ball on the break to build a five-point lead. Denison responded with a bucket, but Hellmann made her fifth three-pointer and Jones iced the game with a block to give the Spartans a sixpoint cushion with a minute left to play.

Hellmann had a season high 29 points, shooting 11-for-18 from the field, and

Hageman followed with 21 points and eight rebounds.

Against John Carroll, the Spartans started blazing with an 8-0 run and ended the first quarter 24-12. After a timeout in the start of the second quarter, John Carroll reignited their offense and made four threes in a row, outscoring the Spartans 19-7 in the second quarter.

However, the Spartans responded with their own threes, as Hyland and secondyear guard Emily Todd made one each in the middle of the third and Todd with a second three to start the fourth. The Spartans turned up the motor and tired out the John Carroll players, with Hellmann and Cain getting players into foul trouble and scoring 13 out of the total 29 points in the fourth.

The Spartans fell to undefeated Ohio Northern University, 71-57 on Wednesday, Nov. 28.

Editor’s Choice

Swimming and diving wraps up winning semester Riley Simko Staff Reporter The Case Western Reserve University swimming and diving teams have made a splash so far this season. Both the women’s and men’s teams have won five out of their six meets in the current season.

Most recently, the teams swept a quad meet at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. The men’s team defeated Gannon University (169126), Grove City College (198-102) and the University of Rochester (187-111).

The Spartan women also dominated at the meet, winning against Gannon (21778), Grove City (232-68) and Rochester (165-135).

As their fall semester winds down, the athletes reminisced on their favorite memories and accomplishments this season.

Kelsey Holmberg, a fourth-year freestyle and fly competitor as well as University Athletic Association-All Academic recognized athlete, reflected on

the hours of hard work that the team has put in this season and also the hours of fun team bonding.

Regarding the quad meet at Rochester, Holmberg said, “It was a long road trip for us, but travelling as a team is always fun. We watch movies on the bus, so this past trip we watched ‘Remember the Titans’ and ‘Miracle.’”

Sophia Vaccaro, a second-year distance freestyle and fly swimmer, also recalled the Rochester trip as a highlight of the season. After watching “Remember the Titans” as a team, the Spartans made up their own cheer based on the movie. Remembering it as one of her favorite cheers of the season, Vaccaro said, “That cheer really got our team hyped up and loose and ready to swim.”

For Will McDonald, a second-year backstroke competitor, his proudest moment came during the Oct. 20 meet against John Carroll University (JCU).

“JCU was really hyped up and were dead set on beating us,” McDonald recalled, “so it was nice to see us as a team rally around our swimmers and put the effort in to beat them.”

The JCU meet was the Spartans’ first meet and first win of the year, a victory which McDonald credits for setting a positive tone for their triumphs the rest of the fall semester.

“JCU was really hyped up and were dead set on beating us,” McDonald recalled, “so it was nice to see us as a team rally around our swimmers and put the effort in to beat them.”

But the Spartans aren’t finished yet.

The swimming and diving teams are still looking to earn another win this weekend at the Ellen Shapiro Natatorium for

the Wooster College Invitational.

“Heading into Wooster this week, we are excited to compete at a high level,” Holmberg said. “Our team has done really well at the Wooster Invite in the past, and we hope to continue that this year.”

In order to prepare for these competitive meets, Vaccaro says the team follows a rigorous practice schedule which includes “swimming for two hours a day and then also doing either a dry land or weightlifting exercise for an additional hour each day.”

The athletes’ hard work each day is specialized to train them for specific competitive events. These workouts are crafted by Head Coach Doug Milliken, Assistant Coaches Anne Tillie and Kristy Miller and Diving Coach Matt O’Neill.

The Wooster Invitational is the Spartans’ last meet of the fall semester, but their season will continue through winter break and into the spring semester.

The teams will keep up a rigorous practice schedule until the end of the semester and then embark on their annual training trip to Florida during the break.

Men’s basketball wins Bill Sudeck Tournament Sanjay Annigeri Staff Reporter The Case Western Reserve University men’s basketball team dominated the competition at home to win the Bill Sudeck Tournament, defeating Franciscan University of Steubenville, 78-48, on Friday, Nov. 16 and Washington College, 70-66, the day after.

However, the team recently faced its first setback of the season, losing a 80-79 nailbiter at Denison University on Tuesday, Nov. 20.

The first game of the tournament against Franciscan was an easy victory for the Spartans. The team came out of the gate to take a 9-0 lead. After Franciscan fought back, CWRU went on a 23-4 run to put the team up 34-12. They finished the half up by 21, shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range.

The points piled on with the Spartans starting the second half on a 13-0 run. The team ended up cruising to victory. Third-year forward Connor Nally lead the team with 17 points and eight rebounds.

The championship game against Washington College was a bit tougher. CWRU started the game down 12-5 in the first five minutes. However, a quick 8-2 burst put the Spartans within one point of their opponent.

A jumper by second-year guard Antonio Ionadi gave the team their first lead and spurred a 26-2 run that put CWRU up by 20.

They ended the half up 43-26.

Washington College chipped away at that lead all through the second half. They trimmed the margin down to three with 30 seconds left and two with 10 seconds left.

Third-year forward Michael Hollis wasn’t worried, calmly draining his free throws to give the Spartans the win. Hollis was also named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

The overtime affair against Denison was tense. CWRU started the game slow, with an early five point deficit. After a scoring run by Ionadi and third-year guard Monty Khela, the team took the lead with 12 minutes left in the half.

The rest of the first half was a back and forth affair, with six lead changes. CWRU pulled away with a 9-2 run to go into halftime with a 35-30 lead.

The team started the second half by building a lead of 11 points after a Nally jump shot. Denison responded with a 9-0 run to put them down by two with over six minutes left in the game.

CWRU led the rest of the way, until Denison tied it at 71 after a pair of free throws with 16 seconds left. Second-year guard Ignas Masiulionis’ attempt to end the game on a long three pointer fell short.

In overtime, Denison took a two-point lead with over a minute left to play. First-year forward Ryan Newton hit a hook shot with

49 seconds left to tie the score. A CWRU foul with 37 seconds left sent Denison to the line, where they took a one point lead. Thirdyear guard Sam Hansen put the Spartans up by one with 19 seconds on a put-back off of a miss by Hollis. However, Denison would break the hearts of the Spartans, as they scored on a layup with less than a second left to put them up 80-79. CWRU was unable to get off a final shot and lost in a thriller.

The Spartans finished last week with two wins and a loss, bringing their overall season record to 3-1.

After a win 83-79 against Thiel College, bringing their record up to 4-1, the team will face Thomas More University on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. to end the two game homestand. They will then be on the road against Adrian College on Tuesday, Dec. 4.

“We are working hard and improving on the areas of concern,” Head Coach Todd McGuinness said. “Rebounding and transition defense will be big points to work on.”

sports Fink beyond the possible First-year goalie’s incredible save sends CWRU to Elite Eight

Courtesy of James Blackwell/CWRU Athletics First-year goalkeeper Charlie Fink (30) sprints to celebrate with his teammates after making the game-winning save in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Championships. The Spartans advanced to the Elite Eight with the win in penalty kicks, but lost to Calvin College, 3-1.

Andrew Ford Sports Editor What do LeBron James and first-year goalkeeper Charlie Fink have in common?

They are both from Akron, Ohio and are heroes for Cleveland sports teams.

In the Case Western Reserve University men’s soccer team’s second-ever visit to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Championships, Fink made the gamewinning save after the game had gone to penalty kicks against Kenyon College.

The Spartans won 5-4 in penalties after a 2-2 draw through regulation and two overtimes.

Entering into the tournament, Head Coach Brandon Bianco knew his team didn’t have tournament experience but was not worried.

“What we lacked in NCAA experience we more than made up for it in big game experience,” Bianco said. “We’ve played consistently one of the hardest schedules in the country and compete in the nation’s most competitive league. I knew that experience would help us and by taking things one game at a time we would give ourselves a chance to be successful.”

Kenyon opened the scoring in the game just before the 10 minute mark.

The score remained 0-1 until the end of

the first half, when the Spartans striked with back-to-back goals from secondyear defender Nathan Eckberg and second-year forward Seldon Magruder to take a 2-1 lead.

The Lords tied up the game in the 54th minute with a goal from fourth-year midfielder David Anderson.

Though both squads had solid looks at the net, neither team could muster a goal for the rest of the match. Both defenses held strong in the two overtimes, sending the game to penalty kicks.

Kenyon and CWRU traded penalties, both goalies guessing the wrong direction or guessing right but failing to make a save. On the fifth shot for both teams, CWRU went first.

Third-year midfielder Garrett Winter sent the ball past Kenyon’s goalie to go up 5-4. Anderson then stepped up for the Lords, the same player who tied the game in the 54th minute. He shot low and left, but Fink guessed perfectly and made the game-winning save. Students who were in the stands rushed to the field and jumped on top of the hero.

With the clutch win, the Spartans advanced to the Elite Eight, their furthest advancement in school history. They were matched up with No. 4 Calvin College, a perennial contender in the NCAA Division III Championships.

CWRU struck first with a goal from Magruder in the 36th minute. The stands,

the Village Houses and the top of the parking garage erupted in screams and applause as the Spartans took the lead.

However, Calvin and their elite offense had a lucky break at the end of the first half with a handball call in the box, leading to a penalty kick that tied the game at one.

The Spartan defense would hold strong for about 20 minutes in the second half, but the momentum was shifting to the Knights. They consistently moved the ball into Spartan territory, getting good looks at the goal but failing to connect. On the other end, CWRU would get a couple nice shots off, but it was obvious they were on the defensive. Eventually Calvin would find the back of the net to take the lead.

The Spartans switched to a more offensive approach, pushing forward and playing more aggressively. This strategy weakened their defense, though, and in the 80th minute the Knights scored an exceptional goal off a give-and-go play.

CWRU could not recover and fell short of reaching the Final Four.

“There isn’t a lot to say after a game like that,” Bianco said. “When seasons end, they end abruptly. I just told the guys that I love them and that I was proud of them.”

Though it may not have been the ending they desired, the CWRU men’s soccer team still had their best season in

program history. Last spring, the CWRU softball team also saw similar success, finishing in the top eight teams. The football team has reached the NCAA playoffs a few times in the few years. The cross country and swimming teams have had their share of success as well.

“I’m very happy to see our teams excel and continue on into postseason,” Director of Athletics Amy Backus said.

“Our top priority as a department is the student-athlete experience … We have to provide the right and most efficient resources in terms of budget, facilities, recruiting and coaching to reach this goal.

We’ve made very good progress in this direction and the results are showing.”

Historically, CWRU sports have not been national contenders. While teams have had success sporadically, winning at the highest level seems to be increasingly more common. “[It’s] definitely not a fluke that our teams are reaching new heights,” Backus said. “I think you will see more teams reach higher levels with more consistency. Once a winning culture is established on a team, the expectation and accountability as well as a new level of confidence sets in. Our coaches are doing a great job of finding the right studentathletes who are committed to achieving in their respective sports from their offseason workouts to holding each other accountable both in and out of season.”