Volume XLV, Issue 14: Dec. 6, 2013

the

volume xlv, issue 14 friday, 12/6/2013

Observer Con nec ticu t: 1

Where are we from?

Illinois: 6

California: 6

a: 1 ian sou

If there were only 100 students in CWRU’s Class of 2017, this is where they would be from:

8 students from remaining 23 states

88 students from the U.S. & 12 international students

ea:

1

United States International

Pennsylvania: 7

Mis

ota

Maryland: 2

nes

New Jersey: 4

Min

Florida: 2

ri: 1

:1

Ind

New York: 7

Vir gin :1 gon Ore

Texas: 2

Was hin gto n:

ia: 1

1

Massachusetts: 3

Michigan: 3

Wis con sin: 1

Ohio: 30

Diversity metrics: Class of 2017, pg. 3.

Kor

2 students represent 11 countries

China: 9 Meredith Dykehouse/Observer

David Dixon has career best finish in final cross country season Senior David Dixon is in the home stretch of his time here at Case Western Reserve University, and he’s looking to end on a high note. As a mechanical engineering major, Dixon has been hard at work: keeping his grades up, taking advantage of research opportunities, being an active member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and competing in track and field as well as cross country, where he

was selected as a co-team captain and had a 68th place finish out of 220 runners at the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s national meet.

“I feel like I was prepared and comfortable running this year. I had done a lot of work getting faster and improving my fitness trying to make it to the meet, so I’m happy with the result.” Like his path to the national meet, Dixon has been working steadily to this moment, staying on track for graduation and a potential career in the field of renewable energy. His

passion for engineering along with the desire for a smaller university community influenced his decision to attend Case.

“When I visited Case, it was such a different feeling…like they actually wanted me to come here instead of just being another number. I knew then that this was where I wanted to go. I don’t think I would have been as happy anywhere else.”

Originally focused primarily on academics, Dixon decided to meet with cross

A&E

Opinion

Sports

Katie Wieser Sports Editor

Harsha Chandupatla/Observer

News

to Dixon | 15

pg. 2 pg. 9 pg. 19 pg. 12 Peter B. Lewis: Student musician CWRU Semester Men’s Basketball: Leaving a Legacy releases album Starts strong Grades

news

Campus memorial service honors Peter B. Lewis Insurance tycoon leaves legacy of philanthropy Mark Patteson Staff Reporter The fluid folds of the Peter B. Lewis building shone a soft blue on Nov. 26, through a noiseless evening snowfall, as guests trickled in to remember the building’s namesake. Peter B. Lewis, businessman, philanthropist and benefactor of Case Western Reserve University, died of natural causes two weeks ago at the age of 80. He was interred at Mayfield cemetery.

Leading up to the memorial reception last Tuesday, classes in the Peter B. Lewis building were relocated to nearby buildings, and large lights on the roof of Mather Memorial bathed PBL in a serene blue. Despite the calm outside, a flurry of preparations made an odd sight inside, with florists arranging flowers in the snow and staff rushing around the usual line at a WEPA print station.

As the reception began, black clad servers replaced the handful who remained. Family and friends of Lewis quietly mingled to celebrate his life and accomplishments at tables glowing the same subdued blue as the building’s silvery exterior. The many monitors scattered around the atrium displayed the smiling face of Lewis, and underneath, “In Memoriam: Peter B. Lewis.”

*** Born in Cleveland Heights, Lewis made his name transforming the humble Mayfield-headquartered Progressive Corporation, which was founded by his father, into one of the largest insurance providers in the nation. His strategy: focusing on insuring high-risk drivers.

What began with 40 employees grew to employ over 27,000 individuals by 2010. Before his retirement as Progressive’s CEO in 2000, Lewis amassed a fortune valued at over $1 billion.

Lewis used a significant amount of his wealth for philanthropic purposes, supporting charities, the arts and education. Lewis gave millions to Princeton University, his alma mater, the Guggenheim Museum and Case Western Reserve University. An enthusiastic patron and friend of architect Frank Gehry, Lewis donated $36.9 million in 1999 to the Weatherhead School of Management for the construction of the Gehry designed PBL building.

However, despite Lewis’s support, only three years later Lewis announced that he would no longer donate to Northeast Ohio efforts, including CWRU, because of perceived poor leadership and financial management in Cleveland. These feelings partially stemmed from his belief that the university had mismanaged the planning and construction of the building that bears his

name. In recent years, Lewis’ support of his hometown has since returned, with Lewis making a quiet $5 million donation to the Cleveland Institute of Art last year. Lewis also delivered the address at CWRU’s 2013 commencement ceremony and received an honorary doctorate of letters from the university.

“Peter B. Lewis pushed the boundaries of conventional thinking in everything that he did, and left the world better for his passions,” said CWRU President Barbara R. Snyder in a statement. “He revolutionized the insurance industry, and then went on to help shape the academic and cultural experiences of thousands through his philanthropy.

We at Case Western Reserve are deeply saddened by his passing, and profoundly grateful for his contributions to our university and the broader Cleveland community.”

In addition to his philanthropic endeavors, Lewis supported a number of political organizations, including the Democratic Party and American Civil Liberties Union. Lewis was especially known as a champion of medical marijuana, giving millions to fund legalization efforts across the country. Lewis himself was arrested for marijuana possession in New Zealand in 2000.

According to Associative Press reports, Lewis has donated an estimated $40-60 million to the cause since the 1980s.

Arianna Wage/Observer

news 3

observer.case.edu

Class of 2017 metrics show diversity gains limited to international students Brian Sherman Staff Reporter

Arianna Wage/Observer

University Hospital construction project closes southbound lane of Cornell Road Work on Cornell Road will narrow the street for two to three weeks. Southbound traffic will continue through the middle lane, but delays are expected.

Spotlight on Research

Fifth-year graduate student finds client-therapist relationship crucial in treatment in PTSD Kushagra Gupta Contributing Reporter Stephanie Keller, a fifth-year graduate student, was one of the researchers on a recent project studying how disruptions in the relationships between a therapist and a client can harm the client’s treatment. The breakages, termed “ruptures,” can occur when the therapist and client disagree about the progress of the treatment or how to proceed further.

Many times the process of therapy can involve visiting a location that a client has an adverse reaction because of trauma they have suffered. The activities are discussed in a session beforehand, where the therapist and client agree on a task.

Keller explained, “They troubleshoot.

So they talk about when [the client] is going to go and whether [they] will go alone or with someone. What are [they] going to do if [they] don’t want to go.”

However, if the client and therapist disagree on the proper course of action, a rupture occurs, and the client and therapist become distant. At the same time, if the therapist and client come to an agreement and form a stronger relationship, they can repair the rupture.

The study found that treatments that didn’t have a rupture or had a repaired rupture fared better than those whose ruptures remained. About 28 percent of the therapies contained a repaired rupture and 18 percent contained a rupture that wasn’t repaired.

The study took place at the university’s own psychology clinic, where Keller is the coordinator. The group found potential clients by advertising and offering free treatment as an incentive to join the study. Each therapy consisted of 10 sessions with meetings

“It’s not necessarily that break in the bond that’s important, it’s whether or not [the relationship] gets fixed.”

—Stephanie Keller taking place about once a week.

In order to collect data on therapy, the researchers had each client fill out a short questionnaire.

Each of these forms was then scored based how the responses reflected the strength of the relationship. A certain change detected in the forms between sessions indicated a rupture or the repair of rupture.

Keller has been at Case Western Reserve University for a long time, as she did her undergraduate studies at the university, too. By senior year, she had figured out what she wanted to do when she graduated in 2008 with a bachelors degree in biology and psychology. Instead of jumping straight into graduate school, she took a year off and moved to Seattle to work at the University of Washington. There, she conducted another PTSD research in that university’s Department of Psychology. She enjoyed the experience in Seattle, but also wanted to come back to CWRU’s campus, having relished in her undergraduate research experience here.

Currently, she’s working on a new study that compares the treatment of PTSD with only therapy, or a combination of medicine and therapy. Additionally, she’s applying for internships.

She hopes to work at an academic medical center or a VA hospital. After her internship she’ll be licensed and receive her PhD.

This year, Case Western Reserve University has a little bit more global character. A city in Ohio is no longer the most common hometown. This year, it’s Beijing, China.

Analysis of this years first-time, firstyear student enrollment data shows that the Class of 2017 is the most diverse in recent history. However, this rise is solely due to a rise in Chinese international students.

The Class of 2017 enrolled 113 Chinese international students, the largest Chinese international population in the past five years and almost double the amount of Chinese students in the class of 2016. Only two other countries, India and the Republic of Korea, have been continuously represented in the past five incoming classes, and their populations have remained relatively stable and have numbered significantly less than the international Chinese student population.

In addition, the amount of international students in the admitted class of 2017 is the highest it has been in the past five years, comprising 12 percent of the class population, a five percent increase from the admitted class of 2016. In addition, the amount of admitted students from Ohio has decreased significantly over the past five years, from 38 percent in the admitted class of 2013 to 29 percent in the class of 2017.

The population of students from states other than Ohio has continually increased from 53 percent in the admitted class of 2013 to approximately 60 percent in the class of 2017, though the class of 2017 represents a notable decrease from the 66 percent of non-Ohio Americans admitted to CWRU. In the class of 2017, New York is, for the first time, the second most represented state behind Ohio with approximately seven percent of the classes’ makeup.

“This increase in diversity is great for both current students and alumni of the university,” said Bob McCullough, director of undergraduate admissions.

“CWRU will become more known throughout the world, and as such, the value of degrees earned from the university will increase.”

However, significant increases in ethnic diversity do not noticeably appear beyond the increase in international diversity.

The percentage of African-American first time-enrollees in CWRU has remained steady over the past five years, around five percent. A similar pattern has occurred in the Latino first time-enrollee population, hovering between four to seven percent.

The category of underrepresented minorities, which does not include individuals of Asian descent, constituted 13 percent of Fall 2013 first-time enrollees.

This is a developing story. Updates will be available in future issues.

USG mass funding meets 29 percent of budget requests Julia Bianco Staff Reporter Student groups may face some difficulties next semester. A lack of available funds resulted in budget cuts during the Undergraduate Student Government’s mass funding process.

At the end of each semester, clubs have to plan their events for the next semester and submit a mass funding form, which details how much money they will need from USG to run their events. This semester, 146 organizations submitted mass funding requests, totaling up to $463,939.02, the highest value USG has ever received.

“The value of the request absolutely shocked me,” said Justin Beckman, the USG vice president of finance. “It’s awesome that our student groups have these great goals and want to run fun events on campus, but it’s hard to fund all of these requests.”

USG only had $136,000 to allocate for the spring semester, just 29 percent of the total amount requested. After going through all of the mass funding requests, they decided that the ideal funding scenario would allocate $225,649.58, based on their event guidelines.

In order to cut the remaining money from the budget, USG decided to eliminate the t-shirt subsidy, and then to cut a flat percentage from each organization. Cutting the apparel subsidy, which was previously allocated as $5 per person registered on MyExperience per organization, saved between $15,000 and $20,000.

“We wanted to be as equitable as possible so that no organization felt like they were being cheated,” said Beckman. “We cut from the lowest priority events, so, ideally, everyone’s top priority event got funding in full or at least mostly.”

The Finance Committee plans to continue the dynamic rolling funding system, which takes money not used in events that have been cancelled or go under budget, and gives it to other groups. They are also looking into how to get more funding for future semesters so that this situation will not happen again.

“Any additional income that USG gets is being directed to student organizations,” says Beckman. “The way that I’m personally working to handle this situation is to be as available as I can be to answer questions and concerns that organizations have.

We’re trying to be as honest and open as possible throughout the process.”

We’re hiring!

Design Editor Distributor Needed: Individuals Works with Section Help circulate Editor to design the paper around for two informative pages. campus and the paid staff Must be proficient surrounding in Adobe InDesign. community. Must positions Email observer. case.edu with résumé, cover letter, & portfolio.

have access to a car and morning availability.

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12/6/13

news

University continues to tweak sexual misconduct policy Division of Student Affairs accepting feedback on overarching interim changes Jonah Roth Staff Reporter The Division of Student Affairs is accepting feedback on its interim sexual misconduct policy. Currently in the process of collecting feedback from the Case Western Reserve University community, the committee revising this policy will be speaking to representatives of the undergraduate and graduate student bodies in the coming weeks. These groups include the Undergraduate Student Government, the Board of Trustees, faculty and staff.

CWRU is in the process of revising and merging its sexual harassment and sexual assault policies into one overarching sexual misconduct policy. This revision is in response to a “Dear Colleague” letter

The changes to the new policy include clarifying the definitions of many concepts, including misconduct, consent, incapacitation, and confidentiality, and emphasis on the fact that everyone has a legal obligation to report sexual misconduct.

issued by the U.S. Department of Education on April 4, 2011, which requires all schools and universities receiving federal funding to have certain sexual misconduct policies in place.

For the 2013-14 academic year, CWRU created an interim policy.

“Towards the end of the year, we’ll take the feedback, look at the things that we can change,” said Louis Stark, vice president for Student Affairs. “For the next academic year we’ll have a [finalized] sexual misconduct policy.”

The changes to the new policy include clarifying the definitions of many concepts, including misconduct, consent, incapacitation and confidentiality. There will also be new emphasis on the fact that everyone has a legal obligation to report sexual misconduct.

Stark points out that many of the policy changes required by the “Dear Colleague” letter are things that CWRU has been doing for years, but are just now being formalized and put into writing. CWRU has also been raising awareness about sexual misconduct issues for decades through initiatives such as the posters currently hanging in most bathrooms around campus.

“We’ve been doing… some pretty progressive things in terms of raising awareness around sexual misconduct,” noted Susan Nickel-Schindewolf, associate vice

president for Student Affairs, who also sends an email to every incoming freshman providing them and their parents with information about sexual assault.

The new policy also identifies CWRU’s Title IX coordinator: Dr. Marilyn Mobley, vice president for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity. In that role she is responsible for making sure the provisions of Title IX, a law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education, are being followed. Mobley is one of the faculty members implicated in CWRU School of Law Professor Raymond Ku’s retaliation lawsuit against CWRU School of Law Dean Lawrence Mitchell, who is currently on a leave of absence.

Stark says the new policy is also intended to make it easier for students to come forward and report sexual misconduct without necessarily worrying about “disciplinary sanctions that aren’t educational”; for example, if a student under 21 had to report that they were drinking alcohol as part of reporting a sexual assault. The interim policy states that “the university’s primary focus will be on addressing the sexual misconduct.”

The free speech watchdog group Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has criticized the “Dear Colleague” letter for its standard of evidence

Stark says the new policy is also intended to make it easier for students to come forward and report sexual misconduct without necessarily worrying about “disciplinary sanctions that aren’t educational.” in determining whether an accusation of sexual misconduct is true. The letter uses the “preponderance of the evidence standard (i.e., it is more likely than not that sexual harassment or violence occurred)”—and CWRU’s interim policy uses similar language—which FIRE’s website calls “our judiciary’s lowest standard of proof.”

However, the letter notes that higher standards of evidence “are inconsistent with the standard of proof established for violations of the civil rights laws, and are thus not equitable under Title IX.” CWRU’s interim policy uses similar language, which the Department of Education calls “the appropriate standard for investigating allegations of sexual harassment or violence,” to describe the university’s standard of evidence.

The full text of the interim policy is available to read online.

Average starting salaries range from $70,000-$90,000 (You like numbers. How about those numbers?)

The MSM Finance program is offering substantial scholarships to CWRU undergraduates. In less than one year, you can prepare yourself for rewarding careers in banking, private equity, corporation finance, risk management, investment management, and consulting. In many cases, financial firms are hiring top-performing STEM graduates at much higher salaries than those offered by STEM employers.* No work experience is required. The Master of Science in Management-Finance (MSM-Finance) program is led by the same world-class faculty who teach in our undergraduate finance program, which was ranked #1 by Businessweek 2 out of the last 4 years.

*Kauffman Foundation Research Series

To find out more, contact Karla Crucke at 216.368.3254 or KLC70@case.edu. Or visit: weatherhead.case.edu/finance

news 5

observer.case.edu

Winterfest comes to CWRU Tanvi Parmar Staff Reporter On Friday Dec. 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., Winterfest will come to the Carlton Commons Multipurpose Room. Winterfest is a winter-holiday concert that donates all proceeds to a different cause every year.

This year, all the event proceeds will go to the Keep a Breast Foundation, which is a non-profit organization devoted to eradicating breast cancer.

“We started Winterfest to foster the winter holiday spirit at Case Western Reserve University, and because this time of year is the time for giving, we will be donating all proceeds to support breast cancer awareness and prevention, ” said Winterfest Vice President Arvind Haran.

Tickets for this event are $5 and are being sold in Nord Hall all week. The money from the tickets will be directly donated to the non-profit organization. With a Winterfest ticket, individuals will be able to enjoy music from a variety of student music groups on campus, food from Chipotle, Chutney Rolls, Jimmy Johns and Pho and Rice, as well as mini-games and raffle prizes.

On top of all this, attendees will get the chance to visit tables that will provide information about self screening for breast cancer.

Some of the student music groups and individuals performing at Winterfest are Radial,

Charles Pratt, Alexander and the Greats, Henry Hershey, “The Cleveland Browns,” Speakeasy, Jordan Genovese and The Midnight.

Additionally, Tyler Powell’s Tricking Gang will be showcasing the act of tricking, which is a combination of breakdancing, martial arts and gymnastics.

After the concert, ticket-holders will be able to attend a dance party at 10:30 p.m. and enjoy DJ Troika.

There are also opportunities to win some prizes at and before the event. The first 100 people at the event will receive a free santa hat. If people buy their Winterfest tickets in advance, they will have a chance to win two club seats to a Lake Erie Monsters game.

Winterfest is also sponsored by the Undergraduate Student Government, Chutney Rolls, Cleveland Yoga, Elite Women, S&A Consulting, PrepMD, Residential Hall Association, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Anne van H., Tropical Smoothie Cafe, RonRico Ahbuzaria, Spreading Music at Case, Lake Erie Monsters, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Winterfest Public Relations Chair Ardi Dand said, “What started off as just an idea last year is now becoming a reality. We hope that Winterfest becomes one of the largest events of the fall semester. Hopefully, Winterfest will bring to the campus the joy of giving back while fostering the holiday spirit through music.”

Inside the Circle A look at the week’s happenings in University Circle University Circle

Holiday events in University Circle The holidays are getting closer, and University Circle is celebrating. The festivities can be seen everywhere- Wade Circle, the Botanical Gardens and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History are all holding special winter events.

In Wade Circle, it is the time of year for ice skating. The Circle’s rink is currently open, and will not close until March 9. On Wednesdays in December, there is live music. Other holiday events are set for throughout the month. Admission is free and skate rentals are $3, with discounted admission to the surrounding museums.

The Botanical Gardens has transformed itself for the holiday season into Glow. This wintry theme extends to the types of plants within the Gardens and the activities it sponsors. The environment is very family-oriented, with gingerbread houses and the Garden

Express train for children. There are extended hours on Wednesday and Friday nights, and admission is $12 for non-member adults.

The Museum of Natural History is holding a special exhibit called Ice Age on the weekends. Its activities include ice sculpting demonstrations and live animals shows, and, unlike other special museum exhibits, it is free with museum admission. The exhibit will continue to run until Jan. 5.

The biggest culmination of holiday spirit is occurring Dec. 8 with Holiday CircleFest. Organizations from all over University Circle are contributing in some way. Food, performances and activities, both regular and holiday themed, will be made available everywhere from Wade Oval to the Museum of Contemporary Art to Church of the Covenant. The festivities ensue from 1-7 p.m.

—Anastazia Vanisko

On Campus

Student groups to sponsor relaxation events The end of the semester is almost here, and that means that everyone is frantically studying for finals. This is no surprise to many groups around campus, and in order to alleviate the stress these groups are sponsoring many events over the coming week that are designed to help students relax.

Thwing Study Over will be held on Dec. 8 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Students can expect plenty of food and activities provided by organizations such as University Program Board, the Residence Hall Association and the Class Officer Collective. Fifteen-minute Massages, provided by 1-2-1 Fitness, are a popular attraction at TSO, and students were redirected to the waitlist within an hour of signups opening, so the event will be sure to attract many people looking for a study break.

On Dec. 6 from 6 to 9 p.m., the sisters of the sorority Alpha Chi Omega are hosting Sweaters and Service. The event will occur at the sorority’s house on Bellflower Road, and any money donated goes to the Domestic Violence and Child Advocacy Center, Judson Manor, Rainbow Babies and U.S. troops.

In the performing arts arena, CWRU Symphonic Winds and the Case Jazz Ensembles will be playing in Windi and Jazzi XXV. Three soloists—Jack Borsi, Jeff Einhaus and Katie Acton—will be featured, playing music from Les Miserables and Star Wars. There will be door prizes and snacks for attendees, and tickets cost $8 for individuals and $56 for a group of eight. The show will be Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

—A.V.

Help Cleveland’s homeless by donating winter clothing Ellie Rambo Staff Reporter Cleveland winters can be harsh, and they are especially hard for the homeless members of the community. The Staff Advisory Council hopes to help homeless men stay warm this winter with their annual clothing drive, which collects socks, gloves, hats and scarves.

“It’s an easy way to help people who are displaced,” said Kathleen Dowdell, one of the staff members who is organizing the clothing drive.

Clothing donations will be taken to Care Alliance Health Center, a non-profit community health center that will distribute the clothing among Cleveland’s homeless men.

Care Alliance has been serving Cleveland’s homeless since 1985, and its mission is “to provide high-quality, comprehensive medical and dental care, patient advocacy and re-

lated services to people who need them most, regardless of their ability to pay.”

The clothing drive was started five years ago, and at the beginning they only collected socks.

“We decided it was a good way for Case Western Reserve University to give back,” said Dowdell. It has since expanded to include other small clothing, and last year collected over 400 items.

The wider range of items has increased the clothing drive’s positive impact, as scarves and hats can be worn by a wider range of people in need. “There are more homeless families now,” said Dowdell, “so it’s good that we’re expanding our donations.”

To donate socks, gloves, hats and scarves to SAC’s winter clothing drive, bring items to Kathleen Dowdell at the Department of Anthropology, Mather Memorial R238 or to Kathleen O’Linn at the School of Nursing First Floor Reception Desk.

Police Blotter Nov. 18 to Dec. 2 Nov. 2-3 — Undergraduate female sexually assaulted by partygoer, North Side athletic fields.

Nov. 19 — Felony theft- Unattended purse taken from classroom, Clark Hall.

Nov. 19 — Petty theft-Forced entry into vending machine, Fribley Commons Nov. 23 — Felony theft- ATM card taken from machine while victim distracted, Charter One Bank Cornell Road.

Nov. 26 — Felony theft-Unattended backpack taken from sideline, Adelbert Gym. On the Beat can be contacted at policecolumn@case.edu.

Corrections In the article “Food stamp cut hits 272,143 Cuyahoga County residents” appearing in the Nov. 22 issue of The Observer, co-director of the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development at Case Western Reserve University Dr. Robert Fischer was misquoted as stating “[t]here are 16,000 people on food stamps in the city of Cleveland alone.” The correct number is 160,000.

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fun page | 7

fun

Crossword Puzzle Across 1. Skin disease 5. A sloping mass of loose rocks 10. Feudal worker 14. As a result 15. Hag 16. Midday 17. Leather shorts 19. Stepped 20. Reverence 21. Lumberjack 22. Thrills 23. Schemes 25. Vocalization 27. Regret 28. Roamer 31. Codeine source 34. Satisfies 35. Fury 36. Have the nerve 37. Flexible tubes 38. Secure against leakage 39. Estimated time of arrival 40. Waist cinches 41. Stodgy 42. Apprehension

44. Solemn promise 45. Top of a wave 46. Hillbilly 50. Operatic solos 52. Angry 54. Japanese apricot 55. Red gemstone 56. Frugal 58. Doing nothing 59. A small anchor 60. In order to prevent 61. Bambi was one 62. S S S S 63. Dregs Down 1. Collection of maps 2. Requiring much chewing 3. Naked models 4. East southeast 5. Strategy 6. Black birds 7. Thorny flower 8. Discomfits 9. Poetic dusk 10. Inveigle 11. Witchcraft 12. Cozy corner 13. Terminates

18. A watery discharge 22. Children 24. Not false 26. 1 1 1 1 28. Garbage 29. Historical periods 30. Depend 31. Poems 32. A Maori club 33. Short-tempered 34. Winter and summer _________ 37. Female chickens 38. Scattered 40. Honey insects 41. Modulator/demodulator 43. Appeal 44. Votes that block a decision 46. Cooktop 47. Master of ceremonies 48. Stop 49. Skirts 50. Dry 51. Boorish 53. Fishing poles 56. Barely manage 57. Sick

C O M I C S Swingset: Someone bring me a pocket fan so I can drift around the yard. by xkcd

Clock Tower

by Kevin Yong

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12/6/13

Philosofish

Horoscopes

Kate Hart Ray Krajci

Aries

Today is a day to recognize those you hold dear. Guest swipe a friend into dinner, or maybe even finally return those missed calls from your grandparents.

‘Tis the season, and this is a season to share with those you care about.

The semester is almost over.

Now that you‛ll have free time again, what will you do?

CASEnews Investments:

...HP -2.65 10.24,

GRDS -.50 2.00,

NEXT: Find out what you NEED to know about grade inflation

STRS +4.04 9001.00,

Taurus

Your stress levels are higher than usual; make time for an activity that will allow you to de-stress.

Maybe even finally check out the LARPing club.

What could be more stress relieving than hitting your fellow classmates with big foam swords and shields?

I‛m going to play video games...

CASEnews Investments: ...GRDS Investments:

-.50 2.00,

STRS +4.04 9001.00,

Days

CASEnews Investments: ...STRS Investments:

+4.04 9001.00,

Gemini

FKS -1.64 0.00, HP -2.65 10.24,

UPDATE: Fire alarm was false alarm - students cold but unsurprised

For

FKS -1.64 0.00,

When thinking about recent happenings, the word ‘intense’ may come to mind. Take some time to yourself to gather your thoughts and desires and put yourself back on track.

Word on the street is Cleveland Yoga Studio has pretty good specials.

recent FKS -1.64 0.00, HP -2.65 A 10.24,

CASEnews wishes all students “happy”, “healthy” exam weeks

Cancer

event or exchange may have you down in

the dumps. Don’t let your emotions get the better of you, your focus should be elsewhere and you know it.

Immerse yourself in your work, that Physics final isn’t going to ace itself.

Leo

As a Leo, you’re prone to analyzing and calculating your actions and feelings.

In the coming days, take a wild chance on something you really want. You never know who or what could be in your future.

Virgo

You may be feeling some self-doubt or boredom; the time has come to push your limits. Try something new or something you may not be the best at, you’ll be surprised by your abilities.

Libra

Sometimes, you feel like you’ve got way too much on your plate. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel; keep plugging through and you’ll be fine!

Scorpio

Had you known the severity of the situation, you would

not have spoken about your friend’s recent love life so mindlessly. Make amends and try to understand everything in full.

Sagittarius

You couldn’t have chosen a worse time to give up your vice. You may be at your wit’s end by Friday, but keep strong. You made the right decision.

Capricorn

For better or for worse, you’ve lost touch with a dear friend. Instead of ignoring him more, you should reach out and try to find out why you were friends in the first place.

Aquarius

You’re treading water, and you need to find refuge somewhere. For the next few days, though, that’ll be hard to come by.

Pisces

Your head is not in the game anymore. You need to find your motivation again and hop back on the horse. Do your part, because some people are getting upset.

PhilosofishComics@gmail.com

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The NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering offers graduate programs in engineering, science and technology management that empower students to put ideas into action.

Take, for example, manufacturing engineering graduate student Joe O’Connor who was inspired to find better ways to produce renewable energy. He put his knowledge to work in our business incubators and eventually started OCON Energy Consulting, providing solutions in sustainable development.

Learn how the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering culture of invention, innovation and entrepreneurship (i2e) can help bring your ideas to life.

ATTEnD OUR viRTUAl infORMATiOn SESSiOn On TUESDAy, DEcEMbER 10, 2013: grad.poly.edu/virtual/case Case-Western-The_Observer-11-27-13-v1.indd 1

11/25/13 11:16 AM

arts & entertainment

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Best-kept secret of Cleveland beers Indigo Imp Brewery Ltd. Mike Suglio Contributing Reporter Golden amber pours delicately from the handle. It begins to fill the glass as it quickly bubbles and froths with a nice head. Coaster down; glass follows. Smells of hops and malt invade your nose. You take a quick, small sip so you don’t spill any of the precious nectar. Laughter and chatter fill the air around you as others enjoy the brews. You smirk after the first cold mouthful. Time to relax and enjoy the bliss of being at a brewery.

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting several breweries across this fine country, trying exotic microbrews and meeting some very interesting characters. Every brewery I have ever gone to has a certain wit and happiness about it. Who can be unhappy when you work on perfecting brews all day?

The one thing I’ve learned from my travels is no two breweries are the same.

Whether it’s the process, the atmosphere or the people, every brewery is always exciting and new.

My goal is simple; bring brewery awareness to Case Western Reserve University.

My first brewery stop is one of my personal favorite local breweries: the Indigo Imp Brewery, which is only open every Friday from noon to 7 p.m. I first learned

about this hidden brewery from my fellow brewery explorer, Laine Seliga, about a year ago.

The brewery is on the corner of Superior Ave. East and East 36th St. It’s a difficult find: First, drive behind the large factory, which provides a classic Cleveland rust belt scene. Behind the building is an enormous parking lot, which provides plenty of parking for thirsty patrons. There is a bright orange door on the back of the building and a small sign with a blue imp on it. Enter only if you want to achieve a delicious buzz.

Factory workers are busy clocking in and out. The sounds of twisting gears and forklifts fill the building. As you stroll through this symphony of industry you cannot help but ask yourself, “Where is the brewery?” Keep walking and you soon see a beautiful mural around the entrance.

The mural leads to a new world surrounded by barrels and metal casks, and straight ahead is the bar made of recycled wood and lined with classic wood, bar stools and seats from a minivan, an upcycling project that owner and brewmaster, Matt Chappel, built.

Indigo Imp Brewery hides nothing about the process. Patrons sit and drink with Chappel at the bar, who will occasionally leave and go back to brewing up more batches of beer.

But this is not just any brewery serving any old beer you can find at grocery stores (although Indigo Imp does distribute through many local grocers). This brewery only pours real ale. Real ale, or cask, is unfiltered and unpasteurized ale that is kept in a wooden or metal barrel and does not have any additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure. This is the traditional beer that you would probably have if you went on a brewery tour of Europe.

As Chappel pumps the beer into a glass (there are no taps like most bars or breweries), those seeking a salty companion to the beer can enjoy some pretzels free of charge. Beer from the cask is $5 and any of their bottles are $4 and served in a goblet.

Yes, a goblet. I feel like the king of beer every time I order a bottle.

My first beer was the Tallboy, a collaboration with Market Garden Brewery and Rocky River Brewery for Cleveland Beer Week. Yes, sometime breweries team up for the greater good of mankind and make a beer together. This dunkel weizen had a strong hazelnut flavor, which really caught me off guard. The hint of cocoa underneath was subtle yet still flavorful.

My second beer was one of Indigo’s staple beers, the Firebrand IPA. I had enjoyed the Firebrand several times before in bottle, but nothing beats having it out of a cask. The beer is not as hoppy as many

IPAs, but is rather smooth while keeping a hop and IPA taste. The beer was run through what is referred to as a “Sparkler,” which forces the beer through tiny holes to give more carbonation at the top of the beer while contributing a heightened taste of hop to the beer, similar to if the beer was served on a Nitro tap.

Chappel’s passion project is currently celebrating its five year anniversary. A long time beer fanatic, Chappel made brews at home for years before taking the next big step and starting a brewery. All the details of the brewery are personal to Chappel; the little blue imp is taken from his high school logo.

The brewery itself is a seven-barrel system and uses open fermentation, where the beer sits in open fermenters, which makes every batch completely new.

One of the signature trademarks of the Indigo Imp lies in the brightly colored wax that covers some of its bottles, similar to Maker’s Mark. No other local brewery does this, and it adds an extra uniqueness to this exceptionally original brewery.

Occasionally on Saturday evenings they are open and have live music with bands predominantly comprised of CWRU students and alumni. With a mysterious location, exotic and flavorful beer and a simply fun atmosphere, Indigo Imp Brewery is truly one of Cleveland’s best-kept secrets.

Editor’s Choice

A passion worth following Student musician releases first album

Katy Witkowski Arts & Entertainment Editor Case Western Reserve University students are known for wearing many hats.

Many balance academics, memberships in student groups and social lives: most choose only two. But senior Jordan Genovese throws a few more into the ring by pursuing a music career.

Genovese can be seen around the greater Cleveland area performing with other local singer songwriters, and finds solid advice from members of the Cleveland music community. She first performed at the House of Blues Tri-C High School Rock Off in 2011, and caught musician and Fighting Chance Records co-owner Diana Chittester’s ear.

Since then, Chittester and her manager have guided Genovese through the music business: how to book shows, organizing recordings and organizing her own promotion plan.

“She brought new ideas to the stage,” Chittester said. She stressed how important it is to love the whole package of being a musician, including being on stage, recording in

the studio and reaching out to the community.

“As a musician, you just have to put yourself to work,” she continued. And that’s exactly what Genovese did; after her performing debut, she landed a recording deal for her first single, “Love The Way It Feels.” She has continued performing and has made the time between class, jobs and other student obligations to record ten more songs featured on her album.

And sometimes, all of it seems daunting.

It’s difficult enough to get recognized when a musician devotes all of his or her time to making it without going broke or crazy. But when these moments of doubt hit, Genovese works through them like anyone who’s truly following their passion.

That’s not the end of the road though. She has her eyes set on medical school, but that will have to wait until after she throws herself, fully, into the ring. She’s already taken the right steps to beginning a successful career, and if her album “Green November” shows any indication, she may be wearing the musician hat for some time.

Genovese released her first album “Green November” earlier a few weeks ago, and is available on iTunes and through her website.

Courtesy Harsha Chandupatla

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One month, one novel flooded through my head, but I still could not move. It was as if my body froze over.

I was paralyzed. Paralyzed and about to be roasted alive.

And then she came.

A girl appeared in front of me. She held her arms out and hissed at the dragon. I must be dreaming, the sane part of my brain thought. What girl would stand between a dragon and its prey? And why would she hiss. But nearly all of my attention was still on the dragon and the fire that suddenly burst from its mouth. I felt the heat as it raced forward. The dancing red and yellow flames rushing towards me to create a nobleman roast.

But the flames never reached me. I wasn’t dead.

Because the girl standing in front of me grabbed the flame from the air and wrapped it around her body like cloth.” *** Though Sue Westrell’s computer was dead for most of the last half of the month, she still kept up some of her writing for the challenge.

How she feels now that November is over: Not that I was the most regular writer, but I’m sad that yet again, I wasn’t able to actually get through it.

Does she plan on participating in NaNoWriMo again:Yeah. I do want to finish this story at some point!

Word count at the end of the month: 4,000 An excerpt from her novel:

Anne Nickoloff Staff Reporter The month of November has passed and with it, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo): the challenge to write 50,000 words in a few weeks.

For 30 days, various Writers Writing Words (WWW) club members fought to achieve specific word goals. While the NaNoWriMo has its suggested word counts, even the writers who didn’t meet the goal still are happy to have participated in the worldwide writing challenge. *** Heather Pantell, who reached the NaNoWriMo goal and continued to write, plans on finishing her novel in the future.

How she feels now that November is over: It’s weird.

Does she plan on participating in NaNoWriMo again:Yes, it was a lot of fun!

Word count at the end of the month: 51,048+ An excerpt from her novel: “My heart was racing and my breath was short. I had to get out of there. If I didn’t do anything, I would die. In slow motion, I could see the dragon rearing back its head, sucking in oxygen to breath back at me in the form of fire. I would be roasted on the spot. My father, after finding my body, would say that if I hadn’t been so attached to my books, perhaps we would have had a dragon meat feast instead of a funeral.

My mother would weep. All these images

“Only a few minutes away, a somewhat bemused trainee watched the girl he was shadowing taking the food order of two children. Five tacos and five burritos seemed like an awfully ridiculous order for two children who looked like they were the width of one of his arms and maybe the weight of his arm too. It was even weirder that the one kid had a credit card, but he wasn’t going to question that, not after noticing that her wallet was seriously nice leather. Stupid rich kids, getting credit cards while he was stuck learning to make burritos for them.

Grabby and Hitty killed time while waiting for their food by guzzling down the two sodas they’d ordered and editing the plan Grabby had initially outlined for their group, making it more streamlined and identifying some more goals. Just because Grabbyhands was the leader didn’t mean she didn’t take input from her co-conspirators for world domination (as long as said input didn’t involve calling Batman comics stupid or whining about them—she had to make sure no one besmirched Catwoman’s name, after all). By the time their food was done, an impressive fifteen minutes after ordering, they’d managed to add almost sixteen more ideas.” *** Almost reaching her personal goal of 25,000 words, Tasha Smith was still happy with getting as far as she did in the NaNoWriMo challenge.

How she feels now that November is over: It’s a bit of a relief to not feel pushed to

continue writing during finals week. But just because NaNo’s over doesn’t mean I put the pen down for a year.

Does she plan on participating in NaNoWriMo again: I always attempt NaNoWriMo, but it’s another question entirely to ask if I think I’ll try to win it next year. I’m much more comfortable with Summer WriMo and Script Frenzy, because they come around during a much less busy time of year. To anyone who worries about the time commitment in NaNo, I highly recommend looking into either of the alternatives.

An excerpt from her novel: “And she finally turns around!” the girl mused. A smile of disproportionate excitement contorted her face. “Hey stranger, you look lost. Where you heading?”

Hanna looked around her with some desperation. The hooded figures were surprisingly content to continue shuffling idly around the tent, ignoring the sudden sounds of conversation. Her nerves still on edge, she replied curtly, “Just out on a walk.” She chewed her lip before adding a quick, “I didn’t mean to disturb anyone.

Or anything.”

“So you are lost!” the girl exclaimed gleefully. “Oh, you’re new, you’re new.

What a time to be alive. Marvelous. Yes. So!” She clapped her hands together. As one, the cloaked figures snapped to attention. “Let’s begin.”

Ann Elise Campo, who also participated in the NaNoWriMo challenge, was unavailable for comment at press time.

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Best Albums of 2013 Jason Walsh Staff Reporter

20. Kanye West —“Yeezus”

10. Alex Bleeker and the Freaks —“How Far Away”

19. Autre Ne Veut —“Anxiety”

9. Run the Jewels —“Run the Jewels”

18. The So So Glos —“Blowout”

8. White Fence —“Cyclops Reap”

17. The Men —“New Moon”

7. Vampire Weekend —“Modern Vampires of the City”

16. Pusha T —“My Name Is My Name”

6. Haim —“Days Are Gone”

15. Youth Lagoon —“Wondrous Bughouse”

5. Chance the Rapper —“Acid Rap”

14. Blood Orange —“Cupid Deluxe”

4. Mikal Cronin —“MCII”

13. Thee Oh Sees —“Floating Coffin”

3. Kurt Vile —“Wakin on a Pretty Daze”

12. Deerhunter —“Monomania” 11. Drake —“Nothing Was The Same”

2. Diarrhea Planet —“I’m Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams” 1. FIDLAR —“FIDLAR”

Calm your finals worries with holiday spirit Cleveland offers many festive events Maria Fazal Staff Reporter Finals are quickly approaching and so is the impending stress and exhaustion that typically accompanies them. However, with finals also comes that joyous time of the year when we can celebrate the holidays, and luckily for Case Western Reserve University students, there are several holiday events that can serve as temporary relieves for the finals strain.

Close to home, in University Circle, is Wade Oval Winter. The well-awaited rink at Wade Oval opened this past weekend, so head over and show off your ice-skating skills. Admission is free and skate rentals are $3. Live music will also be provided at the rink the next couple Wednesdays (Dec. 11 and 18) at 6 p.m.

Additionally, if you go skating, you’ll be provided with a wristband you can show at the Cleveland Botanical Garden, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Western Reserve Society to receive a discounted admission.

Speaking of the Botanical Garden, the garden’s Glow event also opened last weekend. Glow features gorgeous seasonal decorations, including lights and several beautifully Christmas trees, that don’t fall short of the garden’s typically radiant florae.

Additionally, Glow will showcase a gin-

gerbread display and Mrs. Claus’ Sweet Shoppe. There are also several events targeted toward children, including a wishing tree and a holiday-themed train ride on the Garden Express.

From Dec. 4-8, the CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra will be offering a oncein-a-lifetime performance featuring exquisite Viennese music. These performances will be held in several different Europeanstyle churches and cathedrals across Northeast Ohio. Two of the performances will be held in Cleveland and one in Cleveland Heights.

The orchestra will be following the tradition of the Vienna Philharmonic, which has performed an internally renowned concert each New Year’s morning since 1939 in the gorgeous Großer Saal of the Muskiverein.

Throughout the years, the music from these performances has featured waltzes, polkas and operetta songs. However, it has consistently concluded with Strauss II’s Blue Danube Waltz and Strauss I’s Radetzky March finale, during which audience members clap to the beat of the music with the bass drum.

Although few are lucky enough to experience the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s show in person, you can view an incredible reproduction by the CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra this coming week. Admission is free and free refreshments will be provided during intermission.

Want to write for Arts & Entertainment?

Email observer@case.edu

the

Observer

Deadline January 24

opinion Editorial

Semester grades S: Strong Start for Stark – After more than 26 years of dedicated service as the vice president of student affairs, Glen Nicholls retired from the position at the end of last spring. He was replaced by Louis Stark, who quickly proved to be the perfect choice for the job. Stark has reimagined the role the Division of Student Affairs plays in the lives of CWRU students, from improving the division’s connection with graduate students to launching an intensive, division-wide strategic planning process. Get this man a cape, there’s a new student crusader in town.

D: Deplorable – With the unveiling of a lawsuit against CWRU and Dean Lawrence Mitchell, the School of Law quickly descended into a game of pointed fingers. The complaint against Mitchell claimed that he had retaliated against a faculty member who had spoken up about the dean’s alleged sexual advances on students and staff. Mitchell claimed the staffer was simply a disgruntled employee. As of yet, the case has not been resolved, but it has already had a devastating impact on the reputation of CWRU, forcing Mitchell to take a temporary leave of absence. True or not, the allegations are serious and demand impartial examination by parties outside the university. Even worse, the timing of the lawsuit coincided with the implementation of the interim sexual harassment policy, which came into effect in August and will be finalized later this year. Needless to say, the School of Law and university administration may be in need of some serious introspection when it comes to matters of sexual harassment.

A: Accelerated Internet – On Nov. 20 the Division of Information Technology Services announced that this month, Case Western Reserve will be the first university in Ohio to upgrade its network connection to 100 gigabits, connecting it to Ohio Academic Resource network, which gives CWRU access to other research universities. The improved network is funded by a National Science Grant, and it will greatly benefit researchers at the university. It will surely be received with open arms by CWRU students, who are probably among the first to complain about slow network connections. Data sharing will never be the same again on this campus.

W: Wishful Thinking – The Tinkham Veale University Center is starting to take its final shape and it definitely looks promising; however, there are a few issues that only provoke tepid feelings towards the project. The overall planning and construction of the space is being spearheaded by Campus Planning and Facilities Management, not the Division of Student Affairs. As a result, the structure is turning into a showpiece for alumni rather than an asset for students. Meanwhile, the repurposing of Thwing Center is still up in the air. While the university center will provide several student groups with exceptional facilities, it is becoming clearer and clearer that the center is not primarily a student space. As a result, the next best hope lies in transforming Thwing Center into a student hub that provides exceptional meeting space and centralizes currently discombobulated student services.

C: Crippling Debt – CWRU students have a lot of debt. As The Observer reported last month, the average debt of the 2012 graduates who borrowed money totaled $37,640, which was significantly higher than similar institutions, like the University of Chicago and the University of Rochester. In addition, CWRU only meets 43.7 percent of the demonstrated need of its undergraduate students. Seeing these numbers, one may question whether a degree from CWRU is worth the investment. Tellingly, the results of a State Your Case student survey fielded by The Observer found that 38.78 percent of respondents, a majority, thought their education was worth the money only if they used all the university resources available to them. However, a full 36.73 percent thought their education wasn’t worth the money. Yikes.

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The Observer is the weekly undergraduate student newspaper of Case Western Reserve University. Established in 1969, The Observer exists to report news affecting and/or involving students and to provide an editorial forum for the university community. Unsigned editorials are the majority opinion of the senior editorial staff. For advertising information, contact The Observer at (216) 368-2914 or e-mail observerads@case.edu.

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The art of quitting The elephant in the room Andrew Breland Earlier this week, David Brooks, the New York Times columnist who had been on book leave for three months, returned with much fanfare to the opinion pages of one of the nation’s most prestigious newspapers.

Brooks, whose commentary normally focuses on politics, morality, and the humanities, asked the question, “How much emotional and psychic space should politics take up in a normal healthy brain?”

At first glance, the question seemed inconsequential, a typical Brooks monologue on the depravity of humans and the pitfalls of modern society.

Except that is not what Brooks wrote.

Instead, Brooks chastised those who would impart politics as the most important aspect of their lives. Not modern politics, not partisan politics, not even ideology-driven manic politics like the kinds proffered on Fox News and MSNBC, but politics in general; to Brooks, politics are “too balky an instrument.”

The political system and government are “the stem of the flower, not the bloom.”

To devote more than a limited amount of attention to this mundane activity deprives one of the ability to experience the rest of society, culture and living.

But the phenomenon that Brooks explores is not limited to those who are obsessive about politics. Too often, people can find themselves caught up in a mania over something that in the end is less meaningful than other events around them.

At a university, especially a large, heavily-funded research university like our own, the possibilities for enchantment abound. But students too often become enraptured by a single activity or outlet, in turn becoming oblivious to the world of amazement that may exist on the other side of a door, wall or campus.

This is not, however, an indictment of those who choose to only be involved in a single activity, group, or interest.

We all know many people—successful, bright and happy—who took advantage of the single club, became president and moved on to bigger things. That’s their choice. Nor is this an indictment of huge workloads, exams, presentations and other academic criteria that come with being in college. Though our workload here is larger than most, some students still find ways to pursue opportunities while enduring the trials of Case Western Reserve University. Others, for one reason or another, do not.

But this existence begs the question: What are they missing?

A couple weeks ago, while talking to a senior here at CWRU, she exclaimed “Next semester, when I’m done with everything, I’ll actually be able to be a college student.” She was not referring to the Hollywood portrayal of college, which includes drinking, partying and little work. Instead she lamented the fact that throughout nearly four years here, she never attended a single lecture, reading, symposium or other event, beside those required by classes. Due to excessive schoolwork, a hectic work schedule, involved extracurricular and otherwise

biological tasks, i.e. eating and sleeping, her schedule had not permitted time for personal advancement and reflection in almost four years.

Is this existence not unfortunate?

There is a strong case to be made that the most efficient and lasting way to find the time to explore the possibilities of the university is to rid oneself of the commitments that prevent our involvement in other things. In simpler terms, quit.

If the instruction in the last sentence caught you off guard, or seemed contrary to the instructions you have received from guidance counselors, advisors and parents in the past, allow me to provide an explanation. I do not mean to encourage every student at CWRU to quit everything in the interest of personal enlightenment. To do so would be to destroy an active and successful community of students on and off campus. What instead I propose is a mass reflection on what we do with our time. If you are involved in three organizations, work 15 hours a week, take 21 credit hours and still try to go out on Friday nights, something might be rotten in the state of Denmark.

Instead, consolidate your activities.

While being the vice chancellor of the CWRU men’s bocce ball team might be fun, those three hours you spend in practice twice a week are certainly not helping your academic career.

And with this extra time, take advantage of some of the culture that CWRU and Cleveland has to offer. It amazes me that there still exist some students on this campus that have never walked into the art museum or found their way into reserved student seats at the Cleveland Orchestra. But more than this, take advantage of the programs the campus brings to you. Attend a lecture on the “Corporatization of Higher Education” (something I did last month), or attend a poetry reading in Guilford where classmates and professors alike showcase their own original work. Take a day off and attend a symposium at the law or medical school.

A more cultured, well-rounded class can change the world more than any group of singularly-trained robots can.

And no one can argue you will be any worse for it.

Anna Quindlen, in an address written, but never delivered, for Villanova’s commencement ceremony said, “There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree; there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life.

Your particular life. Your entire life.”

We all must take this advice to heart.

Break through the monotony of overinvolvement and find time for personal reflection and growth. Find something to quit. It’s eye opening and, to a certain degree, freeing for you to step outside your comfort zone into the wilderness that is an open schedule. Perhaps through this, we will be able to see not just the stem but the bloom of the flower we all aim for.

Andrew Breland is a double major in political science and English, Vice President of the Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, and former Chair of the Case Western Reserve Constitution Day Committee.

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Make the most of your time in college The meaning of Spartan life Jacob Martin I got home last Sunday evening from work around 6:30 p.m. intent on watching a movie. I rationalized that I was trying to milk the last ounce of relaxation out of Thanksgiving break when I was really putting off writing papers and doing reading— procrastination at its finest.

So I decided to watch “Apocalypse Now,” and not the original theatrical release but the extended three hour, 22 minute redux version. The opening scene is brilliant. Martin Sheen is in a battle against fate, slipping further away from sanity, and the whole thing is set to Jim Morrison’s haunting voice on The Doors’ “The End.” That scene always puts my mind into overdrive and during this viewing I felt just like Sheen.

Set during the Vietnam War, Sheen’s character was restless and agitated and stuck in Saigon. All he wanted was to be back in the jungle. Similarly, I wanted to be back at school, my own jungle of chaos this time of year.

I didn’t know what to do with myself by Saturday morning. I went to work, the gym, my local public library and saw family, but that wasn’t enough. I’m so used to being frantically busy from about 7 a.m. until

midnight every day. When I had some time to actually just do nothing, I couldn’t relax.

I’ll bet many of us have experienced this at some point. We have demanding course loads, campus jobs, student activity commitments, sports practices and social lives.

We try to ignore time and live in the moment, yet we are enslaved by the ticking of the clock. We quickly proclaim that we have no time for this, not enough for that. We argue that all we need is one more hour, day, week, and we would be better off.

But would we really?

Albert Einstein said, “Time is an illusion”; Jean-Paul Sartre said, “Three o’clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do”; Lao Tzu said, “Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to’”; and Pink Floyd said, “And then one day you find ten years have got behind you, no one told you where to run, you missed the starting gun.”

The messages here are not to entirely disregard time. On the contrary, they are messages to work intelligently, minding time and remaining aware of its passage while not subjecting ourselves to its shackles.

They are messages of wisdom that should be heeded in order to truly experience life by not living exclusively in the past or future.

I follow the logic of these statements and strive for greatness on a task by task basis,

Seen at KSL...

Un-sCRWU your lifestyle Theresa Smetona With the semester coming to a close, deadlines drawing near and finals rapidly approaching, an increase in traffic at Kelvin Smith Library is to be expected.

Garbage cans will overflow, printers will stop functioning (although that is hardly an irregular occurrence) and toilet paper will be conspicuously absent in every bathroom stall. The smell of coffee and Chinese take-out will pervade the air, and monster energy drinks will be found littered across the floor. Some frantic students will resort to fits of loud sobbing, while other more stoic scholars will quietly pull their hair out when failing to solve an equation for the fifth consecutive time. While KSL cannot be expected to be a haven of peace during these desperate times, there are a few measures that are often overlooked and, if followed, would make the general KSL experience a little more bearable.

This article has not so much to do with behavior in KSL as it does to references made to KSL in conversation or via social media. To begin with, refraining from making phrases using KSL would be nice. I don’t care if you’re KSLiving, KSLoving, KSLeeping or KSLonely— any variation you can think of has already been overused and has long since ceased to be entertaining. The same goes with referring to KSL as your boyfriend or significant other. Once, I may smile.

Twice, I let it slide. Any more mentions are simply pathetic and put you in danger of appearing KSLame. Finally, bragging about how many hours you log on the daily at KSL does not impress anyone. If you’re trying to establish that you’re studious, then great, I’m glad that you are taking your education seriously; however, continually harping on about your dedication to KSL does not actually prove anything and only makes you seem desperate for commendation.

As far as behavior within the walls of KSL goes, it should be stated that if a particular action isn’t acceptable according to the established norms of society, it should definitely be refrained from in KSL. A few

examples of what I’m referring to: Please don’t pick your nose while pondering the mysteries of your physics homework. Your nasal cavity is not where you should go looking for food for thought. Prolonged staring is considered rude; even if you have chosen me as a muse in the hopes of inspiration for those last few pages, knowing that your eyes have not left my face for the last ten minutes is disconcerting and prevents me from being productive. Likewise, chances are my productivity is not at a very high level when you sit next to me and then start watching your favorite brand of porn.

It’s completely inappropriate and disturbs those around you. A good rule of thumb is that if people are shooting disgusted glances your way and everyone has maximized their distance from you, your behavior probably should be modified.

Pillows are not necessary accessories in a library. Nor are rice cookers. In the first case, I understand that sometimes falling asleep is inevitable, but you should never plan on spending significant time passed out and drooling in the library.

That is what your bed is for. As far as rice cookers are concerned, the dedication and foresight shown in bringing these to KSL would serve you far better if applied to other areas of your life. Unbelievable as it may seem, taking occasional breaks from studying actually increases productivity.

So, if you’re really craving some rice, go back to your dorm, and cook and eat your rice in the comfort of your own room.

Leave the scattered rice kernels in your kitchen, not on the couches of KSL. Along those lines, if you can’t keep the sounds of your mastication below a respectable level, consider avoiding eating on the third floor. Everyone will thank you.

During these next few weeks, let’s work together to make KSL a slightly less horrifying circus of gross behaviors and public embarrassments. May your studying be productive and inoffensive, and best of luck on finals!

Theresa Smetona is a senior majoring in Spanish and English. In her free time, she likes to drink coffee and consider the possible benefits of her future unemployment.

facing what’s in front of me at any given moment with full intensity. Inevitably I fail more often than not; I am human, we all are.

But even if time is a reality, why should I allow myself to be restricted by a fear and misunderstanding of it?

At the company I work for, there is a 76-year-old machinist named Columbus who I am privileged to call a friend. We often share lunch together, and he is one of the shrewdest and sensible men I’ve met in my limited stay on this earth. Our discussions are philosophical and his words are always positive and thought out.

One day we were talking about time and work. After our exchange, he said, “Jake, you gotta make hay when the sun’s shining!” I will never forget that.

Too many of us waste obscene amounts of time. Call me a purist, conservative, whatever, but I am presently a full-time student so I feel I need to finish my homework before any leisure activity. But even in time spent away from required reading or writing papers, I strive to never stop learning. I like to think of myself as a student of life where college is the catalyst to learning how to think. The rest of life’s lessons come while walking down the path to eternity.

A brilliant, caring professor of mine advises me to “always be mindful of the merciless clock.” But she follows this up with hope, saying, “But time is on your side,

Mr. Martin.” This is the view we should all adopt in order to transcend our obsession with and incarceration by time.

As we approach winter break, tired but with a vague sense of accomplishment, we ought to treat time as a precious commodity and fill it with meaningful experiences like reading a good book, watching a documentary, having a discussion with close friends, taking a friend we haven’t seen in a while out for coffee, simply doing whatever makes us happy. But whatever we do, we mustn’t settle.

We cannot merely crawl into the bed of laziness and cover ourselves with the blanket of atrophy. I’ve done this before over winter and summer breaks and I now know how much time I’ve wasted and lost to thoughtless and worthless pursuits.

My professor’s assertion that time is on our side is a reminder that we are young.

However, youth comes with an intrinsic responsibility to be prudent. Her words can be taken one of two ways: We can either put things off with the excuse that we have time to accomplish them later, or we can be inspired to become students of life and use this time wisely. Let’s hope—as I know my professor hopes—we all do the latter.

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” –Mother Teresa

The spontaneity that is college The pros and cons Kushagra Gupta Spontaneous. That’s the one word I could use to describe the onset of pain I found myself on that one Wednesday morning. It was 8:30 a.m., and I had an hour before my first class but instead of getting ready, I went to my laptop. I clicked my way through the University Health Services appointment pages and found a same-day appointment for 10:30 a.m. For the next hour and a half, I remained curled up in my bed, using apps on my iPhone to distract myself from the pain. When I finally got to health services, the kind doctor there ended up informing me that I needed to see a surgeon on the same day. Apparently, “pain in the neck” isn’t just a way to describe studying for finals.

Obviously, this wasn’t how I was expecting my morning to go at all. My expectations had been along the lines of going to Leutner commons to eat, then dragging my sorry butt to math and chemistry. However, college doesn’t seem to work like this at times. Case Western Reserve seems to be the place where things happen on the spot, a place where flammable fuel is tempted by electrical sparks. But this doesn’t mean that everything unexpected has to be negative.

Spontaneity can actually be one of the greatest aspects of college life.

On a different Wednesday, a friend, Matt, informed me that “We are going watch a movie at Tower City.” Mind you, it was 6 p.m. on a Wednesday night, I had a test the next day and needed to study. But I always crave action, so I tend to take any opportunity to jump on an adventure. That mindset tends be the one my friends have, too. We only needed about five minutes of yelling directed at other friends, Jack and Sam, to get them to come with us. Less than half an hour after our brilliant plan was constructed, I found myself running along Euclid Avenue to the East 120th train station. It’s safe to say that this was one of the craziest weeknights with my college friends; we ended up playing a version of poker we had made up on the train ride, stuffing down a platter full

of Asian food and making it to “Thor 2” just in time. Avoiding work for an escapade was completely worth it.

Spontaneity has been the start of doing something regularly for me as well.

Whenever my friends and I do something crazy together, we bond through that experience. For example, at the beginning of the semester, a group of friends from my floor went to a three features night, involving Black Wedding, Improv and watching “Star Trek” at Strosacker. Afterward, we started going to the movies put on by CWRU Film Society every Friday and Saturday and later joined the organization. I’ve also made great friends through impromptu activities. I’m from Chicago, and something we Windy City dwellers take pride in is our deep-dish style pizza, especially by a chain called Giordano’s.

I happened to meet another person from Chicago, Abby, and, upon reminiscing about pizza, we managed to find out that Giordano’s is actually willing to prepare a pizza, place in a box of dry ice, and ship it. So, on the spot, we grabbed a couple friends who were interested, pulled out a phone and a credit card, and ordered. I ended up making close friends from that experience and strengthening bonds with already existing ones.

Okay. So is it worth it to plan an evening out with friends anymore? Sure it is. I would say that spontaneous plans result in a better college experience. Sure, they can end up being negative incidents. Take my hospital visit. How they will end up is never clear beforehand. But it’s the risk that’s enticing for students and the rewards of creating something new, the bonds of friendship and the rush of adrenaline that are too great to pass up. College seems to be a place that’s simply set up to be spontaneous; the closeness of residence hall life and the dynamics of group decision-making are a part of it.

It’s just a matter of creating a spark.

Kushagra Gupta is a first-year student majoring in cognitive science. When he’s not busy being impressed by life, he enjoys amusing himself and being amused by those around him.

14 opinion

12/6/13

Was that only a Thinking beyond few months ago? the possible?

A fresh perspective Stephen Kolison Between my “I still need a map to find Veale” and “I love Fribley” stage of the semester, I arrived at this school with so much ambition that I was borderline naïve. In my heart of hearts, I knew that I was going to buckle down.

In no way was I going to procrastinate, I was not going to even think about skipping a class and I was definitely going to attend every single meeting of all the clubs I signed up for. I was here to learn but also continue on a journey of selfdiscovery.

With ambition also came worries.

Who wouldn’t be the least bit scared when coming to college? No one ever wants to fail miserably on their first venture away from the supervision of an adult. A good chunk of the school’s population is highly intelligent and it is daunting to be thrown into an environment with them.

No matter the amount of worries that came up, I knew that it was my time to shine. I’ve had my days where I thought I was shining as bright as gold.

But let’s be real, the next few weeks will show me shining as much as an RTA train station.

I think the freshman class has shown evidence of “shining.” We’ve eaten a lot less ramen than expected and have also learned more outside of the lecture hall and MediaVision recordings combined. The adjustment to this university was gradual and almost unnoticeable if you weren’t asked to reflect on it. When walking into Wade Commons and seeing a friend working on a paper, all you have to do is give them that look and ask, “SAGES paper?” and they’d reply something along the lines of, “Damn SAGES, man!” From that moment, you both just related to the personal hell that you both are going through.

We’ve also learned that more drama comes from the laundry rooms than from any floor in the residential halls. The words that have been exchanged and the territorial stand-offs for machines rival any documentary currently on National Geographic. But even after surviving the ridiculous thought of 112 people sharing six washers and dryers, we were not prepared for the sloppy mess that is the bathroom.

You really have no idea how disgusting people can be until you are forced to share a bathroom. The amount of times I have exclaimed “Really?” at the ridiculousness I’ve seen is too dang high.

Even after seeing enough hair balls to create a Furby and toothpaste globs that could collectively supply a dentist for a year, finding an unflushed toilet is still surprising. If you grew up in a culture that taught you to flush after every use and you still don’t flush, then you need

to revisit middle school, because that mess is immature.

A big part of our shine ironically consists of accepting the times that we shine as bright an aluminum foilwrapped brick. I remember distinctly seeing CaseCash as emergency money, L3 as a nice place to visit once a week and Denny’s being there for the occasional visit when I was tired of dining hall food. Now I’m down to $0.15 in CaseCash, the servers in L3 know me better than my own professors and I’m so comfortable in Denny’s, I go in pajamas and Crocs.

I’m not the only one. The consensus is that the freshmen don’t have much shame for most things anymore. We have spent such an embarrassingly large amount of time syncing our Tapingos together and timing how long it takes to get to Denny’s and back that it makes our study time pale in comparison. Even after reading all the BuzzFeed articles that are now funny because they point out our bad behaviors, we still don’t change our ways. The thought “Oh, college is for making mistakes anyway!” is all too common. And when you make a mistake, you just laugh it off and say “Well, that was a learning experience!

Now I know better.”

One sad acceptance we’ve come to make is that college is a bubble. We have become so obsessed with our lives here, we cut ourselves off from anything happening in the real world.

I have said this once and I will say it again, college has proven itself to be nothing but a hot mess. From the lack of sleep to the hours I’ve spent staring at a screen stressing about what I need to do instead of accomplishing the task at hand, my experiences at Case Western Reserve University have been unexpected ones. If you were to tell a group of freshmen that orientation was only a few months ago, they’d look at you as if L3 Grille closed, Tapingo stopped working and they missed the greenie all at once.

On top of that, the semester is finally coming to a close. I can agree with my freshman counterparts that the end of the semester came quickly. All that I can ask myself after my few months at CWRU is, “What the heck have I done with myself here?” I have spent more time calculating what my grades should be to pass a class, finding odd sleeping spots, cleaning my room and surprise napping than I’d like to admit. However, I have noticed that change in college is inevitable. You really get to see how proactive you are and grow as a human being. I’m still a burnt mess, but a long way from the kid who joined clubs for free swag.

Stephen Kolison is a first-year biology student and member of IMPROVment. While confining himself to his dorm, he enjoys knitting while watching Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones.

@CWRUObserver observer.case.edu f cwruobserver

Boosting the CWRU community Heather O’Keeffe Unless you are a completely unaware individual who spends 100 percent of free time with their noses crammed in textbooks, you probably know that Case Western Reserve University’s motto is “Think beyond the possible.” According to a quaint video on CWRU’s homepage, this means “asking new questions” and “imagining what’s never been.”

This is certainly true for many aspects of the CWRU community. Simply glance at The Daily and you’ll read stories of students landing awesome internships or professors doing groundbreaking research with the aims of finding a cure for cancer.

With a motto like “Think beyond the possible,” one might tend to believe that members of the CWRU community are always ready to face problems head on and find creative solutions that best meet the problem’s needs.

This semester however, while a professor of mine develops nanotechnology for targeted drug delivery, I ran across a series of linear thinkers.

This coming January, I am hopping on a plane to Cape Town, South Africa, for a year of studying abroad at the University of Cape Town (UCT). In preparation I have had to apply for a visa, get vaccinations, and easily the most difficult of all: Attain course approval for the courses I want to take abroad, so that the classes I take at UCT will count when I return to CWRU in a year’s time.

As a biomedical engineering student going to a university that does not offer my major, I knew that getting course approval would be tricky. Thus, I put my compromise hat on and began preparing different scenarios.

I wasn’t expecting the roadblocks I received from the very professors whose creative thinking is changing the world. Here I was just trying to “think beyond the possible” and study abroad while still graduating in four years, and professors were telling me I was going about the course approval process all wrong. It was as if some were throwing their hands in their air: They didn’t think I could possibly go abroad for so long. The lack of willingness to compromise greatly frustrated me. I understand circuits is an important class but if going abroad for a year will be a greater benefit to my future career, can’t we just say the UCT course is good enough?

I ran into similar problems within the Cleveland medical industry. After two surgeries and over 16 months of knee pain, instability and troubles, I was desperate for answers and more importantly, solutions.

First I saw the Case Orthopedics division within University Hospitals, and saw doctors closely affiliated with the CWRU School of Medicine. They recommended I wait and see if things got better, a month later they offered the same advice. Rarely is waiting the answer. Furthermore, isn’t the definition of insanity trying the same thing over and over expecting a new result? Was it too much for me to expect that after years of school and over a decade with a worldrenowned hospital, my doctor would put his thinking cap on and give me a better solution than resting?

Finally, in my math class a few weeks ago, our professor divided us into groups to work on our triple integration homework.

I came to a different answer than my peers and accepted the majorities’ consensus, but I wanted to know why my attempt was unsuccessful. I persisted in asking my classmates until I understood the error of my ways; it’s not enough to accept the correct answer, it’s best if you truly understand the process. So, I pestered my peers, until someone finally spoke up and helped me out.

While there is much thinking at CWRU done beyond the possible, I would argue that the scope of this thinking is limited to traditional academics and research. Perhaps there is too much pride stored in the academics and research at CWRU? As soon as someone pushes the boundary outside the classroom or lab does the thinking beyond the possible stop?

As the semester comes to a close and 2013 winds the corner, I urge you to “think beyond the possible” in every aspect of your life. Not just the amount of information you can cram before a test or the research position you are gunning for. If you want to study abroad, spend more time volunteering, take up a new hobby or put your homework on hold and explore more of Cleveland, do it.

Just because med school looks for a perfect grade point average and professors strongly encourage lab experience, doesn’t mean we have to heed their every word. This is college, you only do it once, so start exploring and find your own possible to think beyond.

Heather O’Keeffe is a second year student studying biomedical engineering and sports medicine. Her suite is full of over 120 balloons and on January 27 she will say deuces to America as she boards a nonstop flight to Cape Town.

Corrections Some inaccurate or incomplete information was included in the editorial of Nov. 1 issue of The Observer. The editorial stated that 55 percent of the respondents of the firstyear survey agreed with the statement “Faculty show concern over my progress.” It was failed to mention that an additional 11 percent strongly agreed with the statement. The numbers for academic self-concept, student-faculty interaction and satisfaction with coursework taken from the executive summary of the YFCY survey were not percentages but construct scores.

Have an opinion on this week’s editiorial?

Let us know.

observer.case.edu from Dixon | 1 country head coach Kathy Lanese on a whim during his campus visit. Lanese and the team went the extra mile making Dixon feel welcome with a team meet-and-greet during his visit. “It probably played a big part in why I felt Case was the right choice. I showed up at the indoor track and coach had gotten together a big group of people to come say hi and tour me around Veale where I got to talk to another one of the athletes who ended up being one of my really good friends.”

Overall, Dixon feels he made the right choice. His experiences here at CWRU include two NCAA national meet appearances in cross country, four selections as an all-UAA academic team member and, a personal highlight for Dixon, getting to climb the wind turbine in front of the Veale Center. “My freshman year is when we built the wind turbine on campus. I just thought it would be really cool to climb it. I had a class that following fall with Dr. Matheson who is in charge of the wind turbines. I set up this research project and he asked ‘would you want to climb it?’ ‘Absolutely!’ So I got to do that a few times. That kind of fueled my interest in renewable energy and it works well with mechanical engineering.”

Dixon has definitely made an impression among his teammates as well as his path to the turbine, since he led by example when co-captain. He had his sights set on a leadership role ever since serving as a captain on his high school team. Aware of the challenges that come with being a team in transition, Dixon focused on keeping the young team confident and consistent

sports | 15 during the difficult season.

“I guess the theme of the season was being able to roll with the punches and deal with everything without being shaken. For the captains to have that perspective and mindset and be able to convey that to the rest of the team is something that helped a lot.

Not to get too worried about conditions or how you ran last race, but move on and focus on getting out there and competing. I think that being stable is something I thought was helpful to the team.”

Dixon worked to help build the team chemistry with the young runners, an aspect of cross country that is often overlooked due to the individual nature of racing. However, Dixon believes that the relationships seen in cross country are more developed than in most other sports. “Just the fact that you can go out on a run and talk with someone for an hour. Whether it’s a really long run or a hard workout, you’re going through the same thing together. Other sports, not everyone’s doing the same thing. You don’t get that same experience. In cross country, everyone’s working towards same goals both individually and as a team. You get into a collective mindset.”

Lanese saw the potential for growth in Dixon when she noticed his focus and drive.

“He’s one of those kids who never took a shortcut on anything he did. He improved every single year. I’ve been so impressed with his composure and how he worked on his skills and fostered them to success. He has a goal and followed through.”

When Dixon graduates this spring, he’s looking to keep doing things right, hoping to gain some work experience as an engineer before considering a return to

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Courtesy Case Sports Information David Dixon ends cross country season with career-best finish academia. Primarily focused in the field of renewable energy, he looks to make a difference in his community.

His tenacity and determination will be sure to help him find success in this critical field as he moves on as a CWRU alumnus.

from Men’s | 19

Case tied the game at 60 apiece. A few minutes later Alvarez claimed the first lead of the half for the Spartans with a nice layup, to make it 69-67. With just 1:13 left in the game, following more than two minutes of tied play, Tim Chung hit the go ahead lay-up for the Spartans and the hung on for the extremely close finish. “I was proud that our guys battled back for a tough road win,” said McDonnell.

Since the season is broken up into halves due to winter break the team faces a unique challenge. The need to continue to train and practice around finals and during break is a huge challenge to any team. However the Spartans are dedicated to the season as McDonnell explained,” few people recognize the tremendous sacrifice basketball players make regarding winter break. Our players return to campus for practice on December 26. We will need to keep our fitness level high while we're off because we'll play five games in 10 days once we return.”

The team will face their toughest competition in the final part of the season. The Spartans will host a tournament in late December before embarking on the conference portion of their season. The team will play each University Athletics Association rival twice, once at home and once away to determine rankings within the conference. the team looks to improve on last year’s sixth place finish.

As the team looks to keep up their level of play they face one final challenge. The Spartans will face Oberlin College on Monday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 at home. The team will then take a 20day break before hosting the Bill Sudeck Tournament starting on Dec. 29 against Heidelberg. While challenges face the team, as they move forward the season is full of promise after such a strong start. “It is not easy to play a college basketball game right before final exams, but our players will find a way to compete at a high level,” McDonnell said.

to the half. Klements would finish with 10 points on the night. In the first half alone the Spartans shot 7-13 for three pointers and 53.3 percent overall.

A 13-3 run late in the game put the Spartan lead at 34 with just 1:05 left in the game. Denison was unable to get within twenty the entire second half as the Spartans coasted to victory.

David Thompson added to the team’s success with his double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, but it was the bench who closed out the game. “We were able to play several reserve players for extended minutes,” McDonnell said, “This will pay off down the road because those guys will help us win games this season.”

On the defensive side of the ball the Spartans played shutdown defense. The Big Red only made one of 17 attempts behind the arc and shot at only 25 percent on the game. The Spartans were led defensively by Thompson, who in addition to his double-double, added five blocks, moving him within one of the school’s career block record. The current record of 121 is held by Eric Duerr (Class of 2011).

Another double-double from Thompson boosted the Spartans to a narrow 74-71 win against Allegheny College this past Sunday. Thompson's second double-double in as many games comprised of 17 points and 13 rebounds.

It was extremely vital as Allegheny jumped out to an early lead giving Case an uphill battle. Allegheny led for most of the first half, twice building leads of 10 points, but Case was able to battle back to take a 37-35 lead with just over a minute left before the break. A 10-2 by the Spartans led to a two-point lead just seconds before the end of the half.

Allegheny finished off the half coming back to tie the game at 47 apiece.

The second half was marked by a similar slow start for the Spartans. A seven point run at the 10:47 mark by

16 | sports

12/6/13

Katie Best faces year of changes Katie Wieser Sports Editor Sophomore defensive specialist Katie Best has had a lot of changes in her sophomore year at CWRU. Originally majoring in biomedical engineering, Best recently realized that she was truly passionate about biochemistry pre med. “Originally I thought I wanted to be an MD/PHD, a doctor that does research. That just seemed really appealing to me. But then last year I had the opportunity to do some research and I liked it but I realized I didn’t want to be stuck in a lab for my entire life. I really liked the medical aspect and I realized I didn’t really like the engineering aspect, so I thought I would pursue medicine.”

Best has also changed things up in her first year as a starter for the Spartan volleyball team. Last year, she competed in 16 sets, earning 42 digs. This year, Best tallied 538 digs in 116 sets and earned honors by making the All-University Athletic Association Volleyball Second Team for the year.

She has also taken on the roles of social chair for the Case Association of Student Athletes and a tour guide for the Undergraduate Admissions office.

Best serves as an ambassador for the university as a tour guide and has good reason to speak on CWRU’s behalf to potential new students. When deciding on her future school, Best zeroed in on CWRU early. The BME program stood out among schools in the area and the volleyball team was an added bonus “I was contacted by coach Farrell and was really interested in the BME program here, it was a perfect fit. I came on a recruiting visit and had an opportunity to meet the team. I think meeting the girls and getting a chance to see the environment of the team and seeing that we aren’t just teammates, we’re friends and, more than that, we are family was a really big part of it for me.”

Best hasn’t regretted her decision to be-

come a student athlete as her close group of friends on the team more than makes up for the lack of spare time. This feeling of team togetherness is what initially attracted her to volleyball when she was in elementary school. “There was a summer recreation program that started in fourth grade that was just something for me to do over the summer. I got immediately hooked. I had played softball but when I had to choose, it was always volleyball. I really like that there are six people on the court and in order for you to win the game, those six people have to move as one. It’s such a game of momentum.”

Best has played on school and club teams since she entered seventh grade and volleyball has continued to hold an important place in her life. The team needed her experience this year as they lost six seniors to graduation and had few veterans to take their places. Best and her returning teammates were called on to step up into those leadership roles. “We definitely have a different dynamic this year. We went from having this very strong base of leadership and now we had a lot of young players that had to step into areas of leadership. I didn’t play much last year but I came into this new role and I think it wasn’t just me, but pretty much every returner was called on to make as much of an impact as possible.”

Despite a difficult season of challenging opponents, the team definitely had some high points over the course of the season, which Best remembers fondly. “We didn’t have the best record this year but we played so many top ranked teams so I don’t think the success of our season was determined by what our ending record was. We had a very lively game at home and it was back and forth and we ended up having to go to a fifth set and we just came out and smoked them. That might have been a turning point for the season.”

The enthusiasm of team leaders is critical in these pivotal matches and any spectator of

Elliott Pereira/Observer K a t i e B e s t i s i n h e r s e c o n d s e a s o n , h e r f i r s t a s t h e t e a m ’s s t a r t ing libero. the team this year will acknowledge that Best and her fellow veterans exuded the motivation needed to encourage the team. While on the court or waiting on the sidelines, Best was always a positive presence. Head coach Karen Farrell was very impressed with Best’s growth over the season. “To step in such an important leadership role and be so consistent...as essentially a first-year player, from the beginning to the end of the season was really important to us as a team. She was a vocal leader as well as a leader by example. She has a tremendous work ethic and sets a good tone for what it takes to be successful.”

Best isn’t sure what her post-graduation plans are just yet. As a pre-med student, she has quite a bit of time left in the academic world before moving on. But she’s looking forward to working in her field as a doctor or potentially joining a world service organization like the Peace Corps to impact the greatest number of people.

Her focus right now is just enjoying her time at CWRU “I’m just soaking it all in... trying to do it all.” She will be sure to find a place in the world where her skills as a passionate leader and motivator can urge the world in a better direction.

Running back Kenny Riordan conquers all obstacles JP O’Hagan Staff Reporter

Sarah Whelan/Observer Kenny Riordan pushes ahead versus Marietta College in the season opener.

In his senior season, Kenny Riordan was an offensive leader for Case Western’s football team on the ground. Riordan was named UAA offensive player of the week during the season and then to the UAA All Conference Team, capping a great career as the Spartans’ running back.

Following a rough start to the season, Riordan helped rally the team to a 4-1 finish. Following many big wins and tough losses, the Spartans buckled down to finish strong and play to their true capability. That was strongly in part to Riordan’s rushing.

“I think what stood out most was how we bounced back in the second half of the season,” Riordan said, “We won our last game which is a nice way to go out. It was good to see the team respond like that and not give up on the season.”

Riordan was a captain this season and knows that his leadership was tested. He took a two-pronged approach to leading, both verbally and through his personal action. In working with the other senior leaders Riordan was able to lead the team to another winning season, capped by an Academic Bowl win over Carnegie Mellon in the last game of the season.

A few key games were some of Riordan’s favorites. Both the first game of the year on Sept. 7th against Marietta and then the Oct. 26th game against Trinity stand out. “The Marietta game has to be one of my favorite

games,” said Riordan, “It's always nice to start a season with a big win at home. The Trinity game was a just a fun game to play in. It was exciting the whole way through, and both sides of the ball played exceptionally well. We were able to beat a good team, which really got us rolling through the second half of the season.”

Riordan will be graduating in the spring with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. He points to learning time management to being able to balance both Biomedical Engineering and Football, but also realizes the harsh reality of being an athlete. “So much of your time is dedicated to football, it’s sometimes tough to find the motivation to get your school work done after practices or while travelling. But no one comes to Case to just play football, and the coaching staff knows this, so you could always find sometime to get your work done.” Said Riordan, “As fun as football is, school always has to come first. ” With Riordan and the other leaving seniors setting out a strong foundation and moving on, the Spartans will look to follow their examples. The team is ready to attempt to emulate their success. Riordan did leave some advice on how to prepare for each game. “I'm not really one of those big ‘get hyped’ guys. I would relax in the locker room, stay loose, try not to stress too much,” Riordan said. “I think it's important to realize that football is a fun game to play, and you shouldn't ever take it too seriously.

When you play loose and have fun is when you play your best. “

observer.case.edu

sports | 17

Chris Cvecko called to new role JP O’Hagan Staff Reporter The men’s soccer team made a huge turnaround this season, in no small part to sophomore midfielder Chris Cvecko.

Coach Brandon Bianco highlighted Cvecko as a foundational leader in the young team. “I thought we had a pretty good season. We lost a few close ones that could have gone either way,” Cvecko said, “Overall, I thought we greatly improved and I'm looking forward to next season.”

Cvecko was the Spartan’s leading offensive weapon with seven goals and seven assists on the season. He took on a leading role with the mindset of leading by example. His work paid off as he was named to the UAA-All Conference for the first time in his career. Pointing to the closeness and the dedication of the team as a whole explains Cvecko success. “I thought the team’s culture really stood out. We all worked as a team to get better,” said Cvecko.

Cvecko took on leading by example through his preparation for each game.

Through working hard in practice he set an example for the first year players. “I felt the role I played with this young team was really leading by example. I just tried to give my best effort and work my hardest each practice and game, and hoped that others would follow,” Cvecko said.

In comparison to last season, Cvecko points to Bianco’s steady strong game plan approach coupled with the team’s hard work as the driving reasons for success. Cvecko personally used each previous game as a stepping stone

to personal success. By ref lecting on previous games and deciding what he could do better Cvecko was able to improve his play. “Coach Bianco came in with a plan to improve,” Cvecko said, “I believe that we are in the process of achieving this plan. I believe that our team culture greatly improved as well as our play.”

In looking back on the entire season Cvecko’s favorite game was the Sept.

17 victory against Penn State Behrend College. Cvecko lives nearby and the strong victory was a great game for him. “It was nice to score a goal when my family was there,” Cvecko said.

Cvecko also had great games against Hiram College and University of Chicago; both were big wins for the Spartans and he scored three goals and two assists between the two games.

Off the field Cvecko is studying engineering and plans on majoring in both Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. While it can be difficult to balance a varsity sport and any Case class load, Cvecko and the Spartans were able to achieve the 10th highest overall GPA in the nation. “Playing soccer really forces me to manage my time well. When I'm not in class or at practice, I'm usually studying or doing homework.” Cvecko said.

With the young Spartans primed to do big things in future years Cvecko will stand at the center of their advancement.

As the team takes this season’s experience and applies it going forward, big things may be in store. “Really looking forward to next season,” said Cvecko, “I believe that we can do big things next year, especially since everyone has gained more experience.”

Courtesy Case Sports Information Chris Cvecko continues to improve play while pursuing a major in mechanical and aerospace engineering.

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12/6/13

Jessie Sabers kicks into high gear

Harsha Chandupatla/Observer Junior forward Jessie Sabers is in her second year as a starter for the women’s soccer team.

JP O’Hagan Staff Reporter The women’s soccer team was led in part by junior forward Jessie Sabers this season. As one of the Spartan’s top offensive tools, Sabers scored seven goals with two assists this season. However, the team struggled, dropping many extremely close games. “This season was pretty different because I think that our record of 8-9-2 certainly did not reflect how we played,” Sabers said, “I'm not sure why but this year we didn't have the best of luck with our results, but we were competitive against every team we played.”

Jessie stepped up as to help the team who struggled offensively at times. She took on a big role since the Spartans lacked many true offensive players. She was recognized for her role, being given an honorable mention to the UAA All-Conference team. Sabers found herself in front of the net many times over the season, both with goals and assists. “I had a bigger role this year in creating opportunities in the offense and also finishing any chances in front of the net. For some reason I am pretty scrappy and good at finishing the ball in front of the net,” Sabers said, “When I was further away from the goal I looked more to create opportunities for other players.”

Sabers’ pre-game routine is a big part of getting ready to perform at a high level.

Before every game, the team usually has a carb loaded pre-game meal together three hours before the game, followed by watching the men’s team play until halftime. After that, Sabers begins by getting her ankles and toes taped, due to previous injuries. It is the following team bonding which gets Sabers ready for the game. “We all return to the locker room, blast music and mess around while we get ready,” said Sabers, “We also always write initials on our wrist of someone that we want to play for and I always write my parents' initials since they are my biggest supporters and love to watch me play.”

Her favorite games this season were the Aug. 30 game against Transylvania and the Oct. 26 game against Denison. Both games were strong wins for the Spartans as they battled back from deficits in both games.

“It was so fun to battle against Dension for the full 90 minutes and then have all your hard work pay off in the end. Plus winning in the last three minutes is exciting as it is,” said Sabers.

When not playing soccer, Sabers is studying to be a biochemistry major.

She and the Spartans were recognized for their dedication to academics with a NSCAA Team Academic Award. While the balancing soccer and school can be difficult Sabers points to her work ethic for her success on and off the field. “I really just manage my time well to get all of my studying done,” Sabers said, “There are also plenty of late nights spent studying and getting homework done without a lot of free time. It is definitely difficult but can be managed.”

Looking forward to next year, Sabers plans to work on finding the back of the net more. She wants to work both on further out and having more shots from within the 18. She is also going to work on receiving the ball with her back to goal and making the turn. In addition to her personal goals, Sabers has high hopes for next year’s season. With an experienced returning core, the team is ready to finish and win the close games which remained out of reach this past year. “I am so excited from next season,” Sabers said, “I think we are going to be a great team and start to win games instead of just competing. With only three seniors graduating this season, we were a younger team that had many of the underclassman starting or even playing many minutes. I think that with all these players more developed and use to the college game, we will come out of preseason as a strong and more experienced team. I think a lot of players including myself have grown this season and will contribute even more on the field next year.”

Long runs and close friends: Kelsey Aamoth shines in second year Katie Wieser Sports Editor Sophomore biomedical engineering major Kelsey Aamoth has provided a great follow-up to her great rookie performance last year. Earning honors as an University Athletics Association All-academic honoree as well as making the conference firm team and claiming a spot as an All-Region runner in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Great Lakes region last weekend, Aamoth is well on her way into Case Western athletics history. However, despite the stereotypical loneliness that comes along with long-distance running, Aamoth takes the greatest amount of pleasure in her teammates and friends on the cross country team.

Like all Spartan athletes, academics come first. The Solon Ohio native was drawn to the school based on the strong reputation of the biomedical engineering program, but running was a definite bonus “(Case) has a really good BME program. I knew I could run here, and, I don’t know, I just liked it here. But academics were the most important.”

Aamoth stays busy balancing both schedules. In addition to her regular course load, she works in a research lab that is attempting to better the lives of spinal injury patients, designing devices to assist in bladder processes. She is also a member of the Tau Beta Pi association and runs 4550 miles per week while training for cross

country and track, where she competes in the 5000-meter race event.

Running provides Aamoth with a sense of accomplishment as she led the women’s team in all seven races this year. She is especially proud of some of her race results.

“Getting second at Oberlin was pretty exciting, just because I had never been, like, ‘Wow, I could win these races!’ and I was really close.” She is also proud to be performing well in her classes and to be chosen as a UAA all-academic honoree in her first year of eligibility.

Head coach Kathy Lanese also is excited about Aamoth’s potential as a runner. “She’s just an amazing athlete. The improvement she’s made in one year and the consistency she’s shown as a sophomore is incredible.”

The greatest takeaway from her Case Western experience so far, however, are the friendships she’s gained through the athletics program. Aamoth is one of 10 sophomores on the women’s team. This group of women are all fierce competitors as well as high-achieving students with seven ladies making the all-academic list. “We’re just like a big family, everyone’s friends with everyone…just a cool team. We’re all really close friends. ” During the course of long practices and group training camps, the team has grown to be a family as well as teammates. Many of the ladies will be continuing their seasons in track and field this winter and train together almost year-round through the different sports seasons.

Courtesy Case Sports Information Kelsey Aamoth finished within the top ten results of all races this year prior to regional meet.

Aamoth won’t even be separated from the group through winter break as some members of the team will be going on a trip together to get away from the snowy Cleveland weather and enjoy a well-deserved break.

Although she isn’t sure what the fu-

ture holds after college, she is happy with her decision to enroll at CWRU. “I like everything. I like the people, I’ve made a really good group of friends. It makes balancing the academics and sports and everything a lot better.”

observer.case.edu

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sports

Editor’s Choice

Men’s Basketball looking strong heading into winter hiatus

JP O’Hagan Staff Reporter

The men’s basketball team has continued its hot streak as the Spartans burned through Denison and then battled back against Allegheny. With two wins over the past weeks, the team stands at 4-1 with no indication of slowing down. “Many of the key contributions came from our bench” said head coach Sean McDonnell, “We supported each other and made the necessary plays to win.”

The Spartans had three players who posted double-digit scoring sheets in a strong 81-48 victory against Denison University at home. Dane McLoughlin led both sides of the court in points with 17, five behind the arc, on the game. McLoughlin started the game hot hitting three point shots on each of the Spartans first three possessions, making the score 9-0. Denison would come back within six twice early in the game but Spartans then went on a 11-2 run from which the Big Red would never recover.

Case Western’s lead was at most 26 in the first half when Brian Klements hit a jumper just outside the paint to make the score 40-14 just under three minutes

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Arianna Wage/Observer Sophomore Jimmy Holman makes a move versus Anderson College in the season’s opening weekend.

Women’s basketball looks to improve prior to conference season Katie Wieser Sports Editor The women’s basketball team is sitting at 5-4 going into the winter break.

They will have one more tournament later this month before conference play begins next month. The ladies are looking to continue improving to make strides in the tough University Athletics Association conference.

As the semester is winding down, the team has been busy. With a tournament over Thanksgiving break and a game against Wooster College Wednesday night, the Spartans have been facing off against difficult and varied competition in an effort to make strides before hitting the regular season in January. Head coach Jennifer Reimer knows that they have a long road ahead. “During this preseason, with a new unit getting together this year, every game is an opportunity to come together as a team. We’re still learning how to play together against good competition. After we come back from break, conference will be here before we know it.”

The team is clearly talented. The starters all have put up great numbers at one point or another this season.

Over the weekend, Brooke Orcutt led the team in points, rebounds and assists in a 52-62 loss to Denison University.

Orcutt has 110 points so far this season,

the most on the team, followed by Laura Mummey with 99. Mummey and teammate Berit Eppard both have racked up 61 rebounds and Mummey and Orcutt lead the team with double digit steals.

However, most of the time only one player is playing at these high levels in each game. It is critical that the team grows in consistency over the semester break.

The game on Wednesday featured large leads by the Spartans as they went on scoring streaks, headed primarily by junior Rachel Beaty off the bench. Beaty scored 15 points in her career-best game. The game ended with a 66-49 score in favor of the Spartans.

Eppard also added 11 rebounds and five assists in the runaway victory.

The conference schedule starts out on January 11th with a home game versus Carnegie Mellon University. From that point on, the ladies will be facing off against a conference opponent twice a week until the beginning of March. They will play against each team twice, once at home and once on the road.

Regardless of their success this year, the team should prove to be exciting to watch as they work to figure out their team identity and secure the future of the program. The next match up for the team will be against Brescia University and Wittenberg College during the Zimmerman Kiwanis Classic on Dec. 27th and 28th.

Harsha Chandupatla/Observer Spartan Erin Reynolds takes a shot during the home opening game versus Kenyon College.

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12/6/13

To everyone in the university community, we wish you a very Merry Christmas.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

JOHN 1:1-18 (ESV)

Abigail Advincula Rigoberto Advincula, Ph.D. A. Bolu Ajiboye, Ph.D. Peace Aminu Johanna An Elma Baron, M.D. Steven Brose, M.D. Annie Brown Emily Bussis Joseph Carter, M.D. John Chae, M.D. Jeremy Chang Michael Chen, M.D. Rebecca Chen Michael Cheng Dwight Davy, Ph.D. Meredith Dykehouse Armando Espinoza Kermit Fox, M.D. Michael Fu, Ph.D. Arturo Garcia

Ben Gaston W. Blair Geho, M.D. Ph.D. Shenise Gilyard Reuben Gobezie, M.D. Mingguo Hong, Ph.D. Ewald Horwath, M.D. Jason M. Jerry, M.D. Kevin L. Kilgore, Ph.D. Jeffrey Kim Anna Grace Kitson Joel Kolmodin, M.D. Rachel Komar Shing-Wai Koo C.J. Krimbill Kevin Kuo Min Jie Lee Daniel Malkamaki, M.D. Joshua Martin Robert Moore, M.D. Tulibona Namulemo Johnathan O’Donnell

Evelyn Ojo Karen Olness, M.D. Michelle Park Skyler Phillips Catherine Stein, Ph.D. Mindy Strawser Charles A. Su Erlein Tacastacas Matthew Talbot, M.D. Joseph Tate Kevin Thomson Brylee Tiu Tim Watkins Daniel Wen Preston Williams Andrew Wirtz Jonathan Yang Joanne Yeh Tiffany Yip Xiangwu Zeng, Ph.D. Lei Zhu, Ph.D.

Please contact any of the individuals above for more information, or email brian.metzer@cru.org.