Volume XLV, Issue 16: Jan. 24, 2014

the

volume xlv, issue 16 friday, 1/24/2014

Observer The 2012-2013 annual report notes that CWRU ended last year with a $8.4 million operating surplus, a figure which has been growing for the past seven years. President Barbara Snyder remarked at last Tuesday’s Undergraduate Student Government meeting that she was “proud that we [the university] finished with a surplus small and When the campus down, it’sofnot a vacation for everyone growing,” describing it asshuts a “cushion” in case unexpected emergencies.

While the surplus is a small drop in CWRU’s $1 billion operating budget, we decided to ask anyway,

What would $8.4 million buy?

938,548 Jolly Burgers 0.168 Tinkham Veale University Centers Bi ol og y

202 semesters of tuition 21,001 iPad Airs 64,615 biology textbooks 32,307,692 packages of ramen 1,953,488 Starbucks lattes

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Vi ck Fe olat et e: ion $2 5

93,333 lost dorm keys 336,000 Standard Parking tickets for more, 153 average starting salaries see pg.2-3 News

A&E

pg. 4 Speaker series on capitalism

pg. 9 Patisserie at 115th

Opinion

Sports

pg. 19 pg. 14 Stop, collaborate, Men’s basketball: Fall on the road & listen

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THE STATE OF CASE University releases last year’s annual report; President Snyder speaks at USG meeting

President Snyder responds to student concerns, addresses growing class sizes President Barbara Snyder attended Tuesday’s Undergraduate Student Government meeting as guest speaker and answered questions from undergraduates as part of a push by USG to bridge the gap between students and administrators. Both the questions and Snyder focused on plans for the continued improvement of the university’s reputation and campus.

Snyder outlined her hopes for the university through the rest of the decade, following her contract renewal through 2021. She focused on improving the academic standing of the university, primarily through the positive impact of students after college. “It shows students are well prepared and brings employers in,” she said. “It feeds on itself.”

“The most important thing isn’t to have new students, but to have a better experience,” —President Snyder on growing class sizes Snyder began by discussing the over 21,000 undergraduate class of 2018 applications, the largest and most diverse applicant pool ever, triple the usual amount since Snyder became president in 2007. She also celebrated the fact that, with the Tinkham Veale University Center opening in August, the incoming class will be the first to spend all four years with Case Western Reserve University’s first building specifically designed as a student center.

In addition to the Tinkham Veale Center, Snyder emphasized the many new building projects expected to improve the CWRU

Stat Snaps The Observer takes a look at some of the statistics mentioned in the 2012-2013 annual report —compiled by Arielle Soffer & Tara Tran

student experience. Workers recently broke ground on the Wyant Athletic and Wellness Center in the North Residential Village, increasing the university’s athletic resources and saving north side residents a trip to Veale. She also described the future performing arts center and expansion of the Think[box] out of its temporary space into its own seven story building.

Snyder also addressed students’ concerns about a housing shortage, which she explained largely resulted from the large sophomore class. Despite the unprecedented number of applications, the university plans to keep class sizes roughly the same, with about 1,250 students in the freshman class of 2018.

Case will also reclaim Taplin Hall from the Cleveland Institute of Art, along with plans to build new residence halls on north side and further develop the Triangle Apartments. “The most important thing isn’t to have new students, but to have a better experience,” Snyder said.

She also responded to concerns of a disconnect between students and professors. While some undergraduates complain that professors are not accessible, she explained that faculty widely noted that few students actually sought additional help outside of class. Snyder hoped that the “disconnect will get better with time and smaller class sizes,” especially when SAGES ensures a small seminar with faculty more involved in advising.

When asked about the future of online education, Snyder explained the university would continue to experiment through all-online and hybrid graduate level degrees and non-credit bearing massive online open courses.

Despite the growing enrollment in online classes, Snyder cautioned that only a small percentage of students actually completed the courses and that they offer no replacement for the full college experience in traditional education, saying, “I hope it will never replace undergraduate education.”

31 patients treated at one-stop dental-nursing program.

Through an academic partnership between the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and the School of Dental Medicine called The Collaborative Home for Oral Heath, Medical Review and Health Promotion, underserved patients in the Cleveland area have access to dental and general health exams, as well as immunizations.

“The effort seeks to promote positive health benefits for an underserved patient population and support interprofessional development and team skill-building for students,” said Carol Savrin, an Associate Professor at the nursing school, and the Director of the MSN program.

Kyle Patterson/Observer

Mark Patteson Staff Reporter

4,534.29 pounds of food

grown at the university farm provided to campus dining halls and services “The prime reasons for this success are the Farm staff efforts and the Farm Program Coordinator Chris Bond’s leadership,” Ana Locci, director of the University Farm, said. “Bon Appetit has been a continuous supporter of the program buying our produce and with several donations for equipment and students support. It is a true team effort. Last but not least the numerous volunteers who annually come to the farm to help us. Volunteers are 20 percent of our labor.”

9th ranked influencer in the work world.

Dr. Richard Boyatzis was distinguished by HR Magazine this past year with a ranking of nine on the magazine’s list of the foremost professionals in the human resources field.

“I have been in search of understanding how people, individually and collectively, change in sustained, desired ways since 1967 when I left aerospace research to become a psychologist. When doing this type of research, it is far more authentic and complex to study people during the change process rather than just in laboratories. It takes longer and is not as clean as most researchers would like, but it has a great deal more validity when considering possible implications for people improving their and others lives,” said Boyatzis.

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Law school law clinic provides over 16,000 hours of free assistance Julia Bianco Staff Reporter In the past year, the Milton A. Kramer Law Clinic at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law provided over 16,040 hours of pro bono assistance to members of the Cleveland community, while handling 141 cases.

The law clinic allows third-year law students to work as the primary legal counsel for clients who would not be able to afford legal representation without the clinic’s help.

The clinic has four major focus areas: the Civil Litigation Clinic, the Criminal Justice Clinic, the Community Development Clinic and the Health Law Clinic.

The Civil Litigation Clinic deals with is-

sues such as unfair debt collection and civil rights violations. The Criminal Justice Clinic, which provides the most intensive court experience, has students representing clients with misdemeanor felony charges. The Community Development Clinic helps nonprofit entities form businesses and deal with taxation issues, and the Health Law Clinic deals with disability claims and other healthrelated issues.

In addition, the clinic formed a new division last year, called the Intellectual Property Venture Clinic, which allows students to represent start-up companies.

The program is expanding this year to become more interdisciplinary between business, science and law school graduate students.

Right now, about one-third of law students complete a clinic course during their time at the school. However, starting with the incoming class of Fall 2014, all students will be required to spend a semester at either an externship or a clinic.

“This graduation requirement is our faculty’s clearest signal of the importance of experiential education,” said Judith Lipton, co-director of the clinic. “It places the highest priority on giving all of our students the opportunity for an uninterrupted four to six months in supervised practice before graduation.”

This change in requirements represents the School of Law’s increasing commitment to having client-ready graduates, a core component of the new curriculum that was passed in May.

Students and faculty set CWRU records for innovation Blackstone LaunchPad and Technology Transfer Office see new startups and inventions Jonah Roth Staff Reporter Despite the challenges associated with new business ventures, Case Western Reserve University has its greatest success over the past year in terms of student startups and faculty innovations.

In its first official month of operation at CWRU, entrepreneurship program Blackstone LaunchPad helped launch 12 student startups, according to CWRU’s latest annual report. Meanwhile, the Technology Transfer Office saw an all-time high of 223 inventions disclosed and submitted by faculty members, licensing 36 patents to companies.

The number of inventions disclosed to the office is more a measure of faculty engagement than of the office’s performance, according to Daniel Pendergast, director of operations and strategic initiatives. The Technology Transfer Office decide which inventions to file in the United States Pat-

Top educator of first-year students.

Professor Lee Thompson was recognized for her outstanding teaching of her SAGES freshman courses this past year, and was awarded McGraw Hill’s 2013 Award for Excellence in teaching first-year seminars.

“The program fosters the five core skills of active learning, academic inquiry, critical thinking, ethical problem solving and effective communication. In my first seminar, I try to embed these core skills in course content that the students in part select and in a setting that fosters strong interpersonal connections among the students and with Dr. [Kristine] Kelly—my SAGES co-instructor—and I really value my role as a first year advisor and try to integrate advising into teaching,” said Thompson.

ent and Trademark Office, and licenses patented inventions to various companies.

Additionally, in the last four years the office has included disclosures received by University Hospitals in the statistic, since the funding is still through CWRU. Of the inventions disclosed, Pendergast said the office typically files for patents for about a third of inventions submitted.

About half of those are licensed to companies, and half of the licensed patents go on to make money. The annual report lists that these licensing deals brought in $1.7 million in revenue. However, Pendergast notes that only one or two licensing deals per year make more than $100,000.

Most inventions are protected under nondisclosure agreements to preserve confidentiality. However, several startups led

by CWRU graduates have received significant press this year, including ConservoCare, a company focused on restoring bladder function through nerve stimulation; and Disease Diagnostic Group, which is

developing a device that can quickly detect malaria in a blood sample.

Over winter break, several of these startups displayed their work at the international Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

CWRU was one of seven colleges represented there, according to LaunchPad program director Bob Sopko.

Initially the program was met with faster outside financing than expected, Sopko said, and some student groups which have been successful are now serving as peer mentors for others looking to get their ideas off the ground. For example, the water usage monitor Sprav, which was invented by a CWRU student who used a Kickstarter campaign, is now providing help to other students funding their projects through Kickstarter.

“School here is very hard,” Sopko said.

“You’ve got your class to go to, you’ve got a lot of studying… The students are extremely motivated and passionate about this. It’s amazing.”

$145.9

4th best for public good

million

in gifts received This past year, donations to the university reached a record high.

“Case Western Reserve’s recordsetting fundraising for Fiscal Year 2013 is a testament first and most importantly to our donors, the people who recognize the extraordinary potential that exists within this campus and have stepped forward to help us realize more of it. Our faculty, staff and students are the ones who perform the remarkable work that inspire such generosity among our broader community. We are grateful to everyone involved in this success, and committed to continuing to advancing the university’s mission in everything that we do,” Director of Media Relations Bill Lubinger noted in a statement.

Washington Monthly awarded CWRU the fourth place on their list of universities who most contributed to the public good, which encompasses three groups: community service, academic research and social mobility.

CWRU ranked especially well in the community service category.

“I think the campus is involved through both university programs as well as student-led initiatives. We have a variety of programs available at the Center for Civic Engagement & Learning (CCEL),” said Elizabeth Banks, the director of CCEL. “A number of courses and academic programs also actively involve their students in the community. Add to all of these initiatives the students, staff, and faculty who are involved through their own individual efforts and the university community demonstrates an impressive level of service.”

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$70spent million to grow manufacturing

This past year, CWRU—along with other academic and commercial institutions—received a $70 million award to co-lead America Makes. This initiative seeks to make the manufacturing industry more effective—both financially and with respect to time. With the rising prevalence of 3D printing in the manufacturing industry, CWRU’s engineering expertise was employed to lead this project to success.

“We, and our partners at Carnegie Mellon, were ideally positioned with faculty expertise and perspective, and industrial connections, to receive this award,” said Dr. Jeffrey Duerk, the Dean of the Case School of Engineering. “There had been great amounts of discussion nationally, within government circles, about the importance in restoring the U.S.’s leadership in making things. Everything made is engineered at some level and we felt we should have our voice heard as to what that will look like.”

“Our two institutions reflect that big, creative, thinking that goes alongside new technologies. We knew that if a place like CWRU helped push the conversation on manufacturing forward, people might listen differently—including, very importantly, our own students,” added Lisa Camp, the Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives.

$23 million grant awarded to the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (Case CCC).

The National Cancer Institute awarded the center with its current “outstanding” rating and the grant.

“We have an amazing cancer center that brings together the best of the University including collaborations of scientists across Cleveland to promote and enhance cancer research and cancer clinical investigation,” explained Dr. Stanton L. Gerson, director of the Case CCC. “We link outstanding scientists to incredible investigators at all cancer clinical sites at Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. We represent one of the most integrated consortium cancer centers in the country. Especially notable is our research in cancer genetics, new drug development, and early phase clinical trials. A number of our basic discoveries in cancer biology are recognized internationally.”

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live performances, including recitals, plays, music and dance concerts held on-campus by student performers last year Chair of the Dance Department and Associate Professor Karen Potter credits much of this success to the work of the admissions department.

“With admissions doing such a wonderful job of informing prospective students about opportunities in the arts, we saw our dance major and minor population double in just one year,” Potter said.

“With support from Dean Taylor of the College of Arts and Sciences, we were able to secure licensing rights to dance works by major choreographers... and in years past, works by 20th century masters... For a dance student to be able to perform works by their faculty as well as other renowned artists is a phenomenal opportunity and helps us compete for students with other universities.”

news Spotlight on Research

Student researcher examines chaperone protein using NMR, mathematical software Kushagra Gupta Staff Reporter Most people think that biological research must involve using instruments such as microscopes and test tubes, but one student researcher is using mathematical computations to study biology. Ali Azeem, a fourth-year applied mathematics and biochemistry double major, has been doing research for over a year using computational software in order to study protein formation.

Since the fall of his junior year, Azeem has been working in a structural biology lab that focuses on using protein NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) in order to study the protein HSP90. This chaperone protein acts as a catalyst in protein build-

ing by helping amino acid chains fold in the proper manner.

His own project involves studying how the HSP90 binds to proteins that it helps to build. To accomplish this task, AzeeAzeem says, “I probably ran through that program 200 times.”

The work is not only tedious, but also long. Azeem goes into the lab 10 hours a week through the course of four days. He spends the rest of his time with the Muslim Student Association, of which he was president, and the Delta Chi fraternity. Service is a big part of his life and working in a group to make a difference his something he enjoys doing. Azeem plans to go on to medical school after graduating from Case Western Reserve University.

When he’s not with his groups, he tutors

University Circle looks to strengthen alternative transportation routes with Cleveland Heights Anastazia Vanisko Staff Reporter With at least 3,300 people traveling from Cleveland Heights to their jobs in University Circle every day, University Circle Inc. and the city of Cleveland Heights are taking a look at strengthening bike routes and bus transportation between the two.

The goal is to change the current behavior of commuters to one that is more sustainable. Research has produced conceptual plans of how biking for the area can be improved by constructing safer and more efficient bike paths. Some suggestions for this include creating buffered bike paths along the side of the road and widening the sidewalk so that both walkers and bikers can use them. The more simple ideas are low cost, but as more complicated ideas (such as redesigning an intersection) are proposed, the price naturally increases.

Research sponsored by University Circle and Cleveland Heights has also discovered a transportation gap between University Circle and Cleveland, East Cleveland,

Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights.

Focusing on the gap between Cleveland Heights and University Circle, a shuttle between the two areas has been suggested, as well as improvements to the bus system that would entice commuters to use the public transit system. One such improvement would be giving real-time notification of bus arrival times.

Unreliable bus times are not the only improvement that the two groups are working on to appeal to commuters. Many of the work places in University Circle provided subsidized parking for their employees. In cooperation with University Circle and in order to decrease their own carbon footprint, such businesses are looking at helping to pay for a jointly subsidized transit service. Some already provide incentives to their employees to walk and bike to work.

Potential funding partners for the estimated $1.6 million a year transportation system include Cleveland Heights, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and the Regional Transit Authority.

@CWRUObserver observer.case.edu f cwruobserver

Elliott Pereira/Observer Fourth-year applied mathematics and biochemistry double major Ali Azeem students for Educational Services for Students (ESS) and then comes back home for his 24/7 job of being a residential assistant.

Azeem winds down by going to his favorite place on campus, the Algebra Tea

House. There, he enjoys spending time with his friends and trying various teas.

When he isn’t working or serving the community, Azeem is also an administrator of the Big Games Club (BGC) and has helped design games such as Humans vs. Zombies (HvZ). He describes his favorite CWRU memory: riding in a police car, firing a nerf gun at student zombies. It was late at night and he was walking from the south side of campus to the north side, when a police car pulled up next to him. The university circle police officer had found out about the game from other students on campus and was intensely interested.

Azeem laughed and said, “The cop rolled down his window, and said ‘Hey, want to go shoot zombies?’”

Editor’s Choice

Baker-Nord Center studies how capitalism shakes society in this spring’s free speaker series Gabrielle Buffington Staff Reporter Students attending Case Western Reserve University have seen an obvious rise in tuition and fees in the past year. There are some who have received scholarships, grants and other forms of individual funding, but an education can still seem overwhelming when the financial gap continues to grow. What student hasn’t found him or herself asking: Who can emphasize what steps to take after graduation to get this monetary monkey off of my back and into my wallet?

The Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities, known for its various public events and prestigious guest speakers, focuses on inquiries brought on by curious students. This year, the Center has chosen a fitting theme to cover most of its lectures: Interpreting Capitalism.

From outsourcing to the 2008 recession, most global issues can be traced back to a lack of financing (either within millions of companies or billions of households). This spring series will shine some light on how any field of study can be affected by the dollar.

The first event on Jan. 27, The Crisis of Journalism, will focus on the role that the broadcasting field plays in shaping our money-driven world. It is one of many talks that will involve human relation and the authority that a financial class can hold. A few keywords—like “Dollarocracy”—will try to illustrate how society has transformed into a capitalist culture.

In addition to the talks, there will be a showcase of two films revolving around economic struggles faced by U.S. politicians and Chinese migrant workers.

Best of all, these events are free and open to the public.

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Christina Tam/Observer

Christina Tam/Observer

MLK Celebration Week honors black women activists

Christina Tam/Observer

A sign from the sky?

Lightning strikes iconic Rio de Janeiro monument Last Thursday, lightning struck and broke the right thumb of Christ the Redeemer, the iconic statue that stands over and embraces Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, this was not likely a strike of divine inspiration: Standing 98 feet tall on the 2300-foot summit of Corcovado Mountain, the statue acts like a lightning rod. The Brazilian National

Mark Patteson Staff Reporter Hackers have begun to use smart appliances such as televisions, multimedia centers and even refrigerators in malicious cyber-attacks. Such devices are part of the rapidly growing Internet of Things, a network of so-called “smart” objects ranging from kitchen appliances to industrial machines connected to the internet. While the Internet of Things potentially provides new features and better control for various

the

ity to participate in. For those interested in helping others, plenty of opportunities were also available. Case Western Reserve University and HandsOn Northeast Ohio partnered for volunteer work. Their efforts included creating care packages for disabled children and for homeless people, which would be distributed by HandsOn Northeast Ohio at a later time.

A little beyond the borders of University Circle, children and adults took advantage of their days off to better local schools.

Painting projects directed by City Year filled schools with inspirational murals from King and other activists.

On the Beat

What in the World

Mark Patteson Staff Reporter

As part of this week’s Martin Luther King, Jr. week celebration events, the African American Society, the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women and the New Abolitionists hosted “Living the Dream: Ten Black Women Activists You Need to Meet” event last Wednesday. There, participants celebrated the life of Coretta Scott King and nine other black women in a human timeline event.

Throughout University Circle, people celebrated MLK Day this past Monday with a variety of projects. Severance Hall had free performances, and the Cleveland Orchestra’s food drive was another activ-

Institute for Space Research reports that lightning hits the statue three to five times every year.

Though the archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, which maintains the statue, installed a lightning rod on the statue’s head during a 2010 restoration, it still occasionally suffers damage during electrical storms. The archdiocese plans to repair the thumb along with the right middle finger, which was also struck by lightning just last month.

gadgets, it also offers an excellent base for cyber criminals to launch attacks and send malicious emails.

Unlike most laptops and PCs, home appliances often lack basic security features and do not display obvious signs of a breach, making them attractive soft targets for hackers. The rapid growth of the Internet of Things, which may contain more than 200 billion things by the end of the decade, gives criminals an unprecedented number of options for building a network of compromised machines.

Observer

Winter Blues So let’s review. It’s January at Case Western Reserve University which means it is cold outside (like Nanook of the North cold), the sky is the same battleship grey it has been since November, and there are approximately two hours of sunlight a day. Academic coursework is back in full swing and everywhere you go you are surrounded by a chorus of other people coughing, which serves as a reminder that it’s only a matter of time until you get sick and join the coughing zombie herd. Fun times.

Spring will come eventually, or so the calendar tells us, but in the meantime depression can creep into just about anyone’s life. Society often sends a message to college students that “these are the best years of your life” (no pressure there) and while it is true that there are some unique things about your college years, there is also stress, which can come from pressure to perform academically or athletically, being far from home, unfortunate relationships (romantic or otherwise) and a host of other factors.

Plus it’s really, really cold outside.

The good news is that there are lots of resources here at CWRU to help you if you feel you need them. The CWRU counseling center

can be reached at 368-5872, or you can stop in at the counseling center in Sears 220 to make an appointment—CWRU counselors are considered privileged sources, meaning anything you tell them is confidential. There are also plenty of other options in terms of people to talk to, ranging from the Women’s or LGBT Centers to religious organizations, international student organizations or your favorite professor, coach or RA. The key thing is to talk to someone if you are feeling overwhelmed by it all and not to try and go it alone. Every year there are students who take their own lives at American universities, and in many cases these are tragedies that could have been avoided if help had been sought. Suicide is not a grand gesture but a messy tragedy that inevitably leaves a lot of pain in its wake. So if you are feeling down, take advantage of available resources, and remember that spring is coming—I promise!

On the Beat is a weekly safety column written by Sergeant Jeffrey Daberko & Officer Mark (The Crossing Guard) Chavis of CWRU PD. Send feedback to this or other columns at policecolumn@case.edu.

Police Blotter CWRU Police Blotter Jan. 13 - 21 Jan. 18—Criminal damage—Car window broken; Lot 44.

Jan. 18—Motor vehicle theft—Auto taken from lot between Jan. 17 and 18; Lot 44.

Jan. 20—Assist other agency—CWRU officers assist UCPD and CPD units in pursuit of stolen vehicle, vehicle stopped and suspects arrested; East Boulevard and Wade Park.

On the Beat can be contacted at policecolumn@case.edu.

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fun page | 7

fun

Crossword Puzzle Across 1. Dull pain 5. Not fresh 10. Chilled 14. Found on a finger 15. Pole 16. Schnozzola 17. Disgraceful 19. Bluefin 20. Comes after Mi and Fah 21. Yearned 22. Sharpened 23. Resulting 25. Intended 27. Carpet 28. Come together 31. Sacred hymn 34. Unrefined 35. Sick 36. Tears 37. Gloats 38. Dregs 39. Actress Lupino 40. Hush up 41. A friction match 42. Merchandiser 44. It is (poetic)

45. Moves briskly 46. Painting 50. Abnormally distended 52. Our planet 54. Soak 55. 1 1 1 1 56. Unable to read 58. Hindu princess 59. Motor hotel 60. How old we are 61. Cashews and almonds 62. Nonpoetic writing 63. Toward sunset Down 1. Licoricelike flavor 2. Religious law 3. _____ and lows 4. L 5. A season 6. Fastening 7. Found in some lotions 8. Braggart 9. N N N N 10. Chant 11. Nations 12. Feudal worker 13. Deceased

18. Codeine source 22. Possess 24. Website addresses 26. Terminates 28. Outer layer of the Earth 29. Delight 30. If not 31. Dainty 32. On the left or right 33. In Britain, it’s a flat 34. Attorney 37. Not this 38. Craving 40. Not barefoot 41. Small sheet of microfilm 43. An unstable situation 44. Jot 46. Jimmies 47. Habitual practice 48. Anagram of “Store” 49. Excrete 50. Ripped 51. Two-toed sloth 53. Countertenor 56. Evil spirit 57. Uncooked

The full analysis is of course much more complicated, but I can’t stay to talk about it because I have a date.

By xkcd

Clock Tower

by Kevin Yong

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Philosofish

Kate Hart Ray Krajci

Horoscopes

I feel so old!

What with all these young kids walking around campus...

I just want tell them to get off my lawn!

Aries

On Wednesdays, you wear pink.

Taurus

By beginning to read the newspaper, you’ll find yourself thinking of worldly happenings more often than your class schedule. While this is great preparation for the future, your morning class professor thinks you don’t exist.

Don‛t be ridiculous.

You‛re only 23.

You‛ll always feel old if you compare yourself to your past.

If you would look to the future, you‛d realize how young you really are.

Gemini

Cut out the crap; you can’t sustain your current “balance” between your academics, social life and sleep. Choose two and continue through the semester.

Cancer

You may find yourself rethinking a recent decision.

Although you were pretty sure about it yesterday, today you’ve gotten a whole new perspective. Don’t discredit your doubts.

Well, what would you know about it anyway?

You‛re only 4!

Young whippersnapper.

Leo

xkcd

PhilosofishComics@gmail.com

Cautionary Ghost

Yes, you should watch something on Netflix tonight.

Spending time to relax is almost as important as being very productive.

Virgo

Yes, it’s sorority recruitment, but you don’t need to have your roommate approve your outfit every morning. She’s probably a little annoyed by it now.

Libra

Oh dear, does it seem like a long week. Keep your nose on that grind stone and keep plugging away at your never ending to-do list.

Scorpio

But then the Ghost of Subjunctive Past showed up and told me to stay strong on ‘if it were.’

Although you’ve memorized all of your friends’ CWRU IDs and you’re proud of doing so, others may not find it as appealing. It may even be a little creepy.

Sagittarius

lied limits matter peace practical realize restful sale secure source thank thing threat tier yearn

Wordsearch

alone cloud comfortable confine discover dream emotion expect fallow flower future heart heave island leave liberty

Once you’re able to spend some quality time cleaning your room, you should redirect your sights at getting your car cleaned out as well. If you don’t have a car on campus, reevaluate the cleanliness of your room.

Capricorn

You will find yourself in a predicament this week, and it’ll come out of the blue.

The waters will calm down naturally as long as you can ride the waves.

Aquarius

Time to upgrade! Start looking at new technologies so that you can start receiving picture and group messages.

Pisces

You may find that every WEPA printer is against you this weekend. You should try to get a friend to print out all of your readings.

arts & entertainment

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Harsha Chandupatla/Observer

Editor’s Choice

A walk down Euclid, a step into Paris Jessica Yang Staff Reporter “Bringing a little piece of Paris to Northeast Ohio” reads Coquette Patisserie, a new bakery that opened on Jan. 17 at 11607 Euclid Avenue, near Constantino’s and across from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Indeed, Coquette

Patisserie does capture a slice of Paris, from its décor to its picture-perfect (Instagram-perfect, too) pastries.

With familiar and popular French pastries such as macarons and tarts, Coquette Patisserie also brings in the new and unfamiliar savory pastries such as Smorgastarta and chicken liver mousse éclair. Both are built the same way as their pastry cousins, but instead of

sweet ingredients that most are used to, Smorgastarta has housemade brioche and other savory ingredients, topped by house-cured salmon arranged in a floral shape, while chicken liver mousse éclair has housemade chicken liver mousse, as its name suggests, and pickled shallots and lingonberries. These pastries fit in with co-owner Shane Culey’s philosophy of trying something new and

unique.

Britt-Marie Culey, the other co-owner, graduated from Le Cordon Bleu and did stints in France as well as New York before coming to Cleveland in 2008 with her husband, Shane. What started as a wholesale and catering business

to Coquette | 12

Katy Witkowski & Harsha Chandupatla/Observer

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The Grammy’s Do they even matter anymore?

Lily Korte Staff Reporter

The most irrelevant award ceremony of the year is coming up! No, not the Golden Globes…or the People’s Choice Awards. I suppose I should qualify the statement by saying that it is the most irrelevant award that is still viewed as a major status symbol. The Grammy award may be the “G” in “EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony),” but how and why the Grammys have managed to maintain their status for so long has always been something of a mystery. The absurdly large and bewilderingly specific variety of subgenre awards have always been something of a running gag in the media world, even with the organizers having recently axed a lot of the more esoteric categories—there are only 82 categories listed on the official website for 2014. That’s not why the ceremony is regarded as a joke though. If anything, the overwhelming irrelevance of the nominees in the major award categories is what has left viewers and reviewers puzzled, year after year. It’s not as if there is a shortage of music in the world. There are more people and more bands making records now than there probably have ever been in the history of the planet, and yet even with all of the possible award categories, the number of musically interesting albums or intriguing new artists who receive recognition is virtually zero. None of this is exactly a new criticism of the ceremonies, but it’s still worth keeping in mind, should one choose to suffer through the televised event itself.

The performers lined up for the big night are, as usual, an awkward mix of the

recently-trendy and embarrassingly oldhat. The biggest news as far as guest artists are concerned is probably the reunion of the two remaining Beatles. The last time Sir Paul graced the Grammy stage, it resulted in thousands of confused tweets from teenagers who had no idea who he was—one can only fear an even worse fate for poor Ringo come Jan. 26. Lorde and Macklemore & Lewis seem to be the most popular of the newcomers in terms of nominations; looking at the full list of “Best Album” and “Best Song” categories is always good for a laugh. The appearance of Robin Thicke as both nominee and performer leads to worries about the whole “Blurred Lines” imbroglio being stirred up again, but it’s doubtful anybody could come up with any new opinions on the song that haven’t already been stated

thousands of times throughout the previous several months. If there’s anything I learned from perusing the lists of nominees in the various categories though, it’s exactly how many old men are still making records and being nominated for them, despite their best years being long behind them. Does anyone genuinely believe anything The Rolling Stones did in 2013 would be the “Best Rock Song” of the year? Well, they’re nominated. (Ditto, with Black Sabbath.)

The problem with all artistic awards ceremonies is how to judge something that is inherently often extremely subjective. The list of artists nominated to get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame each year presents a similar concern. Is the goal to recognize financial success? Pop cultural ubiquity? Musical talent? Is the

fact that the Grammys often nominate the wrong people better or worse than the fact that the Emmys often nominate the right people and then give the award to the wrong person? Or that the Tonys operate exclusively in a world that is completely inaccessible to anyone outside the New York City-area? Each form of media has its own issues. It’s a longstanding problem without a clear solution, because for as much as artists like to pretend that awards don’t matter, that doesn’t stop them from being thrilled to receive them if they do happen to win. In an age of stagnating music sales in an oversaturated market, isn’t an added bit of publicity just what everyone is clamoring for? Winning a Grammy didn’t make Arcade Fire’s next album any better…but it did guarantee a lot more people knew of its existence.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Brian Sherman Staff Reporter When “Assassin’s Creed III” came out last year, regardless of the overall opinion of reviewers, many agreed that the sailing was an amazing part of the game. Taking those lessons to heart, Ubisoft has successfully made not only

an excellent addition to the franchise, but a great game overall.

“Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag,” ironically the sixth game in the series, is a mixture of the “Assassin’s Creed” universe with famed pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy in the mid-1700s. While adding in pirates might seem to be a way to cash in on their post-“Pirates of the

Caribbean” pop culture popularity, pirates in this game are a bit more realistic and family-unfriendly than Disney’s incarnation. Blackbeard, for instance, has a rather intense scene early on in the game where he is holding some people hostage and threatening them in front of the town of Charleston in a way that not even Barbossa would even dream of doing.

Courtesy assassinscreed.ubi.com

The main campaign follows the adventures of Edward Kenway, Welsh pirate and grandfather of the “Assassin’s Creed III” protagonist. Kenway, unlike previous protagonists of the series, is a pirate first and an Assassin second. He only becomes involved with the Assassins and Templars and their eternal secret war when he encounters an Assassin, kills him and assumes his identity long enough to learn of a great treasure being sought by both shadow organizations, which he plans on retrieving first and selling to the highest bidder.

The treasure in question is the “Observatory,” yet another piece of technology from the precursor race of “Assassin’s Creed.” The main campaign revolves around Kenway’s hunt for this treasure, encountering pirates, governments, Assassins and Templars alike on his journey. A journey that is guided by the player, a new research assistant at Abstergo Entertainment.

Like previous installments in the series, “Assassin’s Creed IV” also features a present-day aspect. Having completed the story of Desmond Miles in “Assassin’s Creed III”, players no longer assume his role, but that of an unnamed employee at Abstergo, the modern front for the Templars, whose job it is to perform genetic memory research and relive Desmond’s genetic memories of Kenway for historical research. While some have complained about Desmond’s sections in previous titles, the present-day

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“Yentl:” Two hours of awkward, silly accents Joseph Verbovszky Staff Reporter I caught myself at least three times with an expression somewhere between confusion and revulsion on my face as I watched “Yentl.” After my initial reaction, I find myself still having similar feelings about the whole experience, despite the distance from the episode. Apparently time does not heal all wounds, or at least those inflicted

by Cleveland Playhouse’s production (or should I say re-imagining) of “Yentl.” Yet, it does grant me the clarity to see what exactly it was that proved to be the proverbial thorn in my side: everything. The CPH production completely inverts the serious nature of the short story of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s “Yentl the Yeshiva Boy,” adapted for Broadway in 1975 by Leah Napolin (prominently listed under the genre of “Drama”) and instead presents us with a shticky “dramedy,” whose defining feature is that it feels tacked together.

Foremost among my complaints is that the setting in no way feels like a shtetl in Poland. Instead it resembles a neighborhood in Brooklyn where Jews from many different origins are thrust together in a sort of hodgepodge community. This was underscored by the disparity in character accents. Some sounded like your average American while others sounded like the stereotypically embarrassing Eastern European cousins. It was very hard to take a character (caricature might be more apt) seriously when their lines are delivered in a comically over-the-top accent. It didn’t help that some portions of the play were spoken in Hebrew and, given that there were no subtitles for said portions, meant that those without Hebrew language skills had about as much of an idea of what was going on as anyone at a Latin mass.

Even if the character’s accents hadn’t been all over the place, I’m not sure it would have made much of a difference.

The author apparently had never heard of the word subtlety and many of the lines crossed the line labeled “ridiculous.” On top of that, the actors delivered these with about as much believability as Barnum’s Fiji Mermaid. The major plot device is Yentl’s love of the Torah and the prohibition of her studying it according to Jewish law. Yet, after the brief introduction of the topic, it slips back into obscurity, rearing its ugly head only when the plot demands that

the clichéd relationship of the main characters be broken up for the ending. My point being, after Yentl arrives at the Yeshiva, she does precious little studying (or at least that is completely ignored by the events of the play) and instead we see her interacting with Avigdor and Hadass on a much more “earthly” level. It’s not convincing to simply say that Yentl loves studying the Torah, she actually has to do it. The relationship between Yentl and the Torah has to be substantial enough to justify her actually quite radical decisions throughout the play. Unfortunately, it does not.

While I’m on the subject of “earthly,” I may as well point out the ungodly amount of pointless nudity in this play. Was it necessary to have Avigdor saunter across the stage looking like Adam before he ate the apple? Does it do anything, anything at all for the plot? No, it does not. Neither do the other scenes of random naked man buttocks that briefly bounce up in the corner of the stage before disappearing just as rapidly or Yentl flashing the audience to confirm our suspicions that she is indeed a woman.

I was very surprised when it came time for the bathing scene and Hadass was hidden behind a silhouette. Why bother with the to itMan curtain? At this point just Man seemed| 13 like false modesty; we’ve already seen everything. I should clarify that I am very much a supporter of artistic and aesthetic nudity that powerfully underscores the themes of the play. These scenes however, were gratuitous and reeked of shock value.

There is really very little to recommend “Yentl.” Even the set design is basically a rehash of the set design used in the Playhouse Square production of “Once.” Come to think of it, the story is somewhat similar (minus the transvestitism) in that the main character gives up his budding relationship to pursue a larger dream. Even the music is better.

Ultimately, “Yentl” is one of the worst productions of the season. And on top of it, it’s incredibly long. At over two hours, probably nearing two and a half, it drags with the pacing of a sloth stuck to fly-paper (and I actually enjoyed a four hour production of “Little Man What Now?”). If the director had only decided to tell a simpler, more direct story, it might have been bearable, enjoyable even. As it stands, the characters run helter-skelter in a poorly tacked together house of cards, threatening to imminently collapse, destroying the plot along with it.

Playlist of the Week

Anne Nickoloff Staff Reporter

“Blow” — Beyoncé I’ll admit that when I think Beyoncé, I think “Single Ladies.” However, that quickly changed after she released her newest, self-titled album “Beyoncé” on Dec. 13. “Blow,” the fourth song, is probably the raunchiest thing I’ve ever heard. Yet, it has such a great funky beat that it’s better to block out all the references to cunnilingus than to sit there and feel awkward about it.

“Montezuma” Fleet Foxes

—

So, Fleet Foxes stopped being a thing in late 2011. But in mid-June of 2013, they posted some pictures on their Facebook page that hinted towards a new project. I’ll have “Montezuma” on repeat until the good news comes. Hopefully that’ll

“Coming of Age” — Foster the People In an interview with Rolling Stone, singer Mark Foster said the new album (set to release in March) is “more organic and human” than the band’s electronic first album “Torches.” I’m interested to see how it will turn out, but “Coming of Age” is definitely a good sign. It’s airier and slower than the thumping, synthetic songs that made them famous.

“Biggy” — Warpaint A simple beat, a slow pace and dreamy vocals singing lyrics like “there’s a world out that I’ll never see, shattered fools in memory.” Off of Warpaint’s new self-titled album, “Biggy” is trippy and worth a listen.

“End Boss” — Man Man to Man Man | 13

Courtesy clevelandplayhouse.com

It’s taking me a while to get over the fact that Ryan Kattner (aka Honus Honus) of Man Man wrote a song about Wolf Blitzer eating babies. Better yet, it’s incredibly catchy. They came to Grog Shop yesterday, so check next week’s issue of The Observer for a review of the show.

Courtesy pitchfork.com, theneedledrop.com, josepvinaixa. com, hangout.altsounds.com, cdn.stereogum.com

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1/24/14 from Coquette | 9

from Assassin | 10

burgeoned into something bigger as they started having people ask about a brick-and-mortar store. They soon realized that they needed a shop and finally settled in University Circle, which in their eyes has their target clientele as well as a convenient location with easy access to public transportation.

I personally tried out the Tart Citron, a beautiful lemon tart topped with a sliver of white chocolate and a thin slice of lime. It was tart, tangy and sweet at the same time, encased in a crunchy but delicate crust. Checkout was easy, too, as the store was equipped with an iPad that had a credit card plugin.

Coquette Patisserie also has an alcohol list, curated by the owners to complement the pastries. There is American pale ale, champagne and La Chouffe, which is Belgian strong ale. Like the pastries, the alcohol list tries to “challenge people’s perception of things” says S. Culey. A good example of that is the Jolly Pumpkin, a Michigan beer.

The menu varies seasonally since the ingredients are local and season-based.

Coquette Patisserie also has cured meats from Melissa Khoury, a local Cleveland woman.

sections in this game are quite shorter, with only five required missions interrupting Kenway’s adventures. However, interested fans of the series will find plenty of anecdotal, cryptic data about the “Assassin’s Creed” universe by searching through Abstergo’s offices in the present-day.

Kenway, particularly when compared to his grandson, is an excellent new face in the series. While not quite the smooth-talking, lovable Ezio Auditore da Firenze of “Assassin’s Creed II,” he does have some charm, and is certainly one of the best protagonists of the year.

Kenway’s supporting cast of pirates, including the Edward “Blackbeard” Thatch, Calico Jack, Charles Vane and Anne Bonny, while not as likeable of pirates as Jack Sparrow, are rather interesting and funny characters at times.

The gameplay of “Assassin’s Creed IV” consists of two parts: the traditional free-running, climbing, stealth and combat of previous titles in the series and sailing Kenway’s ship, the Jackdaw, freely throughout the West Indies.

The game’s world is enormous in scope.

More than half a dozen large land masses exist to explore on foot, from large, bustling ports to ancient Native American jungle ruins where players can hunt animals, claim assassination contracts and chase down collectibles. These exist within a larger, oceanic map of the West Indies with dozens of additional,

smaller ports, coves and islands and vast stretches of open sea populated by Spanish and British ships.

While prowling around the West Indies, any ship encountered is a potential target for piracy, carrying goods which can be sold or used to upgrade the Jackdaw. Naval battles require strategy in approaching attacking targets, as the ship can be quickly surrounded by a fleet of faster vessels, and furling up the sails to maneuver more precisely may leave the Jackdaw vulnerable to enemy mortar fire. However, when pulled off correctly, crippling a man-o’-war, reeling it in and storming the ship can be very satisfying. Captured enemy ships can be used to repair the Jackdaw, lower Kenway’s notoriety level or be pressed into service for his fleet, an “Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood”-esque minigame that allows Kenway to send vessels out to complete missions in other parts of the world.

The best part about the game is undoubtedly the sailing—no automatic money generation exists within the game, so Kenway must sail out and plunder ships to earn money and supplies for the rather expensive ship upgrades. In addition, cruising on the fastest speed setting will turn off the game’s UI and zoom the camera out to show the whole ship, making for a pleasant cruise across the Caribbean. Your crewmen can also sing over 30 unlockable sea shanties, adding to the atmosphere of the early 1700s and making you truly feel like the captain of the ship.

The land sections, however, are where the game lets itself down a little.

Most land missions involve tailing and eavesdropping on someone. While the stealth, running, jumping and free-running are all solid mechanically, simultaneously forbidding detection and forcing the player to move quickly to keep up can be irritating after having to repeat a section several times. This can get very repetitive, but can be fun, notably when tailing guards through the crocodile-infested swamps around Charleston. Land combat, unlike naval combat, is the same system that has been used throughout the series: counter, kill, repeat, with generous timing allowed and no difficulty setting. However, enemies do tend to deal significantly more damage than previous enemies in the series, so though it may be harder to mess up, it will be penalized.

Overall, “Assassin’s Creed IV” is a great addition to the series and one of the best games of the year. Sailing across the open world of this game is always an enjoyable experience, from the mere act of moving from place to place to the fun and challenging naval combat. Kenway is an entertaining, funny and clever character, and while the activities on land can get a bit monotonous and uninteresting, Kenway, the colorful cast of pirates and the Jackdaw easily make up for this.

“Assassin’s Creed IV” for the PC earns a 9 out of 10—while not quite a perfect game, it is easily worth the price

think:study abroad

SUMMER

CWRU COURSES May Term

I

France, May 10–30 Germany, May 11–31 Botswana, May 21–June 8

Independent Summer Study Abroad Options Programs all around the world

3-12 weeks in length All majors search here: https://studyabroad.case.edu

Plan for summer now!

Make an appointment with a study abroad advisor at studyabroad@case.edu.

Y A D O T Y L P P A www.case.edu/studyabroad

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Observer

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“Sherlock” US premiere: Hype warranted?

Lily Korte Staff Reporter It’s often been said that the internet changes the way we watch TV. While this is usually taken as referring solely to the impact of both legal web-streaming and illegal file-sharing, it’s also worth considering the international implications. In an age of spoiler warnings, having television shows debut on different dates in different countries seems like a total anachronism. Thus, when the long-awaited third season of “Sherlock” finally premiered on PBS this Sunday, most of the internet had already been bombarded by everyone’s thoughts on the new episodes from when they had aired on BBC (and the BBC iPlayer) earlier in the month. Without giving too much away about the remaining two episodes of the three-episode season, it’s only fair to ask whether the long-delayed third season as a whole lives up to the hype.

A common criticism of “Sherlock”—that, for a mystery series, it isn’t plotted particularly well—is unfortunately even more in evidence now than in either of the previous seasons. How the viewer reacts to this, though, is largely a reflection on what the viewer wants from the show to begin with. For the majority of the fans, the appeal lies more in the acting, writing and characters themselves than in the plots, because anyone following the show for logical, coherent mysteries probably would’ve abandoned it even before the end of season two. Sometimes letting the characters carry the day works well for “Sherlock,” as its cast, particularly the two leads, are excellent actors, but in most of the third season, the entire enterprise feels a bit too scattershot for comfort. Just because the necessity of a plot often hampers exploration of the relationships between characters doesn’t mean that

the story can simply be ignored. Without the backbone of an intriguing mystery propping up the action, everything tends to fall apart, as illustrated by the shapeless, meandering and often nonsensical second episode, “The Sign Of Three.” As a consumer of fiction, I personally tend to value characterization over plot, but even the character-building scenes here seem to suffer as a result—an extended segment with a fumbling Watson & Holmes involved in drunken deductions was surely meant to be an amusing treat for the fangirls, but I found it interminable and dull. (For all three seasons of the show though, the second episode has generally been the weakest, so I suppose this was to be expected.)

A lot of the problems with the third season, in fact, seem to revolve around the show having become too “meta” for its own good.

Continuity nods and in-jokes are one thing, especially in a series with a complex cultural mythology that dates back into the 19th century, but it’s never a good sign when episodes seem increasingly written to tickle the fancy of the fans, rather than being written to further the overall arc of the show. This is especially puzzling given how long of a hiatus occurred between the second and third seasons. Had the third season come out a year or so earlier, it would’ve seemed much less underwhelming, I suspect. Even the explanation in “The Empty Hearse” of how Sherlock Holmes survived his seemingly fatal fall at the end of season two was unsatisfying.

If the first two episodes seem a bit muddled, viewers can at least rest easy knowing that the third, if not quite a return to form, at least has something in the way of dramatic tension. Without wanting to spoil anything, I can only say that the main villain of the episode is one of the creepiest characters I’ve seen on television in the past couple years.

I can also say that the plot takes more than a couple left turns throughout the episode,

Courtesy pbs.org

taking the audience to some very unexpected places with some surprising people popping up. A lot of the setup for the third episode that took place in the earlier episodes felt too obvious though, as certain characters seemed suspicious even before they had done anything to elicit suspicion from the audience.

The door is left wide open for a fourth season at the end of it all, but given how much the writers seem to have been struggling for compelling storylines throughout the third, it makes one wonder what’s left to anticipate.

All in all, it’s hard to know what to make of the third season. If I seem unduly harsh, it has less to do with the show’s quality and more to do with the high expectations it has inevitably

raised for itself. It’s become the trendy thing recently among publications like The Onion A.V. Club to bash the BBC’s “Sherlock” and proclaim CBS’s “Elementary” to be the superior modern Holmes adaptation, but that still feels more like willful contrarianism than genuine conviction at this point. As in last week’s review of “Community” though, I have to express the same sort of concern towards any series that gains such a devoted, uncritical cult following, as it inevitably leads to lazy writing. “Sherlock” is still a good show compared to most of what’s on TV, but it could easily be a better show than it is, and it sadly seems to have settled into what can only be described as complacency.

Pass the suds...

... from the BottleHouse Brewing Company Mike Suglio Staff Reporter On a cold, dark winter evening I drove up to a former cold storage unit with Christmas lights decorating the exterior, in hopes of finding warmth. As my scarf froze to my mouth I saw among the Christmas lights a tiny sign that read, The BottleHouse Brewing Company. I opened the large heavy door and was immediately surrounded by laughter and music. The place was packed with smiling patrons, all with beers at hand. Immediately I warmed up. “Time for a beer,” I whispered.

The BottleHouse was truly hoppin (no pun intended). That night, like every Tuesday night, was open mic night and several musicians were performing or sipping beer while waiting for their turns. Manager Jason Kallicragas greeted me at the bar.

I immediately glanced at what was on tap. The BottleHouse had eight different beers on tap that they had brewed themselves and one mead choice. “Mead? Mike Suglio, what is that?” you might ask. Mead is an alcoholic beverage (like beer) that is created by fermenting honey with water and often with fruits, spices, grains or hops. It has been around just as long as beer has but isn’t nearly as popular due to the high alcohol by volume (ABV) and the difficulty to make it just right.

Kallicragas began to pour a flight of all the beers and the only mead brewed

by BottleHouse (they had many others

not made in-house, though). I thankfully brought a friend to share the beer. Beer is best with friends.

As he poured, I soaked in the atmosphere.

Bottles lined the shelves of the bar emanating the name of the brewery. Large picnic tables lined the dining area, which made it perfect for large groups. “Old-school” pinball machines rested in the back. But, what was pretty darn cool was a vast selection of board games, free to play as you drank and ate. You and your suitemates can finally have that family board game night you’ve always dreamt of.

On to the beer: The first beer I had was their Altbier, an excellent first beer to start off with. It was a smooth, flavorful, brown amber that was very drinkable. I held the beer up to a bar light and the illuminating light brown looked very clear.

I followed with a Dunkelweizen (you may remember my review of this type of beer at Indigo Imp Brewery). It was a darker form of the popular hefeweizen, a very popular type of beer for summer months, but it still had that wheat taste to it. A type of beer you wouldn’t mind having fruit with.

Next, I had the Erie Coast India Pale Ale. For any new drinkers of craft beer, IPA’s are hard to get into. I was very impressed, however; it was a very smooth and perfect IPA for newbies.

I took a break from sampling and talked more with Kallicragas. The brewery is rather small with a three-barrel system, and the place opened not too long ago (May 2012).

The brewery now brews all the beer it sells.

When I had first checked it out a year ago they only had a couple of their own beers and mainly sold guest beer. BottleHouse of course bottles their own, which you can get at Heinen’s and other craft beer stores. They also have a wide variety of craft cocktails.

Back to the beer: I then had the Bad Ass Rye, and at 8.1 percent ABV it most certainly is. You don’t want to take this beer too lightly. It does not have as much of a clear alcohol taste as most beers at this high of a percentage, so you can drink it rather quickly. There is a clear rye taste but it is not as overbearing as most rye beers.

On the flip side I then sampled the Oaked Vanilla Bourbon Porter. The vanilla taste was very present and bold, moreso than other vanilla porters I have had. It reminded me of vanilla coke, but with alcohol.

I followed with the Snow Day Winter Warmer, which is one of my new favorite Winter/Christmas beers. The beer is a completely new take on winter beers, because instead of loading up on sugar, ginger or cinnamon, this beer is predominantly a honey-flavored beer. It was very light, unlike most winter beers that fill you up after one or two pints. This was by far my favorite beer at the brewery.

It was now time to take a break for food, a very important part of any brewery exploration. The menu was filled with different types of pierogies and various waffles dishes. I decided to go with a corned beef sandwich, which had waffles instead of bread.

My friend had a falafel waffle.

The sandwich was massive with fluffy

yet crispy waffles and mounds of corned beef. The side of fries had a nice layer of oil and spices, which kept them warm and delightful. They were the opposite of the dry fries you get at most bars.

The last two beers were the Gather Christmas Ale and the Oatmeal Coffee Stout (Nitro), which were also great. The Ale was very strong and you could easily waft the smell of alcohol from the glass. At 10 percent ABV and 18 international bittering units (IBU), this was no joke. The Stout had a very clear coffee taste, probably the most pronounced coffee taste of all the coffee porters I have had. The BottleHouse uses coffee from the local business Rising Star Coffee Roasters.

I of course saved the mead for last. The draft mead was called the Dry Hopped Traditional and was very traditional. It had a clear honey flavor and was not something that you can gobble down with it being 11.4 percent ABV. It’s so strong that it is served in a small five-ounce glass. I enjoyed it and thought it was a nice alternative to beer, but my co-beer-taster friend did not share the same sentiment. Mead is not for everyone.

I must say that The BottleHouse Brewing Company is a great spot for students in University Circle to check out. It’s close to Melt Bar & Grilled, which many students venture to anyway. It is a nice, quiet alternative to many of the bars around campus and with all the exclusive beers on tap, it is a great opportunity to try something new.

The Bottlehouse is open every day of the week at various times.

opinion Editorial

Editor’s (tech) Note

Stop, collaborate and listen Efficient communication needed between student organizations

It is not outlandish to claim that the exact functions of some of the umbrella organizations comprising the Student Executive Council (SEC) have been a source of confusion among the students of Case Western Reserve University. The problems lie in the overlap between organizations. For example, different groups organize similar events, sometimes even on the same days, creating a lack of consistency and efficiency.

The problematic result of overlap is competition. When student groups have not clearly defined the framework within which they operate, they begin to work against each other.

This does not cater to the needs of the students of CWRU, nor does it lead to efficient use of the Student Activities Fee, which is the pot of money that funds most student-run events.

The Class Officer Collective (COC) represents one SEC organization that has taken corrective steps, and the efforts have born fruit. And now the organization is grabbing recognition beyond the campus bubble.

Last week, The Observer reported that CWRU’s Hudson Relays made Campus Grotto’s list of the top 100 greatest college traditions. The Hudson Relays is an annual event that celebrates the moving of the CWRU campus to Cleveland from Hudson, Ohio. COC organizes the event, which involves a 25-mile relay around the current CWRU grounds. The members of the CWRU community, including undergraduate and graduate students and alumni, are welcome to participate. In short, the tradition celebrates students, past and present.

The nod is well-deserved by COC, whose mission statement emphasizes dedication “to developing, maintaining and celebrating a unique identity within each respective class experience” as well as ambition to “be the primary connection to each student’s unique experience at the University through: facilitating class specific programming, supporting campus traditions, enhancing school spirit and pride and recognizing and celebrating our classmates.” It turns out that this mission statement is what makes COC so special.

Because the group has a defined and distinct mission statement that it consistently follows, it is arguably one of the most successful umbrella organizations. As the advocate for university tradition and class pride, COC has molded itself into a unique and significant part of the CWRU community. Most importantly, by forming around a strong mission statement, it has managed to minimize overlap with other SEC organizations, such as the Residence Hall Association, Undergraduate Student Government and University Program Board.

Yes, these organizations all bring students together, but COC distinguishes itself by evolving into the one group that embraces tradition and unity within each class of CWRU— breathing life into their mission statement. There is an enormous difference between organizations having a broad or otherwise vague definition of their function and an organization whose function within a college community is to the point and consistent. COC belongs to the latter category, and that is worthy of applause. And it is a great way to avoid crippling competition against other SEC groups.

COC also excels at creating ties between students and the other umbrella organizations.

The organization often promotes service events where class members may bond, but where members of the Greek Life community may obtain service hours, as well. By combining these two elements from the different aspects of students’ lives, COC proves that it is committed to fostering cooperation rather than competition. Prioritizing support over conflict only strengthens the relationship CWRU students have with SEC organizaitons, and it solidifies the role of these groups as specialists rather than competitors.

All SEC organizations should take note of COC’s success and move closer to their governing documents and away from overlap. But, this responsibility does not rest solely with student groups. It is beyond time for the university to invest in an enterprise calendar solution that accomdates all student organizations and events. The feature set of Google Calendar is too limited, and myExperience (formerly known as SpartanLink and CollegiateLink) has fallen victim to poor marketing and a cumbersome user experience and, as a result, is a mystery to most students. Student leaders need a way to know where and when events are being held so they can avoid needless conflict.

By reducing the unnecessary overlap between student groups, the SEC umbrella organizations would be able to focus more intently on their respective fields and create an atmosphere that embraces efficiency, mutual understanding and fruitful collaboration. After all, isn’t that what we’re paying for?

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.

The Observer is a proud member of the CWRU Media Board.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be e-mailed to observer@case.edu or submitted on our website at observer.case.edu. Letters can be mailed to 10900 Euclid Avenue, Suite A09, Cleveland, OH 44106. Letters need to include the writer’s full name, address, and telephone number. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters from organizations must contain the name of an individual for contact purposes. Writings may be edited for clarity and brevity, and while The Observer makes an attempt to print all correspondence; space and date of publication are not guaranteed. Letters over 600 words may be returned to the sender. Letters must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Part Two: Email app exploration Last week in this space, we tackled (per request) ways to manage your university email account. Now it’s time to recommend the apps that can make this dream a reality.

While The Observer used to be primarily a Microsoft shop, the scale has shifted recently as most editorial board members now sport MacBook Pros, as well as an iPhone or iPad. I personally have all three, in addition to a Lenovo X1 Carbon that I use exclusively for work-related purposes. Because of our diverse platform history, the editorial board and I have interacted with many email applications. The following is a breakdown of the editor’s app choices for Microsoft Windows. Recommendations for Mac OS X and iOS will follow in the coming weeks.

Microsoft Windows Windows 7 and Windows 8 are arguably more open platforms for software development than Mac OS X; however, they lack the variety of email apps enjoyed by their Apple counterparts. There are two standout options for the CWRU PC user: Google Mail and Microsoft Outlook 2013.

Google Mail: When used in Google’s Chrome browser, the Google Mail Web app is a powerful email tool. Paired with Chrome, Google Mail can alert users to new email messages with desktop notifications. Additionally, it integrates with Google Calendar and Google Hangouts, the company’s recently unified instant messaging service. Regardless of the device on which it is displayed, Google Mail consistently retains its aesthetic and functionality. As previously discussed, its flexible labeling system and customizable feature set make it conducive to a wide array of email management techniques.

cost: free where to find: webmail.case.edu

Microsoft Outlook 2013: Outlook is the reigning king of business-class email management. In conjunction with Microsoft Exchange, it comprises the core collaboration tool for many enterprises worldwide. At Case Western Reserve, Outlook can be used with Google Apps Sync to synchronize your university email, calendar, contacts, tasks and notes with Google’s Web interface. Because it is built for business customers, Outlook has more robust capabilities than Google Mail, such as definable “quick steps,” rules and categories. The latest version integrates seamlessly with Facebook and LinkedIn, which accentuates email messages with senders’ profile pictures and contact information.

But, Outlook isn’t without drawbacks. Messages sent from Outlook often exhibit unintended formatting changes when rendered in Web-based email apps, and the synchronization between the software and Google’s servers isn’t flawless. Still, Outlook remains a solid option, especially for Weatherhead School of Management students who will most likely use the platform professionally after graduation.

cost: free where to find: Microsoft Office 2013 via softwarecenter.case.edu

Tyler Hoffman —EXECUTIVE EDITOR & PUBLISHER

the observer

established in 1969 by the undergradute students of case western reserve university executive editor & publisher TYLER HOFFMAN director of design MEREDITH DYKEHOUSE director of web & multimedia KYLE PATTERSON director of print SHEEHAN HANNAN director of business operations BENCE TAMAS advertising & marketing manager COLE MORRIS account manager JAMES VELETTE digital publicity & communications manager VINCENZO VOLPE news layout AMBER ALBERGOTTIE sports layout HEATHER HARGROW opinion layout EDWIN LO distributors SAGE SCHAFF

news editor MIKE MCKENNA a&e editor KATY WITKOWSKI opinion editor NOORA SOMERSALO sports editor KATHLEEN WIESER multimedia editor ARIANNA WAGE copy editors ANNE NICKOLOFF, JENIECE MONTELLANO advisor BERNIE JIM

opinion 15

observer.case.edu

CWRU needs more Prepare for launch solidarity From Cle to Cape Town

The meaning of Spartan life Jacob Martin Walking around campus the first few weeks of classes after winter break brings out the sight of oversized fraternity letters in front of hot chocolate stands and droves of young women with bright, eager faces lost in a sea of overcoats and frilly dress bottoms dancing in the wind: Greek rush is a sign that the spring semester is underway at Case Western Reserve University. When the reality that a new semester has finally begun set in, I couldn’t help but ask myself, why do we do what we do in college?

Soon, each of us will be enraptured in a countless number of activities and prior engagements like a new Greek organization, for example. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these pursuits, but shortly, we will start to think our individual worlds are the only ones that exist and others will take a backseat to ourselves—life becomes a solipsistic mess of ordered chaos.

Perhaps I am being a bit harsh classifying us as solipsists, but ideals like collegiality, camaraderie and solidarity seem to be abandoned by students at CWRU a few weeks into a given semester. Each of us doesn’t have time for anyone else and we hide behind our books and lab reports and computer screens, claiming our degree program is harder than any other and a whole battery of ludicrous claims.

We begin to only do things that are convenient for us and will look good on a resume.

We prepare for and take the MCAT, GRE, LSAT and DAT, complete internships and head student organizations. But the ability to sit around and think, study and learn without interruption is a luxury of the highest order which too many of us take for granted.

Despite what it may seem, college affords us an abundance of free time. Think about it: all of the activities, social events and jobs we work are done in time spent away from the classroom. Even the time we spend studying is time we could be doing something else, returning to homework later. But the ability to study is what we’re paying for, and we must remind ourselves from time to time why we do it all.

Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, such a time for this reminder. Dr. King was the embodiment of solidarity. He exchanged selfishness with selflessness, personal advancement with the advancement of all.

Few people like Dr. King come along and grace the earth with their presence, but when

they do, he or she inspires others to be better and overcome their flawed nature. People like Dr. King, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Abraham Lincoln, Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela have shown us how to step outside of the personal realm and enter into the global realm. If we follow the example of these individuals, we can learn to be better citizens of this planet and we learn respect for all.

These lessons must be learned now while we are young and fertile for new ideas. I’m not suggesting everyone to apply for the Peace Corps or Amnesty International, but I am suggesting everyone makes themselves open to the idea that there is something bigger out there.

We are the “me” generation. Technology makes everything instantaneous and social media has made vanity the staple of life. Too many of us have terrible social skills and our emotional intelligence is almost nonexistent.

All we know is me; how I look, what I want, how I can benefit from something.

In “Notes from Underground,” Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote, “But what can a decent man speak of with most pleasure? Answer: Of himself. Well, so I will talk about myself.”

Dostoevsky is right. This is us. We seem to have forgotten why we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We seem to have forgotten what that great man died fighting for—humanity and equality and love.

Whatever happened to the unbridled passion of college students? I think of what I’ve read about students protesting the Vietnam War and becoming involved in the antiwar movement. I think of the Kent State shootings of 1970 and how outraged students across the nation were.

College is the time and place for us to grow as human beings. Obviously, we have to be selfish to some extent while pursuing an undergraduate degree. Yet, regardless of this reality, we must remain mindful of the even greater reality that there is life outside our campus, and even outside the bubble of University Circle.

This past Tuesday, Jan. 22, there was a shooting at Purdue University, already not the first of 2014. The details as I write this are reported to be one dead. Given the sad regularity of school shootings and our generation’s disregard for Dr. King’s legacy, I wonder, are we just that desensitized to violence, or are we merely apathetic to anything other than ourselves and our own absurd worlds?

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”—Martin Luther King, Jr.

Heather O’Keeffe

This semester, no matter how hard you look, you won’t find me on campus. You can check the most remote corner of the Kelvin Smith Library and search every classroom to no avail. I will be studying for the year at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

However, just because I’m on the other side of the world doesn’t mean I’m off the map: I’ll keep writing for The Observer, trying to find undertones of the 216 in Cape Town.

In the few days remaining before departure, as I packed and mentally prepared, a few parallels between arranging for a new semester at Case Western Reserve University and year abroad have surfaced.

Before each semester, every diligent CWRU student does their research. They turn to ratemyprofessors.com, checking their upcoming professors’ rankings and chili pepper status. At the eleventh hour, the night before their first class, they finally take it upon themselves to discover when and where their classes will actually transpire.

Similarly, I am doing my own research: what fun things can I do in Cape Town, how far away from the university I live, what the exchange rate is and even what classes I am taking. Google is becoming my best friend as I try to find answers to dozens of questions.

In this high tech digital age, you are bound to have a roommate who is kicking off the new semester with a fancy gadget.

“Check out my touch screen Keurig!” or “Oh my gosh, guys! My calculator graphs in 3D!” or in my case, “Look at this international plug adaptor: it works everywhere!”

It turns out that no matter where you are in the world, there is nothing quite like having a new gizmo.

Possibly the most daunting task in my days ahead is packing everything I’ll need.

How am I supposed to pack a year’s worth of stuff into a suitcase? It was hard enough fitting my life into an eight by nine foot dorm room, but now I’m limited to stingy baggage allowances. My Tetris skills are being called upon.

As I’m packing, a thousand scenarios and reasons for bringing certain clothes flash through my mind. I need clothes that are 100 percent versatile, zero percent boring, will last for 11 months and reflect who I am. It’s like planning outfits for formal sorority recruitment on steroids. I need class that could be casual enough for day one but won’t wrinkle. It’s about dressing to impress in any and every situation, without ever compromising on myself.

I am definitely not looking forward to my 18-hour plane flight. Sitting through long things is boring, daunting and cramps my style (not to mention my legs). But really, with three semesters of CWRU behind me, I should be used to watching time tick by ridiculously slowly with little to no entertainment and being stuck in the middle of a row with no way out. Honestly, I don’t know what is worse: a flight over the Prime Meridian and Equator or a 75-minute class in the late afternoon, right during nap time.

At times Cleveland can be a dangerous place. Without the guidance and traffic stopping super powers of Officer Mark, I for sure would have been hit by a Healthline bus by now. So, if Officer Mark has a lifeguard doppelganger at the Cape Town beaches to save me from the Great Whites, that would be great.

Despite the distance, I will still have to reassure my parents. One of my first tasks upon arrival will be to call, email or send a carrier pigeon to my parents to inform them of my safe arrival. They are still going to want to know that I’m getting enough sleep, and going to class, and doing homework, and being a responsible student, blah, blah, blah. No matter the timezone, parents are the same.

Even though I’m analyzing flight details instead of syllabi, it doesn’t mean that the same mixture of excitement, anticipation and intimidation aren’t present.

Semesters at CWRU or abroad both hold the potential for growth, fun, happiness, stress, and even despair. Wherever you are in the world and no matter how you spend 2014, challenges will arise and wonderful opportunities will appear. I might be leaving American soil for my adventure, but that is far from the only exciting way to spend the year. Formal recruitment is scary as hell, so do it. Email another and another professor begging for a research position. Road trip to Panama City Beach or fly to the real Panama for spring break.

Go for it. Prepare for it: Do your research, buy the gizmos, pack the right clothes, ask Officer Mark for some tips and call your parents. Then launch yourself into 2014. Grow in the year’s adversity and bask in the day-to-day happiness.

And remember—no matter how far from home or your comfort zone you are, the same sun is setting brilliantly over the Cleveland skyline.

Heather O’Keeffe is a sophomore majoring biomedical engineering and minoring in sports medicine. She is spending 2014 at the University of Cape Town. She is wearing her ugly Christmas sweater well into January. #NoShame.

Breakfast. Eat it.

Un-sCWRU your lifestyle Theresa Smetona

Breakfast: The word is filled with excitement and promise.

My favorite event of the day. At 7 a.m. on a cold, drafty morning the last thing I want to do is hop out of my warm queen-sized bed.

But the thought of scrambled eggs and coffee or oatmeal and cinnamon, more than the fear of missing an 8:30 a.m. class, is what pulls me out of bed each morning. And so, I simply cannot understand when a significant number of my classmates nonchalantly mention that they regularly skip breakfast.

Anyone who has ever seen a cereal box should know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Anyone who has ever read an article on maintaining a healthy weight should know that eating breakfast speeds up your metabolism, and that people who regularly eat breakfast have a much higher overall level of health compared to those who do not.

Anyone who has ever struggled to stay awake

during class or felt overpowered by lethargy and a lack of motivation should know that eating breakfast gives you a boost that enables you to power through the day. Essentially, breakfast is essential.

So why does the Case Western Reserve University campus have such a problem with remembering to eat breakfast? The most common excuse for missing breakfast runs something along the lines of: “Well, I study so hard and get so little sleep as it is that I really can’t afford to take the time to eat breakfast.”

But wait, I’m confused. Is the twenty seconds necessary to peel a banana to have with your yogurt too daunting of a task to undertake? You can’t spend two minutes to spread some peanut butter on an apple? Even scrambled eggs and toast does not take more than five minutes to prepare. Perhaps I am a singularly uninvolved student with no responsibilities, and that only as such am I allowed the luxury of time for breakfast. Yet I somehow doubt that I am that exceptional.

Of course, there are some students who recognize the importance of eating breakfast, and even if they do not have the time to eat breakfast at home, carry it along with

them to class. This is a good start, and when a student in my morning class reaches into her bookbag, looking for some nourishment, I comment to myself that I am happy she at least had the time to pack herself some food.

But imagine my dismay, when aforesaid student pulls out a package of Pop-Tarts and proceeds to eat them.

First of all, it is nearly sacrilegious to eat Pop-Tarts cold. Their whole reason for existence is so that they can pop out of the toaster at a pleasing golden brown shade, their fillings having achieved the perfect state of meltiness.

Secondly, a breakfast of high-fructose corn syrup and empty calories might be worse than no breakfast at all. I’m the first to admit that I appreciate a nicely toasted cinnamon Pop-Tart, but as a dessert, not as a substitute for a nutritious breakfast. “They’re so portable,” anonymous student explains.

Across from her, munching on a Snickers and sipping a Mountain Dew, a friend agrees, mentioning that he loves that he can buy his breakfast out of the vending machine. Oh yes, I forgot! Fruits, nuts and nutrition bars are not portable. Neither are hard-boiled eggs.

A peanut butter sandwich does not seem to

be a viable option either. Only foods with no expiration date can be qualified as easy and convenient breakfasts. My mistake.

What boggles me is that a campus filled with such intelligent and otherwise successful students can’t seem to master making a bowl of oatmeal in the morning. This haphazard attitude towards breakfast extends to lunch, dinner and snacks as well. Unfortunately, this self-destructive behavior is defended by the flimsy excuse of not having sufficient time to eat properly. Interestingly, while can’t we make time for breakfast we have plenty of time to clog up our arteries with easy Mac and Cheese and Ramen noodles. Meanwhile, the campus is filled with wilting students who, seemingly ignorant of the basic fact that the human body depends on food to fuel itself, rely on energy drinks and Adderall to make it through the day. Let’s make our campus a happier and healthier place.

It starts with breakfast. Eat it tomorrow.

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.

16 opinion

01/24/14

Things I wish I had known at this time last year Preparing for sorority recruitment Tara Tran This past weekend was filled with pastels, pearls and pretty girls as the women of Case Western Reserve University took over Thwing Center to go through the formal sorority recruitment of spring 2014. I remember all too well the bombardment of Greek letters that I really didn’t know how to pronounce, learning (or rather, struggling) to walk in heels and feeling so excited and nervous that I couldn’t sleep.

A year later and not much has changed. Aside from knowing a couple more letters of the Greek alphabet, I’m on the other side of recruitment now and I still can’t walk in heels, nor has the excitement and nervousness subdued.

After going through this intense, convoluted process (which in itself deserves to be an entirely different article) and seeing it from both sides, these are the six things I wish I would have known as a potential pledge during recruitment a year ago.

1. We’re nervous too. If I could put an analogy to my whole experience, Greek life is like getting a boyfriend.

Recruitment is going on dates and getting to know this prospective guy. Going through recruitment can be overwhelming, but I hope you get a little peace of mind knowing that the sorority girls are just as, if not more, nervous.

We hope you like what we wear, too.

We also don’t want you to think that we are awkward. And last but not least, we, too, hope that you’ll like us.

2. Love takes time. Expanding on the previous analogy, getting a bid is like a guy asking ‘Hey, wanna be my girlfriend?’ You say ‘yes’ and then you start going steady. In the same light, your relationship with your sisters will and has to grow, develop and mature. This will only happen with experiences and time.

It’s really okay if you aren’t best friends with all of them immediately. It’s all right if you don’t know all their names, majors and mothers’ maiden names the day after you get your bid because trust me, a year later, you’ll know way too much about them anyway.

3. Enjoy this time while you can. I absolutely loved the pledge period. Extending this to my previous analogy, it’s like the initial phase of dating where everything is seen through rose-colored glasses. I really adored the spam of Facebook wall posts, endless gifts, coffee dates with new sisters and how everyone was infatuated with each other.

Some of my best memories of being in my wonderful sorority were during this time and my only regret was that I didn’t appreciate it more. So soak it in,

let it sit and really treasure this mushy gushy time.

4. You’ll get way too many insertGreek-letters-here shirts soon enough.

When I first joined my amazing sorority, I was excited beyond compare but so sad that I didn’t have more gear of my sorority that I went on crazy shopping sprees on the Internet, buying everything that had my sorority’s letters in sight. A year later and probably a couple hundred dollars poorer, I should have known that gifts from my beautiful big, hand-me-downs and large group orders would have saved me big bucks.

5. You can see other people. Some of my best girl friends from freshman year were the girls that lived on my floor and by the end of recruitment, we found ourselves in six different sororities. Postrecruitment and pledging, for me, was a honeymoon phase of bonding and getting to know my new sisters and it was always so nice to come back to my floor and talk about all our diverse yet wonderful experiences. Many are under the misconception that your sorority sisters are your only friends, but that is really not the case. No matter the letters, we’re all Greek together.

6. Lastly, you’re going to end up where you are meant to be. We’ve all heard the ‘don’t worry, everything will work out, just trust the system’ spiel given to us time and time again going through recruitment. At that time, I didn’t really understand what this little dogma meant, but after a year of being in a wonderful sorority and experiencing the beauty of Greek Life, I have come to fully accept and believe in this.

Formal recruitment is such a complex and complicated scheme that you’re really not 100 percent sure where you’re going to end up. I know many girls, some of whom get into the sorority of their first original choice and others their original third, but the one similarity that matters among them all is that they love where they are now. So whether you end up flipping a coin after the last weekend to create your list, staying in Thwing center for hours on hours until they make you leave while you’re pondering said list or accepting a bid that you didn’t think you would, be positive and remember that everything happens for a reason.

Tara Tran is a sophomore—although a kindergartener at heart—chemistry and medical anthropology major aspiring on the pre-med track. In her spare time, she likes to play, or at least attempt to play, the ukulele. She also likes to live dangerously, mostly through her daily attempts at the New York Times crossword puzzles. In pen. Thanks so much for taking the time to read her writing (you rock!).

@CWRUObserver observer.case.edu f cwruobserver

Friendship and technology The elephant in the room Andrew Breland The major success of Facebook and other social network sites is in the creation of a perpetual cognizance for what is going on in the lives of other people. Prior to the introduction of these systems, the task of remaining aware of someone else’s life events involved making phone calls, writing letters or visiting.

In the era of our parents’ youth, the idea that you could follow the life trajectory of every member of you high school graduating class was a ridiculous suggestion. Following high school, you fell out of contact with many people. It was not feasible to do otherwise. However, to us, this search is no more than a few clicks away at any time.

Recently, this prospect has intrigued me. I began to seek out those with whom I had not talked in months, but whom I still remained tangentially connected to through Facebook. This sort of methodical catching up, while informative, still involved seeking after the information I wanted. In an era of high speed internet and algorithms that decide what I see on my computer screen, this was decidedly unexciting.

More surprising are the random life events that I see by chance—events that just happen to appear as soon as I login to the world’s largest social network site.

Since the beginning of the school year, I have learned of two weddings, three engagements, two deaths and uncountable other details, all concerning only members of my high school graduating class.

I didn’t learn about these events through any intent of my own. Rather, I found them in passing. While scanning Facebook’s news feed, the front page, I was informed of these happenings because an algorithm deemed them important.

That is not altogether a bad thing though. To Facebook, it appears that I am still connected to those with whom I am “friends” on Facebook. The computers then determine that major life events (marriage, engagement, etc.) are important enough to share publicly, even if I haven’t interacted with the person involved in three years, perhaps longer.

In this way, denoting those that you come in contact with as “friends” on Facebook is troubling.

Currently, I am working through the book “Friendship” by A.C. Grayling.

Grayling uses the monograph to define “friendship” throughout history by tracing the use and meaning of the word from the ancient Greeks to the present. In reading, while nothing is particularly life-changing about the myriad of definitions, it becomes apparent that our pathetic conception of “friendship” belies a great historical tradition of friends as the most important relationship in one’s life.

A significantly-briefer-than-necessary timeline of Grayling’s work includes inquiry into Plato and Aristotle, who both alleged that people form friendships because of a mutual utility in doing so. Later, Cicero, Augustine and Francis Bacon all expanded that definition, normally by evoking the emotional benefits of friendship.

Grayling also brings up the portrayal of friends in literature. This investigation concludes by saying that friendships are the most important relationship one can make in a lifetime, equalling or even surpassing family. Put another way, the prospect of having a single friend is the most demanding but rewarding prospect in one’s lifetime. We’re all Nick Carraways, and we can all find some Jay Gatsbys to entertain us for the weekend. As a James Watson, Sherlock Holmes is once-in-alifetime sort of meeting.

Of course, I am aware that the friendship that Grayling describes and the relationship connoted by “friending” someone on Facebook are two different phenomena. That said, why? Grayling concluded his history with a suggestion that anyone could have made before reading; friendships “give meaning to our lives, just as our lives give meaning to them: without them we are less, and in danger of being too close to nothing.”

The subjugation of such a powerful term as “friend” for use on the internet seems at this point to be criminal. Friendship, historically, is something shared between two or three people in a lifetime, not the 500 I can access at a moment’s notice.

As a college student, this distinction is now more important than ever. As students graduate and go into the world to pursue careers, it is important to remember that a simple connection on Facebook, or another internet site, is not the lasting kind of relationship for someone you’ve spent the last four years with, assuming you want to stay in contact with them.

As seniors embark on their final semester, preparing for whatever challenges lay beyond the ivory tower of Case Western Reserve University, it is important to acknowledge that. Making connections is more important than simply friending someone on Facebook or connecting with them via LinkedIn. These services have their place. But that place is not the imposition of other relationships.

In the next semester, senior or not, cultivate these strong relationships. Find out again what makes friendship a lasting and meaningful part of one’s life. Maybe after this, one can come to know what drove Watson to write that Holmes “was the best and the wisest man whom I have ever known.”

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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Let us know.

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sports | 17

Alex Rodriguez suspended for drug use MLB celebrity not exempt from harsh PED regulations JP O’Hagan Staff Reporter Major League Baseball’s once bright star now faces a year-long suspension in the league’s attempt to flush out cheaters.

Every baseball fan hopes to see the end of the performance enhancing drug (PED) era, a stain on our nation’s pastime. A big victory on that path to cleaning off the tarnish came this week as an arbitrator upheld a suspension for the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez. The 162game suspension (an entire season) is a reduction from MLB’s original 211game suspension but is still seen as a victory for the league and its work to stop the once rampant use of PEDs in

from Cavaliers | 20 shooting percentage from the small forward position. Deng will hopefully provide some relief in this area.

So far he has provided perfectly, averaging just over 20 points a game with an added ten assists while the team was on the road. Deng played for Chicago

professional baseball.

Since the Mitchell Report in 2004, which called out 78 players who were allegedly using PEDs, the league has made sweeping measures to stop the use of illegal substances in baseball.

Last year news broke of the league's investigation into the Biogenesis clinic in Florida which had many major leaguers on their records and were passing them illegal drugs. The league handed down 13 multi-game suspensions, most hovering around 50 games. Rodriguez was linked to this case but was handed down a 211-game suspension, the longest suspension that is not a lifetime ban. Rodriguez appealed and the decision came down from arbitrator Fredric Horowitz

to cut the suspension to a full 162-game season plus playoffs.

Rodriguez has sued the MLB and commissioner Bud Selig for tarnishing his reputation and destroying his career. Rodriguez has good reason to fight back as he has had a Hall of Fame caliber career and is currently fifth on the all-time home run list behind only Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds. Rodriguez is also set to lose $25 million in salary if he doesn’t play next season and is set to make $61 million over the 2015-17 seasons from the Yankees. Rodriguez’s agent has spoken saying that if the ban does stand Rodriguez will take the season as time to rest and rejuvenate. Rodriguez still

plans to attend spring training beginning in a few weeks as he hopes for an overturning of the suspension.

Controversy and lawyers will mark the days heading forward as the legal battle continues. However, the win and the dwindling number of known PED users in the league offers a bright future for America’s pastime. As new ballplayers rejuvenate the game, doing so without the help of PEDs will turn the page. However, there is one last hurdle that baseball faces: Will known users be honored in Baseball’s Hall of Fame? Thankfully, the ongoing debate will no longer be of the players on the field, but of who will be enshrined in Cooperstown.

for 10 seasons before being traded for Andrew Bynum and draft picks.

Bynum was a bust for the Cavaliers after being picked up in the offseason and was cut by the Bulls immediately.

Deng played extremely well in the home opener and was welcomed with open arms by the home crowd. Deng had 20 points and three assists and added in the

heartbreaking 102-97 loss to Dallas.

Deng’s biggest game as a Cavalier was Wednesday night’s game against the Bulls the first meeting between Deng and his old team.

The meeting was bittersweet as the Bulls handed the Cavaliers their second straight loss. The game was close until the end with big plays on both ends of

the court. Shooting plagued the Cavaliers who were unable to capitalize on plenty of second chance opportunities.

With the loss Cleveland falls to 15 and 27 and remains two games out of the final playoff spot.

The Cavaliers will continue their five-game homestand Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.

18 | sports

1/24/14

Women’s basketball suffers back-toback losses in second week on conference play Katie Wieser Sports Editor The Spartans will have to make up some ground in their conference season as the women dropped two straight games over the weekend versus the University of Rochester and Emory University. The team’s overall record now sits at 7-7, 1-2 within the University Athletic Association conference.

The ladies started out strong last Friday, leading the Yellowjackets of Rochester for almost the entire first half. The starting team was firing on all cylinders with three players reaching double figures in points and junior Berit Eppard pulling down 11 rebounds for the team.

The largest lead for the Spartans came at the top of the second half when the ladies led Rochester by a score of 3320. But the Yellowjackets slowly started their comeback, tying the game at 40-40

with 6:12 left to play. From that point, the teams traded off leads and points with the final tie of 53 points for each team getting broken with six seconds left by Rochester guard Ally Zywicki to drop the Spartans 55-53.

Offensive leaders for the team were Brooke Orcutt and Jessica McCoy who scored 14 points and 11 points, respectively.

Head coach Jennifer Reimer was ready for a tough game versus the highly skilled Rochester squad, but was very pleased with how the Spartans held their own throughout the night. “I’ve been really impressed with the passion we’re playing with and with the fight that we’re showing in our games. Playing Rochester who historically is a very good team and having a chance to win is really great,” Reimer said.

The next challenge for the Spartan team was nationally-ranked Emory University. The Eagles got out to an early

lead a minute into the game and didn’t let off for the entire afternoon. The CWRU team showed some strength on the defensive side, despite the challenging up-tempo play of the Emory team. The Spartans held the Eagles to just five points in the first 10 minutes of the second half. They also were on the favorable side of the rebound count, pulling down 44 boards compared to Emory’s 36. They also added four blocked shots on the night.

Laura Mummey and the other offensive leaders put together a few scoring runs to keep things interesting, but were unable to stop the Eagle offense as they went down with a score of 76-52.

Spartan leaders during the game were Mummey who put up 11 points and Eppard who matched her career-high 14 rebounds.

The main area of concern for the team going forward against the tough UAA field is in ball security. The squad has an average of 21.3 turnovers per

game against conference opponents and is making just 36 percent of field goals taken. Reimer is looking to improve in this area going forward along with maintaining their high rebound and defensive numbers.

“The experience of playing Emory and having to keep up with an offense that is very up-tempo will help us this weekend and when we see them again later in the season. It was a great experience playing hard and playing well during the weekend, it’s just the results that are kind of unfortunate,” said Reimer.

The team will look to move back up in the UAA standings next weekend as they face off against No. 2 Washington University on Friday and Chicago University on Sunday at home. Both of these teams are very athletic and can be stifling defensively so the Spartans will have to step up to make themselves known in this competitive athletic conference.

Spartans pull ahead versus Allegheny College Men and women’s teams make strong showing in Pittsburgh Skyler Phillips Staff Reporter The Spartans added another victory to their list after the meet with Allegheny last weekend. At the end of the day, both the men and women had the higher scores; the men won 174 to 90, and the women 153.5 to 146.5. The women are now 4-4 for the season, and the men 6-2.

Both the men and women won more than a handful of events individually as well as dominating the relays against the Gators.

Concerning relays, the women won both the 200 freestyle and the 200 medley with times of 1:44.95 and 1:55.13. The free relay consisted of team members Sarah Mastrandrea, Rachael Loek, Sara Tillie and Hannah Saunders, the medley of Maggie Dillione for butterfly, Brianna Cain for breaststroke, AJ Thirion for back and Tillie for free.

Tillie and Dillione also placed first in their own individual events. Dillione in the 100 fly and 200 free (58.59 and 1:59.68), Tillie in the 50 (26.29). They weren’t the only female swimmers, though, who had a taste of glory. Hannah Saunders placed first in the 100 free with a time of 58.07, Abby Glenn in the 1000 free (11:25.94), Taylor Forsythe in the 200 back (2:37.60), Sophia Colevas in the 200 individual medley (2:20.69) and Rebecca Pakradooni in the 500 free (5:31.45).

On the men’s side, both the 200 freestyle relay and the 200 medley relay were won again. Heath Hudgins, Andrew Bollinger, Aaron Tam and Sean Nickley swam in the medley (earning a time of 1:38.22), and Scott McHenry, Caleb Allen, Gus Bailey and Hudgins in the freestyle (earning a time of 1:29.12).

As for individual events, relay participants Tam and Bollinger both took first in their own events, Tam in the 200 fly (2:00.71) and Bollinger in the 100 back (54.42). Medley participant Nickley also took first in the 100 breast (1:00.32) and the 100 fly (54.56).

He wasn’t the only swimmer to win multiple events though; Andrew Henning won the 200 and 500 free (1:48.84 and 4:58.49), and diver Daniel Jacobson won both 1-meter and 3-meter events (284.5, 317.3).

Other male swimmers that placed first in individual races were Nick Clyde in the 200 breast (2:16.9), Drew Weibel in the 200 back (2:05.02) and Scott McHenry in the 100 free (48.43).

The swimmers will be out of town again next Saturday for the meet against Ohio Northern University, in Ada, Ohio.

Hopefully the victory this meet brought gives them a boost in morale, to help them perform even better in this upcoming one.

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Editor’s Choice

Road weekend brings heartache for men’s basketball Team falls to 1-2 in UAA conference

JP O’Hagan Staff Reporter Being away from home can often cause struggles for teams and the Case Western Reserve University men’s basketball team was no exception this past weekend.

Strong play from the Spartan leaders was not enough in both games of the weekend as Case fell to both Rochester University and Emory University.

The Spartans now stand at 9-5 overall and are 1-2 in the UAA. This is the first multi-game losing streak for the Spartans and they are looking to bounce back this weekend at home. “Our team stuck together despite two tough road losses.

We stayed positive and that will benefit us in future games,” said head coach Sean McDonnell.

The Spartans started the rough weekend dropping a heartbreaker Friday night to Rochester, losing by a score of 69-66.

The Spartans exploded out of the gate

scoring a season high 43 first half points.

Case was up by as much as 14 midway through the game, but Rochester refused to go away and began chipping away at the Spartan lead piece by piece. The Yellowjackets had cut the lead to seven by halftime and they would carry over that momentum into the second half.

The Spartans were up by nine with just under 10 minutes to play when a 7-0 run by the Yellowjackets brought them back into a competitive position. The Spartans then went dark only managing five more points in the final 9:52. The Yellowjackets took the lead for good after a string of free throws to go up 66-65 with 2:13 left to play. The Spartans had a few opportunities to tie, but jumpers from Tim Chung and Julien Person fell short. Adding to the scoring drought, the typically strong bench was outscored 35-4 by the Yellowjackets. All Rochester had to do was hold on as the final attempt by the Spartans to inbound was deflected and the final 2.7

seconds ticked off the clock. “We had 61 points with 10 minutes to go in the game and only finished with 66,” said McDonnell. “Unfortunately, we stopped scoring late in the game.”

Sunday afternoon’s game in a much warmer climate still saw a similar cold finish from the once hot team, as the Spartans were crushed by Emory University in Atlanta. Chung’s solid 19 points lead the team but seemed like pocket change as Emory’s McPherson Moore roasted the Spartans with 31 points, with 21 of those points coming from behind the arc. The Eagles jumped out to a 22-9 lead by the 14-minute mark of the first half, but Case fought back with a 8-0 run to pull within five. Emory came back with a flourish of scoring and went up 50-40 at the half.

That momentum led to the onslaught of the second half. With just over 16 minutes left to play, the Eagles were up by 19 and the Spartans were unable to recover. The Spartans had four players

with double-digit points, but a costly 18 turnovers, which lead to a 30-0 Emory fast break point advantage, which cost Case the game as the scoreboard flashed a disappointing 102-76 final. “Emory is talented,” McDonnell said, “We were down six with a minute to go in the half and gave up two critical three-point shots. If those didn’t happen and our deficit was four, the second half might have played out differently.”

The Spartans will look to rebound as they play their next four games at home starting Friday night against Washington University in St. Louis. Confident in their ability to get back on track, the team has worked hard to fix their mistakes of the past weekend and will treat it as a learning experience. The atmosphere hasn’t changed as the team gets set to fully enter the gruel of UAA play.

“Each opponent is different. However, if we limit turnovers, that gives us a chance every game.” McDonnell said.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams both ended their weekend with two losses, both occuring in very similar fashion.

Men’s

Women’s

13

Largest lead versus Rochester

14

4:23 2 25 1 24 1-2

Time left in game when lead lost

3:45 3 19 0 26 1-2

Margin of defeat Largest deficit versus Emory Times led versus Emory Margin of defeat UAA Record

Meredith Dykehouse/Observer

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sports

Case Ice Hockey Club gears up

HOCKEYCLUB Heather Hargrow/Observer

Katie Wieser Sports Editor The Case Ice Hockey Club is looking to finish strong in the last four games of their 2013-2014 season. Despite three tough losses in the past four games, including two overtime losses, the Spartans are looking to do what they can to salvage a chance for the College Hockey Association playoffs.

The recent narrow losses have actually been spread out over the past two months.

In November, the team lost to the Community College of Allegheny County in the last minute of overtime play with a score of 5-4. The loss was especially difficult considering the high level of play throughout the game. Goaltender Cam Gutman made 46 saves during the course of the night and several well-made shots for the Spartans.

However, back-and-forth scoring was

the rule of the day with each Spartan score quickly echoed by Allegheny up until the final three minutes of regulation when Jonathan Greenberg scored his second goal of the night, only to have it answered in the final two minutes of play. The Spartans were unable to score in overtime, leaving themselves vulnerable for the last-minute victory by the opposition.

The game was especially difficult to take as it was the last before the two-month hiatus that marks the midway point in the season and allows the team to finish up their fall semesters and enjoy the winter break.

Club president Patrick Thomas knew that the break would provide much-needed rest for the team. “It was a tough finish last semester since we lost two one-goal games.

But we came in this semester knowing what we had to do and feeling optimistic about our chances,” said Thomas.

The squad was looking to convert

their positive attitude into wins in the first weekend back from the break as they went on the road to face Allegheny College and Wheeling Jesuit. The team started off strong versus Allegheny, beating the strong team by a score of 8-6. The Spartans were looking to continue their momentum, but suffered another heartbreaker on Sunday in overtime.

The 6-5 loss means that the Spartans will have trouble making the playoffs with their record sitting at 4-5. There is still a chance for redemption, however, if the team wins out in their season and gets some help from the other teams in the division. Thomas is realistic about the chances of making the post-season, but knows that there is still much to play for.

“That loss kind of takes it out of our hands. But we’re just going to go out and control our own destiny and enjoy it while we can. The games we’ve played have

been fun, even though the results have not been optimal...It seems like every game we’re playing is really close, very competitive. This is probably the most talented team we’ve had in six or seven years, we just need to play a little bit better at the end of games.”

After the loss, the team immediately started looking forward to their matchup this Friday versus area rival Carnegie Mellon University. This annual face-off is consistently one of the most competitive and exciting matches of the year. The team is looking forward to lots of fan energy from both teams coming into the home rink in Cleveland Heights. Last year the Tartans ended up on top, but with the talented young Spartan team playing at home, it really is anyone’s game.

The team will be running their regular shuttle service outside of Fribley Commons on Friday starting at 7:30 p.m.

Cavaliers looking forward

JP O’Hagan Staff Reporter

The Cavaliers returned home after a five-game road trip Monday night and they brought with them a whole new player. Luol Deng made his home debut for the Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans arena on Monday night against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Cavaliers traded for Deng from

the Chicago Bulls back on Jan. 7 and Deng arrived the next day to go on the road with the team. The team went 3-2 on the west coast trip, beating the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets. The Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers dealt harsh blows in two tough losses.

Sitting at only 15 wins for the season, the team is looking to put the pieces in place to salvage their year before

the trade deadline next month. Almost every marquee player seems to be at risk as the front office tries to make up for the poor draft and free agency picks which have left the team with very little to build on.

The trade was an effort to pull the team out of the depths of ill management that marked the early season and propel it into the growth needed to make success an option entering into

the 2015 season.

Deng has already begun to find his place as a veteran on the young Cleveland roster. Deng’s role is to provide a second shooting outlet for the struggling yet promising Cavaliers team.

Prior to the trade, the Cavaliers were 30th in the league in regards to the

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