Volume XLV, Issue 17: Jan. 31, 2014

the

volume xlv, issue 17 friday, 1/31/2014

Observer Winter Wonderland The university that usually prides itself on remaining open despite the elements succumbed to winter’s frozen force this past Tuesday. Usually, the Case Western Reserve University Emergency Management webpage practically boasts that CWRU “rarely closes.” But the university could not ignore frigid temperatures, with lows reaching minus 10 degrees, without the windchill. Around 5 p.m. Monday night, all Tuesday classes were cancelled, but other operations remained open after 10 a.m.

for more photos, see pg.12 Sheehan Hannan/Observer

CWRU finalizing plan to house expanding class sizes Triangle Tower 2 only partially houses students, but, starting next year, the entire building will be utilized for undergraduate students. Clevelanders who live in Tower 2 and are not associated with the university have already been notified, and will be given the option to move to Tower 1.

The third piece of the plan is a new residential hall that will be built on the

throwing field behind Clarke Tower. The building will house 290 people, and will hopefully be able to house students beginning in fall of 2015, although it is currently still in the planning stages. The Office of Planning, Design and Construction is in the process of relocating sports teams that currently use the throwing field before construction begins.

With applications for the class of 2017 reaching record levels, the question on many students’ minds has been simple: Where are we going to put everyone?

The university has been working through a number of plans for housing

the expanding class sizes, including reclaiming Taplin Hall, which holds about 100 students. Taplin was previously being leased to the Cleveland Institute of Art, but will go back to housing Case Western Reserve University students starting next fall.

CWRU also plans on using more space in the Triangle Apartments. Currently,

News

A&E

Opinion

Sports

pg. 4 Peabody’s faces challenges in move

pg. 10 For seniors, 107 days left

pg. 6 Crowding our colonies

pg. 19 Super Bowl: Your viewing guide

Julia Bianco Staff Reporter

117

projected donors on Wed. & Thurs. at CWRU

=

1 pint

of blood Milk

news 9,300 national donations short

9,300 donations =1,200 gallons =1 pool

CCEL aims for highest blood donations of the year New program coordinator hopes to expand student awareness Jonah Roth Staff Repoter The weather that kept students out of class this Tuesday has also kept many people across the country from donating blood and platelets. The American Red Cross estimates that it has fallen nearly 9,300 donations short of what it needs to provide to patients across the country.

As a result, the Center for Civic Engagement and Learning at Case Western Reserve University has set its highest goals of the year for its upcoming blood drives on Wednesday and Thursday of

next week. The center estimates that it will see 117 donors across the two days— 58 on Wednesday and 59 on Thursday.

Typical projections for a CCEL blood drive range from 20 to 40 donors.

CWRU’s recent blood drives have “100 percent met and exceeded their goals,” said Adrian Griffin, CCEL program coordinator.

The drive is sponsored by Lambda Eta Mu, the Greek service honor society at CWRU, which is hosting a “blood battle” between various fraternities and sororities on campus. Most CCEL blood drives are co-sponsored by a student organization.

SOURCE to host research funding information session for non-STEM majors Tanvi Parmar Staff Reporter Today from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. at Mather Memorial 225, the Support of Undergraduate Research & Creative Endeavors (SOURCE) office will hold an information session for Arts, Humanities and Social Science students.

SOURCE works by division to help students learn about projects and opportunities to assist faculty with research. Additionally, the office provides students with a way to receive funding to participate in these types of endeavors.

On the evenings of Jan. 13 to 16 from

5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., SOURCE worked with the Undergraduate Student Government (USG)’s Academic Affairs committee to host information tables at Fribley and Leutner Dining Halls to discuss research opportunities, particularly for non-STEM (science, engineering, technology and math) majors.

“We know there is student interest and we want to make sure students are aware of funding possibilities,” said Dr. Sheila Pedigo, SOURCE director.

The office has also extended SOURCE summer funding applications, specifically and only for arts, humanities and social science students to Sunday, March 2. Interested students can contact the SOURCE office in Sears.

CCEL’s next major event will be the semiannual Saturday of Service on March 22. Students can register to volunteer at one of many sites on campus or in the community. Although this year’s volunteer sites are still being finalized, students in the past have had volunteer opportunities which include volunteering with RePlay for Kids (an organization that adapts toys for disabled children), tutoring children over schoolwork or adults working toward a GED and sorting food and medical supplies Griffin, who began working at CWRU toward the beginning of this semester, hopes these programs will help students

become more aware of the service opportunities that CWRU offers.

“The more you get off campus and break the bubble, you learn how to apply the things that you learn in your courses to real life situations,” Griffin said.

CCEL offers many service opportunities for students who have complicated schedules or aren’t available during typically free times to help them get involved with community service.

“The students I have worked with have been very passionate about service,” Griffin said. “I think it’s going to be an exciting department to be involved with.”

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Design Editor Distributor

Individuals for two paid staff positions

Works with Section Editor to design informative pages.

Must be proficient in Adobe InDesign.

Circulate the paper around campus and to the surrounding community. Must have access to a car and morning availability on Fridays.

Email your résumé to observer.case.edu today.

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THE STATE OF CASE:

Last week, The Observer took a look at several crucial university initiatives. This week, we examine several ongoing campus construction projects and one of the potential implications of the record number of applicants.

Stat Snaps

Over 21,600

students applied to CWRU this year That’s over a 50 percent increase from last year’s applicant total, and three times that of 2008. Over 3,900 of those applicants were from outside the United States, a 25 percent increase from last year. New England saw the highest increase in applicants in terms of region from the United States.

CWRU engineering, management applicants rising faster than humanities, social sciences

Admissions officials not overly concerned Ellie Rambo Staff Reporter The surge in undergraduate applications to CWRU in recent years is often reported by campus publications, and the rapid increase is noteworthy. This year over 21,600 students applied to become CWRU undergraduates, marking an 18 percent increase over last year. An increase this large is likely to have an effect on college rankings, but how will it affect the academic makeup of the student body?

Although the percentage of applicants interested in each academic subject increased over last year, not all of these groups increased the same amount.

About 16 percent more students indicated a preference for the social sciences and 14 percent expressed interest in the humanities. However, 27 percent more applicants indicated their interest in engineering. This was closely followed by the 25 percent increase in students interested in management. Since CWRU has an open-door policy between academic colleges in regards to admissions, the preference that a student reports to the school is not binding, and students are able to move between academic colleges.

Still, the skewed increase in applications could create a problem for the university as it attempts to the preserve the balance

of majors and academic interests in the student body.

Bob McCullough, the Director of Undergraduate Admission, said that the best way to maintain student diversity is to consider not only academic interests, but also extracurricular involvement and the likelihood that a student will do well at the university.

“We do think about what a student’s going to study,” said McCullough, “but there are a variety of other factors to think about. First of all, will the student be successful here academically? The second important point to consider is what the student will bring to Case. We want students who are smart, talented and will add to the vibrancy of campus.”

McCullough notes that this vibrancy is increased by diversity in student’s backgrounds, as well as academic and extracurricular interests.

“We don’t want to be overrun with one sort of student,” said McCullough.

“We do our best to bring in a great freshman class with a variety of interests.”

Besides, as McCullough points out, a high school student’s indicated academic interest often does not translate into an eventual major.

“At this stage with students, you don’t really know what’s going to happen,” said McCullough. “Our students tend to have a direction they are focused on, but it’s not always a set pathway.”

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A guide to current campus construction Julia Bianco Staff Reporter New Medical Education Building A joint venture between Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic, the new medical education center will be located on the Clinic’s campus on East 93rd Street. The new center will combine the university’s broader scope with the Clinic’s more hands-on approach, and will focus on defining the future of the medical field. Construction is still in the planning stages, with no official starting date.

The Tinkham Veale University Center The Tinkham Veale University Center is currently on schedule and on budget, and is set to be finished in May. The building will be open to students starting in August.

Students can look forward to new dining areas, an immersive media wall and new offices for campus groups.

The Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center The Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center will provide more performance and rehearsal space for music, dance and theater groups. A renovation of

The Temple-Tifereth Israel, built in 1924, the center will still serve as a temple on High Holy Days and other special events.

The drawings are 70 percent completed, and construction is set to begin by this summer.

Think[box] lab expansion Many students are familiar with the Think[box] lab, but they may not realize that it isn’t fully finished. The 4,500 square foot space where Think[box] currently resides is only temporary, and soon will be moving into its permanent location in the old Lincoln Storage building, which is located behind Veale. There will be one or two floors dedicated to Think[box], with a bridge connecting the building to Veale.

The Wyant Athletic and Wellness Center The Wyant Athletic and Wellness Center will provide gym access for students on the north side of campus, without the added mile-long walk to Veale. The 24,000 square foot center will also serve as a field house for varsity athletic teams, while providing multipurpose space and meeting rooms for intramural and club sports.

Construction is already underway, and the building is set to open in October of 2014.

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news

1/31/14

Editor’s Choice

Trying to move on without missing a beat

Historic Peabody’s Concert Club facing challenges with move from CSU Jasmine Gallup Staff Reporter

I

t’s easy to see why Chris Zitterbart, owner of Peabody’s concert club, does what he does. Energetic and eloquent on the phone, he jumps smoothly from one topic to another, speaking about everything from the club’s new location at the Agora, to the plans he has for the future, to the nature of the music industry.

“The music business is like most business,” he says. “Relationships are gonna be a big part of it.”

Clearly, Zitterbart has that part of the job down. He’s owned Peabody’s for nine years now, ever since he jumped at the chance to buy the club back in 2005. Back then, he didn’t really know anything about how to run a business.

“I learned by doing,” he says. “Those first four years were kind of like my grad school.”

It’s a good thing that Zitterbart is a veteran of the music industry by now, because his first big challenge as owner came last year in October, when he was forced to shut down Peabody’s East 21st Street location. Having leased land from Cleveland State University for 13 years, Peabody’s was compelled to move out to make room for a new health sciences facility on campus, the Center for Innovation and Health Professions. Expected to be completed in 2016, the new building seems to be providing new academic opportunities to students even as it pushes away local business.

But Zitterbart doesn’t seem as frustrated by the move so much as by the timing. When asked about the change, it’s clear he’s looking on the bright side, anticipating the new opportunities available to the club due to its recent partnership with the Agora Theatre and Ballroom. When asked about last October, however, Zitterbart revealed some annoyance.

“The move was crazy,” Zitterbart said.

“Basically we had to be out by Oct. 31. We had two days to get out of Peabody’s and get re-established at the Agora.”

Courtesy Chris Zitterbart Peabody’s Concert Club was demolished in October by Cleveland State University to make room for a new health sciences facility. The concert club is currently partnering with the Agora Theatre to remain open.

October is one of the busiest months of year for Peabody’s, a time that is normally used for planning summer events and festivals and booking bands for the new year. In 2013, the club hosted the 1st annual Ohio MetalFest at the Agora—definitely not something they could have done at Peabody’s, but not an entirely successful event either. They didn’t have enough time to advertise, Zitterbart said. The goal was to fill up the 600 seat ballroom.

Still, Zitterbart remains hopeful. He’s excited about the new facilities available to artists—the parking lot nearby, the showers, laundry service. “We’re gonna rebuild the Agora Ballroom in January,” he said. “It’s gonna be a lot bigger, more open. The Theatre’s a completely different

ballgame. The space itself turns 100 years old in a few months. It has a lot of history, a lot of legacy that I take very seriously.”

In addition, the parking lot of the Agora is more than just a convenient space for bigger audiences. It also has the possibility of becoming an outdoor space for performance, according to Zitterbart. “We want to plan a few more music festivals over the summer,” Zitterbart said. “Eventually we want to be able to host outdoor concerts.”

Moving locations isn’t a new undertaking for Peabody’s. Ever since the club opened in 1982, it’s been changing locations, changing venues and even changing its name—but never losing its charmed atmosphere. Open to men and women of all ages, Peabody’s has always had a reputation

as a local treasure, a hole-in-the-wall kind of place with good music and good people. For years Peabody’s acted as an early host to rising stars in the rock music world, booking performances by bands such as Pearl Jam, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction. Even before it was “Peabody’s” it was hosting rock legends.

The music won’t change with the move to the Agora, and neither should the people.

Even at 5000 Euclid Avenue, Peabody’s will still be host to some great concerts.

But if you ask Zitterbart, there’s something important to be said for the change.

“There’s just something about that room,” he said. “It was just crazy and crowded, it had a certain vibe to it. I don’t know if I’ll ever be part of something like that again.”

Congresswoman to speak at this year’s Louis Stokes Symposium Gabrielle Buffington Staff Reporter The Louis Stokes Symposium will have a fitting speaker this year. Marcia L. Fudge’s work parallels that of the man who the event honors.

The famed Stokes dedicated a third of his life to representing Cleveland, and his entire existence to representing justice. A graduate from Western Reserve University, he went on to practice law and become a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He still serves Case Western Reserve University’s campus as a Distinguished

Visiting Professor at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.

The repertoire of cases and investigations he served on is extensive, but he maintained a strong stance, no matter the trial. Another person who has utilized her influential position to do great things is Fudge.

“Congresswoman Fudge continues to build upon a quickly-earned reputation among her colleagues of being a hard worker and a knowledgeable legislator with leadership qualities.” This remark comes straight from Stokes’ mouth, and is one of many reasons why Fudge was selected to

@CWRUObserver observer.case.edu f cwruobserver

speak at the Louis Stokes Leadership Symposium this year.

The annual symposium asks prominent figures who have taken exceptional efforts in serving their roles as leaders to reflect on how public service truly affects the people it is meant to help. It is a free public forum that provides a correlation between social issues and the community by giving local Clevelanders and keynote speakers a platform to convene.

This event is usually geared toward events in Cleveland and surrounding areas, which is another reason why Fudge qualifies as an appropriate speaker. Hail-

ing from Warrensville Heights, she has the experience and desire “to do the people’s work,” as she says. She was the town’s first African-American female mayor, and currently serves on several House Committees and Caucus seats. The results of her various efforts have earned her the people’s vote on numerous occasions, and she continues to work as a devoted representative to this day.

The Louis Stokes Leadership Symposium featuring Congresswoman Fudge will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 10, 2014, in Amasa Stone Chapel, located at 10940 Euclid Avenue.

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Inside the Circle

On the beat:

Where there’s smoke…

Smoking tobacco is a centuries’ old custom that has come under increasing regulation in many countries over the years due to a steady flow of research revealing the negative health effects of this habit. Ohio banned smoking in many public places in 2006, and Cleveland employers like the Cleveland Clinic have workplace smoking bans and refuse to hire smokers.

Here at Case Western Reserve University, it was decided in 2007 to restrict smoking on campus to designated areas, marked by signage—usually areas offset from buildings and walkways. Smoking on university property outside of these areas is a policy violation. A map of designated locations can be found online. CWRU Police & Security Services has been given the authority to issue citations to students and staff found in violation of the policy. Without getting into a debate on the pros or cons of smoking, that is the current policy.

The policy seems simple on paper, but not so much in practice. This is something to keep in mind, as the possibility of a campus-wide smoking ban is being discussed.

Smoking is a violation of university policy, but it is not against the law (if you are over 18) on areas like public sidewalks, meaning if someone chooses to walk down Adelbert Road smoking a king-sized ci-

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gar, they can do so as long as they don’t veer onto university property. If designated smoking areas are done away with, more smokers might take to the sidewalks— something to think about. Additionally, University Circle, University Hospital and CWRU are visited by hundreds of people each day who are not staff or students here and for whom a polite reminder about the university policy is about all that can be done.

Issuing smoking citations is usually not one of our officers’ favorite activities, usually because it involves a conversation with staff and students that either starts with “Do you know who I am?” (No, I don’t, actually—why don’t you show me your CWRU ID?) or “I pay xxx number of dollars to go here and you’re giving me a citation for smoking?” (See policy above).

So if you are a smoker, please respect the current policy, and if you aren’t a smoker, please be aware of the limitations on enforcement, and hopefully a happy medium can be reached.

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.

A look at the week’s happenings in University Circle

University Circle:

Anastazia Vanisko Staff Reporter

Grocery delivery system growing Presto Fresh groceries came to Cleveland in late November of 2013, after Steve deMoulpied and his family moved to the Cleveland area. After using something similar when they lived in Chicago, the lack of such a system here led deMoulpied to start his own.

Currently, Presto Fresh has 3,500 items, with a goal of 6,000 to 10,000 products in the future. Orders must be a minimum of $50, and delivery charges range from $7.95 to $9.95. The company delivers groceries within a day or two between 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. (discounts on delivery go to those with more flexible delivery times).

Most of Presto Fresh’s customers are repeats, and many of them live in Uni-

versity Circle. In fact, 30 percent of its customers are repeats from Parma, Downtown Cleveland, North Olmstead and University Circle. The types of customers range from college students to adults ordering food for their elderly parents.

At this point, deMoulpied is hoping that his grocery delivery business will continue to grow, but he also understands that he needs to build trust among his customer base. Online grocery shopping can be different than other types of online shopping, especially when it comes to fresh ingredients. Not everyone trusts others to do their grocery shopping. However, similar businesses have been successful in the past.

Cleveland Museum of Art exhibit expands to Ohio City Hank Willis Thomas’ exhibit in the Cleveland Museum of Art, “Unbranded,” which is a multipart commentary on media images of African Americans, recently spread to the Transformer Station in Ohio City. The exhibit came at a time that the Cleveland Museum of Art was trying to reach out to the African American community, as well as raise awareness about black artists.

Thomas’ art in the Museum takes images from the media—movie posters, magazine pictures, etc.—and displays them without any of the labels the original imagery had. By taking the pictures out of context, viewers are forced to look at the underlying meaning of the imagery.

This has a powerful effect when the only thing left, for example, is a racist image of a watermelon, but the viewer has no prior knowledge of the image’s original intent.

The expansion into Transformer Station continues in the same vein and also includes historical images. There is also a video component. Up to three hours of interviews with African American men can be watched as part of the “Question Bridge.” Finally, there is the “Truth Booth.” This exhibit videotapes people who enter and give a short response to the prompt “The truth is…”

According to the Cleveland Museum of Art, this exhibition has been Thomas’ largest museum show so far.

On Campus

STEM Leadership Conference hosted by School of Management It may be surprising at a university with a high engineering focus, but the number of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions is expected to decrease in the future.

To combat this, the Weatherhead School of Management has created an executive education program for women going into STEM professions.

The Leadership Lab for Women in STEM will take place the week of March 27. The focus is to provide professional and leadership development, as well as to help women identify strategies that will

help them succeed in STEM careers. All of the techniques the women will learn are presently being taught at the Weatherhead School’s Department of Organizational Behavior.

Research done by Professors Diana Bilimoria and Kathleen Buse shows that even though 20 percent of the people studying engineering are women, only 10.5 percent of the people actually working in the field are women. The goal of the Leadership Lab is to correct this and encourage women to continue in to careers in STEM professions.

The Blotter

CWRU Police Blotter 1/21/14 to 1/28/14 Jan. 22: Petty theft—Laptop computer taken, School of Medicine Jan. 22: Petty theft—Chairs taken from outside dining area, Mitchell’s Ice Cream, Uptown On the Beat can be contacted at policecolumn@case.edu.

opinion Editorial

Crowding Colonies This month, hundreds of Case Western Reserve University students hurried from one social event to another, sampling Greek chapters and agonizing over which would be the best fit for them. This past week, they finally discovered which chapters would like them to join their ranks and the increasingly large CWRU Greek community.

Post spring recruitment, many chapters now have over 100 members. As a result, the small, exclusive feeling associated with these organizations has been diminished. Recently, the Office of Housing, Residence Life and Greek Life has attempted to resolve the problem by having entirely new chapters colonize on campus.

But does CWRU really need the new chapters? Currently, there are 16 fraternities and eight sororities on campus, with new colonies of both arriving this year. Adding two new Greek organizations per year seems to be an emerging tradition at the university, which welcomed Pi Beta Phi for women and Delta Sigma Phi for men last year.

Leaving mere months between new chapters simply doesn’t seem like enough distance.

After all, if there are 16 or eight options to choose from, wouldn’t that be enough for a student considering going Greek? And, are there even any students left to recruit at this point?

Surely those students who are motivated to join the Greek community could find their niche in the current buffet of available options.

By bringing additional sororities and fraternities to campus, it seems as though the university wants to make being “unaffiliated” seem like an unacceptable option. According to US News & World Report, approximately 36 percent of the campus’ undergraduates are a part of the Greek community already. This is drastically higher than the national average; approximately 9 percent of female and 8.4 percent of male undergraduate students were a member of a Greek organization last year according to the same survey.

Focusing on colonizing new chapters also draws attention away from those Greek organizations that are in a troubled state. Some chapters are failing to meet their recruitment quota during rush season and are sporting significantly low grade point averages. For instance, Phi Kappa Theta, the lowest ranked fraternity in the university’s Fall 2013 grade report, sported a 2.569 average GPA and recruited only 3 new members. Not to mention that in the past years, CWRU has removed chapters from campus due to other, more severe problems. (Sammy, anyone?)

However, the colonizing chapters argue that colonization will end when a university ceases to show interest in new Greek chapters. If this is true, then there still must be interest among non-affiliated students of CWRU. Otherwise, new chapters would stop promoting themselves on our campus. Colonizing chapters do have to fill quota in order to operate, and the CWRU newcomers—Pi Kappa Phi and Sigma Sigma Sigma—are confident they can meet the challenge.

From their point of view, new chapters can help and support each other in the process of establishing themselves on campus instead of undermining each other and stealing each other’s prospective members.

There may be benefits and interest in bringing another chapter to CWRU, but it is too much too soon. At this moment, it is safe to assume that each non-affiliated student at CWRU has a good reason not to go Greek and they should not be pressured by the Division of Student Affairs—the umbrella organization under which the Office of Housing, Residence Life and Greek Life falls—to change their minds. Instead, the university should focus its energy on strengthening and reviving the existing chapters, so that the credible reputation of CWRU Greek Life can be sustained, if not improved.

State Your Case Do you think there is unnecessary overlap between the functions of the SEC organizations?

32.26%

45.16%

22.58% I do not know enough about the organizations to make a judgement.

No; they do a good job focusing on their respective areas of campus life.

Yes; sometimes it is hard to distinguish which organization is responsible for what.

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

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Learning for the sake of learning The meaning of Spartan life Jacob Martin I stopped by one of my adviser’s offices last week to say hello and catch-up a bit after not seeing him since December. Invariably, we talked about my semester schedule, my future plans and our favorite topic, Cleveland sports and just how awful the Browns really are. But in our discussion of my spring schedule, I told him I was auditing a course this semester.

For those who don’t know what an audit is, it’s when you sit in on a class, make an agreement with the professor as to how much work you will do during the semester, have the credits show up on your transcript, but receive no actual credits toward graduation or a grade for the course. You audit a class purely because you want to learn the material.

My advisor liked this idea, offering a brief anecdote about how much more he enjoyed taking courses in college if they weren’t for a grade. After speaking with him, I asked myself, is our academic structure inherently flawed?

Can—or should—we do away with grades?

What if there were no grades or exams?

What if students’ progress was assessed by a means other than grades? One proposed idea I’ve heard is much stricter admissions criteria for colleges but, once admitted, students never get graded.

While a system of grading offers a benchmark for gauging a student’s progress and ability, I feel it is a contrived and intrinsically faulty system. With grades come a battery of expectations, pressures, aspirations and impetuses on student behavior and performance.

Pure and true learning can become obscured by the burden of getting A’s in classes.

Now this isn’t the first time I’ve said something radical in this space, but maybe a “gradeless” formal education system is not a total impossibility. I had a professor last semester who began our first class session with the final exam to “get it out of the way.” He too believes grades are somewhat unessential to learning and measuring one’s gained knowledge.

In the film “Good Will Hunting,” Matt Damon’s character says to a Harvard graduate student, “You dropped 150 grand on an education you could’ve gotten with $1.50 in late charges at a public library.” I’m not suggesting we all drop out of college and become library mice, scurrying about life as confused and misguided as Will Hunting did. But perhaps there is some truth in that statement.

The real question here is what’s the difference between schooling (formal education) and learning (informal education)?

A professor of mine once asked me what I thought education was. After reciting some unreflective and poorly thought-out definition of

What CWRU is really teaching Abby Armato Snow days present a myriad of opportunities. With this newfound time, we can get more than four hours of sleep, or work on that essay our SAGES professor assigned us the first day of class that’s due tomorrow, or finally start that New Year’s resolution to go to the gym once a day. Yes, we are blessed with these magical 24 hours to be productive.

But, as an exhausted, hardworking college student, I found it my responsibility to rebel against this idea of productivity. Let the bells of procrastination ring on! Alarms off, I woke up at the comfortable time of noon, played several rounds of Candy Crush, and made my lazy way to Leutner Commons for lunch. I had only one plan for the day: “The Lord of the Rings” marathon. Extended edition style. For too long I had been ostracized by family and friends for never having experienced the magic of Middle Earth, but today that would all change.

education, she told me her conception of education is “a means to overcome the givens in life.” I like this definition because it speaks to a utilitarian or pragmatic aspect, but also subtly hints at a more subversive, thoughtful distinction between a formal and informal education.

The givens of life include all those things you’ve had no control over since birth, like what social class you are born into and your nationality. Schooling does allow one to transcend these things, but to what avail? I think there is a great importance to formal schooling, but it has many limitations.

I am lucky enough to have a great job: I’ve learned how to operate a forklift, how to interact with coworkers in a professional setting and how to manage the rigidity of 9-5 schedule as such. Here again, I am not suggesting everyone should work a job to gain experience outside the classroom, but I do claim that experience outside of the classroom is crucial to our development as scholars, future leaders and most importantly, human beings.

We can get so wrapped up in grades that we lose sight of why we’re in a certain class, or even why we’re in college at all. After giving some more thought to what education is, I kept thinking of a black box, or an engineering system which is only viewed in terms of its input and output without any knowledge of its internal workings.

College is a black box. Too many of us take our classes and throw everything we’ve got into the semester which culminates in the absurd insanity of final exams. We don’t really care what goes into each course each day of the semester as long as the end result is an “A.” Mark Twain said, “I never let my schooling get in the way of my education.” This is real learning. It is unceremonious, brusque and sometimes humbling. There are no grades to becoming truly educated and acquiring the ability to think clearly and critically and analytically. In the real world, you will never have to produce a term paper, there are no final exams and no one will ever give you a letter grade for your work. You will either be successful the first time or the project will be sent back to you for revision until you get it right or you are fired.

We must be mindful of the bigger picture that is life when thinking about our educations.

The goal of learning should simply be to become someone better. Grades should merely be a by-product of becoming competent with the material of a given class. I have always tried to adhere to the wisdom of Mark Twain. While I’m not always successful in this pursuit, so far I haven’t been disappointed.

Jacob Martin would like to know: How much do you care about grades? Anyone with comments, feedback, feel free to email him at jem189@case.edu.

A Socratic campus

The elephant in the room Andrew Breland

On Tuesday night, I was sitting in a room with 100 other people watching President Obama’s State of the Union Address. Though the speech was inconsequential, meandering and anecdotal, it engaged the small crowd gathered in Independence, OH. Throughout the speech, audience members, some louder and more boisterous than others, reacted with questions about statements the President delivered. However, and perhaps obviously, those questions would never be answered.

The impetus one needs to ask those questions, though, separates the content and sedate among us from the active and engaged.

Another example—while sitting in class this week, I was presented with the opportunity to hear from Robert McChesney, a worldrenowned scholar in the study of journalism and politics. Though McChesney’s talk, much like the President’s, was meandering and anecdotal, he finally settled on a theme that truck at the heart of modern society and increasingly, campus life. Speaking about media and its perceived “allegiance” to government, he said that journalists have become afraid to ask questions. There are certain questions that aren’t asked, and cannot be asked.

But giving an example of when that was not true, McChesney highlighted that through modern technologies and individualism, some questions get asked, depending on the impetus of the questioner to ask them.

This extremely philosophical discussion becomes central to modern life for college students. Living on the campus of Case Western Reserve University, there is little I do that is not controlled, managed or overseen by some level of university administration. Weekend activities aside, I would imagine this statement is true for most students.

Walking across campus, students complain about food, living space, classes, etc., directing their problems at the university. The administration, to use a grammatical explanation, is the subject of these sentences. The gag has grown to such proportions that it permeates social media and the internet. Self-endorsed comedians utilize photos of President Barbara Snyder (the de facto face of the administration) to satire the university’s decision to close school, keep school open, provide shuttles for students and not clean sidewalks. And that was this week alone. It appears that the student body knows exactly who is in control of university policy, and has direct questions for the administration.

However, those questions don’t get asked.

For example, as the snow fell and sidewalks were covered in a layer of grey slush, as students

The art of relaxing

To be completely honest, I loved every bit of the three hour, 48 minute film. And not just because of Elijah Wood’s gorgeous eyes or Orlando Bloom’s luscious locks. Instead, I loved it because it was wonderful to watch the dazzling and exhausting adventure of Frodo Baggins while gorging myself on snacks, wrapped in blankets, not going anywhere. Who cares if the fellowship was lost in the mines for four days without rest? I didn’t care as long as I didn’t have to move. If CWRU had hoped I’d be productive during my day off, they were sorely mistaken.

Nope. I was not productive in a do-all-thehomework-I-was-assigned-for-the-next-week sense. At first, I felt guilty for not doing so. I had set the lofty goal of getting ahead of my schedule to spend more time watching Pushing Daisies over the weekend. Instead of finishing up work, I had binged on J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson. But, as I write this after finishing my marathon, I realize that I had been productive. In fact, I had experienced the best kind of productive there is. I had time to myself.

Alone-time. Downtime. Self-time. A time by any other name would still feel as sweet. This

was the time to chill and be chill. To kick back and recharge. On the surface, there was only one day of classes to recharge from. But I can easily think back to long nights and early mornings of last semester and feel quite justified in having a relaxing day. Because this day was all about resting and enjoying myself, I feel more ready to do the work that will come tomorrow.

Giving time to better myself makes me more able to handle the challenges yet to come. That qualifies as productive.

I think to a large extent though, I feel pressure to avoid this kind of productive and constantly be busy. Because, really, there is so much I could do with my time aside from being alone and relaxing. I could study, join a club, direct a play, get a job, be with friends. And for most of this year, I have chosen to keep busy instead of relaxing. When I was finally alone in my dorm room, I would go straight to bed and let the next day start. I was constantly exhausted, but at least I could tell myself at the end of the day that I had kept myself busy.

I can’t say that it was this snow day alone that made me change my mind of this constant-

slipped and the university narrowly avoided a series of injury-related lawsuits, those same students complained about the lack of preparation and the pitiful efforts the university took to clear walkways and roads. However, I would venture a guess that none of those complaints were aired to those with the ability and authority to get something done. (To those interested, that would be Vice President of Campus Planning Stephen Campbell and Facilities Maintenance Director Eugene Matthews.) Instead, students went about their days continuing to fall, continuing to complain about the horrid conditions.

This is an extremely obtuse example, but the sentiment remains clear. Disinterest and apathy run rampant on our campus, a community where apathy about our university overlords is perhaps the most dangerous of student activities. Just in the last few weeks, more opportunities arose for dialogue, with no results.

How many students questioned, or even read, the email released by the President’s Office over our winter holiday? It concerned the academic boycott of Israel, and detailed President Snyder’s adamant and swift condemnation of this endeavor. How many students read the Daily? As propaganda-esque as it appears, occasionally it announces notable events or speakers. But with notoriety comes controversy, and controversy begets dialogue. Somewhere in the last equation, our university got lost.

It’s not just in these small things though. For years, talking heads have lamented the complacency of our generation. We just do not care, they say. Last year in a political science class, I was asked “What it would take to have a march or rally on campus?” A 10 percent tuition hike?

Longer school years? More mandatory general education? The abolition of student organizations? The magnitude and scope of the possibilities vary, but I cannot say that any of them would result in a student protest.

Protest begins with questioning. Perhaps the talking heads are right. We have gotten complacent. However, I then talk to other students who are trying to make a difference on campus and in the world. Then I even question our own complacency. Perhaps we spend too much time actively questioning the things we should not.

Spending too much time considering the benefits of Denny’s vs. Jimmy John’s for our allimportant midnight meal. We should spend less time in that realm and more in the realm of possibilities. Expanding the horizons and making our community, as small and dictatorially-run as we can imagine, more palatable for all of us.

That always starts with questions.

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.

ly-busy existence. Somewhere between falling asleep in my anthropology class last week and watching Sam run after Frodo at the end of the first “The Lord of the Rings,” I decided that this always being busy thing was not going to work anymore. I needed a balance. A balance between trying to do everything and get enough sleep. So I developed a new motto.

It’s okay to be alone. It’s okay to be alone and just relax. It’s okay to be alone and let the day unfold. It’s okay to be alone and watch hobbits and humans and elves keep themselves busy.

You are plenty busy enough.

Don’t wait for a snow day to give yourself a little alone-time. It’s not procrastination, just a different breed of productivity. You’ll be rested and happy and that much more ready for tackling your own quest tomorrow.

Abby Armato is a first-year student currently majoring in English and anthropology. When she is not freaking out about impending adulthood, she enjoys various strokes of creativity, determination and passion.

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Being 18 and over

A fresh perspective Stephen Kolison

Here we are, four weeks into the new year.

The pictures and shallow words that are followed with “#newyearnewme” have finally subsided. However, I’m still left wondering why the human race decides to wait until the next year to change themselves. Maybe it is the comfort of starting off with a clean slate that attracts us to resolutions.

As I sifted through my emails at the beginning of the year, my worst dreams became a reality when the bank gave me an overview of my student loan payments. All of a sudden, stress and worries flooded my mind. When I buy boxes to send packages, should I get a big one to live in for the next twenty years, while my money gets taken from me?

If college has taught me one thing, it is that adult life slowly creeps up on you whether you like it or not. Maybe the freshman class should start a late resolution: acting more like adults.

Every day more and more responsibilities are added onto our plates. The more added, the more I realize that growing up, for lack of a better word, sucks. I understand that we are all freshman and have it relatively easy compared to others; we don’t have to worry about taxes, mortgages or cooking our next meal. However, developing an adult mentality discourages me the most.

High school made it easy to develop a more passive attitude to life events. Did Susie prove herself to be an unworthy friend? Not a problem. Just make a status on Facebook complaining about her. (But if anyone asks, it’s not really about her.) Do you not like Rebecca from calculus? That’s even easier, just cut your eyes at her every time you pass her in the halls. She’ll definitely get the message.

But now we are supposed to behave differently.

I am failing at this adult thing. I think anyone would agree that going back to kindergarten would be a miracle. If I learned anything about being an adult, it was in kindergarten.

Apparently, you can no longer fly off the handle when someone upsets you—remember

how we were told to hold our breath and count to 10? Or when we were put into timeout and think about our actions? I guess our teachers had the right idea in training us to regulate our emotions before we do something we’ll regret.

You will never forget the day when your teacher stands over you and asks you to tell the truth about what you’ve just done. Telling the truth wasn’t easy then and it probably never will be. Owning up to the mistakes you’ve made is even more difficult. When you fail a class or bite off more than you can chew, the struggle becomes real. Building up the courage to ask for help takes energy. That energy comes from a deep-down, hard-to-find place.

Having the ability to be honest with yourself is valuable and necessary if you wish to actually move on and become a better adult.

Being the perfect adult is obviously impossible. Life loves throwing bricks at you when it can easily throw cotton balls. I think being able to cry about it makes you no less of an adult. You see adults cry and you feel awkward seeing it because you can’t help but think, “Should adults really be crying?”

Crying is cathartic in a sense. It lets all your feelings out and pushes you forward to help change yourself and the situation.

Trying to be the perfect adult keeps you from enjoying life. Some of the best grownups I’ve seen know when to indulge and reward themselves. Finding the small things in life to make you happy keeps you rooted and prevents insanity. Adults are humans, after all.

What is being an adult? Is it being able to order that Magic Bullet you’ve always wanted from TV? Is it realizing that you could just print off a 20 percent off coupon from Bed, Bath and Beyond and buy it there to avoid paying for shipping? Or is being an adult something more?

I think it is being able to buy anything from an infomercial and also being mature with what life has to offer. We are young and still have time, but it is never too late to step into adulthood now.

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

SLJC presents: student organization of the month SLJC awards Mary Engardio SLJC is very excited to announce its first notable student group of 2014: the Magnolia Community Council (MaCC). The council is a subsidiary of the Residence Hall Association (RHA) that manages and develops the Magnolia residential college on the north side of campus. Their mission is “to advocate for our residents, develop their leadership skills through programming and leadership opportunities and to enhance the residential hall experience through programming.”

The council’s outreach activities and programs are numerous and diverse, ranging from Magnolia Mornings, an opportunity to get free hot chocolate and a treat, to residential feedback forums held in a townhall-like setting, to a homecoming window decorating competition.

MaCC is most proud of Jack Bash, the annual tradition of dropping pumpkins from the 11th floor of Clarke Tower. The event features fall-themed treats, music and performances from several student groups.

The guiding principles of MaCC and RHA are the three pillars: advocacy, leadership development and programming. MaCC

takes their duty to their residents and community very seriously, but knows how to keep the place lively. The leadership development pillar focuses on development but also aims to recognize leaders who are already outstanding in their organization.

Within the council, each member is expected to take charge of their own project or task and bring it to fruition. Each member is highly motivated and has lots of support from their fellow council members and RHA. The programming pillar involves organizing events that boost the social, academic and emotional aspects of the residents’ lives.

MaCC currently runs under the direction of 20 diverse members from a variety of backgrounds including Biology, Cognitive Science, Accounting, Nursing and more.

Any resident of Magnolia Residential college can become involved with MaCC at any time, and also have the opportunity to become members-at-large if they find they are interested in a particular postition.

SLJC is a group dedicated to creating a community among student organizations and student leaders. We work with the Office of Student Activities and Leadership to provide resources, support and recognition so that our community will grow.

Manifesto of a girl interrupted by the Greeks Guest Colomnist Tracy Boachie, Nikita Dhami, Tessa Greene, Laura Hurst, Rachel Katz & Uchenna Osegbu College is a time of establishing independence, individuality and identity. But finding a sense of self can be easier said than done. Needless to say, as a freshman, I struggled navigating the university, desperately searching for a group of compatible people. I was overwhelmed by the engineers who seemed to click instantly as they bonded over MatLab homework and the biology majors always talking about the unbeknownst to me “Dr. Kenney.”

I met very few people freshman year that had the same major as I. Yet I realized that this is college; I’m going to feel uncomfortable and afraid. I needed to be proactive to seek out my people.

So at the commencement of spring semester, the buzz of conversation amongst every freshman girl seemed to be the intimidating and mysterious “Rush.” My understanding of sororities was slim. I had never imagined them as part of my college experience, but rush seemed to be the regular topic of conversation.

“Everybody should rush” older girls told me. “You don’t have to join—just try it out.”

So I did. I was open minded—but also scared and vulnerable.

I should have realized that I didn’t belong in the Greek world as I faked small talk and glanced at my watch, waiting to be freed and wanting no more of my precious weekend time to be wasted taking part in this bizarre routine of controlled chit chat that seemed more like a courting ritual from decades past than a group of college women convening in a student center in the twenty first century.

Regardless of all the warning signs, I was blinded by the hype surrounding “bids,” “parties” and Greek letters beyond my knowledge of pi. Regardless of my retrospect-induced distaste, I must admit that I became excited upon discovering invitations to my top-choice sororities’ final “parties.” Despite the sugary formality of it all, I did meet some incredible young women who were intelligent, inspiring and remain valued friends.

When I received a bid to join the group of girls I seemed to mesh with the best, with a stinging inner apathy, peer-induced enthusiasm and a bit of disillusionment, I pledged a sorority on the feeding frenzy that was bid day.

But all during the rush, bid, and pledge processes, I wasn’t listening to my own self.

My own feelings. My own gut. The Greek system has the capacity to damper our most important compass. Greek life—much like political parties or cultural biases—blinds us with a promising feeling of exclusivity, identity and fellowship. It is not necessarily the Greek system that is at fault, but our society that fosters organizations that goad us into believing we need such controlled atmospheres to find success.

The superficiality of rush is damaging.

Sororities judge all the rushees based on minutes of oftentimes ingenuine conversation and whether or not their outfits meet their image criteria.

What kind of message does that send young women? Maybe you do click and the vibes are rolling strong. But in all honesty, we make judgments rooted in first impressions and visual indications. That shouldn’t be a premise for determining if someone has the right values to be in your selective club.

Additionally, so many sorority girls compare the rush process to dating, a comparison I find frightening. I surely hope that most young women don’t go about finding a part-

ner through forced, formal interactions that stifle their quirks and unbridled essence.

Greek organizations create a sense of community, shared identity and friendship; I agree completely. But conversely, they can be alienating and jading.

Does paying hundreds of dollars a year strengthen bonds of sisterhood and friendship? I think not.

Does slapping three Greek letters on my resume increase my merit, my social standing or my competence? I do not believe so.

Yet somehow, being Greek is automatically associated with being a smarter, stronger and more driven young man or woman.

Greek life boasts that once a brother or sister, you will have the tools to be a better leader, socialite and student. While that is true for many young men and women, the message should be that Greek life can help you become a better individual, not that you need Greek life to become a better individual.

When college students emerge as competent young adults, we should be learning that we can aspire to be these things of our own drive and accord. We have the capability to be strong young men and women without the need to find strength in exclusivity.

We should be fostering our abilities to cultivate genuine self-love. Because while things like Greek Week foster competitive camaraderie and teamwork, failing an exam to win Greek Sing or losing sleep to practice stacking your sisters into a pyramid late at night is not a just or rational sacrifice. Condemning these activities may be wrong of me, but I’ve seen the pressures of success and maintaining an image consume Greeks unnecessarily. There is already enough pressure on us to succeed as young students and professionals—why add trivial competition to the list?

In some channels, Greek life can foster wrongful sexism. What I still don’t understand is how so many strong, forward thinking women continue to complacently accept the sexist constraints of the sorority system.

Because within the sorority system’s sexism, women can be controlled and demeaned.

Somehow it is permissible for brothers of a fraternity to drink excessively and openly. In fact, it is a demonstration of masculinity, brotherhood and sociability. But for the sisters of a sorority, they must obscure their drinking from non-sisters eyes. Letters must be shed when sipping on a beer. And God forbid someone whips out a camera during happy hour, even if all the women are of drinking age. Recruitment for women is formal and limited to two weekends of afternoons in a controlled environment whereas men recruit over two weeks in a relaxed, more casual, social atmosphere.

I know many of my peers in sororities and fraternities will think that this essay brands the Greek system as the root of all evil. I don’t want to upset anyone—merely provide a critique, a different opinion and my own reflection.

I am writing this not to condemn the Greek organizations and their members. I simply want my fellow students to realize that just because so many of their peers are involved in Greek life, that doesn’t mean they should feel pressured to take part as well.

This critique should be applied to many other things beside the Greek life system: what it means to be an American, a college student, and an emerging member of the workforce.

Unity is important, but so is confidence in your sovereign unapologetic self.

Tracy Boachie, an English major, Nikita Dhami, a Biochemistry major, Laura Hurst, an international studies and environmental studies major, Tessa Greene, a medical anthropology and religious studies major, Uchenna Osegbu, a Computer Science major, and Rachel Katz, a chemical engineering major, are all junior undergraduate students.

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What to do before leaving CWRU A comprehensive guide for the senior who, against his or her better judgment, must graduate

“So,” every mother, father, sibling, extended family member, professor, friend, mentor, advisor, acquaintance and small talker begins, “What are you going to do after you graduate?”

This time of year, that’s a common question for seniors. A lucky few already have jobs lined up, while others are waiting to hear back from graduate and professional schools. Many more still have no idea. Planning a life after college is a very real, very daunting task that every soon-to-be alumnus juggles alongside completing the necessary school work or avoids at all costs.

But this is not the time for quarter life crises. This is not the time to stare blindly into the post-graduation abyss full of responsibilities and scheduled student loan payments. This is not even the time to frantically apply for every appealing job to avoid destitution (though starting on that isn’t a bad idea).

Each graduating senior has 107 days left to explore, discover and enjoy all that Case Western Reserve University has to offer. For many, this will even be their last extended stay in Cleveland, Ohio. We wanted to help you on your journey in creating some of your last memories here. Many of these things could have easily happened to you in the past:

1. Utilize CWRU’s Student Free Access program.

2. Get lost on your way to a friend’s house.

3. Grab a copy of the New York Times every day and read it. This is the only time in your life that you won’t have to pay for a subscription. Although we don’t get the Sunday Times, you’ll still be in-the-know on every other day.

4. Visit the contraceptive museum.

This fascinating place resides in the top floor of the Allen Memorial Library, where the Ford Auditorium resides. Take 30 minutes out of your day on your way to the quad and explore the variety of ways people have tried to avoid parenthood.

5. Chase a Greenie.

6. Go to the West Side Market.

7. See a movie by Film Society.

8. See a movie at the Cinematheque.

9. Climb onto academic buildings’ roofs.

10. Spend an afternoon on Guilford House’s porch.

11. Go to a uISA show.

12. Attend one of the many sorority or fraternity philanthropy events.

Katy Witkowski A&E Editor Meredith Dykehouse Director of Design Jeniece Montellano Copy Editor Anne Nickoloff Staff Reporter

13. Do a Saturday of Service.

14. Go to Spot Night.

15. Run the Hudson Relay.

16. Go to Springfest.

17.

Eat at a

Michael Simon restaurant.

35. Go to a CWRU sporting event.

18. Go to a concert at the Beachland Ballroom, Grog Shop, Happy Dog… Just go to a Cleveland concert. There are far too many local venues to count.

36. See a Cleveland Playhouse performance.

19. See a jazz legend at Nighttown.

20. Drive to Taco Bell on Euclid Avenue after a night of raging. Designated driver required.

21. Go to Hessler Street Fair.

22. Go to a local art gallery. There are a few in Little Italy.

37. See an Eldred Theatre performance. Your theater major friends are actually extremely talented. Support them by going to Eldred Theatre for one of their shows.

38. Eat at every restaurant between Cornell Rd. and East 118th Street.

39. Eat at every restaurant in Coventry.

23. Beer drinkers: Go to as many local breweries as possible.

40. Ride the toboggan chutes at the Cleveland Metroparks. Because it’s tobogganing season!

24. Go to a Cedar Lee Theatre showing of “The Room.”

41. Take a Lolly the Trolley tour.

25. Spend a day (or five) at the Cleveland International Film Festival.

26. Go to a Lake Erie beach.

27. Indulge in as much Cleveland ice cream as humanly possible.

28. Pull a random book from Kelvin Smith Library’s shelves and read it.

There are a ton of things you can find.

29. Get drunk at the Jolly Scholar.

30. Go to a Cleveland sports game. Who cares which one? CLEpride.

31. See the CWRU spelling in the statue outside of Thwing. What, you haven’t heard that myth? Apparently when the sunlight hits the wonky, twisty turvy statue between Mather House and Thwing Center at just the right angle, its shadow spells out “CWRU.” This is an unconfirmed myth.

32. Go to an Improvment show.

33. Go to the midnight Footlighters’ show.

34. Spend a night on West 6th Street.

Chocolate Bar is a necessary part of this list.

42. Visit every floor of Peter B. Lewis Building. Not only should you ride all three elevators (that go to different floors), but also look for the art gallery of staircases.

43. Pull a Rocky Balboa on the Wet/Dry Fountain. Climb those stairs like the champion you are.

44. Climb the ninja stairs.

45. Frolick on the jungle gym in Little Italy.

46. Go to trivia night at a bar every night of the week.

47. Ride the Healthline.

48. Dance for 12 hours at Dance Marathon.

49. Finish your SAGES portfolio.

50. Submit an article to The Observer. We may or may not publish it, but at least you can say you tried.

Courtesy bubblews.com

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Review: Papers, Please Brian Sherman Staff Reporter Player engagement is a major factor in video games. Whether pushing the limits of graphics hardware or challenging players with overly complicated gameplay, games always try to engage the player. “Papers, Please” succeeds in engaging the player without doing either.

Described as a “dystopian document thriller” set in 1982, the player is given a simple job: process immigrants at a recently reopened immigration checkpoint. However, unlike most games, the player is working for the Soviet-styled state of Arstotzka, rather than a democratic state.

Gameplay, like the graphics, is rather simplistic. The day begins when the player pulls the lever that opens the grille, and uses the loudspeaker to summon the first shuffling figure in a long line of poor souls hoping to enter Arstotzka, either temporarily or permanently.

Entrants appear in the booth and dutifully hand over their papers. Some may have a little conversation, while others might be a bit rude.

It’s up to the player to check them over for any suspicious information or discrepancies and then stamp the passport—green lets them in, red denies entry. Mistakes trigger a fine of five Arstotzkan credits for every slip up. The inspector doesn’t earn much and every deduction is a huge chunk out of his salary.

It’s here that the game gets pretty bleak. After each working day, the player has to balance the budget, dividing income between heating and food for the inspector’s family, while

also allowing for extra purchases like birthday gifts. The Arstotzkan government does not pay generously, so it can be very tempting to skip food one day at the expense of your family’s health.

Managing your family’s welfare isn’t the only bleak aspect of this game. Processing immigrants on the first day gives the impression that the game will be a monotonous paperwork simulator, approving immigrants who have the proper documentation and denying those who don’t. Then a mother approaches the booth, begging to be let through to see her son. She has no papers.

This is where the game shines the brightest.

It constantly presents moral choice and actually makes those choices matter. Should a human trafficker be denied entry, despite having all the right paperwork, knowing that this may prevent the inspector from being able to afford medicine for his son? Is it right to separate a newlywed couple in order to follow the rules?

In many ways, this is a videogame version of the Milgram experiment. Later, when the guard offers a bounty for each entrant detained by the secret police, it’s disturbingly easy to cross the line into monstrous behavior, arresting entrants for having the slightest of discrepancies in their paperwork without caring what happens to them, all justified as simply obeying the rules.

While not visually appealing, the game manages to be a beautifully compelling and absorbing experience, one that pushes the limit of what a game can be. It’s not a “fun” game by any means, but it is definitely worth playing.

“Papers, Please” for the PC gets a 9 out of 10.

Playlist of the Week

Anne Nickoloff Staff Reporter

“Anagram”—Young Giant

the

Young the Giant’s new album came out last week, which is pretty cool, because it’s their first original piece of work like it since 2010. “Anagram,” the second song, is all about guitar plucks, with a faraway, almost tropical feel and some dramatic violin cascades. There are so many things going on... well, this song is essentially just a nice combination of sounds.

“I’m Not Part of Me”— Cloud Nothings

The new album won’t be out until April, but “I’m Not Part of Me” gives everyone an idea of what Cloud Nothings’ “Here and Nowhere Else” will be like. And, based off of this song, it’s going to be more relaxed, happier and less in your face than Cloud Nothings’ usual rock music.

“True Trans Soul Rebel”— Against Me!

Against Me! created their newest punky album, “Transgender Dysphoria Blues,” after singer Laura Jane Grace (previously Tom Gabel) revealed her transgender identity. The catchy song’s fun rhythms conflict with some intensely personal lyrics like “You should’ve been a mother, you should’ve been a wife, you should’ve been gone from here years ago, you should be living a different life.”

“Worship You”—Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend’s newest album, “Modern Vampires of the City,” won the best alternative music album in the Grammy’s this past weekend. This song is fast, fun and great. So even if the Grammy’s don’t matter much, it’s cool to see Vampire Weekend win something this year.

You go, Glen Coco.

“Honey, Honey”—The Milk Carton Kids

So, The Milk Carton Kids didn’t win the best folk album in the Grammy’s this year, but it’s worth saying their album, “The Ash & Clay,” definitely put up a good fight. The third song on this album, “Honey Honey,” bounces off fast lyrics to a fleeting banjo rhythm. It has all those reminiscent and heartfelt feels; a wooden-rocking-chair-andstraw-hat kind of tune.

Courtesy i1.ytimg.com, anti.com, yuq.me, & cdn.stereogum.com

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This week to Man Man | 13

in photos Mary Kate Macedonia/Observer

to Man Man | 13

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CLE Orchestra creates young adult networking “Circle” Maria Fazal Staff Reporter The Cleveland Orchestra has recently created a group targeted toward “young professionals.” This innovative new group is known as “The Circle” and welcomes youthful business-inclined individuals who are passionate about music and the Cleveland Orchestra.

The fee to join the budding new group is $15 per month for one membership or $20 per month for two, and new members join for a minimum of six months. Membership in “The Circle” comes with bimonthly tickets and opportunities to network with some of Northeast Ohio’s cultural business frontrunners.

The Cleveland Orchestra states, “The objectives of ‘The Circle’ are to increase engagement opportunities for young people ages 21 to 40 and to help develop future volunteer community leaders.” Additionally, members will be able to interact firsthand with musicians and mingle in Severance Hall and Blossom Music Center.

An opening reception was held for the newly formed group on Jan. 17th. The ceremony was followed by an artful performance by the Cleveland Orchestra of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, Mozart’s “Prague” Symphony and a United States premiere of Jörg Widmann’s “Teufel Amor.” The performance featured Yefim Bronfman and was conducted

by Franz Welser-Möst.

President of “The Circle” and Program Management Specialist for Forest City Enterprises Mackenzie Hutton says, “‘The Circle’ is a great addition to the Cleveland Young Professionals scene and will provide an unparalleled opportunity to become involved with a world-class orchestra and a true cultural gem.”

A launch event was held for the group in December at the Great Lakes Brewing Company. Hutton called this event “the perfect way to introduce our new group.”

It’s evident “The Circle” is yet another method the orchestra is hoping to reach out to young people, perhaps to instill a thirst for classical orchestral music in the younger generations. The establishment of this new group is not surprising coming from the Cleveland Orchestra when given its track record.

For instance, consider the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO), a group con-

sisting of over 100 talented young musicians from Ohio and Pennsylvania. Founded and originally directed by Jahja Ling, the group rehearses weekly at Severance Hall and is trained by members of the Cleveland Orchestra.

These blossoming masters have even toured and performed across the world; past concerts having taken place in New York, Vienna, Prague and Salzburg. The orchestra, which is comprised from middle to high school age students, is currently directed by Brett Mitchell.

Additionally, the Cleveland Orchestra has integrated younger members of the community into several programs. One of these inventive methods targets children ages 3-6.

These events are known as the PNC Musical Rainbow Concerts and appeal to kids with interactive activities.

The PNC Musical Rainbow Concerts are not only enjoyable for children, but are also enlightening, with music-related trivia questions and performances by the Cleveland Orchestra.

According to the Cleveland Orchestra, “Children have the chance to sing, clap and move to the music as they have fun learning all about orchestral instruments.”

The Cleveland Orchestra also performs family concerts, which are targeted toward slightly older children. These concerts are narrated, only an hour long and feature “young musicians, mimes, dancers, actors and more.”

Additionally, prior to the concert, children have the opportunity to participate in free hands-on Instrument Discovery.

With all of these youth-oriented events, it’s apparent an adoration for classical music will be burning in the hearts of many generations of Clevelanders to come. “The Circle” is a new way to focus on and aid a still-youthful age bracket.

Already, several promising young men and women are getting involved with this new opportunity. Some leaders of “The Circle” are Kristen Grabenstein, Forest City Enterprises; John Pal Siemborski, Ernst & Young LLP; Mary LaVenia, Great Lakes Brewing Company and Sherry Yu, a Case Western Reserve Medical Student.

The group instructs those interested in joining “The Circle” to email thecircle@clevelandorchestra.com in order to join a future event as a prospective member.

Pass the suds...

Mike Suglio Staff Reporter

Have you been to Lakewood? If you haven’t, then you have not experienced the very diverse selection of dining establishments. Signature Cleveland franchises like the Winking Lizard Tavern and Melt Bar and Grilled reside there, as well as local favorites like Around the Corner. But like any rapidly growing area, there is of course a brewery. Lakewood is no exception and it houses the brewpub, Buckeye Beer Engine.

After trudging through piles of snow, I warmed up upon entering this very traditional, wooden brewpub. Inside, the dim lights created a mellow atmosphere. The bar was a colossal, wooden circular figure surrounded by colossal wooden bar stools.

Bar handles hung from the ceiling as if they were looking down at you, waiting to see what drink you would choose.

The menu was extensive with several guest beers, but also had six house beers.

Buckeye Beer Engine is not like the other breweries I have reviewed; however, the brewery is very near to the pub. I ordered a flight of all six of the house beers, but would have loved to have also sampled some of the other exotic beers from other places.

The food menu was one of the most extensive food menus I have seen at a brewery.

I found myself spending a lot of time milling over my food choices. Besides having some of the most exotic burger choices in Cleveland, there was an equally extensive Hungarian food selection. The brewpub had Hungarian décor so this was very fitting.

I decided to go with the burger of the month, the Yaxi’s Relleno de Papa. It was a half-pound burger with mashed potato dumplings, pico de gallo, chile threads and just the right amount of jalapenos. After ordering, it arrived within minutes. The burger was juicy and flavorful, and a perfect amount of spice: The burger wasn’t too spicy and was down in seconds. I was in complete bliss.

I requested onion rings on the side and they did not disappoint. They were large, crispy and there were so many that they almost escaped from the plate. Lastly, and not in the least of the food choices, a perfectlymade fried pickle that topped off the very end of the meal.

With so much food, saliva and extra napkins, I had forgotten about the beer; the food was truly exceptional.

My first beer was the Buckeye Alt. I’d had an altbier the previous week at The Bot-

The men in the skeleton onesies Man Man packs the Grog Shop Anne Nickoloff Staff Reporter Honus Honus (aka, Ryan Kattner), the lead singer of Man Man, wasn’t much for conversing with the audience. There were no remarks of “Yeah, Cleveland!” or “How we all doing tonight?” or even a thank you.

No, there were no breaks between songs—just Man Man, Man Man’s music and the clothes!

First, the band members strode onto the stage, looking oddly comfortable in their onesie skeleton suits. They took their places, started playing and didn’t really stop.

Meanwhile, Honus worked his way through what was basically a mini thrift shop.

An alien mask, with a microphone taped inside; a military jacket with tassels swinging around the shoulders; an audience member’s towering furry hat; a women’s white fur coat; a different audience member’s thick-rimmed spectacles; a bedazzled cloak with a face cover.

He was whoever he wanted to be on the Grog Shop’s stage, at Man Man’s explosive show on Jan. 23.

The second opener, Xenia Rubinos, didn’t seem to really care about the status quo either during her experimental set.

With her fingers doodling in the air, Rubinos squawked dolphin noises over the recorded sounds of creaking doors and synth rhythms.

But in a weird way, it was musical.

When she broke away from yelping, her soulful voice warbled over the eclectic background—think: Ingrid Michaelson, meets noise, meets garage.

In contrast, Stems, the opener before

Xenia Rubinos, was a more “classic rock” kind of show. Beards, hats and guitars. …Then again, beards, hats and guitars were present for Man Man too; just not as conventionally.

When Man Man prepared, the audience was just happy to see them after a lengthy pause, but brimming excitement bubbled over as the band pushed into their second and third songs.

The mosh pit really intensified during “Pink Wonton.” A Grog Shop employee split through the crowd and stood calmly at the front, facing the audience like a statue. One girl slammed into him. He gently pushed her back into the mayhem. As beer and sweat smeared onto him, he looked unenthused about the whole darn thing.

But, he was probably one of the only people there not smiling.

The crowd pulsed to different hits, and the large vent fan on the ceiling became everyone’s new best friend.

Maybe it was a little too big of an audience for the Grog Shop to handle, but the show created a real connection between the music and the fans.

Towards the end of the night, Honus reached out to the audience with both his arms, waving around as though he was possessed.

Like instinct, the crowd stretched their arms right back to him, before he launched into the top hit, and crowd favorite, of Man Man: “Hold on to Your Heart.”

Crooning to a dazzled audience, Honus’ lyrics couldn’t have been more appropriate. “Hold on to your heart, never let nobody drag it under.”

These words rang true in the dark room packed with people, all of whom were there to see the men in the skeleton onesies.

... from Beer Engine

tlehouse Brewing Company, so I was excited to try this one. The beer was a lot darker and richer than the one I had Bottlehouse, but this darker amber-colored liquid was not as flavorful. It was an incredibly smooth beer, however, which made it perfect to accompany my burger.

The next beer was the Buckeye Nighty Night, which clocked in at a whopping 11.5 percent Alcohol By Volume (ABV). It was a strong Belgian Ale with such an excellent warming sensation, it would be the perfect beer to sip during a snow-apocalypse. However, the drink also had a strong alcohol taste and very little flavor; after a few sips it was almost undrinkable. I tried to pass it off to my co-sampler, but she pushed it away with a smile and said “No, thank you.”

Moving on to a much lighter beer, the next drink I sampled was the Buckeye Martian Marzen Lager. Similar to the Buckeye Alt, the Martian was a very smooth beer to have with food; it was light and crisp, but also not very flavorful. The Martian tasted like many of the other marzen or pale lagers I have had in the past and did not stand out.

I began to become rather discouraged until I tried the fourth beer in the flight. The Buckeye Hippie India Pale Ale (IPA) was by far my favorite of the bunch. Brewed

with Northern and Cascade hops, this incredibly earthy IPA was brewed just right.

I gladly would have had another sampling of this beer.

The last two drinks were both porters, the Buckeye Cleveland Porter and the Buckeye Cold Prickly. Both were very dark, malty beers. The Cleveland Porter was roasted and malty because it was brewed with eight different hops, which added to the diverse flavor. The Cold Prickly was 9.8 percent and again had a rather strong alcohol taste that could have been hidden with various malts like the Cleveland Porter did.

When the checks arrived, I was absolutely shocked at how low the beer prices were. Buckeye Beer Engine house beers are incredibly affordable, and a perfect price for students on a tight budget.

This seven-year-old brewpub, which was once an ice cream parlor, brings a different business than the previous breweries I have reviewed. Though the beer is good, it isn’t exceptional. Still, the food is amazing and everything is rather affordable.

During the summer, the brewpub offers summer bike nights where if you ride your bike to the pub, you get an in-house beer for only $2. The pub also offers $1 off beer and $2 off burgers during happy hour.

observer.case.edu 14 | fun page

fun page 1/24/14 | 14

fun

Crossword Puzzle Across 1. The bulk 5. Tablet 10. River of Spain 14. Ancient Peruvian 15. Melodies 16. Midday 17. Officer 19. Boorish 20. Many millennia 21. Not written exams 22. Queues 23. A canvas shoe 25. Kick out 27. Chief Executive Officer 28. Grinding 31. Unit of luminous flux 34. Highly favored 35. Enemy 36. Creative work 37. Fight on horseback 38. Barely 39. 16 1/2 feet 40. Employs 41. The general activity of selling 42. Subjugated

13. 1 1 1 1 44. Skirt’s edge 18. Keepsake 45. Adores 22. Enumerate 46. A style of roof 24. Cards with 1 symbol 50. Not dead 26. Widespread 52. Gangs 54. Prefix meaning “Modern” 28. Pasted 29. Schnozzola 55. Broad 30. Obtains 56. Huskiness 31. Old stories 58. Not under 59. Big name in computers 32. Atop 33. Landslides 60. Away from the wind 34. Tool for looking in 61. Not more tight spaces 62. Discourage 37. A style of jazz 63. Wagers 38. Photocopier problems 40. Possess Down 41. Feel 1. Units of distance 43. Admirers 2. Scallion 44. Large heavy rope 3. Display 46. European blackbird 4. Letter after sigma 47. Anoint (archaic) 5. Record player 48. Adjust again 6. Pertaining to the moon 49. Units of medicine 7. A Freudian stage 50. Absent Without Leave 8. Tautness 51. Not pre-recorded 9. Eastern Standard Time 53. Awestruck 10. Make wealthy 56. Possessed 11. Plentiful 57. Apprehend 12. Was a passenger

COM ICS

The same goes for the one where you’re wrestling the Green Ranger in the swimming pool full of Crisco. You guys all have that dream, right? It’s not just me. Right?

By xkcd

Clock Tower

Because jaywalkers can be such sheep sometimes.

by Kevin Yong

observer.case.edu

Philosofish

fun page | 15 Kate Hart Ray Krajci

Horoscopes

Just got the text! No school tomorrow!

Tomorrow is gonna be awesome!

Aries

You should reach out to an old friend this week.

Something between you hasn’t been resolved, and what better time to fix that than now.

Why are you so happy about this?

Taurus

Leaving your chapstick at home was a bad idea. There are no stores on campus apart from the bookstore that have your favorite kind.

Do I really need to remind you that you are paying for your time here? Losing a day of instruction is worth over $300! Whoosh. Gone.

Not to mention you will end up doing all the same work with even less time than before because professors will feel pressured to fit everything in.

Gemini

Should the elusive snow day come again, you will spend it more wisely.

And I need hardly mention your primary achievement for tomorrow will be a losing record on League of Legends.

But, hey. Snow day!

Cancer

Watch out! Your best friend is about to blow! A temper tantrum. Leave her be.

Leo

It’s an odd day if you find yourself with some free time.

Relish it when it comes to you.

Virgo

xkcd

PhilosofishComics@gmail.com

Grownups

Your suitemates have learned to block out all of the noise you create at odd hours of the night by blasting your least favorite musician. It’s their special way of telling you to shut up.

Libra

You’d best count to 10 before reacting. You really haven’t been great about keeping your temper in check.

Scorpio

I’ve looked into this, and I can’t figure out a way to do it cheaply. And I guess it wouldn’t be sanitary.

After a long week of frantic errand running, it’s time for you to relax and take a few minutes to breathe. You deserve a day off.

Sagittarius

games jelly mile mints money names peanut permission phone public quest reach sand smile smooth strap toll touch tragic worn wrinkles

Wordsearch

always answer base battle begs boat bode borrow burst butter cast computer crisp deliver drain epee fair favor feat forest fruit

Love seems to be in the air.

It may also be the water vapor in your breath freezing in the cold.

Capricorn

Despite your better judgment, you’ll procrastinate on almost everything but Netflix.

Aquarius

Something is just not in its right place, and you can tell.

Pay attention to your spidey senses and stay clear of wrong doings.

Pisces

You may be hurting from a past love or lost $20.

Apologize to all who come across your warpath of complaining.

16 | sports

1/31/14

Swimming team shines in meet versus Ohio Northern Team forced to compete by proxy due to weather conditions Skyler Phillips Staff Reporter The Spartans had a very unusual meet this weekend against Ohio Northern, due to the bad weather raging across the state.

Instead of the normal travel meet, the team stayed at home and had a virtual meet; in this meet, the Spartans swam in Veale, and sent their times in to the team over at Ohio Northern who also swam in its own pool.

Due to it being a “home meet” for Ohio Northern, they put the scores together. Despite them handling the numbers, though, the Spartans still triumphed on both the men and women’s sides, with both teams scoring more than 100 points over the opposing team (Men: 207-84, Women: 200.5-96.5). The meet had a considerable number of team and individual winners for the Case Western Reserve University team. It was an excellent meet, and head coach Doug Milliken had many

from Women’s | 20 During the second half, their lack of scoring began to wear on the Spartans as they mustered only 20 points compared to the Bears’ 40. A major part of the Spartans’ struggles was an injury to junior captain Berit Eppard that Reimer explained, “hurt us not only not having Berit on the court, but threw our rotations for a loop.”

The game came to an end with the Spartans losing 71-37. Junior Brooke Orcutt led the team with seven points and tied for assists with Amanda Germer at three.

Sunday’s tilt had the Spartans pitted against the University of Chicago Maroons with Orcutt turning in a career-high game with 27 points while bringing down seven rebounds and dishing two assists. Against the Maroons, who were on a two-game winning streak averaging 91 points over the past three games, the ladies started the game slowly in what coach Reimer described as, “taking the team a few minutes to really get out of the locker room.” After 10:00 minutes in the first half, the Spartans were down 28-16 due to miscommunications on the defensive end as well as Chicago clogging passing and shooting

positive comments about the season so far and what’s left to come.

Concerning the meet, despite the fact that the Spartans were not actually swimming in the same pool with their competitors, there was no significant loss in motivation to swim harder. Coach Milliken said he was “pleasantly surprised” at how well the Spartans swam considering the lack of competition; Ohio Northern is traditionally a very competitive meet—with scores being very close—but this year the Spartans dominated. They were able to have fun and be a bit more relaxed, which led to some very good swims.

As for the season so far, Milliken has been very happy overall with the way it has turned out. The attitude of the team has changed for the better, with camaraderie higher than before and the team having more fun. They have been less focused on others, and more focused on bettering themselves, which has led to more enthu-

siasm on the deck and in the pool both in and out of meets. When asked about notable swims and improvements on the team, Milliken said that his list was so long it was hard to narrow down.

Many Spartans have improved in a variety of ways, from better times to better work ethics and better attitudes in the pool. It’s another element to this season that makes Milliken proud of the Spartans.

There are some very fun meets coming up in the remainder of the season.

Next weekend’s Baldwin Wallace usually serves two purposes: it celebrates the senior swimmers on the team (it will be their final home meet at CWRU) and gives the Spartans a last chance to touch up on their race strategy and technique before the conference meet.

After that is the UAA championship, which is the focal point of the year for the swimmers—they have been training hard for this one meet, and this is usually

where the best swims come out. It’s like a final exam, but instead of being scared of it, you’re excited for it (usually). Then comes the NCAA, which so far Maggie Dillione and Sara Tillie have qualified for.

Then comes the last meet of the year, the Wooster invitational, which will take place at the University of Chicago’s Myers-McLoraine Pool, a meet that is usually a memorable experience for the team.

Because the season is so close to ending, the Spartans are going to begin tapering, or in some cases have already begun to.

Tapering is the time of year when yardage drops in practice; this leads to a more rested swimmer with more energy that is able to perform better at meets. It also means sleeping in, and better grades (again, usually), which not only means a more energetic swimmer, but a happier swimmer. Because if they’re happy, we’re happy.

This is the last few yards Spartans; you’re right at the flags.

lanes on the offensive side.

But after the last of three early timeouts and a switch to a 2-3 defensive zone, the Spartans were able to slow the Maroons’ fast-paced offense and see their own shots fall as well. The Spartans ended the first half on a 17-6 run and were only down by one point.

Unfortunately, the Spartans could not match their performance in the end of the first half, as coach Reimer believes was due to her team’s “shots not falling early which led us to becoming tight and giving up second chance opportunities.” The Spartans had no answer for the Maroons’ fast-paced offense and were outrebounded 41-31 on the day.

Along with Orcutt’s brilliant performance, Spartan Laura Mummey also factored largely into the game as she poured in 14 points and grabbed five rebounds.

The Spartans will face New York University and Brandeis University this weekend in what promises a tough two games in the UAA. Both teams will bring great defenses with NYU bringing it in a full court press setting and Brandeis with its traditional toughness and physicality.

The Spartans will have to learn from the defensive pressure shown to them this weekend by the University of Chicago in their pursuit to get back to .500.

Sophomore Laura Mummey works against the tough Washington University defense at home.

Arianna Wage/Observer Jessica McCoy goes up for a rebound versus Washington University.

observer.case.edu

sports | 17

Spartans outpace the competition at area meet Skyler Phillips Staff Reporter The Spartans competed well in their second meet of the season this weekend, with the men coming in first out of four with a score of 232, and the women second with a score of 162. The team competed against area schools including Baldwin Wallace University, John Carroll University and Geneva College. The men’s team won seven individual events in total and the women won two, with both men and women taking top places in several other events.

On the men’s side, senior captain Harry Weintraub took first in the weight throw with a distance of 59 feet and three quarters of an inch, ranking him in the top 10 nationally. The team’s other senior captain, Andrew Barnhart, proved his superiority in the triple jump with a distance 40’8.25”.

On the track, the men took first in five more events. In the distance events, Brian Kelley ran a 16:33.52 in the 5000-meter run, David Dixon a 9:02.33 in the 3000, Joe Ledger a 2:43.29 in the 1000 and Abdallah Soliman a 2:01.72 in the 800. For the 400-meter dash, Devon Below finished first with a 52.06. Also, Joshua Malone ran

a 6.82 in the 55-meter dash, breaking the school record.

As for the women, the Spartans took first in two individual events and placed in top spots for several others. Christen Saccucci triumphed in the pole vault competition after she cleared the bar at 10 feet; the other victory went to Keri Walter, who claimed her supremacy with a mark of 34’0.25” in the triple jump. Walter also came in second in the long jump, with a distance of 5.55 meters. In the 200-meter dash, both second and third were taken by Mckenzie Braun (28.27) and Cecelia Hanline (29.18). Braun also placed third in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.90. Third place was taken in both the mile, 800-meter run and 3000-meter run by Kayla Andersen (5:43.29), Abby Casalnova (2:29.93) and Evy Hail (11:37.52). Rachel Tan also took third in the high jump, with a distance 1.53 meters.

This is a good beginning to a season that can hopefully only improve as the weather gets warmer. With meets and classes running on until May, the Spartans may find this semester a bit daunting.

However, the team is tough and capable; there is no doubt in their capabilities on or off the track.

Throwback jerseys and rival matchups highlight weekend for CWRU sports Katie Wieser Sports Editor The Case Western Reserve University athletics community is geared up for another exciting weekend with a many highlight events including Throwback Weekend for the men and women’s basketball teams as well as the annual Battle of the Obelisk for the track and field team.

The basketball squads will take a step back in time this weekend as they participate in this annual event. Both basketball teams will be dressed in jerseys from an alternate era as they face off against conference opponents on during the weekend’s games.

The women will be wearing Mather College gold jerseys during both their Friday game versus Brandeis University and their Sunday game versus New York University.

The Spartan men will be glad in the uniform of the Western Reserve Red Cats during their Brandeis match-up then switch it up on Sunday when they’ll be sporting the Case Institute of Technology Rough Riders jerseys.

All four games will take place at Hors-

burgh Gymnasium starting at 6:00 pm on Friday and 12:00 pm on Sunday.

The event previously was a part of a larger spectacle, taking place in Adelbert Gymnasium. Since the move to the new facility and a phasing out of some of the historical events, the two basketball games comprise most of the festivities for the weekend. However, fans are encouraged to sport their vintage gear and cheer on the teams in style.

Just across the state line, the CWRU track and field teams will be taking their skills to Carnegie Mellon University for the fifth annual face off for the Obelisk Trophy. The team will be wearing custom t-shirts and is hoping to bring their fan base along as they continue this rivalry.

The event was the brainchild of former CWRU head coach Steve Rubin. Since 2011, the results have been evenly split with the Spartan women claiming the top spot and the Tartan men beating out the CWRU team. The track and field team this year is hoping to change things up with a decisive win.

Both events promise to be exciting entries in the history of CWRU athletics.

Feel free to join the basketball team this weekend to have a part in the fun.

18 | sports

1/31/14

the

@CWRUObserver The Observer observer.case.edu

Observer

Super Bowl viewing guide Eat a slice of pizza for every: -Reference to Richard Sherman’s interview -Shot of someone unnecessarily wearing sunglasses -Reference to the game or player in question being “legendary” -A coach feigns disbelief regarding a foul call

Chug your beverage every time: -You are reduced to tears by a commercial -The announcers talk about audibles -A play goes under review -Sideline reporter shown looking cold

Switch over to the Puppy Bowl when: -Russell Wilson is called the “next Peyton Manning” -They show the temperature and wind speed on screen -A quarterback comparison appears -Announcer mentions a player wearing gloves

Do a touchdown dance when: -A team uses a timeout within the first five minutes of play -A commercial highly features an adorable animal -Bruno Mars sings something that is not family friendly -They show a montage of sad fans

Order another round when: -Peyton Manning talks on the sideline phone -Marshawn Lynch goes into “beast mode” -Richard Sherman stares menacingly at a camera -Any kicking holder can’t get the ball straight

Spartans snap three-game losing streak with win at home Julien Person scores career-high versus University of Chicago

JP O’Hagan Staff Reporter The men’s basketball team’s play last weekend was a crucial step in the right direction as the Spartans split their weekend of UAA play at home.

Case Western Reserve University snapped a season-high, three-game skid on Sunday with a strong win over the University of Chicago. After dropping a close game to Washington University of St. Louis on Friday night for a three-game losing streak, the Spartans came roaring back for a decisive win over the Maroons.

After the weekend, the Spartans stand at 10-6 and look toward next week’s throwback weekend, aiming to return to the same strong defense that has helped them win games. “We play two talented teams this weekend, so we need to play well,” said head coach Sean McDonnell.

The weekend started the same as the weekend before, as a lack of scoring caused an upset of the nationally-ranked Washington University Bears to slip through

the Spartans’ fingers. Spartan big men, forward Dane McLoughlin and center David Thompson continued their dominating play, posting 17 points, nine rebounds and 13 points, 10 rebounds, respectively.

Thompson’s stats gave him his ninth double-double of the season. It wasn’t enough, however, as CWRU fell 77-64 in the opening game of a four-game home stand.

The Spartans started off slow, going down 17-7, but fought back to a 23-21 lead as McLoughlin connected from behind the arc. Washington answered swiftly, however, with an 8-0 run. By halftime, Washington was up 33-28.

The crowd energized the Spartans as they opened the second half and battled to a 50-46 lead with 12:40 left to play.

The shooting dried up too soon for the Spartans, however, as they were then handed a commanding 20-1 run by the Bears, as the team was unable to find the middle of the hoop from the f loor for over seven minutes.

That was enough for the Bears, who were able to hold out when the Spartans

mustered up a 9-0 run, as Washington University went home with their eighth straight win. “We needed to play at a higher level than we did for 40 minutes against an opponent like Washington University,” McDonnell said.

Julien Person provided the spark needed for the Spartans to get back on track as he lead a motivated CWRU team to a 77-58 victory over the University of Chicago. Person scored a career high of 30 points, which he nicely complimented with eight rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals.

McLoughlin and Thompson contributed their share to the victory with 24 points between the two of them, and 16 rebounds and five blocks for Thompson.

Both teams started sloppy and only managed 51 points between them by the half. The Spartans used the lack of pressure to get into a good rhythm and pieced together a 19-7 run over nine minutes of play which led to their 30-21 lead at the half.

The second half was very different,

as the Spartans charged out of the locker room for a 12-5 run to go up by 16 points.

Person came alive in the second half, recording 23 of his 30 points in the second half. The Maroons would have cut the lead in half and climb to within eight, but Person’s sharp shooting took away any hope of a Chicago comeback.

“Julien is our most versatile player, and I was really proud of his performance on Sunday. He played incredibly well,” said McDonnell.

The Spartans will remain at home for a second-straight UAA home weekend playing Brandeis on Friday and New York University on Sunday. The Spartans look to capitalize on their stellar performance on Sunday and climb back into UAA standings. The Spartans will be looking for the continued support of the campus community as they look toward the rest of the season. “I thought the crowd was outstanding. Our players really appreciate that type of atmosphere,” McDonnell said. “Hopefully it will be like this again this Friday versus Brandeis.”

observer.case.edu

sports | 19

Editor’s Choice

Super Sunday: Stats and storylines for the big game Denver Broncos face off against the Seattle Seahawks

JP O’Hagan Staff Reporter The buzz about the Super Bowl XLVIII, which is this Sunday, is enough to light the Empire State Building. Well, that is what Verizon wants you to think as they use a rather clever publicity stunt to track the Twitter responses to the question “#whosgonnawin” and track the results to choose the team colors that will light up New York’s most famous building this week.

This Super Bowl gained notoriety months before it was even known which two teams would play. It is the NFL’s first “cold weather” Super Bowl, taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, just outside of New York City. The newest NFL stadium—until San Francisco’s new Levi’s Stadium opens next season—was chosen to host the first open-air Super Bowl in a cold

25

weather city. Previous Super Bowls held in cold cities were held in indoor stadiums. This presents a few issues for the league, as they must have contingency plans for the nasty weather that can hit the northern U.S. pretty hard.

The weather shouldn’t be much of an issue for the two teams, however, as the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos are both cold weather teams. This is their first meeting since 2002 where the two number one seeds played for the championship. The hype has been building, and some amazing stats have been found about the two teams.

The Seahawks have the best defense in the league, giving up only 231 points this season; the Broncos, however, have the best offense, putting up 606 points.

The differential of 375 points is the largest gap ever in a Super Bowl. Additionally, the Broncos’ starting quarterback Peyton Manning has been 0-4 in playoff games when the starting temperature is less than 40 degrees. Manning has to

Russell Wilson’s age

The

Numbers

Game

2006

overcome the curse: Of the first three quarterbacks who reached the Super Bowl after leading the league in passing and touchdowns, all of them lost. Russell Wilson, the Seahawks’ quarterback, is 12 years younger than Manning.

Back in August, the two teams played in the preseason and the Seahawks won 40-10. The only players who have previously played in a Super Bowl are all members of the Broncos team. The Seahawks will be in their white away jerseys, and nine of the last 10 teams to wear white have won. The funniest thing to come out of the hype this week occurred Tuesday at Media Day, when a journalist asked the Broncos’ Shaun Phillips if he “considers this game a must win?” The answer was an obvious “duh, yes.”

There is more to the Super Bowl than the game. Americans will eat 1.23 billion chicken wings, 11.2 million pounds of potato chips and watch $4 milliona-spot commercials. The halftime show

37

will be Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. While they are, admittedly, a rather odd combination, they’re not too different from LMFAO showing up alongside Madonna two years ago.

Vegas will make $7 million off the $99 million bet on the game. These bets are not just on the outcome of the game (through the Broncos have a slight advantage) but also on dozens of prop bets.

Will the singer forget any words of the National Anthem? (It has happened.)

Will marijuana be said at any time in the broadcast? (Both of the team’s home states have legalized the drug.) Who will be the MVP? (The odds are in favor of Manning.)

Which song will Bruno Mars sing first? What color Gatorade will be dumped on the winning coach? Will the coin toss be heads or tails?

As Sunday approaches, it really comes down to two questions: Who is going to win? And is all the excitement enough to melt the snow?

Peyton Manning’s age

Combined win/loss record for season

26-6 32°

Expected Broncos’ last temperature Super Bowl

Seahawks’ last appearance Super Bowl appearance points forced by Broncos offense this season points allowed by Seattle defense this season

231

606

1998

20 | sports

1/31/14

sports

Women’s basketball drops two games despite strong effort

Junior Brooke Orcutt looks for her teammates against Washington University last Friday.

Stephen Wong Contributing Reporter The Spartans dropped below .500 to 7-9 overall and 1-4 in UAA play this weekend after losing two games to two difficult opponents: Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Chicago.

Despite the two losses, head coach

Jennifer Reimer believed that the games were not complete losses, “Our number one goal is to always make sure we compete and I thought we played really hard this weekend.”

Friday’s game brought the No. 2 nationally ranked Washington University in St. Louis Bears to Horsburgh Gymnasium. Washington University’s only loss

of the season had come at the hands of DePauw University, last year’s Division III National Champion. In spite of the formidability of their opponent, Reimer said her Spartans “are always happy to take a shot at such a good team.”

The Spartans began the game playing very well, as scores exchanged between both teams. The ladies committed only

Arianna Wage/Observer

three turnovers in the first half, with five different Spartans scoring and Berit Eppard leading the way on the glass with nine rebounds. Despite ending the first half down 31-17, the deficit was due more to the Spartans’ shots simply not falling rather than taking bad shots.

to Women’s | 16

Spartan wrestlers fight until the end in first home match David Hoffman Staff Reporter The Spartan wrestlers came out fighting on Saturday, but ultimately fell short to Washington & Jefferson College in their home opener. The final score of 33-9 was deceiving; a great majority of the matches were closely contested, coming down to the wire. The decisions slowly piled up for Washington & Jefferson, eventually proving too much for the Case Western Reserve University Spartans to overcome.

It was evident from the beginning that

the Spartans had indeed improved early in the season. Until Saturday, though, students didn’t have the opportunity to see that improvement themselves. The matches were pretty evenly played for the most part, displaying the inherent chess match that occurs between two wrestlers in the ring. =Freshman Luke Marcelli continued his phenomenal season, defeating Washington & Jefferson’s Timothy Keblesh 5-0 to improve his season record to 21-7. Three matches that day ended before they even began, with three wrestlers forfeiting their

matches. Two of the three forfeited matches went against the Spartans.

Even when the odds were against them, the Spartans refused to go down quietly, resisting numerous takedown attempts by the opposition. One moment in particular captured the fighting spirit displayed by the wrestlers and how close they were to breaking through. Connor Medlang of CWRU was trailing Lucas Etzel of Washington by a count of 2-0.

At the last moment, it appeared that Medlang had executed a takedown of Etzel to tie the match 2-2.

Unfortunately the referee ruled that time had expired just before the takedown occurred, negating the score and leaving Medlang on the short end by mere moments. The opposing wrestlers also resisted takedowns by the Spartans in turn.

The match as a whole had the feel of a close contest, much closer than the final score would indicate.

The Spartans will look to rebound from this match next weekend when they hit the road once again to compete in the Pete Willson Invitational, which is being hosted by Wheaton College in Illinois.