Volume XLV, Issue 18: Feb. 7, 2014

the

volume xlv, issue 18 friday, 2/7/2014

Observer Fashion Forward The high-ceilinged gallery is dark except for a screen showing a looped video of neon lights and the glowing artworks themselves.

The informational plaques that accompany the pieces are difficult to read in the low light, but the works themselves attract the viewer’s gaze to LED lights and softly glowing fabric.

These pieces complete “IN THE DARK: Wearable Technology with Light,” an exhibition that premiered last week at MOCA. This exhibition focuses on the fusion of fashion and technology, and draws on the talents of both artists and engineers, all of whom attend either Cleveland Institute of Art or Case Western Reserve University.

Ellie Rambo Staff Reporter

see pg. 9 Arianna Wage/Observer

United Airlines announces cuts to 60 percent of Cleveland departures Slashes to impact travel to smaller, non-hub cities Case Western Reserve University community members from select cities will soon have a tougher time traveling to and from campus.

This weekend, United Airlines told its employees that Cleveland Hopkins International Airports will lose its “hub” status in the coming months, slashing departing

flights by around 60 percent.

CWRU travel services manager Michael Kurutz called the impact of the hub closure a “mixed bag.” He emphasized that those who need to travel to destinations near other cities with United hubs, including Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and Newark, will not see much in terms of a change, but those trying to reach non-hub smaller cities such as Madison, Indianapolis, Louisville or even New Orleans might face some serious travel tribulations. Currently CWRU spends $5

million annually on air travel, choosing United for around 65 percent of flights.

Kurutz says that for many Midwestern travelers, driving will have to be considered since layovers in a hub city could result in travel times as long as just simply taking the highway. “[The hub closure] is very, very disappointing, but was expected,” Kurutz said, later adding, “They weren’t making money on the transit traffic.”

In a letter first acquired by The Plain Deal-

er, Jeff Smisek, chairman of United’s Board and the airline’s president and chief executive officer, told Cleveland employees that the hub “hasn’t been profitable for a decade, and has generated tens of millions of dollars of annual losses in recent years.”

Flights will be cut primarily from the D Concourse. Smisek has said that United’s departures from Cleveland will drop from a daily average of 199 to only 72

by June. The cuts are expected to start taking place in April.

News

A&E

Opinion

Sports

pg. 2 Sexual misconduct policy presented

pg. 7 Classical radio on campus

pg.11 Demystifying diversity

pg. 14 Men’s Basketball: Shoots ahead

Mike McKenna News Editor

news Editor’s Choice

USG reviews interim sexual misconduct policy Student feedback to be collected through this weekend Jonah Roth Staff Reporter Vice president of student affairs Louis Stark and vice president for inclusion, diversity and equal opportunity Marilyn Mobley presented the interim sexual conduct policy to the Undergraduate Student Government at Tuesday night’s general assembly meeting.

One of the most controversial topics of the presentation was the responsibility to report sexual misconduct. According to the policy, any member of the Case Western Reserve University community—students, faculty or staff—has a responsibility to report any sexual misconduct they witness or hear about, either directly from the victim or secondhand from a friend. Several USG members expressed concern that this requirement, which was already in the university’s previous sexual assault policy, would create a “chilling effect” preventing students from telling close friends if they are assaulted. Mobley, however, pointed out that both the victims and their friends fulfill their duty to report by going to a confidential source such as University Counseling Services, which does not investigate reports of sexual assault.

“We would want it to go the next step so that the person would be protected,” Mobley added. “I understand the desire of a friend to protect a friend… The challenge with that silence is that the person doing the misconduct is then free to continue doing it.”

Another question raised by multiple USG representatives was the scope of the policy in regard to off-campus activity. Stark clarified that the policy does not affect situations off-campus in which one of the people involved is not a CWRU student, but does extend to CWRU students

Xiaoyu Li/Observer Vice president for inclusion, diversity and equal opportunity Marilyn Mobley speaks at the last USG general body meeting. off-campus at university-sponsored events such as study abroad programs and student-organized events such as parties.

The policy was updated due to a “Dear Colleague” letter sent by the U.S. Department of Education to all schools receiving federal funding in 2011 as a result of new statistics concerning sexual violence—one in five college women and 6.1 percent of college men experience it, according to the Department of Education. “There is a belief that this is almost an epidemic of sexual violence on [college] campuses,” Mobley noted.

The changes include a merger of what were previously the sexual assault and sexual harassment policies; clearer definitions

of what constitutes consent, incapacitation and assault; and a designation of deputy Title IX coordinators who also serve as sexual assault investigators. Sexual assault, violence and harassment are covered under Title IX—a set of laws preventing sexual discrimination in education—since the “Dear Colleague” letter classifies sexual assault as a form of discrimination.

The university has been collecting feedback on the policy since the beginning of the year; however, Stark noted that the feedback form would only be online through this weekend. After this time, a committee of four people will review all the feedback and discuss making changes to the policy within the constraints of the

“Dear Colleague” letter.

Although Stark said that official feedback collection ends this weekend, Mobley added that her office would continue to be open to input. “My office has oversight over the policy… You can always send information to our office and let us know if you have a concern.”

Mobley added that the offices of student affairs and diversity “are going to be pretty vigorous” in promoting knowledge of the new policy. Later this year, official training in the new policy will begin, and the committee in charge of the policy will hold an educational forum, bringing in outside speakers, to educate the CWRU community about the policy.

The Power of Purple: How to get involved in Relay For Life now Arielle Soffer Staff Reporter

Harsha Chandupatla/Observer

CCEL attempts to break blood donation record for this year Final donation figures were unavailable as of press time. However, the Thwing ballroom was seen packed with students. One reporter for The Observer waited two hours for the chance to give blood during peak hours.

As snow falls continuously on campus, sleeping outside on the Van Horn Field track is the last thing on students’ minds.

However, Relay For Life 2014 is drawing nearer, and there are ways for students to get involved in the event in the months leading up to its official date, April 12-13.

Throughout the month of February, students can take on the February Frenzy challenge, sponsored by Colleges Against Cancer. Each week until Feb. 28, students can complete one task in order to be entered into a raffle to win 50 Chipotle burritos for their team. The tasks include creating a team, recruiting at least 10 members, raising $150 as a team and purchasing a luminaria to honor someone who has been affected by cancer.

These events all lead up to Relay’s Power of Purple event on Feb. 28 which will take place in Nord 310. This event

will feature a mini-Relay For Life with food and entertainment. In past years, Power of Purple has consisted of a few tables with food and very little student interaction. This year, undergraduate student co-chairs Shruthi Srinivas and Alissa Prior aim to utilize this event in a different way. “The goal is not only a huge recruitment push, but to remind students that Relay For Life is right around the corner,” said Prior.

Later on that evening a student-faculty basketball game will take place, which is a Relay For Life tradition each year. In addition to the basketball game, a number of fundraising opportunities will be available, such as raffles and knockout challenges. Afterwards, students can enjoy a late night at The Jolly Scholar, where 5-10 percent of the night’s proceeds will benefit Relay For Life.

“Our end goal is to shatter our fundraising record,” said Srinivas, “and these events will increase publicity.”

news

observer.case.edu

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Theoretical physicist to speak about Higgs Boson particle at public event Gabrielle Buffington Staff Reporter Glenn D. Starkman, a man who has substantial experience under his belt for theorizing about the stars, will shine some light on what is sometimes referred to as the “God particle”. The Jewish Alumni Network and the Case Western Reserve University Alumni Association will be sponsoring “An Evening of Learning with Glenn Starkman” on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Siegal Lifelong Learning Facility where he will discuss the Higgs Boson particle.

Higgs Boson was the last remaining undiscovered particle—its existence was required by the Standard Model of particle physics, which is Starkman’s field of specialty. Starkman graduated from the University of Toronto in 1984 with an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Physics. He furthered his education at Stanford University and received his Ph.D. in 1988.

Once he was certified, he built up an illustrious research career, serving at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, and the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics. He became a faculty member here at CWRU in 1995.

Since then, he has focused on using his research of the evidence remaining from past particles to predict future life. He has studied the interaction of planets and how they’ve shaped the universe. He has analyzed min-

Christina Tam/Observer Physicist Glenn D. Starkman will speak at a Jewish Alumni Network and CWRU Alumni Association joint event next week. iature black holes in particle accelerators to figure out how other systems and galaxies function. He is even extending and testing Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.

All of his hard work, along with his commitment to teaching graduate students how to think of stimulating ideas for themselves, has led to Starkman being bestowed with numerous accolades. He was deemed a Guggenheim Fellow in 2003, and a founding board

Engineering a solution to malaria deaths The story behind John Lewandowski, entrepreneur and engineer Jeniece Montellano Staff Reporter The creation of Blackstone LaunchPad at Case Western Reserve University gives students the ability to create their own companies and startups based solely off of original ideas. However, the spirit of entrepreneurship has been here at CWRU long before the help of LaunchPad: A device created by John Lewandowski, CWRU class of 2012, has the capability to provide an accurate malaria diagnosis in less than 60 seconds.

Lewandowski’s device is called RAM, which stands for Rapid Assessment of Malaria. It is capable of detecting malaria in the blood before it reaches a symptomatic concentration. Simply put, it can provide an early diagnosis of malaria, allowing for early treatment and resulting in a lower mortality rate.

The device is less costly, more accurate, portable and time-efficient.

“The CWRU mechanical engineering program did a fantastic job of preparing me with the necessary manufacturing and design skills to pursue the design of the device,” says Lewandowski. As a double major in mechanical engineering and management, his education has been an integral part in creating RAM. He also returned to CWRU for his Master of Engineering and Management degree in 2013. CWRU assistant professor and malaria researcher Brian Grimberg helped Lewandowski co-found Disease Diagnostic Group, or DDG. Under this company, they have the resources to test and create better prototypes of RAM. Entrepreneurship has been very time-consuming for Lewandowski. He’s worked through birthdays and holidays to meet deadlines, given up family and social time for travel and work obligations, anything to make

DDG even better. His favorite show is “Shark Tank,” a show featuring entrepreneurs who pitch their business ideas to self-made millionaires and billionaires, and he often thinks about how he would answer the questions in regards to DDG. “I enjoy nothing more on a Friday and Saturday night than to work on my CAD files and dissect the business plan,” said Lewandowski. “There are many things to work on with this company, and it has really strengthened my prioritization tactics.”

There is a lot of pressure on Lewandowski to make RAM succeed. Many people have donated their time, money and advice to DDG and RAM. As the youngest person ever to license a technology from CWRU, Lewandowski has been very self-motivated.

He works on every aspect of his company, both technical and business-related. His love for presenting and public speaking has allowed him to meet many people who inspire him to do more with DDG. With resources like Think[Box] and LaunchPad, Lewandowski encourages budding entrepreneurs to keep pursuing their goals. “There is room for everyone to be an entrepreneur,” says Lewandowski.

His project has allowed him to learn more about the different departments at CWRU and everything the university has to offer. His advice for students is to think carefully about their next design project and find out the problems that customers today are having. Talking to customers in real time is often the best way to discover what people want out of a business.

“Sometimes this pressure is overwhelming, but it reminds me that everybody is on my team,” says Lewandowski. “I think the best slogan for my company is ‘We are DDG.’ The ‘We’ refers to everyone who has helped us. ‘We’ is CWRU. ‘We’ is Jumpstart. ‘We’ is Cleveland.”

member of the Reinvention Center that focuses on undergraduate education at research universities. In 2012, he received the John S. Diekhoff Award in Graduate Mentoring— an honor which recognizes full-time faculty members for excellence in graduate student teaching and mentoring.

“He appears unafraid to push forward and do what is necessary to achieve success. He is undeterred by hurdles or mistakes and appears

to see every challenge as an opportunity,” wrote one of his nominators.

Glenn Starkman currently serves as professor of physics and astronomy, director of the Center for Education and Research in Cosmology and Astrophysics, and director of the Institute for the Sciences of Origins at CWRU. “An Evening” with him will be from 7 to 9 p.m. at 26500 Shaker Boulevard in Beachwood, Ohio.

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news

2/7/14

On the beat:

What in the world

Me and my shadow Jeffrey Daberko Staff Reporter So everyone’s favorite rodent, Punxsutawney Phil, has crawled out of his hole and decreed that winter’s end is only six weeks away—thank goodness.

Hopefully as Phil crawled back into his access-controlled burrow for a rodent nap he checked to make sure no one, rodent or otherwise, was following behind him, or as we call it here at Case Western Reserve University, tailgating.

Tailgating refers to when you use your CWRU ID to swipe into an access controlled are such as a residence hall or lab and someone sidles in behind you as the door closes, without using their own ID. Many times this can be someone who was just hoping to get into a building without having to dig their own ID out, but sometimes it can be someone who has more sinister plans in mind. Over the years, CWRU PD has caught a number of folks in residence halls who were up to no good, and when asked how they got in the building the answer is something along the lines of “I followed behind some guy or girl.”

CWRU has spent a fair amount of money over the years to put an access control

the

system in place to help secure university buildings, but any system is only as effective as people make it. We all want to be polite, but if you feel someone has gotten into a building behind you who may not belong there, just duck away and contact us at 216-368-3333, give us a location and description. We will take it from there—university policy states that students and staff must show their CWRU ID when asked by a member of the CWRU Police & Security Services Department. It is worth noting that university property is private property, and no one has a right to be on the property without a legitimate reason, especially if they aren’t students or staff.

So if you see someone in a residence hall who may look out of place, (in the past we have arrested 14 and 55-year-olds in residence halls, definitely a little outside the normal age range for residents) especially if they aren’t accompanied by a resident, give us a call and we’ll respond. So take a cue from Phil and be careful who you let into your burrow.

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.

@CWRUObserver

Observer

Start Your Career in Accounting.

Russian president Vladimir Putin likes animals Mark Patteson Staff Reporter In preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, Vladimir Putin visited a Persian leopard sanctuary when suddenly a six-month-old cub attacked two journalists. Known for his action in the face of danger, Putin leaped into the fray like an agile cat and subdued the cub by calmly cuddling with it. The journalist suffered minor feline-related injuries. According to the BBC, after the heroic event, Putin said, “I like animals, it seems I have a feeling for them.”

The Persian leopard went extinct in the Caucasus region of Russia in 1970. In 2009,

Russia established a captive breeding program in Sochi National Park in order to reintroduce the leopards in the wild. Putin visited the park in an attempt to demonstrate the positive environmental impact of the Olympic Games, which environmentalists have decried as damaging habitats.

Putin is no stranger to the animal kingdom. In 2008, he assisted a group of scientists in tracking and tagging an Amur Tiger.

In a similar 2010 expedition, he put a tracking collar on a polar bear. Putin has also ridden horses shirtless, wrestled dogs in the snow, stood next to undisturbed reindeer and flown a flock of Siberian cranes to winter habitats in a glider.

On The Blotter CWRU Police Blotter Jan. 28 to Feb. 4 Jan. 30: Motor vehicle theft—Parked auto taken off street; E.108th Street/Cedar Avenue Service Center.

Jan. 22: Motor vehicle theft—Parked auto taken from lot between Jan. 23 and 30; Lot 5. Vehicle later recovered by Cleveland police off campus.

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

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fun page | 5

fun

Crossword Puzzle Across 1. Torture device 5. Borders on 10. Adriatic resort 14. Found in some lotions 15. Drills 16. Bright thought 17. Wastefulness 19. Tidy 20. Writing liquid 21. Bay window 22. Ties 23. Notwithstanding 25. Corrupt 27. Autonomic nervous system 28. Handling 31. Bit of parsley 34. Metalwares 35. Chief Executive Officer 36. Fastened 37. Termagant 38. Small freshwater fish 39. And so forth 40. Remedies 41. Speaks 42. Based on traditional stories

44. Not brilliant 45. Promises 46. Poster color 50. Deflect 52. Home 54. Central 55. Murres 56. Wilderness 58. Fastens 59. Bring upon oneself 60. Brand of credit card 61. Back talk 62. Excrete 63. Holly Down 1. Fanatical 2. Without company 3. Prepares a meal 4. Barbie’s beau 5. Terminates 6. An unidentified aircraft 7. Desire 8. Gossips 9. South southeast 10. An inner piece of cloth 11. The same 12. Deceased 13. Horse feed

18. Accomplishing 22. Partiality 24. Gave money 26. Again 28. Type of mushroom 29. Between the head and shoulders 30. “Comes and ____” 31. Flower stalk 32. Compassion 33. Parsonages 34. Pounding 37. Very 38. Humid 40. Large town 41. Anagram of “Merit” 43. Pester 44. Abandon 46. Ballet skirts 47. Electronic letters 48. Washing machine cycle 49. Large African antelope 50. Places 51. Diva’s solo 53. A single time 56. Hasten 57. 56 in Roman numerals

You should talk to the girl down the hall; I think you’d like her.

Lemme know if you find out why she’s ordering all those colored plastic balls.

By xkcd

Clock Tower

by Kevin Yong

6 | fun page

2/7/14

Philosofish

Horoscopes

Kate Hart Ray Krajci

This weather is crazy right?

Are you still snowed in?

Aries

You tried your hardest this week, and now it’s time to relax. Give yourself a break and let yourself sleep in. Even though you may regret it when you have work due, just let your body tell you what to do for a bit, except don’t listen when it tells you to jump on that hot guy/girl. Not cool.

Taurus

Do you believe in miracles? Maybe you should reconsider what you put your faith in.

Yeah...

I‛ll never get my car out.

Gemini

The polar vortex may have hampered your party plans, but the extra time catching up on your sleep will pay off once you remember you have four papers due next week.

Cancer

As you finish your first test of the semester, keep in mind that it’s only one grade. And a degree isn’t everything.

I guess I could just walk over...

Leo

Rethink your idea to take part in your friends’ version of the winter Olympics on the icy streets of Little Italy. Your health plan premium doesn’t consider boredom to be a qualifying condition when assessing your premium.

Don‛t be a hero.

I‛ll see you when it stops snowing.

PhilosofishComics@gmail.com

xkcd

Virgo

The Carriage

Try not to think about the fact that you spent $150 on a coat that wasn’t meant for temperatures below freezing. Just put on an extra sweater underneath and feel fashionably superior to your bundled peers.

Libra

You may have accidentally locked yourself out of your campus account, but things are still looking up. Maybe just avoid dark alleys this week.

Scorpio

I learned from Achewood that since this poem is in ballad meter, it can be sung to the tune of Gilligan’s Island. Since then, try as I might, I haven’t ONCE been able to read it normally.

group immediate insure last legal loss lumber marl minimum mouth police pose renew state volunteer water wipe writer

Wordsearch

acceptable applicable apply balance beef between brake champagne check claim deduct elect enclose escape expense expression fear front

Don’t let the fact that you still haven’t shed the 10 pounds you put on over the holidays get you down.

The extra weight will prove useful once Cleveland turns into a winter warground that pits humans against squirrels in an epic battle for the city.

Sagittarius

You may want to reconsider the topic for your final project. What sounds like a fun challenge in February could leave you stressed and sleepless once the ice melts in March.

Capricorn

Your roommate may be getting on your last nerve, but keep in mind that once the great outdoors are available again you might want someone to cover that portion of the rent.

Aquarius

All of your friends are jealous of your choice to get the flu shot back in November. Don’t let them guilt you into making soup and tea runs just because they lack your foresight.

Pisces

Don’t give up on your hope for a date this Valentine’s Day. Even though the candidates up until this point have been a bit sketchy, you never know who you’ll meet on the next crowded and smelly shuttle to the dorms.

arts & entertainment

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Editor’s Choice

Classical music for all WRUW program entertains young and old

Zsolt Bogar Staff Reporter

Are you one of the many individuals on campus who feel that the shadow of Severance Hall and the riches of the Cleveland Orchestra are intimidating—but wish to reconcile your curiosity for classical music? The community has found the perfect answer in “Not Your Grandmother’s Classical Music” with host Eric Charnofsky, on Case Western Reserve University’s own radio station 91.1 WRUW-FM. Just past its first anniversary on air, the show surprises, delights and informs every Monday at 1:30 p.m., as the perfect bridge for seasoned listeners and hesitant newcomers alike. Complete with lively and well-researched features, surprising content, back-stories on the works and guidance by a distinctive and compelling host, this dynamic program is indeed a growing hit.

Host Eric Charnofsky, himself a distinguished pianist, has been a resident of Cleveland since 1996 and is also currently

on faculty as an instructor in the music department at CWRU. “The show is not just for the student community, and is an ideal pathway of interest to classical music with its endless discoveries,” says Charnofsky.

His aspirations for the program include making people on campus more aware of WRUW and making the community more aware of performing arts events on CWRU’s campus. He even hopes to expand the show to include interviews with faculty colleagues, guest performing artists and ensemble and stage directors. As for the music itself, he adds with a smile: “As with most programs on WRUW, you will not find the standard top-40 hits here. These are the most unexpected and surprising numbers you will find on air. Some of these pieces you will not imagine hearing on a classical music station, and their stories, which we always share, are even more unexpected.”

Featured works have included George Crumb’s “Voice of the Whale,” which uses amplified ensemble instruments; the

Heinrich Biber “Battalia,” hundreds of years ahead of its time with polytonal use of instruments; works by Charles Ives for two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart; and the early 18th century composer Marin Marais’ early programmatic piece “The Bladder-Stone Operation,” whose score includes such colorful indications to the musician, such as “The patient is bound with silken chords” and “He screameth.”

The weekly program first aired Jan. 21, 2013 as a 1.5-hour show and has increased to a full two-hour format as a midday accompaniment for study hour and students with headphones, and has built a loyal following within the campus theater, dance and music departments. For those unable to listen live because of a class or another commitment, the show is archived and available to listen to on-demand for one week after the original airdate on the WRUW website. Information about it can be found on the Facebook page for “Not Your Grandmother’s Classical Music.”

The show has a changing and lively format, but typically features a mid-day orchestral work, a CWRU performing arts calendar, themed subjects and occasionally student-read features.

Charnofsky, a radio host and programmer since his student days in California, explains that the name for the show “came to me randomly at the airport, and it seemed a perfect way to address the powdered-wig stereotype of classical music and its listeners.”

The program does run some more standard repertoire at times, though often with the zany twist of an unusual arrangement— for example J.S. Bach on synthesizer—that can surprise listeners in their appeal and similarity in sonics to more familiar music.

Students looking to hear particular types of repertoire or genres are able to make requests on the Facebook page as well. This show comes highly recommended for all, and is a perfect addition to a Monday afternoon routine.

Arianna Wage/Observer

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a&e

2/7/14

Pass the suds... ... from Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon Mike Suglio Staff Reporter

On a cold Monday night when most students were celebrating the first Case Western Reserve University snow day of the academic year, a friend and I decided to venture 30 minutes west to Fat Head’s Brewery and Saloon.

With frozen hands and faces, we entered the massive place. But saying the brewery is huge is an understatement.

Giant brew kettles welcome you at the door and the bar is large and in charge, spreading across a large amount of the restaurant. On one of the coldest days of the year there was not a single open barstool.

The hostess directed us to our booth in the back of the restaurant. I felt small in the large booth; it was as if it was made for the iconic Fat Head character himself.

Sheri Shupe, our friendly waitress who has worked at Fat Head’s since it opened five years ago, welcomed us and commented that it was actually a very slow night for them. This surprised me, but she soon explained that typically all

the

booths are occupied no matter what day.

Shupe asked what beer would we like this evening. I replied, “All of them.”

Then, after a strange stare, “I mean, we would like a sample of all your house beers.” She again looked at us in disbelief. In minutes she returned with twelve large samples of beer. To be frank, it was a lot. When you ask for a sample at most breweries, you are given enough to have about two sips, no more than a few ounces. Here at Fat Head’s, the samples were quite large and generous.

I decided I would start off with two of the lighter beers so I didn’t ruin my palate by starting off with hoppy IPA’s. I first tried the Starlight Lager, which was German-style lager with a lot of malt like American beers. It was a very light color and the perfect beer to drink on a porch over the summer. With snow swirling outside the window, I felt nostalgic.

Next was the Güdenhoppy Pils. Clearly by its name it was also German and even lighter than the lager, but cloudier since it was unfiltered. Made with German hops, this was an exceptionally flavorful pilsner.

It was now time to dive into two of Fat

Observer

@CWRUObserver The Observer observer.case.edu

Head’s staples, the Head Hunter IPA and the Bumble Berry Honey Blueberry Ale. The beer was uncivilized and aggressive.

My mouth was filled with hops and bitters and I needed to follow with water.

It is a very traditional IPA, but not one you could drink a lot of without needing some water to combat the dryness.

On the flipside, the Blueberry Ale may just be my new favorite fruit beer. There was a powerful blueberry aroma and taste which lingered seconds after sipping. The original malty beer was served with a plump blueberry in the glass.

Taking a break from beer seemed like a real challenge at Fat Head’s. I already had tasted four exceptional beers and there were still eight more to go.

My food of choice this evening was the Southside Slopes, a sandwich piled with mouth-watering kielbasa and creamy, gooey, cheese-filled pierogies.

I tried to keep the next four beers within a theme of “ale.” So, I next had the Trail Head Pale Ale. There was a taste of citra hops in it, but overall it was average. A portion of the proceeds of the beer go to the Cleveland Metroparks Trail Fund; that alone would have enticed me

to order a pint if I still did not have seven more samples to go.

Scotch, scotch, scotch came next with the heavy scotch-tasting beer, The Great Scot Scotch Ale. The beer tasted very faintly of caramel. Then was one of my favorite beers at Fat Head’s, the Punch Buggy Pale Ale. Brewed with Whole Flower Amarillo hops, this beer was filled with a cacophony of fruit flavors and malts; truly it was one of the best pale ales I have ever had.

My last ale of the four was the Texas Brown Ale. I have not had a good brown ale in a while and most brown ales are usually shrugged off in comparison to IPA’s. This brown ale was truly deserving of love by being brewed with chocolate malt and Cascade hops. It was also remarkable how light brown in color it was compared to most brown ales.

Taking a break from the beer, my friend and I explored the massive game room filled with dart boards and very loud bowling games. We also realized they had even more seating than we had originally thought. Along the back wall

to Fat Head | 10

Do you want to have a Snowball?

Allison Duchin Staff Reporter Just when you thought that Case Western Reserve University had gotten all the snow it possibly could hold, think again—Snowball is rolling up within the next few weeks. The 13th annual dance set for Feb. 21, 2014 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., organized by the Class Officer Collective, is targeting student buyers this year with new themes and elements that differentiate the event from any other school dance.

COC is taking Snowball downtown this year; they booked the Cleveland Marriott at Public Square as the venue.

Anticipating transportation difficulty, Michelle Djohan, student event chair for Snowball, says COC has procured transportation for all students who want it.

School dances often have a rehearsed or cliché sense of the past—COC breaks away from this stereotype by providing constant improvements from previous Snowballs. They continually reinforce that the purpose of this dance is to get students out of their residence halls to have fun. With all the nostalgia that comes along with school dances, the one memory people can forget about is the stress of having to find a date. Tickets will be sold to singles (or couples for a reduced rate), and tickets purchased after today will rise to the price of $20 and $30.

This year’s Snowball also dares to be different than years before by producing a theme of Masquerade. Of course, this theme is not mandatory and will not be strictly enforced, but students should be encouraged to embrace the new theme.

Michelle Djohan also says that COC has procured masks for the first 320 students to arrive at the event. Both Michelle Djohan and Class of 2014 President Gabriella Chandra have shared information about other gifts that COC has purchased for attendees; however, not all their surprises should be expected to be revealed before the event.

The tradition of Snowball takes to heart and tries to adjust each year to meet students’ desires. According to Chandra, the committee in charge of Snowball this year has decided to forgo the annual charity fashion show and appeal to the majority of the students’ desires to go and primarily dance. To appeal to the attending student body, the committee is also providing a variety of foods to meet most dietary restrictions as well as having a flexible music scene.

There are two questions that seemed to resonate from students considering attending the event regarding what to wear, and who typically attends. Firstly, female students thinking about attending Snowball, wait! You do not need to have your parents send out your old prom dress for this, and likewise for men, there is no need to find a formal suit or tuxedo on short notice. The dress code for the event is semi-formal meaning for men that sport coats and slacks are more than appropriate, and for women this distinction of semi-formal can be clarified as formal cocktail attire. Secondly, all students are encouraged to attend Snowball this and every other year. Historically, however, Chandra says that the two largest groups of attendees are freshmen and seniors. Chandra said that freshmen often, “are eager to see what the event is like,” whereas seniors participate in order to, “experience all of CWRU’s programs before they graduate.”

No matter what your reason for attending the Snowball, it is coming up soon and COC plans to sell approximately 500 tickets to the event. With a undergraduate student body exceeding that amount nearly nine times over these tickets are sure to sell fast, so head to tickets. case.edu starting now, or COC office in Thwing between Feb. 18-21. Tickets can be purchased with cash, check or CaseCash. Don’t let the Snowball roll past without capturing the memories that can always last.

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observer.case.edu

from Front | 1 All three pieces are dress-like garments that incorporate light into their design, but many of the similarities end there. Graham Baldwin, the CIA sophomore who created “Compendium,” describes his work as “a quiet approachable piece of intimate architecture.” His piece combines a crinoline structure with 3-D printed nylon, and is lit from within.

Baldwin printed the nylon using a 3-D printer set up in his bedroom, and put together the garment himself. “The sleeves are actually really large bracelets,” he said, “and it was hard to get them to snap together.”

“H2O Glow,” the garment designed by four CIA and CWRU students, incorporates LED lights, distilled tonic water and black fabric that glows under an ultraviolet light. Engineering freshman Zach Lerner explained that the group was interested in tonic water’s natural fluorescence under ultraviolet light, but that it had to be altered to create enough light to disperse through the fabric. “I distilled the tonic water until most of the water was gone, it’s basically a syrup,” said Lerner. He also added sugar to the substance so that it would glow blue from within the garment’s plastic tubing.

“This project involved a lot of stoichiometry and trial and error.”

“Pulse,” the third garment in the exhibition, is made of black velvet and motion sensor lights that pulse as the wearer moves. Ben Horvat, a senior CIA student and part of the design team, said

that the group was inspired by video games to “make a powerful but still elegant form.” The team started with 16 different designs, and eventually picked one to produce. However, Horvat said that the group may change the dress, allowing it “to evolve in response to its environment.”

The pieces combine specialties, which gave students a chance to work with others outside their disciplines. “I’m used to working in a lab,” said Lerner, “so working with a group on a goal-oriented project was very different. I really enjoyed it.”

Horvat also found that the collaboration involved was beneficial. “Tech is ultimately social, it brings people together,” he said. “Our different skill sets helped this dress come together really nicely.”

Baldwin said that his piece was inspired by stories of children with lost limbs who used 3-D-printed prosthetic limbs. “Wearable tech isn’t going where people think it is,” he said. “It’s moving towards medical uses. You’re either going to be very rich to be wearing 3-D-printed clothing, or it’s going to be saving your life.” Baldwin said that he wanted to make 3-D printers more available to people who to need them.

Man Man | 13 The exhibition will appear at the Brite Winter festival on Feb. 15, as well as the Cleveland Mini Maker Faire on March 29 and the “Yuri’s Night Space Party” at the Great Lakes Science Center on April 12.

Playlist of the Week Anne Nickoloff Staff Reporter “In the Wake of You” — Dum Dum Girls

This song is reminiscent of Billy Idol’s “White Wedding”...and 80’s songs in general. If you ignore the fact that it’s on the album “Too True” (released Jan. 28), it matches most things made 30 years ago.

“You’ve Got Time” — Regina Spektor

I just finished “Orange is the New Black” the other day, and whenever this song comes on, I can’t stop thinking about that outrageous cliffhanger in the last episode. If you haven’t watched it, you should; and if you haven’t listened to this song, you should. Spektor’s whooshy voice over the intense beats makes for a cool, punky juxtaposition of a song.

“Cineramascope” — Galactic

Galactic is coming to Beachland Ballroom on Tuesday, and I wish I could go. This funky jazz band is upbeat and fun, and “Cineramascope” shows the band’s New Orleans-y feel.

“Feels Like Forever” — Of Mice & Men

Heavy, but not too heavy… but still pretty heavy. This pretty much describes Of Mice & Men’s entire new album, “Restoring Force,” which was released Jan. 28.

to Man Man | 13 “Give It Away” — Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers briefly hopped on the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage to play this little hit.

Sure, everyone’s annoyed with the band’s non-live performance, but at least the vocals were real. Prerecorded or not, it was a funky, fast change of pace to Bruno Mars’ performance.

Courtesy 2.bp.blogspot.com, galacticfunk.com, altpress.com, stereogum.com, & pitchfork.com Arianna Wage/Observer

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CMA engulfed in Van Gogh scandal Maria Fazal Staff Reporter The Cleveland Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibition, “Van Gogh: Repetitions,” came together as the result of the ingenious combination of paintings from the Cleveland Museum of Art and The Phillips Collection. However, the show has recently come under fire with the accusation that eight of its pieces are fakes. Authors Benoit Landais and Hanspeter Born assert that a much less famous artist and acquaintance of van Gogh’s, Claude Schuffenecker, created these eight pieces.

In fact, the two recently published a book entitled “Schuffenecker’s Sunflowers: And Other Van Gogh Forgeries.” It appears these are not new allegations, however. William Robinson, CMA’s curator of modern European art and co-organizer of the exhibition, recently told The Plain Dealer, “The authors have been circulating these ideas for over a decade.”

Furthermore, Robinson states that the claims by Landais and Born are “speculative” and widely unaccepted by van Gogh specialists. Local expert and Case

Western Reserve University art history professor Henry Adams holds a similar view to Robinson’s.

In fact, Adams asserts he is “convinced that the paintings in this show are all by van Gogh. In the past, scholars were nervous about directly addressing the fact that van Gogh frequently copied his own work since copies were viewed as ‘not creative,’ so they tended to avoid the subject.”

Nevertheless, things appear to be progressing as of late. In fact, this exhibition is quite groundbreaking: It shows off van Gogh’s repetition of his own pieces, something Adams says has never been done before.

On the other end, Landais and Born’s claims that some of the van Gogh paintings are forgeries are based on their own analysis of van Gogh’s work and study of documentation such as that of his correspondence.

Interestingly, this is the same sort of information Adams says establishes these pieces are van Gogh originals. In fact, he explains that the museum catalog “does a very conscientious job of gathering all the evidence that’s available about every work in the exhibition. In the end, I think it boils

down to the matter of evaluating the vitality and intelligence of the brushstrokes in every painting.”

It seems that Landais’ accusations have not been received warmly in the past either.

In fact, Landais has been called an “outsider” and an “enfant terrible who [delights] in challenging orthodoxy” by ARTnews magazine and has been known particularly for his ability to cause controversy with provocative headlines.

According to the sources, including CWRU’s very own Adams, it appears that it’s safe to say the pieces featured in this exhibition are 100 percent van Gogh’s. Regardless, Adams says, “There are Schuffenecker forgeries…that need to be identified...but not works in this exhibition.”

Regardless of the scandal surrounding the exhibition opening, it is essential to understand how the theme of this show relates to van Gogh’s outstanding caliber as an artist. He was especially meticulous with his craft, which is a tragedy when one considers the little acclaim he received in his lifetime.

This exhibition honoring this once overlooked artist was inspired by the similarities between the CMA’s “Lane Plane

from Fat Head | 8 bearing. Following was the Prohibition have sampled so far this year. was a huge mural of photos with patrons wearing Fat Head’s t-shirts and hats taken from all over the world. Clearly, patrons have a lot of pride and feeling of community with Fat Head’s, which made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Returning to the beer, I started with the Oompa Loompa Chocolate Cream Stout, which as you one could imagine had a clear chocolate taste. It was just the right amount of chocolate taste, not over-

Pauly Porter, which was a classic porter with a mild coffee flavor.

My last two beers were types of beer I have been encountering a lot lately in my reviews. Either these beers are currently in season or they must be the new cool beer to brew. I greatly enjoyed the dunkelweizen named Dunkleosteus, which may be my new favorite beer name, and the altbier, which was simply called the Altbier. Both were actually some of my favorite dunkelweizens and altbiers I have ever had and were by far the best I

We closed out the night getting a tour of the facility by the very friendly and congenial Ted Lipovan, who is the general manager at Fat Head’s. He oddly enough somewhat resembled the logo, but laughed about his supposed resemblance and assured us that the name of the brewery came from an old Pittsburgh bar where the owners used to call each other “fat heads.” Lipovan also pointed out that each of their staple beers has its own variation of the original logo.

The facility had a several barrel sys-

Trees” and The Phillips Collection’s “The Road Menders” and how they express not only van Gogh’s evolution, but also his state of mind when painting the pieces.

Adams explains, “The Cleveland painting was clearly painted outdoors, and if you examine x-rays, it shows that van Gogh made a great many changes as he struggled to capture the scene with all the difficulties of changing light and other distractions.

“The Phillips Collection painting has brushstrokes that are slower and more deliberate and in many places. Van Gogh made little changes—added a figure, moving a streetlight, and so forth, to make the design read more clearly.”

It appears part of the reason van Gogh worked so fastidiously on recreating paintings was to grow as an artist by reexamining his style in similar contexts.

This perseverance truly validates his devotion to his art form and solidifies his status as one of the greatest painters of the 19th century.

“Van Gogh: Repetitions” was shown at The Phillips Collection in Washington D.C. from October 2013—January 2014 and will open at CMA March 2, 2014. The show will remain there until May 26, 2014.

tem; Lipovan explained to me this allows the brewery can have up to 22 to 23 different house beers on draft. The twelve on tap were more than enough for my friend and me.

Fat Head’s also allows patrons to take growlers of their beer home with them at very affordable prices.

Fat Head’s Brewery and Saloon may be a bit of a distance for CWRU students, but if you have a car, a group of friends and a love of beer and great food it truly is something exceptional and unique to the greater Cleveland area.

opinion Editorial

Selective transparency stains Snyder’s administration As a private institution, Case Western Reserve University enjoys certain information freedoms not afforded to public universities. This reality became increasingly clear to the editorial board of The Observer this past week when the Office of University Marketing and Communications (UMC) and Office of Undergraduate Admissions refused to provide us with data regarding the Class of 2018 application pool.

Our request may seem strange, but there is a method to our madness. On Jan. 24, The Daily—the official university newsletter published by UMC—released a feature story detailing select statistics pertaining to the Class of 2018. The news article was subsequently posted to the university’s homepage with the headline “record breaking.”

What is so record breaking, you may wonder? So did we. In their highly visible post, UMC, which speaks for President Barbara R. Snyder’s administration, married “diversity” and “underrepresented minorities” in adjacent sentences. In fact, they claimed the latter increased by 21 percent among Class of 2017 and Class of 2018 applicants.

We would love to tell you how the university generated this statistic. But, we can’t.

Snyder’s administration denied our request for data regarding the ethnic backgrounds of applicants between 2007 and 2014. According to university officials, this information would be too complicated for us to understand and would impact the university’s competitive advantage over other institutions.

Here is what we do know: Unlike US News & World Report—the prestigious college ranking service Case Western Reserve strives to impress—the university has a less refined definition of what it means to be diverse. When US News & World Report speaks of diversity, they specifically mean ethnic diversity, which they describe as “the total proportion of minority students—leaving out international students.”

But, Snyder’s administration prefers to paint their picture of diversity with broader strokes. “Diversity is very broadly defined,” Rick Bischoff, vice president for enrollment management, said. “We think about geography, ethnicity, country of citizenship, socioeconomic status, religion, academic interest, extracurricular contributions, etc. Many of these aren’t reported on, but are important factors in building a class.”

The university’s definition of “underrepresented minorities” is equally vague. According to Case Western Reserve’s 2012-2015 Diversity Strategic Action Plan, “underrepresented minorities may vary by discipline” and readers should “refer to discipline specific accrediting bodies for guidance.”

So, what underrepresented minorities comprised the 21 percent increase touted on the university’s homepage? And, how exactly did diversity among undergraduate applicants increase? Snyder’s administration doesn’t want us or you to know.

Unfortunately, this kind of selective transparency is becoming all too common at Case Western Reserve. After all, this is the same place where the provost will host an open forum on tuition, but only during the spring semester and only after students’ tuition bills were due.

This is the same place where all are invited to comment on the university’s Interim Sexual Misconduct Policy, but have merely a week to submit their feedback. This is the same place where the windows may be half cracked, but the blinds remain fully shut.

Staff Commentary Opening the door

Last week, The Observer published an unsolicited submission entitled “Manifesto of a girl interrupted by the Greeks.” The manifesto, a 1,113-word piece that was penned by not one but six women from Case Western Reserve University, ended up being one of our most (un)popular printings so far; in fact, it captured more online views in one week than any other article in The Observer’s recent history.

Whether the interest is rooted in disagreement or support, as The Observer’s director of web and multimedia I’m proud to see the purpose of this section take form. The Opinion section has always been, and strives to continue being, an open platform for student voices and opinions that have merit in our society. I am proud to support a forum central to constructive, if not outright provocative, discussion. However, this is where I’m afraid my pride ends, and my disappointment begins.

A majority of what reached my ears this week has not been the discussion we at The Observer strive for, where arguments are raised and supported and fair resolutions are reached; rather, I’ve noticed a lot of outright anger at the opinions presented. When a group of students came forward to present their concerns—concerns regarding peer pressure, sexism and college life—I’m upset to see the community’s response is to quiet the dissenters. What’s more, these concerns are not unique to Greek Life, as the authors made special note to point out in their conclusion; to see anger at questioning the status quo just adds additional turmoil to my worries.

As someone who decided early on not to go Greek, I know that I made the correct decision for myself. I’m not one for large families, in any form, and the effort required to continuously interact with such a large body is well beyond my interest. When I was facing the question to go Greek or not, I decided I didn’t want to be part of the “frat guy” stereotype; wild house parties, movie-quality antics and conforming to the house persona. While I’m glad that my impression of Greek has changed since I made my decision (the parties actually aren’t dangerous, and several of my Greek friends are the hardest workers I know), I’m upset to see that my fears of not conforming might have been true.

I congratulate these six women who had the courage to express their concerns. Speaking against the grain is never an easy thing to do, and you can expect to anger people in the process. I admit, in interest of fairness, that I personally, not as a member of The Observer, support the message they wanted to say. Those of you who followed my Family Matters column last semester should not be surprised by this statement, as I’m known to support the voices of the minority.

This brings me to my final topic: Some of the anger I heard this past week regarded the accusations of sexism amongst Greek life. Without speaking for the authors, I do not believe they were calling Greek Life sexist, problematic or evil. I am concerned, however, that the cries of sexism have merit. Much bigger than its existence in Greek Life, sexism is undeniably ingrained in today’s society. If you deny this, I ask you to watch throughout the next week for everyday sexism. Listen for when a woman is referred to as a girl, despite their presence as an adult in a well-respected college community, and listen for how many times a man is called a boy. Watch for the male boss who silences the female employee, and compare that to how many female supervisors interrupt their male employees. If you don’t notice any problems, or you disregard when someone questions the status quo, ask yourself: Are you part of the problem?

To bring this back to the topic at hand, I would like to ask the question I have not yet heard.

Why did these women have these concerns? To call out sexism within a sorority is no small thing. We cannot deny that fraternities get away with much more than a sorority. A mere picture of a woman holding an alcoholic beverage is incriminating to the point that it calls upon Greek leaders, while fraternities can host house parties complete with bartender. While the sorority leaders are the ones responsible for such restrictions, I cannot believe that they do not stem from the social pressure for such high standards. “Manifesto of a girl interrupted by the Greeks” did an excellent job in opening the door to these higher, further reaching discussions… and I’m concerned that we’ll continue to close that door every time.

Kyle Patterson, DIRECTOR OF WEB & MULTIMEDIA

State Your Case

26.28%

Does CWRU need more Greek chapters?

60.90%

Yes; there are still plenty of non-affiliated students left to recruit.

No; there are enough options already.

I feel indifferent toward Greek life.

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

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

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

12.82% the observer

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

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

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Focusing on the bigger problems The elephant in the room Andrew Breland Around the U.S., newspapers are losing their ombudsmen. For those unaware, these roles are also known as “reader’s advocates” and “public editors,” and their jobs are to comment not on society or issues, but instead on the paper itself. Ombudsmen’s columns are channels through which both criticisms and praise of content are heard by editorial staff and readers, though the former is far more common. For today, and today only, I am taking on an ombudsman’s role.

When I was asked to continue writing for The Observer last fall, I was told that our columns need to be centrally about something in the Case Western Reserve community. This aim was to promulgate a greater sense of togetherness, and to emphasize the paper as a forum for all sorts of commentary on our university. In the meantime, this paper has focused on community building.

As opinion writers, there has been a concerted, if unplanned, emphasis on student achievement and how our experience can get better. Writers have provided advice to students, including calls to involvement, openness, community and eating a good breakfast. Through this effort, our opinion section has become a champion of trying to slay the demon that is college apathy and

contentment. Instead, we push for a more active and interactive campus.

This goal fails though, when instead of community building and advice, students are presented with attacks on institutions and ad hominem polemics against students on our campus. Last week, in these pages, six undergraduates produced a guest column attacking Greek Life and the sorority rush process in particular.

First, before anything else gets said, the six of them should be commended for voicing an unpopular and divisive opinion. To say what they said publically takes gumption and a level of confidence that not many possess. For that, I am incredibly impressed.

I, for one, will never fault anyone for voicing an opinion. As previous columns in this space suggest, it is my firm belief that the free interchange of ideas, no matter their popularity, makes this a better campus.

However, in opening yourself up with commentary, one must also be prepared for criticism. While I commend the six women for their bravery, their style and message attacks the very heart of this paper’s goal, and if not that, then at least my own.

In what can only be described as a broadside against sororities, the guest column chronicled the uncomfortable and awkward experiences these women have during recruitment. They equated recruitment to a form of speed dating, which masks and represses one’s “quirks and unbridled essence.” They further suggest

Cardinal sin of academia Un-sCWRU your lifestyle Theresa Smetona The first few meetings of any given class can be a little, well, boring. As the professor goes through the necessary motions of covering course policies and introductory material, I occupy myself with debating if I should take advantage of the two week drop/add period to switch into a class that will allow me more time to indulge my ever increasing aversion for homework.

Even as the professor transitions into more interesting and complex topics, I am still somewhat bogged down by estimating the amount of time I will need to spend on the assignment just mentioned. This and similar daydreams would probably extend indefinitely and render my tuition dollars useless if not for the inevitable interruption of a token student who, in his own words, has “a prodigious vocabulary.”

Without fail, and regardless of whether or not the professor has opened the class up for discussion, a magnanimous and brilliant student notices the rather subdued atmosphere that pervades the class and decides to take charge. With a pomposity that is hard to fathom, this enterprising scholar tackles the daunting task of enlightening his fellow classmates. He is neither too shy nor too selfish to share his profound thoughts and illuminating opinions with the rest of the class, and begins to expound his theories with a fervor that is matched only by the utter lack of interest from his audience.

The student litters his speech with allusions to Voltaire, Wittgenstein and any other intellectual that has a foreign-sounding name.

When he manages to include a reference to the taxonomic categorization of words or cultural hegemony, you can see a triumphant smile play around the corners of his lips, and his head actually expands slightly.

After stringing together several poorly chosen and unnecessarily long words in a single sentence, the student begins to feel the intoxicating effects of his eloquence. His face acquires a type of absent expression, which is mirrored by the glazed look found in all of

his listeners’ eyes.

After a minute or two has elapsed, and the student´s supply of elusive references is running low, he dives into the recesses of his memory, desperately fishing for a word with more than four syllables. The struggle is almost visible. He stops talking to take a breather and to consult his trusty thesaurus.

As he reaches into his bookbag, he happens to pull out a book entitled “The Burden of Intelligence,” which bears evidence of having been annotated quite thoroughly.

In the silence that follows his address, the student congratulates himself on his ever-increasing oratorical abilities, and briefly wonders why the room has not burst into applause. He concludes that the students, out of respect for the professor’s feelings, are hesitant to recognize him as the true master of the course material.

I wish that this account was exaggerated.

Unfortunately, a similar version of this routinely takes place in nearly every one of my classes. Within the humanities, it seems impossible to avoid pretentious and prolonged monologues from certain students, eager to mount their pedestals and to unveil the depths of their knowledge.

What is both obnoxious and amusing is the fact that these select students seem to have no idea that their pompous comments do not demonstrate their intelligence, but rather give everyone the impression that they are insecure and desperate for affirmation. If you cannot make your point in a few sentences, you should quit while you’re behind. Don’t talk more than the professor does, please.

Students attend class for a variety of reasons, but I can guarantee that no one came to class with the goal of serving as part of a conceited classmate’s adoring audience. I would point anyone who is seeking to impress his classmates to the words of Woody Guthrie: “Any fool can make something complicated.

It takes a genius to make it simple.”

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

that sororities connote purchasing friends, and that the simple appearance of Greek letters emblazoned on someone’s chest demarcate a fuller person. They end the piece chastising a perceived sexism in the Greek system, and of course apologize for any tension they created.

I will not attack them on the veracity of their arguments. Admittedly, I am not a member of the Greek community and even less so of the sororities here at CWRU. However, I will briefly comment that the reaction from every sorority member I have spoken with about the article is a virulent reprisal against the arguments in the column.

Instead, I wanted to challenge the girls’ notion of community.

For the longest time, this section has focused on attacking university procedures and systems which prevent community growth. Likewise, we advise students based on personal experience, using the strategies we have come to accept as useful. What is questionable then, is the opposite. Attacking a system which hundreds love, because of perceived slights on your own part.

Greek Life needs no more detractors. Rumors spread around campus about financial irregularities, intra-organization politicking and the drunken displays that take place in basements on Friday nights. However, these rumors are just that—unsubstantiated rumors.

They still have carrying power, which presents an issue. Additional complaints about the system are unnecessary at best.

But the attack on community that was presented here last week struck at the very core of campus. Though the requisite drama and infighting occurs within chapters, the truest and most espoused picture of Greek life is happy brotherhoods and sisterhoods in which relationships are established and last for years.

The vast majority of those involved would agree that Greek life presents one of the few real communities on this campus. It is for that reason that not getting involved in Greek life is my biggest regret as an undergraduate.

Their criticisms then, while taken for their worth, should also be seen through that lens.

While the optimal system may be far off, Greek life presents a real opportunity to create a long-lasting bond. So instead of attacking one of the only successful organizations on this campus, more effort should be focused on the things that do not work. Why are commuter students forgotten? Why do university services (the library, dining halls and residence life) leave so many disappointed and neglected? Why doesn’t SAGES work?

These bigger questions demand our attention more than the complaints of six who perceive injustice in a system that everyone else adores.

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.

Letter to the Editor What we talk about when we talk about ‘colonizing’ Last week, these pages featured two articles about Greek life at Case Western Reserve University. I think this is an important conversation for our campus to continue.

Reading the news in the Daily this week that a new Greek organization was going to “colonize” a chapter on campus, I practically stopped in my tracks.

Not because I think CWRU has too many fraternities and attention should be focused on those we already have, as last week’s editorial “Crowding colonies” argued. Not even because I think Greek life is some kind of evil that needs to be prevented from expanding. It was the language itself.

“Colonize”? Really? And chapters are “colonies”? With absolutely no consideration of what colonization or colonies have meant historically? I guess this is the usual jargon within the Greek system, but I was shocked to see this language being used so casually to talk about starting new chapters. Let’s take a look at some recent headlines before we talk about “colonizing” chapters, though.

This last year has not been kind for the national public image of Greek life. Chapters at universities across the country have been suspended or reprimanded for a host of racist incidents, from Mexican-themed parties (as if tequila and sombreros constituted a “Mexican” identity); to a hip-hop-themed party with cups made out of watermelons on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; to Asian-themed parties where white people wore kimonos as costumes (as if “Asian” were a single, monolithic culture).

Meanwhile, much was made about all-white sororities at the University of Alabama who denied membership to several black candidates. A study of eight east coast Greek chapters found that they were over 96 percent white. Historically, many Greek organizations had whites-only clauses until the late 1960s.

I know, I know. No chapter at CWRU would ever do anything so outrageous.

I believe this and agree for the most part. But this is about broader issues than whether or not our campus chapters are as egregious as the chapters that have made national headlines.

The connections and social networks that being a Greek plug you into are often touted as a benefit of joining the club. Just look at the percentage of Congresspeople, Supreme Court Justices or White House Cabinet members that have been members of Greek organizations. By Greek organizations’ own admission, they are networks of power. It is not at all a stretch to say that access to this power has been and continues to be highly racialized across the country. At the very least, this should be cause for thought and conversation on our campus as the administration tries to increase our involvement with national Greek organizations.

But I’m supposed to be talking about the word “colonize” here. So sure, I hear you. I’m making mountains out of molehills. Even with all the incidents of racist behavior at national Greek organizations, even with troubling issues of racially-based access to Greek power, “colonize” is still just one little word. What’s the big deal, right?

The United States is a country with a deeply and brutally violent colonial past. Let’s not kid ourselves by confining this to some far-off “past.” Let’s not imagine that a history of colonialism and racism is somehow not part of the fabric of everyday American life.

In an age where Greek organizations across the country continue to think it’s funny to throw parties that perpetuate racist stereotypes, in an era where historically-powerful Greek organizations continue to be overwhelmingly dominated by white people, the naive and unthinking use of words like “colonize” and “colonies” reeks of the ignorance and privilege that is Greek life at its worst.

Jason Walsh Undergraduate student

observer.case.edu

sports | 13

Spartan swimmers finish up dual season with win Skyler Phillips Staff Reporter The Spartans competed in their final dual meet this weekend against Baldwin Wallace University and met with great success for both the men and women’s teams; this was especially nice for the seniors, as it was their last time racing in their home pool. At the end of the day, the scores were 174-123 for the women and 184-70 for the men.

The events were a little different this weekend, with some of the races being shortened to the 50 and 100 yards in length. For example, instead of the 200 fly and 100 fly, there was the 100 fly and 50 fly. It was the same with breaststroke and backstroke. Freestyle kept the 200, 500, and mile though and the individual medley remained a 200 yard race. Although the races were changed, the Spartan’s high level of performance was not. They swam well individually and in relays, placing first in many events.

Both the men and the women won the 200 medley relay, the women with a time of 1:56.04 and the men with a 1:38.57. The women’s relay was composed of Sophia Colevas swimming the backstroke, Brianna Cain swimming breast, Rebecca Pakradooni fly and Hannah Saunders free; the men’s team had Andrew Bollinger swimming backstroke, Aaron Yeung breast, Eric Haufler fly and Caleb Allen free. Both the men and women also placed first in the 200 free relay. Saunders and Pakradooni made another appearance in that relay, along with AJ Thirion and Rachael Loek.

For the men, the relay had members Gus Bailey, Nick Clyde, Heath Hudgins, and Scott McHenry competing. The women swam a 1:43.53 and the men a 1:27.93.

Individually, the women won the day by claiming first in seven events, and coming in top spots in all others. In the 50 breast, Cain came in first with a time of 31.59 and Taylor Forsythe came in third with a 33.69.

The women dominated the 100 fly by taking first (Pakradooni, 1:00.34) second (Sara Tillie, 1:01.16) and third place (Hannah Altman-Kurosaki, 1:06.22). Maggie Dillione and Hannah Saunder won first and second place in the 50 free, with times of 25.10 and 26.55. Rachael Loek and Thirion paralleled the 50 free in the 100 free with times of 56.87 and 57.23. Tillie came back again in the 100 breast to win first by swimming a 1:08.98, and Cain third with a 1:10.86. Glen won the 500 freestyle as usual, touching the wall at 5 minutes and 32 seconds. Dillione, of course, took the 50 fly with a time of 26.33.

The men’s team performed just as well, taking the top three spots in 200 free, 50 back, 50 breast, and 100 fly.The 200 free had Bollinger (1:47.03), Andrew Henning (1:47.08) and Caleb Allen (1:48.02). In the 50 back, Kyle Peterson swam a 25.95, Nick Clyde a 26.54 and Karch Peterson a 26.65. For the 50 breast Sean Nickley went a 26.66, Scott McHenry a 27.72 and Sean Corcoran a 28.16. Finally, with the 100 fly Aaron Tam swam a 52.37, Alec David a 52.55, and Aaron Yeung a 54.75. Gus Bailey and Alex Roznai claimed first and second in the 50 free with times of 21.94 and 22.80. Eric Haufler won the 100 free with a 47.21, and Sean Corcoran returned to take first in the 100 breast with a 1:02.44.

This was the Spartan’s last dual meet; they are now tapering and preparing for the conference meet, their biggest meet of the year. The end of the season is nigh.

Spartans lose Obelisk trophy to Carnegie Mellon University Skyler Phillips Staff Reporter Last Saturday, the Spartan track team competed against Carnegie Mellon University in the traditional “Battle for the Obelisk” and, despite the women team’s victory, the combined points of the men and women were not enough to carry the Obelisk home; the Case Western Reserve University men’s team lost with a score of 45 to Mellon’s 82, and the woman won with a score of 70 to Mellon’s 57. However, many members performed exceptionally well throughout the meet.

Four of the men placed first in their events, with others earning top-three finishes. The four men were David Dixon (who ran a 15:18.60 in the 5000 meter run), Andrew Barnhart (who reached a mark of 12.66 meters in the triple jump), Henry Weintraub (who threw 16.6 meters in the weight throw) and Branson Repasy (who cleared 4.4 meters in the pole vault).

Many men also broke their original seed times or marks on their way to success against the Carnegie Mellon team.

As for the women, a total of six individual events were won, along with one of the relays. In the 800 meter run, Kelsey Aamoth triumphed with a time of 2:26.88, and in the 5000 Kristen Ruckstuhl did the same with an 18:35.76.

Christen Saccuci vaulted 3.34 meters, landing her in first in the pole vault, while Rachel Tan leaped to victory in the high jump with a distance of 1.57 meters. Meanwhile, Keri Walter reached a distance of 10.44 meters in the triple jump, and Emeline Liu put the shot 10.46 meters. The distance relay consisted of members Brook Simpson, Abby Casalnova, Juliana Ross and Aamoth, who combined ran a time of 13:02.57.

This Battle for the Obelisk was a tradition originally set by former CWRU head coach Steve Rubin and is usually a very competitive yet fun meet. Its loss is a disappointment, but the team still has plenty of opportunities coming up this season to taste the sweet taste of victory, as this was only their third meet. Until those times come, though, train hard Spartans and Godspeed.

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the

2/7/13

@CWRUObserver The Observer observer.case.edu

Observer Editor’s Choice

Spartans jump to second place in UAA division during Throwback Weekend

JP O’Hagan Staff Reporter Maybe it was the uniform changes, but it was likely the dedication that catapulted the Spartans into second place in the UAA with two wins this past weekend.

Big wins over the Brandeis and New York University move Case Western Reserve University to 12-6 overall and 4-3 in the UAA, that record puts them in a threeway tie with Emory and the University of Chicago, and three games behind the undefeated in conference Washington University. The strong play has been foundational for the team and they are prepared and confident for the end of the season. “We can make slight adjustments,” said head coach Sean McDonnell, “But, our overall game place won’t change that much.”

The bright red was a big change from the typical blue and white as the Spartans commemorated the Western Reserve University Red Cats on Friday night as part of Throwback weekend. David Thompson and Tim Chung put up 18 and 17 respectfully to lead the Red Cats to their second straight victory. Thompson added 15 rebounds to his stat sheet giving him his 10th double-double of the season. All five starting Spartans had double-digit points and the spread of the scoring options kept Brandeis guessing, leading to a strong victory. “Our seniors played great against Brandeis. They really led the way,” said McDonnell.

The Spartans started to slow down 11-8 after the opening exchanges, but a 12-1 run over the next three minutes helped them jump to a 20-12 lead. The teams would battle for the lead as Brandeis pulled back into contention with a seven-point run and would grab back their slim lead, going up 31-29 heading into the locker rooms for the half. The vicious battle continued into the second half until the Spartans exploded for their second biggest run of the game putting up ten unanswered points to grab a 48-41 lead. Brandeis fought back to within four twice, but Chung’s sharpshooting of four baskets from behind the arc, foiled any attempt of a Judges comeback. Chung’s last bucket put the Spartans up by 12 with 1:26 left on the clock and the Spartans rode the lead into the locker room with the 74-66 win.

Another change of uniform, this time as the Case Institute of Technology Rough Riders, made no difference in the Spartans play from two nights before as the Spartans battled to a hard fought 80-73 win over New York University. The Spartan offense has come alive since their three game skid, with all five starters scoring in double-digits for the second straight game.

Julien Person, the spark for the Spartans against the University of Chicago two weeks ago added 18 points, with eight vital points in a row in the final minutes.

Thompson added his 11th double-double of the season helping the Spartans return

Courtesy Case Sports Information Guard Julien Person works against the New York University defense during the win on Throwback Weekend. The team was wearing jerseys from the Case Institute of Technology. to their winning ways. Dane McLoughlin was the team leader however has he rattled off a season high 28 points and was named UAA player of the week for his stellar play.

McLoughlin hit five of seven from three point range and was 11-14 from the field. ”Dane is an exceptional player and will deserving of the award,” said McDonnell.

Neither team could get up by double digits in the first 20 minutes with strong runs on both sides of the court. However a 3:34 scoreless slip by the Spartans led to

16-5 Violet run, and put CWRU down 4132 at the half. The Spartans hit the ground running building a 12-4 run in the opening minutes of the second half to climb back to within one. The next nine minutes of play saw multiple lead changes until CWRU pulled out a 9-0 run in the final minutes as Person hit his crucial eight points in a row.

The Spartans will have a strong case of déjà vu as they play Brandeis and New York University again this weekend as they go on the road this weekend for the two games away.

observer.case.edu

sports | 15

SOCHI.R U

Guide to the Olympics

Katie Wieser, David Hoffman, Stephen Wong & JP O’Hagan

The Winter Olympics are set to kick off in Sochi, Russia on Friday as international athletes gather in the resort town to compete for gold. These games have recently been marred with a number of ethical, political and engineering questions posed by the international community. These questions have not distracted the athletes, however, as they embark on what will potentially be the largest competition of their lives.

The Olympics provide a stage for many less well-known events which can help catapult athletes to international fame, but can also lead to a confusing viewing experience for those who aren’t familiar with the structure of the events. We have devised a fool-proof system to link your personal interests with the Olympic event that fits you best.

Be sure to follow your local team as they strive to obtain success on this international stage.

For the attention deficit: Alpine skiing.

This sport provides some of the best entertainment during the Winter Olympics as individual skiers race down the mountain at massive speeds while they combat different obstacles. The events include slalom, giant slalom, downhill, super-G and super combined, these all test the skiers in their skill, speed and athletic ability.

The event is typical dominated by Europeans and 2014 could be no different with Switzerland’s 2010 gold medalist Didier Défago, three-time medalist Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway and Tina Maze of Slovenia competing. But the U.S. will bring a formidable team themselves including decorated veteran Bode Miller, rising star Mikaela Shiffrin and 2006 Turin gold medalist Ted Ligety.

To see the rest of this article, visit observer.case.edu/olympics

The 2014 sochi winter olympics

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sports

Mooney shines despite two losses Women’s Basketball loses sixth straight

Stephen Wong Contributing Reporter With another weekend, came another pair of tough losses for the Spartans in addition to the news of junior captain Berit Eppard suffering an ACL tear that ends her season.

Although the team dropped another two games, coach Jennifer Reimer said, “Overall, we felt it was a good weekend, but disappointing to work as hard as we did and come away with two loses. We played well and gave ourselves the opportunity to win both Friday and Sunday.”

This weekend’s losses came at the hands of Brandeis University and New York University during Case Western Reserve University’s Throwback Weekend where the ladies donned their yellow Flora Stone Mather College jerseys.

The Friday of Throwback Weekend brought the Brandeis Judges to campus and saw the Spartans drop a close game 63-58.

Junior forward Erin Reynolds led the way for CWRU with 17 points through 12 attempts with two rebounds and an assist.

The Spartans led early in a game that had two aggressive defenses. Despite not shooting well in the first half, the ladies played aggressively on both ends and led 9-2 just five minutes into the half.

Brandeis then responded with a 9-0 run that put them ahead, but thanks to the Spartan’s continued stinginess on the defensive end and timely free throws, they led at the end of the half 24-21.

The second half of Friday’s game saw the offenses on both sides open up more, but it was the Judges who came out hot as they started the half on an 11-7 run. Leads and scores continued to be exchanged and the Spartans lead as late as 4:32 in the half, but in the end could not pull off the win.

The loss boiled down to what Reimer describes as “two consecutive defensive breakdowns, combined with a turnover that allowed Brandeis to open up the lead at the end of the game to win.”

Unfortunately, Sunday’s game brought the same fortune as Friday’s as the Spartans faced the 20th ranked New York University Violets. The loss proved to be an even bigger heartbreak than Friday’s affair as the Spartans lost to the Violets 84-82 in overtime.

What cannot be forgotten in the loss, though, is the effort put forth by senior guard Julie Mooney who scored 20 points

Courtesy Case Sports Information Junior Chelsea Steen readies for a free-throw attempt against New York University during Throwback Weekend. The team wore jerseys from the era of Flora Stone Mather College. and pulled down eight rebounds and dished four assists. Far more impressive than her stats was how her play affected her teammates as well as Reimer said it “opened up opportunities for our inside game and created openings for our perimeter shooters.”

In the first half, the Spartans again started off well leading 15-10 at the 13:27 mark with scores from Erin Reynolds, Brooke Orcutt, Jessica McCoy and Laura

Mummey. The Violets then fought back with a 10-2 run to take the lead, but the Spartan’s were able to claw their way back with 19-8 end to the half to go up 36-32.

The second half was the “Julie Mooney Show”. Mooney scored 18 of her 20 points in the half and kept the Spartans in the game to the very end with numerous timely jump shots and cuts to the basket. Reimer commented on Mooney’s performance saying,

“Everyone on our team has the chance to see what Julie can do each day in practice, so it's fun when our fans get to see her at her best.” Unfortunately, the Spartans could not close the game and lost in overtime.

The Spartans now currently sit at 7-11 and 1-6 in the UAA. They will get another crack at both NYU and Brandeis on a trip to the East Coast that they hope will bring them more luck.

Invitational brings mixed results for Spartan Wrestlers David Hoffman Staff Reporter It was a solid weekend for the Spartan wrestlers at the Pete Willson-Wheaton College Invitational, as they continued their season-long display of improvement in the tournament.

When it was all said and done, the Spartans finished tied for 22nd place in the 32 school tournament. The team continued to show the fight and courage that have been the backbone of their ascension this season. The Spartans saw a couple of their wrestlers place in their respective brackets, the most tangible

sign of improvement during a tournament.

Slowly but surely the results are beginning to show, a testament to all the hard work put in by the team as well as the coaches.

The highlight of the tournament was the fifth place finish of David Brunk in the 174-pound bracket. Brunk opened the tournament in strong fashion, securing a pin of Charles Scherer from the University of Chicago in his first match. Brunk went on to record decision victories in each of his next two matches, over Connor Sharp of Olivet College and Andrew Pettit of The University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, to cap the first day of the tournament. Although Brunk had the

misfortune of facing two of the best wrestlers in the tournament on day two, he still claimed the fifth place match via a medical forfeit.

Nevertheless, it was a tournament to remember for the freshman. With a strong showing in the bracket, Brunk improved his season record to 16-12.

Additionally, Josh Hall also had a respectable weekend in the 125-pound bracket. After getting pinned to start the tournament, Hall rebounded with victories in his next two matches, a pin of his own over Matt Damp of Lakeland University and a decision against Kyle McNulty of Elizabethtown College, and earned a spot

in the seventh place match in the bracket. Although he ultimately came up short against Zac Denny of University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, it was another step in the right direction for the sophomore.

Hall ultimately moved his season record to 12-6 with a strong weekend.

On Saturday the Spartans return home for the first of two quad meets for the month when they take on three different schools in Wheeling Jesuit, Mount St. Joseph and the Lake Erie junior varsity squad at the Horsburgh Gymnasium. The Spartan wrestlers will get another chance to let us see their improvement for ourselves.