Volume XLVII, Issue 1, 8/21/2015

the

Case Western Reserve University volume xlvii, issue 1 friday, 8/21/2015

Observer Cleveland chows down at 116th annual “Feast” Festival Anne Nickoloff Director of Print A man sat under the Mayfield Rapid Transit Authority bridge, greeting groups of pedestrians as they walked by, using the same line for everyone on their way to Little Italy: “Excuse me, I think you dropped your smile.”

He was just a man trying to be pleasant, and maybe trying to make a buck; further away under the bridge was a violinist, some change sitting in her open instrument case.

After passing under the bridge, visitors were faced with the Feast of the Assumption Festival. The annual Little Italy street fair stretched up the Mayfield Road hill, featuring booths that sold stromboli, drinks and t-shirts. There was even a gambling booth section, located (strangely enough) on the sidewalk immediately adjacent to the Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

Holy Rosary has hosted the festival for the past 116 years in celebration of the Catholic feast day honoring the Assumption of Mary.

The Feast was going strong this past weekend, shutting down the usual high-traffic street and replacing cars with hungry visitors.

One of those visitors was Case Western Reserve University senior Austin Mak. “My favorite part of the feast is being around a lot of people,” he said. “You don’t really see a lot of people walking around that late at night.”

Mak celebrated the long weekend event with his usual Feast food order: cheese ravioli with meatballs. Fellow CWRU senior Alex

Xu tried the cannoli.

Xu thought the event was a pretty standard block party, but it also brought out the character of the city. “I like meeting new people,” said Xu. “It seemed like the actual side of Cleveland that I can’t really experience just at Case.”

For those who live in Little Italy like myself, The Feast was a different sort of experience than just a quick visit for food.

Music continued into the late hours of the night, cigar smoke wafted in a steady breeze over the crowd and litter scattered around the streets and sidewalks, to be collected in the morning.

On Sunday, Aug. 16, Little Italy’s residents celebrated the last day of The Feast by gathering in the streets and on rooftops to admire fireworks shot out over the neighborhood, mostly in green, white and red colors.

Just a few streets away from the explosive boom of the fireworks, I ran outside to catch the majority of the show. When it was over, I could hear cheering and applause surrounding the neighborhood, despite not being near any other guests.

The sense of neighborly pride is one that makes The Feast stand out. It’s not just a block party; it’s a cultural celebration.

Though many Clevelanders face difficult commutes because of the Mayfield Road closure, a few days of clogged traffic pays itself off with a standing Little Italy tradition.

“I think anything that brings a community together is valuable, especially when all these new students come in,” said Mak.

Angeline Xiong/Observer The annual festival celebrated Little Italy’s Italian culture and Catholic rooots.

Disgraced law school dean will not return Mitchell leaves to pursue “other professional opportunities”

The Lawrence Mitchell era at Case Western Reserve University is officially over.

According to Provost W.A. “Bud” Baeslack, Mitchell, the former dean of the School of Law who has been on leave since November 2013, resigned from his teaching position this summer to pursue “other professional opportunities.”

In October 2013, law school Professor Raymond Ku, a tenured CWRU School of Law faculty member who had previously served as the law school’s associate dean for academic affairs, sued CWRU and

Mitchell, claiming Mitchell, his superior, had retaliated against Ku after the professor reported the dean for committing sexually inappropriate acts.

According to Ku’s attorneys, Mitchell directed gestures and comments towards females in the law school, including publicly caressing a female colleague who was wearing a summer dress with a bareskinned back. Additionally, Mitchell allegedly commented to staff members that one graduate student “wasn’t good for anything but keeping the bed warm.”

Additionally, one of Mitchell’s former assistants, Daniel Dubé, alleged in a detailed affidavit that Mitchell propositioned him for a threesome and forced him to help cover up the dean’s issues to keep his

job. When Dubé finally reported Mitchell through the proper channels, he says he was “laid off for budgetary reasons.”

Ku’s complaint also included allegations that the university had knowledge of Provost Bud Baeslack III, Faculty Diversity Officer John Clochesy, and Vice President for Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunity Marilyn Mobley were allegedly made aware of Ku’s claims of retaliation but did not intervene.

Mitchell’s legal team tried to paint Ku as a “disgruntled professor” who was jealous he was not picked for the dean’s position.

While Mitchell was a professor at George Washington University—his previous place of employment before he ac-

cepted the dean position at CWRU—he married a law school student, divorced her, married a subordinate law school professor, adopted a daughter with her and then ended that relationship as well.

Mitchell was supposed to return in a teaching capacity this August, nearly a year after the court case was settled out of court in July 2014. He had previously served as the dean of the CWRU School of Law for nearly three years before the suit was settled.

Terms of the settlement were never officially disclosed, but it was noted in the same press release that Ku was promoted to the director of the law school’s newly created Center for Cyberspace Law and Policy.

News

A&E

Opinion

Sports

pg. 3 UCPD have new leadership, policy

pg. 8 Best concerts from this summer

pg. 11 Get Involved

pg. 15 Soccer shoots for success

Mike Mckenna Executive Editor

news Kiss at Republican debate goes viral thanks to sports Aquene Kimmel News Editor

Less than 15 minutes after kissing his boyfriend behind Chris Matthews in a live broadcast on MSNBC, Paul Nicastro got an excited text from a friend who’d seen the video online.

Nicastro and Jimmy McGuire had gone to East 4th Street for dinner, not expecting that coverage of the Republican debates would be filmed directly outside the restaurant. Realizing that the stage she had assumed was set up for live music was actually going to be broadcast on television, McGuire’s cousin dared the couple to kiss in front of the cameras.

McGuire and Nicastro hesitated at first, but eventually they agreed. Shortly after they kissed behind Matthews twice—the second time in case the cameras missed them the first time—sports blog Deadspin tweeted a photo.

It included Chris Matthews, a Deadspin reporter holding up a sign about football player Joe Flacco, and McGuire and Nicastro kissing.

Deadspin’s caption: “Oh hey.”

A YouTube video of the kiss as it appeared on “Hardball with Chris Matthews” gained several thousand views, though it was removed shortly after being posted. Deadspin’s Tweet has over a thousand retweets and favorites.

Ann Coulter also posted the photo, captioned “Meanwhile, behind Chris Matthews…” and that post was retweeted and favorited several hundred times.

“The reason that picture is kind of loaded is that there’s us, behind a major news media outlet, and then to the right of us is the guy holding the sign with the bad grammar,” said McGuire. “He works for Deadspin—he goes around and mocks trends in sports fandom...

It’s just funny that they caught him raising the sign and us at the same time, so it’s a really dichotomous picture.”

Nicastro added, “Someone at Deadspin was like, ‘Oh my god, perfect. Click.”

For a couple of days after the photo and video began to spread online, the couple would check their Facebook accounts and see new notifications every 15 minutes. During McGuire’s bus ride to work, a stranger approached him to ask if he was the man from the video.

“I swore I wasn’t gonna do it, but I did it,” said Nicastro of reading the online comments about their kiss. However, they were pleasantly surprised by the largely civil comments sections.

“There were some negative ones, especially on Ann Coulter’s post, but not as many as

you would think,” said McGuire. “More people focused on the sports aspect, or the grammar aspect, not us.”

Their favorite comments were people comparing Nicastro to Seth Rogan and one comment that read “Eww, two Clevelanders kissing!”

The kiss also had meaning for the couple beyond an amusing moment of fame.

“As far as a purpose for it, it would be to get the LGBT movement closer to that being just a normal, acceptable thing,” said McGuire.

With the Republican National Convention coming to Cleveland in the summer of 2016, McGuire and Nicastro confirmed that they would definitely kiss at future political events, if an opportunity arose.

“My goal would be to get behind a Fox News stage and do that,” said McGuire. “Our goal isn’t to go hunting for news cameras, but if it works and we’re there, then yes. It would be hilarious.”

The couple recently celebrated their fifth anniversary, and they do not regret that their momentary fame seems to have receded.

“For us, it’s just gonna be a nice perfect moment in our relationship,” said Nicastro.

Courtesy Deadspin News cameras captured Paul Nicastro and Jimmy McGuire kissing behind Chris Matthews while a Deadspin correspondent held up a sign.

On the beat

CWRU Police Blotter: May 1 to August 16

With at least 36 bicycle thefts or attempted bicycle thefts reported so far this summer, one of the biggest lessons from the recent crime logs is to lock up your bike. The Case Western Reserve University Police Department provides free U-locks to students, and if you take advantage of this service, you’ll be a lot more likely to hold on to your ride.

Other lessons? Keep an eye on your backpacks and laptops and be sure to always pay attention to your surroundings. In addition to these common thefts, here are some of the crimes that have happened on and around the CWRU campus this summer.

May 2: Felony theft—prescription medication taken from backpack, Wolstein Research Building.

May 4: Robbery—group of walking students approached by four males who demanded money, Mistletoe/Wade Avenue.

May 10: Vandalism—construction debris used to break several outer windows, North Residential

Village House 7.

May 16: Robbery—male knocked down and robbed by 8-10 black male juvenile suspects, Magnolia/Hazel Avenue.

June 11: Fraud—student sold fake tickets to sporting event, 11302 Euclid Ave. June 23: Attempted robbery—two juveniles brandishing possibly fake weapon demanded money from students, 11483 Hessler Rd. June 28: Voyeurism—female reports possibly being filmed by cell phone while in restroom, Taft House.

July 2: Public indecency/disorderly conduct—combative nude male running in parking lot, Lot 17.

July 11: Attempted motor vehicle theft—three suspects observed in the act of attempted motor vehicle theft by vehicle owner, Lot 78.

July 15: Criminal trespass—previously warned male found on property, Crawford Hall.

August 12: Felony theft/breaking and entering—juvenile stole Cushman motorized cart, Lot 46.

Cleveland Catchup

Man died after being hit by a Cedar Point roller coaster Nardine Taleb Staff Reporter

Man Died After Being Hit by a Cedar Point Roller Coaster People were screaming last Thursday, August 13, at 5 p.m., but not because they were on a roller coaster. James A. Young from Canton, Ohio had entered the restricted area of the ride “Raptor” when he was struck by a coaster car. Young was going in to retrieve his cell phone, police said, and instead lost his life upon impact.

Several guests were there to witness the scene.

This incident made national news almost immediately. This is not the first death or injury caused at Cedar Point. In fact, just this summer, on June 22, a man’s leg was severely injured after being caught in a gate while entering the Raptor.

Due to the incident, Cedar Point is postponing its announcement of a new ride, which was originally scheduled to be given to the public this week.

“God of Put-in-Bay” has been removed from his post for covering up rape incidents Put-in-Bay ex-police chief, Ric Lampela, has just been removed from his post.

He was on paid leave since March of 2015.

Lampela was charged with “aggravated menacing and dereliction of duty and falsification” according to clevescene.com.

Lampela had neglected to take action when two female officers told him that they were drugged and raped by another male officer.

Instead of reporting the rape incidents, Lampela reportedly held a gun to one of the cadets’ heads. He called himself the “God of Put-in-Bay” and according to The Huffington Post, threatened the ladies by saying: “Who do you think they will believe, you or the chief of police?”

Despite the national backlash against Lampela’s actions, some Put-in-Bay residents have spoken up for him and have started a Facebook page in his honor. @Alphabet is not Google; it’s the twitter account of a Clevelander Chris Andrikanich woke up on a Monday morning as a working dad who lives in Cleveland, and went to sleep that night as a twitter star with thousands of followers.

His account name @alphabet was confused for the account name of Alphabet, Google’s just-announced parent company.

When Andrikanich clarified to thousands of tweeters that he is not affiliated with Google/Alphabet Inc., they started introducing themselves from around the world: “@alphabet Hello from Algeria!” “@alphabet Hello from #Paris, France.” “@alphabet Hello from Haiti!”

Now that he has an account that Google might need, people have been giving him good advice, too. Andrikanich said on NPR: “It’s mostly just, you know, hold out for big money because it’s Google.” And he’s not opposed to making a deal with Google, either, although it is prohibited on Twitter.

Andrikanich said on NPR that he is just waiting for the commotion to die down.

He tweeted the evening after he had gained thousands of followers and worldwide attention: “Well, that was an interesting way to end a Monday…”

news

observer.case.edu

Shushing Hessler University Circle Police Department issues letter to address loud parties

Courtesy Anmol Nigam Residents along Hessler Street received letters from the University Circle Police Department outlining their stance on noise policy violations.

Anmol Nigam Contributing Reporter Despite its close proximity to the Case Western Reserve University campus, Hessler Road, home of the Hessler Street Fair and many students’ apartments, is under the jurisdiction of University Circle Police Department (UCPD). That is a separate entity from the CWRU Police Department (CWRU PD).

On July 30, Hessler Street residents received a letter from Chief Jim Repicky of the UCPD stating that his department has responded to several calls over the past months. These calls included reports of a “loud party,” “loud music” and “unnecessary noise.” The list goes on to include complaints of “underage drinking” and “games in the street.”

The letter outlines actions to be taken against residents that violate these complaints. They may be subjected to criminal citation by the UCPD and the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards may be notified of their conduct.

“Why don’t they worry more about the community’s overall safety?” asked Hessler Road resident and CWRU senior Douglas Lee. “There’s been a major string of robberies along the major streets, but instead the new Chief wants to focus on street games and kids trying to have a good time on the weekend.”

Sergeant Jeffrey Daberko of the CWRU PD confirmed that Hessler Street also experiences many property crimes, including theft and burglary.

“We had a meeting with a couple of residents and I took a walk over there a couple times to see,” said Repicky. “And I’d say there’s maybe 20 to 25 [apartments and houses for rent] at the end. And unfortunately, you have a mix of students and neighborhood.”

Repicky declined to comment on how his policies have changed from his predecessor, Chief John Pavelich.

“I will state that I plan to be proactive rather than reactive, and we will address issues as they come about in the University Circle area,” said Repicky.

For those students that receive calls about noise complaints on Hessler Road, Chief Repicky confirmed that they will be cited, and those citations will go on individual records.

As for what a citation entails, Sergeant Daberko said that the letter refers to a “minor misdemeanor citation” given out for violating of the noise ordinance for the city of Cleveland. He described a minor misdemeanor citation as “basically like getting a ticket. You can choose to pay the fine or choose to contest it.”

According to Daberko, the CWRU PD uses citations as a tool of last resort.

Chief Repicky’s letter stated that the Office of Student Conducts and Community Standards may be notified of student violators. That includes underage students caught drinking.

“If you’re underage, then you’re underage, and then it could go over to Case, and I don’t think they want to go that way,” said Repicky.

Depending on the circumstances, the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards has the discretion to give students warnings or to place them under suspension, probation or expulsion. Suspension, probation and expulsion are much rarer than a warning. The typical course of action taken by the department is to meet with the student and issue a warning if appropriate.

Kaleena Rolitsky, assistant director of the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, said, “Our goal is to help students be positive members of the community.”

The aim of Chief Repicky’s letter was “to make sure that everybody enjoys the neighborhood...There’s a fine line, and we just want to say, ‘hey, this is a neighborhood just like anywhere else, let’s act like adults.’”

He offered advice for those students planning on throwing parties: “Keep the noise down, and minimize the amount of people...Otherwise it’s not fair for the people that live there.”

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Editor’s Choice

The new chief in town Anmol Nigam Contributing Reporter As of June 14, the University Circle Police Department has a new face. The former Chief John Pavelich has retired and Chief Jim Repicky is now in command of the department and its 25 officers.

“I had five years as chief, six years as assistant chief, and I was a supervisor for 25 years, so I think I have a lot to offer University Circle,” said Repicky.

His experience as police chief in the neighboring city of Euclid, Ohio, ended abruptly.

He retired amidst controversy when his employee Sergeant Kevin Blakeley committed suicide in front of him during a meeting.

A report by Rick Bell, the Special Investigations Division chief, had concluded that Blakeley was stealing money from the Euclid Police Department and the Fraternal Order of Police, where he served as treasurer.

Chief Repicky decided that the best move for his department was for him to step down from his position in order to “let the healing process begin.”

After his retirement, he provided security to the judges and prosecutors at the Cleveland courthouse for three-and-a-half years but felt that his skills weren’t being fully used. When he heard that the position of police chief was vacant, he applied and was chosen as one of four candidates to interview for the position.

“I think the biggest thing for me is to make a difference,” said Repicky. “I just like helping people, and people call here for a reason. To sit on the sideline now would be a disservice to all the training and experience I’ve obtained over the years.”

According to the chief, the biggest deterrent to crime has been visibility.

“You have to be visible, just like the guys,” said Repicky. “I go to every Wade Oval Wednesday because I think it’s important that the people know that the chief is here. I’m not here to watch the guys, I’m here to see if any issues [come up] and to assist my officers at the same time.”

He continued, “It still says ‘police’ on my uniform. So I think it’s important that you have to support your employees and show that you’re not going to sit in the office nine hours a day, and you’re going to come out and see what they’re dealing with and see what you can do to help them do their job better.”

Repicky expressed concerns over the department’s budget. According to Repicky, 90 to 94 percent of the budget is used for personnel costs. However, if he could have an in-

creased budget, he would like a new building for the department in the center of University Circle so his department is more accessible for residents.

The department is funded by 45 University Circle institutions, including Case Western Reserve University and University Hospital.

The most frequent calls for Repicky and his staff are thefts—of bikes, computers, phones and other items. He cautioned that some of these could be prevented by increased vigilance.

“I mean, I think not only Case students, but people in general have to be aware of their surroundings and unfortunately in this technology age everybody—not everybody, but a lot of people—are wearing those buds, and they are oblivious to what’s going on around them,” said Repicky. “And it doesn’t matter if you’re in University Circle or another city, you still have to be observant of what’s around you because if the opportunity is around you and the deterrent isn’t, it’s probably going to happen.”

Because University Circle is only one square mile, Repicky noted that his department has a very quick response time. That time is affected by the area’s traffic, though, as there are 40,000 to 45,000 people in the University Circle area during an average day.

When Repicky accepted the job of police chief, his goals were “to make the department better... and to develop future leaders.”

He added, “We have a great group of employees and police officers that are dedicated to University Circle... It’s a unique situation. I don’t know if you can find another department like this.”

Repicky first became interested in police work in high school. He studied at John Carroll University and then enrolled in the Cleveland Heights Police Academy, eager to get a job and gain experience. He recalls that police training has changed since he began working as an officer. There are 150 more hours of training required, and the course now includes a focus on issues like mental health.

“Unfortunately, we have to change as society changes, otherwise it’s not going to fit,” said Repicky. “So you have to change with society.”

Chief Repicky has a wife and four children, and in his free time he enjoys golf and fishing.

“Stop in, or I’ll see you around,” Repicky addressed CWRU’s students and residents of University Circle. “And if you have any questions, call us.”

Courtesy Anmol Nigam James Repicky worked for the police for over 30 years before resigning. Now, he is back to run the University Circle Police Department.

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news

8/21/15

Spotlight on research

From the White House to his own lab in Glennan’s basement

Kushagra Gupta Opinion Editor To shake the president’s hand is an honor that few receive. Earlier this year, senior Felipe Gómez del Campo found himself standing in the White House waiting to have that very rare and daunting meeting. He had been selected, along with four others, to visit the president’s home and be part of a panel to kick off a clean energy initiative.

With the Secret Service bustling around and staff completing painstaking tasks such as measuring the height of podiums, Gómez del Campo was there due to an impeccable set of circumstances. At least, that’s what he thought to himself, as he heard a familiar voice speak behind him.

“So, any deals yet?” The president was addressing panel members who were part of the television show “Shark Tank.”

Then to Gómez del Campo, “Hi, tell me about your company.”

Not only was Gómez del Campo able to meet the man in the White House, he also chatted with him about his invention intended to improve fuel efficiency and reduce nitric oxide (NOx) emissions.

Beginning at a high school science fair and further developing the idea at Case Western Reserve University, Gómez del Campo conceived and designed a prototype device that injects plasma into the fuel nozzle of a jet engine, lowering the minimum fuel-to-air ratio to maintain the combustion reaction.

Gómez del Campo explained, “Think of a bunsen burner. As you lower the amount of gas entering the burner, you lower the fuel-to-air ratio. At the point when the flame goes out, you are under that ratio.”

The requirements to maintain an engine’s combustion reaction vary depending on which portion of the flight the airplane is in. Gómez del Campo believes this idea will have the greatest positive effects on the place least likely to come to mind: the ground. At

airports, for a variety of reasons, airplanes are often sitting on the ground with their engines running. Gómez del Campo jokingly pointed out that when idle, airplanes have a fuel efficiency of 0 miles per gallon.

If he can successfully lower the amount of fuel planes need to keep their engines running, or the aforementioned fuel-to-air ratio, he can save the industry copious amounts in cost, provide for environmental stability and protect human health.

With this in mind, the student scientist is entering his last year at CWRU with something that few at his age have: his own laboratory, in the basement of the Glennan building.

Here he will continue to experiment with the complex reaction that produces engines’ thrust. The researcher is focused on the engine’s combustion chamber. Angled toward the back, the chamber mixes compressed air and fuel, maintaining a flame. He illustrated that the flame heated the air, turning the turbine—the propeller-looking object seen at the front—from its rear, which ultimately pushes the plane through the air.

Airplane fuel contains large organic molecules, made of chains of hydrogen and carbon atoms. During the reaction producing the flame, these molecules are broken down, and then their parts continue to break down as they react with molecules in the air.

The challenge Gomez del Campo faces is that each step of breaks requires a certain minimum temperature. This is where he brings in plasma, the fourth state of matter produced by subjecting gas to an electrical bolt. Plasma is seen in neon signs and in newer televisions, but Gómez del Campo is hoping to use a higher energy form of the electrically charged matter.

The plasma, created in the air that passes through the jet normally, would begin to break down the expansive fuel molecules on its own. Since the fuel is more easily broken down, less of it would be needed to maintain a continuous combustion reaction.

Courtesy Felipe Gomez del Campo Senior Felipe Gomez del Campo met with President Barack Obama to discuss his research.

The remaining challenge for Gómez del Campo now is to discern how the device would need to function at higher altitudes versus on the ground. While airplanes are largely efficient in the air when at cruise speeds, he is interested in seeing how the device can prevent rare events in which the engine’s flame suddenly extinguishes mid-air.

The location for Gómez del Campo’s lab was originally going to be turned into storage space, but it will now be occupied by him and other students working for him through his company FGC Plasma Solutions.

He laughs at the lack of creativity in the name.

“People ask me what the name stands for, if it’s fuel, gas and combustion,” he said.

He simply chose his initials.

As the company was founded, he began to use labs at NASA’s Glenn Research Center located in Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Despite a government shutdown blocking his work, Gómez del Campo continued on-

Salty Frogs BIOLOGY

Research Report

A weekly look at the findings, creations and discoveries made by members of the CWRU community.

-Mike McKenna, Executive Editor

A new study by Biology Professor Michael Bernard, recent doctorate receipient Katherine Krynak, project manager for Natural Resources at Cleveland Metroparks Tim Krynak, and Case Western Reserve University doctorate student Kacey Dananay published online in the journal Environemntal Toxicology shows that exposure to road salt from street and highway run-off seems to be a double-edged sword for wood frogs.

The researchers found that high salt-exposure resulted in larger sized tadpoles, typically a sign of the animal being better fit, but when those juvenile frogs were raised in pens after metamorphisis, they had a much lower survival rate than their unsalty counterparts.

Dananay believes that this phenomeon could be a result of an unseen physiological change or perhsaps the salt making the frogs more susceptible to disease.

ward and was able to enter the U.S. Department of Energy National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition during his junior year. A win at the regional competition sent him to nationals and he was asked join the White House panel last May. Gómez del Campo likened the opportunity to being in the position of receiving aid from a federal government department.

He said, “I was at the right place, at the right time.”

Born in Mexico, Gómez del Campo moved to near the Kennedy Space Center in Florida as a child. Gómez del Campo acknowledged the appropriateness of his location, and he emphasized again that he was at the right place, at the right time.

When meeting the president, despite the intimidating nature of his visit, Gómez del Campo was able to crack a joke about his invention.

He said, “Hopefully it will be on Air Force One some day.”

Catching Cancer ENGINEERING A Case Western Reserver University research team led by biomedical engineering professor Zheng-Rong recently published a paper in the journal Nature’s Communications detailing their development of a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent which one day may help clinicians detect smaller agressive breast cancer tumors than what is currently possible. Frst reported on by The Daily, Rong has spent a decade devleoping and testing imaginig agents.

The team tested their agents on mice, but hopes to begin clinical trials for the agent within three years. Early tests have indicated that the agent clears the body in about the same time as standard contrast agents.

The agent works by binding to molecular markers, known as fibrin-fibronectic complexes,which are only found in high-risk primary tumors, not healthy tissue. .

fun

observer.case.edu

fun page | 5

Horoscopes

Crossword Puzzle

8. poetic version of evening 9. abbreviation for an eating disorder characterized by food restriction 10. hunky 12. a text message abbreviation for a boyfriend or girlfriend 13. move 19. temporary lodging 21. Hebrew name meaning trustworthy 26. FX fantasy football comedy 28. Cedar residence hall located next to Leutner 29. those who avoid the freshman 15 30. ache 34. abbreviation for New Jersey’s state school 35. abbreviation for a synthetic element named after a German state 37. one of the most common surnames in the world; namely popular in China 38. lieutenant 42. a graduate 44. CWRU’s mascot 45. late-night destination for many CWRU students 47. fictional spy organization featured in “Spy Kids” 49. to be 51. location of Bag It!, the FedEx Office and Blackstone LaunchPad 56. professional social network, Linked__ 57. Internet domain for Tonga Down 60. abbreviation for someone 1. the skeptic’s reaction to who is done working conspiracy theorists 2. the first person who initi- 61. “The Outsiders” author ated a conversation on social Hinton 62. the abbreviation for Mimedia crosoft Word’s now-defunct 3. band formed at Ohio competitor State University that sings “Shattered” and “Love and 64. slang for cocaine 65. abbreviation for the state Memories” that produces most of the 4. CWRU students’ favorite US’ maple syrup Little Italy bakery 5. League of Legends cham- 66. abbreviation for Arkansas’ capital pion, Master ___ 68. ancient Chinese home 6. strontium 7. Case _______ Reserve Uni- state of Confucius versity (this is the easy one) 69. slang for secret of the vessel relative to the surface of the earth 45. you’ll need to pay attention to when your assignments are this if you want to do well 46. the Crimson King, a Stephen King character 48. small dog’s bark 50. what you do at the dining hall 52. “Here’s To ___,” Halestorm song 53. in the freshman dorms, there’s one of these on each floor 54. LeBron competes in this league 55. American feminist magazine most popular in the 1970s 56. “A Wrinkle In Time”’s evil disembodied brain 58. medical drama that launched the career of George Clooney 59. low quantity 60. graduates from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing will become these 61. an almost daily occurrence for Cleveland winters 63. company famous for Beanie Babies 65. one of two workout options on CWRU’s campus 67. flannel pattern 70. child’s caregiver 71. a common de-stressing suggestion

PUZZLES &COMICS

Across 1. saggy 6. during finals week, you may resort to wearing these every day 11. true Clevelanders may say that Cleveland is their version of this city 13. the color of money, or the Main Quad in the spring 14. in reference to 15. the capital of Norway 16. tin 17. the abbreviation for the umbrella organization that includes all of CWRU’s media groups, including The Observer 18. Spanish word for yes 20. hectare 21. abbreviation for an over 2,000 mile hiking trail along the US’ east coast 22. subculture epitomized

by Twiggy 23. abbreviation for Miley Cyrus’ home state 24. occupation of Liv on “iZombie” 25. CWRU’s library 27. abbreviation for Israeli currency 29. a formal male greeting 30. plaything 31. CWRU volunteer organization offering medical care 32. the nickname for the university center 33. 2013 Paul McCartney album 34. the abbreviation for the student group that works with CWRU Housing to create programming for students in the residence halls 36. slang for cool 39. umbrella organization for CWRU’s student groups 40. louse egg 41. gas station on Euclid, Gas ____ 43. weather common in April 44. nautical term for speed

Aquarius You’ve got a lot going on, but you know how to balance it. You’ve got this!

Pisces Sign up for all the things! You will encounter something interesting when you least expect it.

Aries First impressions aren’t always correct. Stick with it and maybe it’ll be better than you expected.

Taurus Challenge yourself by asking yourself why you do certain things you might discover that some of those things are rotting compost.

Gemini Try something new or different. You never know what will happen until you try.

Cancer Case Western Reserve University will always be here for you to come back to, as long as you pay tuition.

Leo You didn’t set enough alarms for Monday. Try again.

Virgo You are the least likely to lose your ID because you are still wearing your lanyard. Take it off!

Libra True to your sign, balance is the key for all the things you need to get done. You know how to do this.

Things will turn out well if you balance them.

Scorpio Never forget that you have a great roommate. And for those of you in singles, it’s time to learn to be your own great roommate.

Capricorn Remember to wash your orientation shirts soon so they don’t spend all semester at the bottom of your laundry basket.

Sagittarius Learn something. Of course, most things you will just memorize for the test, but pick one thing to really learn.

Julia Bianco

arts & entertainment Dynomite Burgers: an Uptown delight Anne Nickoloff Director of Print When the large, obnoxiously orange “Dynomite Burgers and Sushi” sign appeared in Uptown Cleveland, I had one thought: “Wow, what a typo.”

Despite its confusing spelling, Dynomite is a welcome addition to Uptown’s slew of restaurants and bars. And it brings burgers, a plate not often offered by the previous lineup of eateries. Sure, there were always the Jolly Scholar and ABC Tavern down the street, but these two restaurants focused more on their bars than their food.

Dynomite does the opposite.

The open-air patio around Dynomite offers outdoor seating and coverage from rain, and inside the restaurant, a large fan displays local sports teams on each blade (one even includes Case Western Reserve University athletics).

The relatively small indoor space pays hom-

age to the original Dynomite Burgers, located in a small shack at Playhouse Square.

Dynomite does not serve at typical burger, unless that’s what you want—in which case, there is a build-your-burger feature that allows you to pick whatever toppings you’re in the mood for. Instead, their featured plates mostly embody Bruell’s other restaurants: The Chinato, The L’Albatros, The Kafeteria, The Cowell and Hubbard and The Parallax all were inspired by culinary themes from these restaurants.

Just one bite of The Chinato was packed with flavor. The spicy burger slathered in onions and mozzarella cheese was the burger version of an Italian sausage. The tender, juicy sandwich held together throughout dinner, but was so weighed down with toppings that it was a close, delectable race.

Next was a turkey burger that tasted like it was straight out of a Thanksgiving dinner. A thick slab of turkey was coated with a layer of cranberry sauce, mayo and shredded lettuce. It

all combined into a weird, but perfectly balanced, combination of fruity and savory.

The fries were lightly salted, and not too greasy; one order was the perfect size to split between two people.

This review is only half the story; while Dynomite is known for their burgers primarily, its new Uptown location also serves rolls of sushi and other items like buffalo wings and wraps. However, with Crop Kitchen across the street and Kenko opening down Euclid soon, even sushi is going to be easier found than a good burger.

And Dynomite definitely has some good burgers.

Restaurant: Dynomite Burgers and Sushi Location: 11500 Euclid Ave. Price Range: $4-10 Rating:

Courtesy Joy F./Yelp Dynomite Burgers offers a variety of specialty burgers and brings a new flavor to Uptown.

Video games are strange Review of “Life is Strange” episodes 1-4 Rachel Payne Contributing Reporter More and more videos games are beginning to focus on the storytelling aspect of a game as opposed to completely focusing on the gameplay. “Life is Strange,” with four episodes out and the fifth most likely coming out sometime in early September, has been a standout game in terms of creating a unique and enticing episodic storytelling game that gives Telltale Games a run for their money.

“Life is Strange” is a game developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix. This game can be purchased on steam, PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360.

“Life is Strange” is rated M for Mature.

This game has a 10/10 on steam, 7/10 on GameSpot and IGN Ratings of 6.5 for the first episode, 7 for the second, 8 for the third and a 6 for the fourth. Each episode adapts and changes based on the choices you make along the way as you play as the main character, Maxine, or Max, Caulfield, a budding photographer. (I see you, Holden.)

Below are quick spoiler-free reviews of each episode and more detailed, spoiler-filled reviews.

Episode 1: Chrysalis Quickie Review It was a mildly entertaining “this is everything you need to know before the game actually starts” kind of episode. This episode didn’t necessarily get me hooked, but it is still worth a play.

Episode 1: Chrysalis Spoiler Review Did somebody say “time-traveling, mystery, story-based, apocalyptic video game?”

Probably not. The game starts off kind of slow, but this is pretty much the overarching theme of the first episode.

Max Caulfield attends Blackwell Academy and learns that she can rewind time.

Which is a pretty cool feature since the player needs to make all the decisions for her. What happens if you don’t like the consequences of the decision you just made? Well, you just need to rewind time and choose again. The concept of being able to change your mind in a story game is unique and refreshing. It makes things not as stressful as they could be.

Overall, to me this episode was almost all introduction. They introduced the nice, quiet friend Kate; the mean girl Victoria; the spoiled brat Nathan and the dorky, hopelessly-in-love-with-his-best-friend-who-doesn’tknow-he-exists Warren. They also introduced the punk-rock, long-lost best friend Chloe and ominous, missing Rachel Amber. The characters often seemed written by a 40-year-old mom trying to sound “hip,” but overall they were interesting.

This episode took its time, and I think it should have just thrown you into the game a little bit more.

Here are the choices I made: • I hid the truth about Nathan from the principal.

• I comforted Victoria (after I ruined her cashmere sweater).

• I intervened between Kate and David to help Kate out.

• I stayed hidden in Chloe’s room.

Overall I give this episode a 3.5/5.

Episode 2: Out of Time Quickie Review A huge bump in the “wow” factor of this game. I was really impressed with the plot points they introduced. This episode sucked me into this game.

Episode 2: Out of Time Spoiler Review This episode picked up the pace in a major way. We learned a lot about Kate and really got insight into how bad things are for her at the moment. The creators did a brilliant job with handling the state of Kate’s depression and how bullying affected that. This episode introduced other dark themes that really pulled me in. We also got to learn a lot more about Rachel Amber and the relationship she had with Chloe.

Needless to say, the character development was a huge portion of this episode, and I thought it was executed really well. I also really liked the fact that they introduced both new aspects to Max’s powers while also putting limits on them. Max freezes time to try and save Kate, but then the player only has one shot at saving Kate. That’s right, only one. No whoosh going back in time and picking a different option. Whether she lives or dies is all in the player’s hands. I also learned

the hard way that sometimes you can only rewind once, even if you just wanted to test out all of the options. This episode showed a lot of potential for the future of this game.

I give this episode a 4/5.

Here are the choice I made: • I told Kate to go to the police about what happened at that party.

• I answered Kate’s call in the diner.

• I tried to shoot Frank at the junkyard.

• I saved Kate’s life.

• I blamed David for what happened to Kate. (Although I wanted to blame Nathan, I could only rewind once.)

Episode 3: Chaos Theory Quickie Review Easily the best episode out of the first three. Nothing felt forced or boring. The pacing of this episode was a lot of fun. Also, the twists and turns keep getting better and better.

Without spoiling anything else, if you want to play a chill game with a unique, enticing story, go ahead and pick up a season pass for only $20.

Episode 3: Chaos Theory Spoiler Review This is the episode that got me hooked on everything that this game has to offer. It got me to ask so many questions that we still just don’t have the answers to. The relationship that has been developing between Max and Chloe is downright adorable. The gameplay in this episode felt way more realistic and intuitive to each character. We have learnt more and more about Rachel Amber and Frank, but none of the puzzle pieces have added up. The impending storm gets closer each day, and this episode left me needing answers sooner rather than later. Not to mention that the creators dropped the biggest plot twist with a new boost to Max’s power, in which the photographer can travel back in time to the moment a picture was taken—talk about a plot twist.

I love that the writers really seem to be pushing the envelope with her powers and broadening what they can and can’t do. But the change Max makes is both great and heartbreaking at the same time, because Chloe now has a father but is no longer able-

bodied. I really enjoy the fact that they introduced tangible consequences to Max’s powers. At one point her ability seemed limitless, but she learnt the hard way that you can’t just change history all willy-nilly.

I give this episode a 4.4/5 Here are the choices I made: • I stole the money in the principal’s drawer.

• I kissed Chloe.

• I sided with Chloe over David in the argument they had.

• I kept Frank’s dog from harm.

• Chloe has David’s gun again.

Episode 4: Dark Room Quickie Review This episode was a work of art. The pacing was absolutely beautiful, not to mention the plot of this episode had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Play this game if only so that you can experience this episode.

Episode 4: Dark Room Spoiler Review This episode right here was heartwrenching. I really like how they used the choices factor to really make your heart hurt when having to make decisions. In the first episode, the choices you had to choose between seemed kind of pointless, but in this one every choice had some serious consequences.

Also, Victoria’s character development was incredible. I really sympathized and connected with her, which was a huge surprise.

This episode had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, including the final moments of piecing the clues together and finding the dark room (which was super creepy, by the way). I loved how this story progressed and how they pulled that huge plot twist at the end (which is so full of spoilers, I don’t even want to include it). I can honestly say I have no clue what awaits in episode five.

I give this episode a 4.5/5 Here are the choices I made: • I accepted Chloe’s request. (Ouch my heart.)

• I let Warren beat up Nathan. (He deserved it.)

• No one got hurt while talking with Frank.

• Victoria believed my warning.

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“Sense8” is Netflix’s newest binge-worthy show Binge watching, a newer trend in television shows since the rise of streaming services on the internet, is the way many people now watch TV. Shows now tend to be made specifically with the idea that the viewer will be watching it continuously, especially the shows that are released all at once on Netflix or Hulu.

Netflix original shows have been redefining television for the past few years with hit shows like “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black,” shows made for bingeing that still are able to compete with other cable or network shows. Netflix now offers many original series that are worth watching over a weekend—or a day, if you want to binge it continuously. One of these shows, “Sense8,” is specifically meant to be binged, a quality that makes the show interesting despite its slow plot for the first half of the season.

Eddie Kerekes Contributing Reporter

Title: “Deutschland 83” Director: Anna and Joerg Winger Premiere: June 17, 2015 Rating:

acting career. All of the characters appear to be as important as the others, no matter where in the world they are. Once the characters start to interact more with each other and realize what is going on, the show gets better. Some of the best scenes are the ones where the sensates help each other out, showing that every person has a skill that can come in handy at some point, no matter where in the world they come from.

“Sense8” can be slow at times and have a limited sense of direction, but it is a generally fun show to watch once you get into it. It has a little bit of everything in it: action scenes, dialogue, comedy, sing-alongs and even a Bollywood-style music number. It might not make a lot of sense, but is a fun summer binge for a boring week or even a day if you want to watch it all at once. It might not be on the same level of cable and network dramas, but it is very interesting, fun and unique, something that I think is worth praising in television today.

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A critically acclaimed spy thriller set during the Cold War—sounds a lot like “The Americans,” right? What if I told you it’s the first German language show to air in America?

Few people know about the historic “Deutschland 83.” The show averaged under 100,000 viewers per week, because Sundace. tv and iTunes are the only places to find it.

However, many critics have raved about the show, with some even calling it the show of the summer.

“Deutschland 83” is about Martin Rauch (Jonas Nay), a 24-year-old forced into spying for the East Germans in the title year of 1983.

He assumes the identity of Moritz Stamm, an aide-de-camp for NATO General Wolfgang Edel (Ulrich Noethen). Martin’s mission is to gather secrets about the Pershing II rockets about to be stationed in Western Europe.

One of the reasons the show is so well acclaimed is the writing. Anna Winger, also a co-creator, adds well-needed humor to such a tense show. Some of the one-liners in the show are hilarious. Additionally, her writing works well with the cinematography and production to intensify the dramatic scenes of near escape.

The soundtrack for the show is also unreal in its cohesion. Reinhold Heil only chooses songs from the time period that suit each episode perfectly. For example, “99 Luftballoons” is used in episode one. The songs create nostalgia, but also set the time period and complement the action.

Nay’s acting carries the show. Normally straight-faced, he reveals little emotion even in the tensest scenes. His voice inflection and body language are all the audience need to see how he’s feeling. The protagonist deals with so many issues—potential war, a longdistance relationship, a sick mother, rebellious friends and concealing his identity—that he doesn’t have time for them. Nay conveys all of Martin’s struggles through his blank face.

The show is also interesting because it shows history from the perspective of the East Germans, a viewpoint most Americans haven’t considered.

“Deutschland 83” had an eight-episode first season, which premiered from June 17Aug 5. All eight episodes are available for download in the iTunes Store. Warning: The show is in German, so subtitles are used.

sensate and his or her life, instead of taking time to explain the science of the show or the logic and purpose behind the idea of a sensate. The first half of the season can feel very slow because of this, especially when viewers are used to science fiction that is often action-packed.

But it is still fun and interesting because of its bingeing qualities. Instead of having to wait a whole week for another episode that has mainly exposition about only a few characters, you can start the next episode immediately to see other characters and get on with the story.

The show’s existence on Netflix as a binge watching show is exactly what makes it work and worth watching.

In addition to its interesting yet mysterious plot, the show is stunning with its sets across the world and the social issues it tackles. The show has a strong LGBT presence, with a trans woman whose mother still refuses to accept her transition and a gay man that is afraid to be honest about his sexuality because of his

Design, Build and Fly -- Baja Society -- Launchpad -- think[box]

“Deutschland 83”: Unknown show of the summer

“Sense8” is a science fiction show about eight people that suddenly become sensates, a new type of human being. These eight people are spread out across the world, from San Francisco to Mumbai, and are able to communicate with each other telepathically. There is someone that is out to destroy them, though, and they have to help each other stay away from this villain, mysteriously called Mr. Whispers.

Unfortunately, the show does not elaborate much on the feared villain other than a few shots until the final episode of the show, where the motivations of the villain are still not understood. This is one of the many complaints of critics along with the sometimes illogical explanations and the slow movement of the plot. Despite these downfalls, it still is interesting and was able to hold my attention and keep me watching episode after episode.

The show, made by the Wachowskis, the same people behind “The Matrix” series, spends a lot of time showing the viewer each

Design For America -- Great Lakes Energy Institute -- Saint - Gobain Design Competition

Abby Assmus Staff Reporter

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“Shaun the Sheep”: A wondrous treat of stop motion animation Lars Torres Contributing Reporter A magnificent age of animation has been a major part of our lives this past decade, with a great variety of animation studies creating classics, most notably by the delicate hands of Disney, the goofy yet endearing presence of Dreamworks and the emotionally challenging extravagance of Pixar.

Then, following a long hiatus, in comes Aardman Animations with its stop motion bliss once again in “Shaun the Sheep.” Shaun first began as a one-off character to the wildly popular animated shorts known as “Wallace & Gromit,” eventually branching out with his own show, becoming as popular as other Aardman productions.

The movie contains a rather simple plot, in which Shaun, the main sheep of his group, has grown tired of the repetitive nature of farm life and successfully incapacitates his owner, the Farmer, with the intention of finally having a nice day off. However, following a series of dire circumstances, the Farmer is whisked away from Mossy Bottom Farm and is sent careening towards The Big City, where Shaun and friends go off to on an adventure to get the Farmer back, at any cost.

The goodness of this film begins simply with the visual aesthetic of the whole affair; its uniqueness lies in its animation. Painstakingly created stop motion animation is so rarely seen these days because of the long and tedious process of frame-by-frame animation shooting. However, in the careful hands of Aardman, it is done perfectly right.

Shaun and his cohorts earn the right to their own film just with this, but they do not stop there fortunately.The film, despite the brevity of its running time, is stuffed with a nice platter of delightfully subtle comedy in the likes of Charlie Chaplin or The Three Stooges, with sophisticated slapstick at every corner with every character.

Sight gags are in full stock (in particular, an outrageous gag with a staring dog), and the film overall truly shines with the inclusion of a heartwarming second half. Despite the tiresome nature of Shaun’s farm life with his friends and fellow dog pal Bitzer, there is truly a deep love and care between them and the Farmer that cements the reasoning of why they are risking everything to find and help the Farmer at whatever cost.

Ultimately, “Shaun the Sheep” is yet another milestone in a great age of animation, and a milestone in a scarcely seen animation form that should be watched on the big screen at the fullest price. Meticulously crafted with laugh-a-minute gags and heartwarming from beginning to end (especially with the main song in the soundtrack, “Feels like Summer”), “Shaun the Sheep” is not only one of the best animated movies of the year, next to “Inside Out,” but it is also one of the must-watch films of the year in any genre. Bravo, Aardman, with this tour de force.

Film: “Shaun the Sheep Movie” Director: Richard Starzak and Mark Burton Release Date: Aug. 5, 2015 Rating:

“Fantastic Four” isn’t so fantastic Sierra Cotton Contributing Reporter “Fantastic Four” has always been one of those groups that isn’t quite up to par with the rest of the Marvel Universe (this can probably be attributed with its association with Fox 20th Century). Coming into the movie, all I hoped was that this version would be better than the 2005 version.

Unfortunately, my expectations were not met, which was rather surprising considering I had low expectations going into the theater. This new version seemed to be a step backward from the previous film.

The movie centers around an interdimensional machine Reed Richards (Miles Teller) invents in the sixth grade with help from his best friend, Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell). The machine is later expanded with the help of Dr. Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey), his children (Kate Mara and Michael B. Jordan) and Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell). In fact, so much of the movie focuses around this one machine that the audience probably becomes bored and wants nothing more than some action to happen—action that doesn’t come until the very end of the movie.

While working on this project, you would expect the team to be, well, a team.

However, they are far from one. One of the few redeeming qualities of the 2005 version was the effective portrayal of the dynamics between the team members. The team worked together to tackle their problems and learned how to control their newfound abilities.

In the reboot, however, the team barely has a dynamic and isn’t even composed of all the members. Ben is not a part of constructing the project, and Sue wasn’t even there in the alternate universe, but somehow manages to get her powers through some residue left from the mission. When it comes to learning to control their powers, the movie jumps forward one year and skips this process altogether, a process that should have brought the members together.

When the action finally arrived, it seemed like it lasted only seven minutes.

The movie tries to show the group as a team, but it is clearly forced, and the lastminute humor that is thrown in is far from humorous. While the action is occurring, the audience can’t help but cringe at the video game reminiscent CGI, and wince when The Thing says “It’s clobbering time,” a phrase we learn earlier in the movie Ben’s brother would say before beating him.

As far as Marvel movies go, this is one of the worst rated. Perhaps it is from the lack of qualities that are usually prominent, from witty one-liners to a sense of action and accomplishment. Or perhaps the “Fantastic Four” franchise is one doomed to continually fail and should stop being rebooted.

Film: “Fantastic Four” (2015) Director: Josh Trank Release Date: August 7, 2015 Rating:

“Rogue Nation”: Impossible to miss Sanjana Singh Staff Reporter Normally, I don’t commit to watching movie sequences. However, after watching the latest installment of “Mission: Impossible,” I rushed to watch the others to clue into the mystery surrounding the series.

In “Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation,” spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) works with the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) to take down a secret group called the Syndicate, which was alluded to by “Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol.” But trouble strikes when the government dissolves the IMF, causing Ethan’s team to work for the CIA and making Ethan a wanted man. He then becomes a rogue agent to find out who the Syndicate is and to clear his name.

With hilarious one-liners from both Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg, upgraded gadgets and vehicles and Cruise’s killer stunts, this

movie brings the right amount of comedy, technology and mystery. The jokes provide a quick release from action-packed scenes. The technology depict a new world of possibilities for cars, such as fingerprint-locking technology. And the suspense will have the audience guessing where true allegiances lie until the final credits roll.

Film: “Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation” Director: Christopher McQuarrie Release Date: July 31, 2015 Rating:

Courtesy IMDB Not lacking in action, the newest installment was a standout amongst the summer’s movies.

“Trainwreck” doesn’t pull any punches Julia Bianco Director of Web & Multimedia In 2010, Amy Schumer did her first televised 30 minute stand-up special on Comedy Central. She made jokes about her appearance, her love life, her family. At one point, she set the audience in stitches with the line, “I know what I look like. Like, you’d bang me, but you wouldn’t blog about it.” Five years ago, Amy Schumer already had her signature style down.

For fans of Schumer’s stand-up or her Comedy Central show “Inside Amy Schumer,” “Trainwreck” is the gift that just keeps giving. The movie has her stamp all over it: it’s raunchy, honest, feminist, sex-positive, and, most importantly, laugh out loud funny.

Schumer plays Amy Townsend, a magazine writer whose life is, basically, a trainwreck. On a work assignment, she meets Bill Hader’s sports doctor, and, if you’ve ever seen a romantic comedy, I bet you can figure out what happens next.

In that manner, “Trainwreck” isn’t any different from a movie starring Jennifer Aniston or Julia Roberts. However, in so many others, the film sets itself apart. The supporting cast, for example, is made up of Schumer’s comedian friends, hilarious people who you wouldn’t see backing up a Sandra Bullocktype: Dave Attell, Mike Birbiglia, Rachel Feinstein, Nikki Glaser, Bridget Everett and more all make appearances.

Meanwhile, the dialogue is refreshingly, sometimes painfully, honest. Backed up by the interesting decision to leave most of the scenes unscored (a bold choice in a world where silence is almost unheard of), the writing makes the film feel realistic. Schumer’s characters don’t speak in cliches, but they rarely use zingers either.

The flip side of this honesty is explored through the movie’s delight in its tragic moments. Amy’s father (Colin Quinn) suffers

from multiple sclerosis (another reflection of her real life), giving the movie an emotional center; at times, it pulls at your heartstrings just as much as your average tearjerker would.

That’s not to say that the movie isn’t funny.

It’s uproariously hilarious, the type of movie that will have you almost falling out of your seat at points. Sports stars John Cena, Amar’e Stoudemire and LeBron James (who, at one point, gives a beautiful shoutout to Cleveland) are all game with the roles they’ve been given, delivering some of the movie’s best scenes; although James is deservedly getting a lot of attention for his wonderful performance, Cena absolutely shines every time he delivers a line.

Other cameos from the likes of Daniel Radcliffe and Marisa Tomei also help to spice up the film, without detracting too much from the main storyline.

Sometimes, though, with everything going on, the movie feels crowded. Funny moments feel rushed, leaving the audience wanting more. At other times, it feels too slow; jokes are drawn out longer than they should be, or storylines stretch too far. The delicate balance between too much and not enough is something the movie doesn’t quite hit.

Still, despite this, the movie is a celebration of women, of society and most of all, of humor. For long-time fans of Schumer, new inductees or just people who like to laugh, this isn’t a film to skip.

Film: “Trainwreck” Director: Judd Apatow Release Date: July 17, 2015 Rating:

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Editor’s Choice Catch up on Cleveland’s summer 2015 concerts This past summer brought a variety of acts to Cleveland venues, whether it was an all-out music festival or a laid-back acoustic jam. Some of The Observer’s staff members and reporters were there in the audience to capture the concert experience. To read more about Cleveland’s summer music landscape, check out The Observer’s website for full reviews and coverage. For now, here is a quick look at each show:

Playlist of the Week Teddy Eisenberg Staff Reporter

Readers beware: The title of “Losing Touch,” the latest single from guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., is a bit of a misnomer. Since shifting his focus away from The Strokes toward his own solo career, Hammond Jr. has only sharpened his skills as a songwriter and pop craftsman. Sporting the patented chugging guitar fans of The Strokes know and love, this song is one of many strong cuts from “Momentary Masters,” available on Vagrant Records.

Concert: FIDLAR/Sweepyheads/Archie and the Bunkers Date: May 6, 2015 Rating: 4/5 Fueled by a love of alcohol, drugs and rock and roll, FIDLAR brought their hard-hitting approach to skater punk to the Grog Shop for a reminder of just how fun concerts can be. courtesy Amber Patrick/ @aterrormusica Concert: Madeon Date: April 29, 2015 Rating: 3/5 Madeon’s show was half about the lights and half about the music; a giant screen behind the small stage reflected all of the electronic beats that filled the House of Blues for hours. - Anne Nickoloff, Director of Print Concert: Pixies Date: May 21, 2015 Rating: 2.5/5

“Losing Touch”—Albert Hammond Jr.

“The Less I Know The Better”— Tame Impala

Since debuting on the Australian music scene in 2007, Kevin Parker’s Tame Impala has taken the world of psychedelic rock by storm, winning minds and captivating fans the world over. This summer, the group released their third full-length LP, the aptly titled “Currents,” an album that finds Tame Impala abruptly shifting musical streams into the world of synth pop. This change is not an unwelcome one, however, as Parker’s production skills and songwriting have only improved and grown sleeker with age. Look for this essential release on Modular Recordings.

“Random Name Generator”— Wilco

Pixies put on an… interesting show, to say the least. Some solos got a little too weird to be musical, and the biggest standout was, of course, when they played their “Fight Club” famous hit, “Where Is My Mind?” - Anne Nickoloff, Director of Print

With an album cover sporting a white cat and the title “Star Wars,” it’s really hard not to like Wilco’s surprise free summer album. The music makes it easier, as “Random Name Generator” shows why the group has been a force in mainstream alternative music for decades. With frontman Jeff Tweedy’s signature croon doing battle against a Weezer-like guitar fuzz, this song’s appeal is anything but random. While no longer available for free download, this album can be found on dBpm Records wherever music is streamed or sold.

Concert: Glass Animals Date: June 15, 2015 Rating: 4.5/5 The smooth, sultry rhythms of Glass Animals had the entire audience swaying back and forth, caught in a trance-like state for their set. It was the perfect way to spend a Monday evening in Cleveland.

- Anne Nickoloff, Director of Print Jeniece Montellano/Observer Concert: Neon Trees Date: July 17, 2015 Rating: 4/5 Neon Trees brought the dance party to House of Blues. With opener Fictionist from their hometown in Utah and up-and-coming indie pop band COIN, the crowd was singing along all night long. Lead singer Tyler Glenn’s high energy and crazy dance moves were infectious, putting the pop in “Pop Psychology.”

“A Night Out with Neon Trees” was intimate, fun and definitely a highlight of the summer.

- Jeniece Montellano, Copy Editor

“Ohio”—Seafair

Cleveland boasts a remarkably strong local music scene with talent to spare. Amongst that pool, Seafair reigns as one of the city’s most daring groups, as this summer saw the group perform at the House of Blues with a 30-piece orchestra named after their debut album, “The Querencia.”

Of all the songs on that record, “Ohio” is the finest, blending the beauty of classical strings with the grit of garage rock, creating a transfixing sound.

“Return Of The Savage”—Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge Feat. Raekwon & RZA Courtesy Neon Trees Facebook

Concert: New Politics Date: July 21, 2015 Rating: 3/5 For only $5.50 a ticket, it was no shock that the Rock Hall was packed at New Politics’ latest Cleveland show. Singer Andrew Boyd could barely be contained on the small stage.

- Anne Nickoloff, Director of Print Concert: Alternative Press Music Awards Date: July 22, 2015 Rating: 3.5/5 The APMA’s had some incredible, once in a lifetime performances. My personal favorite was a performance by Sum41 with Run DMC. Yet the award show itself was only mildly entertaining. The performers made the night. - Rachel Payne, Copy Editor Concert: Warped Tour Date: July 23, 2015 Rating: 2.5/5 Warped Tour’s highlights included Never Shout Never, Silverstein and Asking Alexandra. But there were enough low points to the day to make it, overall, just okay. - Anne Nickoloff, Director of Print

Betsy Nickoloff/Observer

Retro Pick of the Week:

The legendary Wu-Tang Clan has spawned many a successful East Coast MC, but in recent years, Ghostface Killah has risen to the top of the pack as his music continues to reach higher levels of impact and complexity. Collaborating with Adrian Younge this summer, Ghostface brings aboard fellow Clan members Raekwon and RZA for a track chock full of fresh production and hook-heavy rhymes. Look for this cut on “Adrian Younge Presents: Twelve Reasons To Die II,” available on Linear Labs, LLC.

“Summertime Blues”—Blue Cheer

Sporting brash vocals and a ferocious blues guitar attack, Blue Cheer has proved immensely influential on the emergence of punk, stoner rock and metal since its emergence in the late 1960s. While the beginning of the semester and the end of summer may have you down, Blue Cheer’s cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” serves as a reminder that these blues aren’t new and shouldn’t go unheard.

Find all these tracks online with our weekly Spotify playlist at observer.case.edu

Teddy Eisenberg is a fourth year programmer at WRUW-FM 91.1 Cleveland. He hosts The ’59 Sound, an exploration of rock music, every Thursday morning from 8-10 a.m.. and co-hosts the variety talk show Max and Teddy in the Morning at Night (Sometimes) on Mondays from 5-6 p.m. The crackle of vinyl warms him on cold Cleveland nights.

All photos courtesy amazon.com

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8/21/15

“Go Set a Watchman” a disappointing follow-up to an American classic Abby Assmus Staff Reporter “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the classic high school required reading novel, is one of the only books that many students remember enjoying in English class. Although students in high school, and sometimes even in college, often dread required reading, I always got the impression that “To Kill a Mockingbird” was one of the best books.

It is remembered for its story of children growing up in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s amid the Great Depression and deep racial tensions. Scout and her brother’s childhood adventures were amusing, but they were subtly informed of serious racial tensions in the south through their father.

The main plot of “To Kill a Mockingbird” centered around a trial in which an African American man was wrongly accused of rape.

Atticus Finch, Scout and Jem’s father, defended him, despite the protestations of his peers and the other white citizens in Maycomb County.

Atticus’ defense of the law and disregard for racism in spite of his peers is one of the most admirable parts of the original story. Unfortunately, Harper Lee’s new book, “Go Set a Watchman,” the sort-of sequel to her origi-

nal, reveals that Atticus is not the equal rights character that readers have grown to love for 55 years.

In “Go Set a Watchman,” Scout is an adult and lives in New York City. When Scout returns home as a modern woman, she doesn’t care that her aunt scolds her for wearing slacks (nor does she care what the other townspeople think). Even though she is educated and disagrees with the views of her childhood peers, she still has a fondness for her hometown and loves going back to it.

On her most recent trip home, she witnesses her father and her love interest Henry attending a town meeting of white men who want to keep the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) out of Maycomb and make sure African Americans do not achieve equality. This shocks Scout and makes her question her entire upbringing and her father’s character.

Atticus’ racism is a blow to every reader’s pure image of him as a defender of equality.

This is the main complaint from most reviewers of the book and is why many readers seem to not like “Watchman.” Though it is disappointing, Atticus still remains a man of the law who is dedicated to raising Scout throughout this novel.

Cleveland Museum of Natural History continues its five-year expansion project “Birds, Beasts, Brats & Beer” Fundraiser Maria Fazal Arts & Entertainment Editor The Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH) has recently commenced its Centennial Campaign, a five-year, $150 million project to expand and transform the museum’s current campus. The project is divided into three phases, with the projected total completion targeted for 2020, the museum’s 100-year anniversary.

Prep for the first phase began in March of this year, while the actual breaking of ground took place this past June. The highlights of this phase are a new Perkins Wildlife Center & Woods Garden, a three-story parking garage and a new West Garden. The museum expects this phase to be completed by late spring of next year.

Some of the most prominent changes to the Perkins will include the new “Forest Walk,” an elevated canopy walk through the grounds, and “Animal Walkways,” tubular mesh walkways that will hang over the heads of visitors and be frequented by bobcats, red foxes, raccoons and coyotes.

Additionally, the Perkins will now house an aviary and an expanded otter pond and amphitheater. The new Perkins will open to the public in spring 2016.

The other prominent first-phase expansion, the new West Garden, will showcase the Viktor Schreckengost sculptures of a mammoth and mastodon, which were removed from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in 2008.

Schreckengost, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 101, was one of Cleveland’s most beloved artists. He taught at the nearby Cleveland Institute of Art for 70 years and was one of the country’s top industrial designers, churning out affordable items (like lawn chairs and dinnerware) during the Depression.

He was also flown to Europe on secret missions during World War II, where he improved the radar technology used in the Battle of the

Bulge. He would also later design prosthetics for wounded soldiers.

Schreckengost’s 59-year-old iconic statues have come full circle now, returning to the museum that, at the time of the statues’ creation, managed the zoo.

Case Western Reserve University art history professor Henry Adams told The Plain Dealer, “It’s great that [the statues] are being preserved. Fifty years is kind of a danger point. Usually when something’s been around for 100 years, you think of it as worth preserving—but 50 years, you can lose these things.”

Beyond the superficial expansion—from 212,000 to 290,000-square-feet—and glistening renovations, the CMNH is hoping to strengthen its roots to nature and expand upon its educational resources by doubling the number of museum classrooms.

According to CMNH Executive Director and CEO Evalyn Gates, the vision for the new CMNH “is beautiful, striking and will create the presence on Wade Oval that will say to the community, ‘Science and nature are important to our region and future.’”

For those feeling nostalgic, the museum is holding its annual “Birds, Beasts, Brats & Beer” fundraiser at the old Perkins. This will be the last opportunity to enjoy the old center before the new one opens in spring.

The event is for those 21 and over, and it will feature animal encounters, training demonstrations and hourly activities featuring several of the Perkins’ inhabitants. Ticket price include a drink ticket, food and entertainment, and proceeds will go to providing for the museum’s animals.

Event: “Birds, Beasts, Brats & Beer” Fundraiser Location: Cleveland Museum of Natural History Date: Friday, Aug. 21 from 5:30-10 p.m.

Price: $35 at the door

Even though Scout is an adult living on her own, she still relies on her father’s opinions and thoughts to guide her own; she has ever since she first saw him admirably defend Jim in “Mockingbird.” The climax of the story does not come until the last 30 pages, when Scout confronts her father and explains how she feels betrayed by him. Her anger is justified and most likely reflects the way many readers feel about this side of Atticus Finch.

However, after this outburst, her uncle points out that she needed to realize how her father truly felt in order to finally become her own self. Thus “Watchmen” is a continuation of Scout’s journey to adulthood.

The novel is full of flashbacks to Scout’s childhood shenanigans with her brother and Dill, but the boys are missing from the story in the present. Jem is now deceased with barely a description of why he passed or what the adult relationship was like between Scout and Jem, except for a few brief passages from their high school days.

Scout mentions that Dill went to the war and stayed in Europe, so he is not around to talk with her about the changes in their hometown.

This is perhaps the most disappointing part of the novel: that some of the beloved characters from “Mockingbird” are not present.

The novel is far from becoming a classic, unlike Lee’s first one; it is hindered by its poorer quality of writing and weak plot. Many sentences are awkward, and the plot itself is quite slow until halfway through the novel when Scout finally discovers her father’s racism.

Despite the disappointment in Atticus’ character that every reader will feel, the novel does have an important lesson to take away about growing up and separating our own opinions from our parents’ to become individuals.

Though there is no solution to most race issues in the novel, there is some satisfaction in the fact that Scout finally realizes she does not have to idolize her father or his views.

Other than this slight character development in Scout, “Go Set a Watchman” does not live up to its potential to be a great sequel to “To Kill a Mockingbird” and is not a must-read for readers who enjoyed the original story.

Novel: “Go Set a Watchman” Author: Harper Lee Release Date: July 14, 2015 Rating:

Kenko: A Long Awaited Asian Fusion Restaurant Holly Chen Contributing Reporter When I first came to Case Western Reserve University, I was disappointed by the lack of Asian restaurants around campus. Kenko, an Asian fusion restaurant that specializes in sushi, teriyaki and bubble tea, is one of the newest additions to University Circle. I was most excited about the bubble tea; before Kenko’s opened, the closest place to get it was Koko’s Bakery on Payne Avenue, which is not exactly accessible unless you have a car.

When I first tried the bubble tea at Kenko, I was a bit disappointed: It was sweeter than I prefer. (If you’re going to order the bubble tea for the first time, I’d recommend ordering it with less sweetener.) However, Kenko has a lot more than just bubble tea; they offer flavored milk drinks, slushes and punches, and they offer a variety of toppings including pudding, nata and herbal jelly, along with the usual tapioca pearls.

Kenko sells more than just drinks: They also offer sushi and teriyaki. The sushi bar is customizable and made fresh, right in front of you. The sushi is good, perhaps not as good as the sushi at Dynomite or Pacific East, but for $7 and the convenience of being in Uptown, it’s not a bad deal. My only warning is to be careful how you customize the sushi, as it is 50 cents extra per any additional fillings, toppings or sauces.

The teriyaki is a little pricey for $8 a bowl, but it’s probably the most filling option. I also appreciate how they give it to you in a to-go container, so you can save some for another meal. My only complaint is that the rice is a little mushier and wetter than what I prefer, but overall Kenko offers some tasty meals.

Bottom line, Kenko is worth the walk.

Right next to Tropical Smoothie, it’s just a 10-minute walk from the North Residential Village. While I do have some criticisms, what I really like about Kenko is their range of op-

tions, and I really appreciate the introduction of more traditional Asian flavors to a broader audience. The drinks are fairly affordable at about $4-5.

I was also impressed by how customizable the orders were; the limitless potential for combination ensures there is something for everyone, and you can try something new every time you go. The customer service was excellent—the workers at Kenko are consistently positive and helpful, as they always take care to explain the flavors of the more foreign names and give great recommendations. Susan Oo, a CWRU student and Kenko employee, states: “Kenko has so many great options, so what I recommend trying really depends on your appetite and what flavors you like in general.

If you’re hungry, definitely get a teriyaki bowl, because they’re pretty filling—and don’t forget the Yum Yum sauce with it! The Little Del=icious, a specialty sushi roll, is a bit pricey, but it definitely holds up to its name. As for bubble tea, my recommendation for milk tea is taro, but if you prefer fruity flavors, I like the mango green tea. But honestly, I don’t think you can go wrong with any.”

So if you’re feeling like something cool on a hot day or craving some sushi or teriyaki, I encourage you to head to Kenko: It’s definitely worth trying.

Restaurant: Kenko: Sushi & Teriyaki Address: 11310 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland Ohio Hours: Monday – Saturday: 11am - 10pm, Sunday: 1pm - 9pm Price Range: $4-13

opinion Editor’s note

Get involved in your community To entering first-years, both those staying on-campus and those living at home, and new transfer students, The Observer staff welcomes you to Case Western Reserve University. Within your new home lies a plethora of secrets and many incredible places that you will come to learn soon enough.

As you become more comfortable with your surroundings and prepare for your first weekend and then your first week of classes, remember to be your own person. As a now member of the CWRU community, it’s important for you to pursue your own interests, whether that is joining an organization, taking an interesting class or working an exciting job. Just as important, remember to try to make friends, those that will encourage you to pursue your interests and whom you can inspire as well.

As a community, we must all

strive to form our own opinions on our campus. To help, The Observer staff has prepared a quick guide on a few things we think you might want to know. It’s on our website: observer.case.edu. There, you will find out about which campus tree is a descendant of one that inspired Newton to create his theory of gravity and the soon-to-come campuswide nerf-war, Humans vs. Zombies.

Curious about the new building being built on the North Residential Village, our stellar wrestling team, or how your meal swipe money is being spent?

That last one brings up an important point, as CWRU members it is important to also be aware of campus happenings and issues. We’re a great community, but far from a perfect one—you being involved can make a difference.

Last year ended with a plethora of unsolved issues, ranging from a campuswide-need to address

sexual misconduct and intra-campus transportation to a structural lack of school spirit and student oversight of the Student Executive Council (SEC), which last fall appropriated approximately $790,000, or $171 from each student. Just as you see differing opinions from returning students on what it means to be at CWRU in this issue of The Observer, you should note how your viewpoints differ from others when it comes to campus issues—and let us know about it.

Just as The Observer Staff wants you to know the secrets our campus, we want to ensure that you are able to have a quality discussion surrounding these concerns. That would be hard without knowing the staff. You can find information about us online. What you will notice is that many of us joined the paper our first year and completed a wide variety of unrelated positions

before embracing our current ones.

We all began as you are right now.

For those interested, we currently have great opportunities to join our organization including positions such as photographers, business team members, designers, and writers.

If you agree or disagree with an item in The Observer, or feel that something should have been covered, write an Letter to the Editor. Anyone can write a letter and there are no requirements to submit one, which can be done on our website. Just as our writers strive to capture the campus, you new readers should argue back to add to the discussion. The Observer goes to print every Friday, and we’re always online at observer.case.edu.

We hope to get to know you.

The Observer Staff

Don’t stress the first weekback Thoughtful Consideration Abby Assmus It is the beginning of a new school year and whether you’re just starting your undergraduate career at Case Western Reserve University or coming back to finish a degree, you have most likely just spent the last three months away from school. These months might have been filled with graduation parties, working or simply being a couch potato with little to no schoolwork or activities.

The beginning of the fall semester can be the hardest because of this long break. Getting back into the grind of studying is difficult, but fear not: If you pace yourself this first week of classes, you can avoid the anxiety and stress of the dreaded syllabus day.

In the first few days of classes, many professors hand out the syllabus and go over it. Although it is good to know what you will be doing the whole semester and important for big project due dates, it can also be daunting. Looking at the whole syllabus week by week, each topic you will learn, each homework assignment and the grading rubric can be scary, especially when you see them

for multiple classes. But not all of this information is important on the first day of class, or even the first week. Take the first week slowly, day by day, and ease back into the semester. Don’t be too overwhelmed by reading the entire syllabus, just focus on the important things for the first week, like getting the required books you will need and showing up to class in the first place.

Remember to take time for yourself this week. This is true throughout the semester as well, and it is important to get into the habit at the beginning of the semester. Studying is important, but it is also important to take breaks.

So make sure in this first week to not focus solely on classes and school work. Schedule a lunch with friends you haven’t seen all summer, or go out for an ice cream break at Mitchell’s with the people you just moved in with and get to know them. This can help ease the transition from relaxing all summer to being overwhelmed with all of the work that is about to start.

Another way to beat the stress of the oncoming semester is to enjoy the weather. We live in Cleveland and those of us who have been here for a while and are returning know how cold

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. However, Opinion columns reflect the views of their writers and not necessarily of The Observer staff. For advertising information, contact The Observer at (216) 302-4442 or e-mail 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. For policy and guidelines related to the submission of Letters to the Editor, refer to observer.case.edu/submit-a-letter.

and snowy the winters can get. The fall semester has the best weather, and CWRU is beautiful outside throughout the fall. Right now, it is still summer and is hot outside, which might make you want to stay inside air conditioned buildings. But soon enough it will be November, and it will be rainy and cold outside. Or it could get cold next week, since it is Cleveland and the weather is unpredictable. Either way, enjoy the days that are warm by going outside instead of staying inside.

A good way to get some sunshine is to do schoolwork outside. Read outside instead of in the library or try to do homework on the wet dry fountain outside of Guilford House. There are plenty of quiet spots on campus to focus on work while still getting some sunshine, such as all of the grass on the quad or the benches and tables.

Working outside is one of my favorite ways to relax and not get overwhelmed with all of the things that I have to do while still being productive. Even just eating your lunch outside in the warm weather can help brighten your day and make this first week more enjoyable and less stressful.

Even though your schedule might be

packed tight with back-to-back classes, try to not rush through them. While walking across campus to get to your next class, remember to breathe. Don’t make your schedule so packed that you always feel like you are in a rush, because then you miss out on the small things in life. As Ferris Bueller said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

As someone that recently graduated from CWRU, I know that at times it seems like graduation is so far away and that you are drowning in schoolwork.

But despite the cliché, before you know it you will have your degree and will be missing the small things about your time in school. So take some time this week to relax and get acquainted, or reacquainted, with CWRU. The first week can be one of the most stressful times of the semester, but it doesn’t have to be if you can take it one day at a time and take some breaks for yourself.

Abby Assmus is a student and the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and hopes that everyone at CWRU has a good first week back.

the observer

established in 1969 by the undergraduate students of case western reserve university executive editor & publisher MIKE MCKENNA director of design SARAH WHELAN director of print ANNE NICKOLOFF director of web & multimedia JULIA BIANCO director of business operations TAYLOR MORAN advertising & marketing manager COLE MORRIS account manager MARCUS GUTIERREZ news editor AQUENE KIMMEL a&e editor MARIA FAZAL opinion editor KUSHAGRA GUPTA sports editor JP O’HAGAN

advisor BERNIE JIM

web editor JOE SATTERFIELD copy editors JENIECE MONTELLANO ELLIE RAMBO

12 opinion

8/21/15

Welcome to the campus we all secretly love Current Adventure: Case Heather O’Keeffe Freshman, welcome to Case Western Reserve University! Home of the Spartans, crippling homework loads, nerds galore, mediocre nightlife (at best), horrible weather and a poorly planned university center!

You see, us Spartans like to complain. It’s what we do. We gripe and moan about this and that: the meal plans, the dorms, Cleveland.

Nothing is perfect and rarely is anything good enough. State schools have better parties, better sports, better everything. Our high school friends never have as much homework. And why in the hell did we choose to study engineering or go the pre-med route?

Yet, here we are and here I am back at CWRU for another year, another round. Despite wearing two pairs of socks during the winter, ranting crazily after math has melted my brain and dealing with the glare on my laptop in the Tink, I’m back and hella excited for my senior year.

Complaining is a common pastime on campus and an easy form of solidarity. Com-

plaining in print is a straightforward article to write. I guarantee that in each edition of The Observer there is an article of the complainitory form and I am a common participant in this practice.

But freshies, don’t fret and please don’t listen to us too carefully. Whining is just a façade, on the inside CWRU holds a special place in our heart.

Trudging through campus when the thermometer hugs zero and the RealFeel is frighteningly low will feel like an accomplishment, like you’ve conquered Mt. Everest. Sure, going to school down south wouldn’t necessitate mittens, wool hats, gloves, scarves, etc, etc, but you would never experience the overwhelming feelings of glee when Babs cancels school (we call President Snyder Babs, by the way) or the few days a year when fat flurries fall from the sky and the whole campus is a winter wonderland.

Sure, the meal plans are pricey, but the dining halls are home to some of my favorite underclassman memories. Leutner and Fribley are the perfect places to procrastinate and eat multiple meals in one sitting as friends

Freshman, wear clear safety goggles when entering your nightmare Pup Peeves Zak Khan To incoming freshman, by now your orientation leaders and other folks you’ve met at Case Western Reserve University have probably told you how great it is here. They may have waxed eloquent on how “accepting” and “diverse” CWRU is. How we’re all in this together. The dining halls seem to serve decent meals and your dorm— sorry residence hall, my mistake— seems livable. Your classes seem workable and relevant. Rose-colored glasses? You’ve got rouged safety goggles, my friend.

Because the bloom wears off that rose. And it wears quickly. It quickly becomes apparent CWRU is more posturing than substance. The quality of the dining hall food slides markedly, but they swear nothing has changed.

You can’t seem to find where, but more and more dust enters your dorm room.

The “diverse,” “accepting” students around you seem to think nothing of their crass, often bigoted remarks. Your whole entire worth seems contingent on what your GPA is. What the hell happened? CWRU happened.

Add to this your classes. At first they seemed relevant and interesting.

Then you went to around three weeks’ worth of lectures and found yourself wondering if you were even in the right lecture hall. What happened to that awesome-sounding syllabus? What chapter are we even on? How much homework and from which book does it come from? Why are none of the questions you are assigned the ones solved in the back of the textbook?

College, as we find out, is never what it claims to be. It’s grueling, soulsucking and downright awful at times.

You keep swearing it’s a nightmare and you’ll wake up soon. All your professors definitely did not just assign three midterm projects just now. Your dormmates definitely didn’t just make a racist joke and expect you to laugh. But this is it, this is CWRU. So is there redemption? Is Babs right?

Can you think beyond the possible?

Is anything possible at CWRU? The answer depends very much on who you surround yourself with.

I started off at CWRU, much like you bright-eyed, dream-having folks, five years ago. I thought I’d made good friends because I met folks quickly and we seemed to get along. But it took me too long to realize a vital lesson.

College is incredibly excruciating. I

didn’t just need people around that were reasonably fun. I needed people around to support me and take me to task.

It may seem like meeting cool folks that like to play the same video games as you or the same sports, or whatever it is you’re into, will also be the ones that can help you through that third all-nighter trying to figure out your damn thermo homework. They may be, but think carefully. You will also need friends who can handle you crying and breaking down, because CWRU will do that you. You will need people who call you out when you are, in fact, a bigoted ass, because you will do that at some point. I did, and for a very long time no one called me out. Make sure to make friends with kids in your classes who understand material you don’t and viceversa. Share studying and frustrations with them. Struggling together is more effective than scrambling on your own.

Ask others for help.

CWRU has an odd culture. It becomes apparent soon enough after the endorphins of orientation wear off. Navigating it means finding not only the people to have around, but the academics, too. I made the tragic mistake of thinking STEM all the way.

And it’s fine if that sustains you here, because it certainly can. But do not neglect your electives. Find courses that make it worthwhile to get out of bed, so you don’t sleep in all day and miss your classes because all your other courses suck. Try and schedule that class early, because a miserable start to the day in that baffling lecture hall is not usually a good motivator.

All of this leads me to the idea that college is often quite a struggle. But there are ways to make it worthwhile.

Find decent folks who academically and personally fulfill your interests and are able to understand when you cry.

Schedule classes that don’t make you groan just at the thought of them. Learn tricks like the best times to eat at the dining halls and when to take a break.

Recognize that you’re worth more than your grades, that your personhood is not defined by how academically proficient you are.

So welcome to Case Western Reserve University, Class of 2019. It’s not going to be what you thought it would be. But that’s okay, because it can be something worthwhile that you need it to be.

Zak Khan doesn’t even go here anymore, but they have a lot of feelings and angry barking.

continue to roll in. The people-watching scene is superb and desserts on open house day are the best. Roll into Leutner at 7:50 and enjoy your meal while the workers cleaning turn up the music and celebrate the end of the day.

Their joy is contagious.

Weekend trips to state schools are a welcome respite: Halloween at Penn State combined with a home football game was a memorable weekend, to say the least. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights have more options week in and week out: it’s pretty great, for a weekend. Most of us sought out and appreciated our medium-sized school. People are recognizable and professors are personable. It’s a community, not a city.

I am continually astounded that I understand (sometimes) my notes of integrals, limits and differential equations. Many times I’ve been surrounded in a sea of notes, practice problems, textbooks and online solution manuals with my hands thrown in the air, swearing at homework problems that require me to do integration by parts (I have no clue).

After a few tries, multiple erasures and usually the night before it all clicks. I get it and I love

it. The feeling of accomplishment and real understanding is so real and so delicious. The exclamations of “I get it! I get it!” make the hours of confusion almost worth it.

So freshman, take the complaints with a shaker of salt. We’re a nerdy campus, but everyone knows the difference between “Star Wars” and “Star Trek.” Cleveland has its pitfalls but it’s cheap, easy to navigate and has plenty of things to do if you’re willing to take a ride on the RTA. Tink isn’t an ideal place to get anything done, but it’s a fantastic heated hallway during the six-month winter.

Take the semester to discover CWRU and Cleveland, ignore the haters and revel in the newness of college. Soon you’ll be complaining outwardly along with the rest of us but rejoicing when your mom’s SUV drives down Euclid and it’s time to unpack your life into a tiny dorm room for another year at CWRU. Heather O’Keeffe is a senior studying biomedical engineering and minoring in sports medicine. Her grandpa swore no one ever came home to his fraternity house drunk (sounds a little far-fetched to Heather).

Say hello and learn from those who have made it Cleveland in Color Sarah Jawhari Welcome, undergraduate Class of 2019.

Family and friends have been giving you wellintentioned undergraduate advice since your senior year of high school. By now you’ve received a number of diverse synopses— everything from offhand warnings to young love advice to precautionary reassurances. As a current graduate student at Case Western Reserve University and an undergraduate CWRU alumnus, I have a plethora of dos and don’ts to tell you. You might be an graduate student like me by the time you learn all the lessons of undergraduate life at CWRU. That’s natural, that’s how it is supposed to work. There are some that you need to learn now, that you need to grasp quickly and many that some realize only in their upperclassmen years or even afterward. Let me help you get a head start on navigating what will quickly become the best four years of your life.

Your Brain is a Sponge Learn. Don’t kid yourself into thinking you are only here to build a network and get wasted on weekends. Learn all that you can and befriend your professors—they will come to be the hip, wise friends you always wanted.

At the same time, remember that people’s eyes aren’t on you. No one here is judging.

In fact, the friends you make during your undergraduate career will be the most accepting, spontaneous group of people you’ll meet. And frankly, most of your classmates won’t know who you are. What a great opportunity to try something you would have never tried back in the day. If you were a jock in high school, no one here knows. So join Swing Dance club, attend a slam poetry performance and grab a coffee with that quiet international student in your calculus class.

You’ll be glad you did. Few venues offer the diversity that undergraduate does.

That being said, if you’re still down, research around. There’s never a better time to roll up your sleeves and slap on some nitrile gloves. Getting into research groups early will make for a great resume if you intend to apply for graduate programs or internships later on.

Check, not Wreck, Yourself Your body isn’t your punching bag. Your mega metabolism may be ballin’ the first few years of college, but don’t expect pizza to nourish your new undergraduate bod. Take care of your body, make healthy decisions and don’t resort to all-nighters whenever you have an exam or a paper due. Trust us—taking an hour after class to study throughout the week will bode well. Waiting for the last minute makes for crabby students, stress acne and poor exam scores.

You’re in school, not jail. Live a little. Go

out during a weeknight. Get dinner with your friends. Go to events that make you laugh.

And don’t forget to believe in the “Cleve.”

Cleveland has so much to offer outside of University Circle; make sure you have a buddy system or a ride and go out to explore the wonderful hotspots in Cleveland. These are the moments you’ll remember when you graduate—not that you scored a 95 percent on that organic chemistry exam after locking yourself in your room for three weeks.

Staying in your room for that long is not hygienic; and just as importantly, it likely also means you forgot to call home. Keep mom and pop on speed dial. You’ll be surprised how much you miss your parents, so make it a habit to call them often. It is important to keep your ties to home strong, to remember where you came from and to permit your parents to feel as though they are a part of your forthcoming adulthood. They raised you, after all. Don’t be shy to ask for their advice.

Friendships for Forever Don’t make shitty friends. If you feel as though a new friend is not giving you the respect you deserve, they are not your friend.

Don’t spend your precious youth attempting to make them “see” you. Seriously, if they’re worth your time, they’ll see you for who you are without you putting on a show. Don’t let anyone make you feel poorly about what’s in your soul. You are beautiful and you deserve people who know it.

That also means that when it comes to parties, don’t party with losers. Along those same lines, don’t party with people you don’t know. This goes for girls and boys alike. Go to parties with friends and don’t trust people you met yesterday. If you go to a party and don’t feel safe, leave. There are a million great people here at CWRU—but there are also bad people too, and as the youngest members of our campus, freshmen can be at risk in the wrong scenarios.

Not satisfied? Then shut up. Don’t complain about where you are. Not only does it make you less likely to enjoy your life, it keeps people away or invites other misery to join you. You are so lucky to be studying here. Wake up every morning with gratitude in your heart (even if your roommate snores like a train). You aren’t in Kansas anymore.

Doesn’t matter if you’re from Kansas or not, your university years are designed to yank you from your comfort zone and shake you down to your bare frame. You’ll learn so much about yourself that you’ll feel like you’re taking a crash course in identity every day. The best part is that you’re thoroughly in love with the person you find at the end.

Sarah Jawhari is a biweekly columnist for the Observer.

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Drowning in “leaders,” starving for leadership The Spartan Skeptic Barry Goldberg Not too long ago, I overheard a tour guide tell a prospective student “Case Western Reserve University has many leadership opportunities.”

The prospie replied, “What do you mean by that?,” causing the tour guide’s manufactured smile to be briefly replaced with a look of confused irritation.

But maybe that young prospie was on to something. What is leadership? Bill Gates once said, “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” Kevin Kruse of Forbes claims “Leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal.”

What does leadership mean to you?

While you consider that, let’s examine the path taken to get CWRU’s new genderinclusive housing options, which aim to allow students who don’t conform to society’s standard gender identities have a greater degree of safety in their on-campus living situations. The Residence Hall Association (RHA) began the effort in August 2014, according to their president, Victoria Robinson. RHA representatives met with university staff who would have a say on the issue, researched policies held by other schools, and devised a plan that would work for CWRU. They took the plan to Housing and Residence Life, who took it to Student Affairs.

But Student Affairs wasn’t willing to implement a policy without some sort of proof

that Gender-Inclusive Housing would be important to the student body. So RHA was referred to the Director of Assessment for the Student Affairs Operations and Planning Department (try saying that 10 times fast), where its student survey went through several rounds of edits before Robinson was finally told that the department only ever permitted one student survey active at a time, so it would be months before their survey ever saw a student.

Enter now senior, M.C. Perrin. Perrin had heard about early talks to implement a gender-inclusive housing policy, and had been hoping to use it. When they found that the housing application for 2015 lacked a gender-inclusive option, Perrin said they were really angry, but also really scared. So Perrin decided to take matters into their own hands, and with a handful of friends, sat down and talked to whomever would listen. When they found out that Student Affairs wanted data to demonstrate community support, they made a Google form to garner support, which reached over 100 signatures in the first weekend alone, and over 150 soon thereafter. After some time and many executive meetings later, the inclusive policy was rushed into production.

Perrin’s role granted no title or official position to put on a resume, but they very arguably exhibited Kruse’s aforementioned use of social influence to accomplish a goal.

The probably underpaid tour guide I passed on the quad this summer wasn’t wrong: CWRU does have many leadership opportunities. We’ve got large leadershipfocused organizations like the Undergraduate Student Government (USG), RHA, Univer-

sity Programming Board, Class Officers Collective (COC), the Inter-Fraternal Congress, and the Panhellenic Council. Let’s not even delve into the over 170 student organizations and clubs each with their own at least four member executive boards, the Center for Civic Engagement and and Learning, or the office of Student Activities and Leadership or the many others.

The stated objectives of these leadershipfocused groups tend to boil down to one or both of two goals: advocating the perspective of students to the administration and organizing events. And while they often do a pretty good job at this, there is still room for improvement.

The tale of gender-inclusive housing is just one of many involving students void of official position stepping up to do the job of our leadership organisations. For instance, another good example is Case Quidditch Club’s Harry Potter-themed dance Yule Ball, which after a mere two years of existence has already eclipsed the dances hosted by the COC. This is all well and good, but relying on a few passionate, heavily invested individuals isn’t a sustainable model. By the time Perrin was done with their advocacy efforts, they were exhausted, and the coordinator of the next Yule Ball, Tasha Smith, is already taking pains to try to avoid the exhaustion she saw in previous events.

Too often, our literally hundreds of leadership positions not enough. So what can we do about that?

For starters, we could merge several of those first seven organizations into a much

more manageable number. This would not only reduce unneeded redundancy and bureaucracy in student life and streamline the process for concerned students to advance their ideas, but it also would make elections much more competitive, helping insure more leaders held their job for the right reasons. The number of positions which are “elected” unopposed is frightening—be it the 2014-2015 USG presidency or virtually every position in COC. And while there’s plenty more our official student leaders can do, the burden should not rest squarely on them. We need more students willing to make time in their busy schedules to go to bat for progress when they see an opportunity, and we need students stepping up to provide them with support even more.

I’m going to ask once again: What does leadership mean to you? Does it necessitate a formal title? Can someone with a sanctioned position neglect to exhibit the properties of leadership? Can someone without a position display them?

If you want to be a leader on campus, that’s good for you.

Whether you find it easier to pursue leadership through official venues or through unofficial endeavors, know that your leadership, however you choose to define that, is not granted by a title or a claim. It’s granted by the process you take.

Barry Goldberg is a senior biomedical engineering major with a minor in history and a strong passion for activism and politics. You can tell it’s him because his hat says his name.

Elect politicians who represent, not alienate, the American people Guest Column Josh Lehrer As August began, many Case Western Reserve University students likely tried last ditch efforts to relax before the year began. But if you were busy swimming, you may have missed something that all CWRU students should have paid attention to: the Republican Party’s first Presidential Primary Debate.

Cleveland may not have been on the mind of those who don’t live near campus, but for the nation’s and world’s media, there was nothing more pressing. Despite this, for those who paid attention, there was clearly an underlying disconnect between the debate’s candidates and the American people.

Some of the candidates presented certain ideals that are quite honestly appalling and dangerous for America’s future. Misogynistic, racist, xenophobic, homophobic and intolerant comments are simply unacceptable. Imagine if these attitudes were perpetrated on our campus. Just as we saw last year with the responses against those who belittled the #webelonghere movement, there would be an immediate outcry. Candidates running for public office do not become popular or electable by alienating others. A lot of GOP politicians need to sway away from these tendencies, by not attacking and performing “witch hunts” against people, such as immigrants, even if they happen to

lack legal status. To do this would be a repeat of what occurred in the 1950s, when Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy went on an indeterminate rampage to detect communists and communist sympathizers. It proved disastrous for his career and for the United States.

There were some clear instances when the debate’s candidates were out-of-touch with the American people. Policy wise, many candidates lacked specificities. Some of America’s most pressing concerns were never even brought up, namely: climate change, the proliferating rise in gun violence nationally and soaring economic disparities. Programs that our government needs to implement, particularly those that galvanize all Americans, are common sense ones. Ensuring that Americans have the opportunity to prosper and move up the ladder is key.

Promoting such policies that provide the best quality of education to every American child protects people from the senseless violence caused by firearms, enables the United States to reduce pollution and keeps the environment healthy—those are the kind of bold, innovative ways to mitigate some pressing issues in the United States. Just as we worry about ISIS and other foreign powers, domestically we should be just as concerned about white supremacists that still encourage hatred and exclusion.

One of the takeaways from the 2012 presi-

f cwruobserver @CWRUObserver observer.case.edu

dential election was that addressing the U.S. as a community triumphs. Excluding people from opportunities and treating everything as an “us versus them” problem is marginalizing. This was demonstrated especially by Mitt Romney’s loss in 2012, exemplified by his “47 percent” gaffe. You cannot expect to become a public official by simply representing jingoism and non-inclusiveness.

If there’s one phenomenon that I realized from this debate, it’s that our country remains deeply divided. Yes, the news and media have been telling us this for at least the past decade.

But it became tangible to me, something that was observable. The “united” in the United States of America is becoming ever so fractured. Promoting policies that empower the average American and help everyone achieve the American Dream appeals to the public and wins elections, not the opposite. Embracing the principle of bipartisanship, something that seems nonexistent in the federal government currently, is healthy and necessary to move our country forward.

To win when the general elections comes around, the GOP needs to be strategic and not nominate a candidate who simply panders to certain bases in the primaries when it comes to issues that affect most Americans. That’s the only way it stands a chance.

The party also needs to realize Ohio’s importance. Analyses show the Buckeye State

has essentially determined the presidential winner in every general election since 1964.

Cleveland, the home city of the first debate, the 2016 Republican National Convention and CWRU, will be a pivotal “stomping ground” to determine our nation’s next president.

The lack of active participation in the future of our country is undoubtedly troubling, especially among millennials and our generation. Our generation is far more tolerant on issues such as same-sex marriage, LGBT rights and so on; increased leadership from us would be invaluable to the nation. At CWRU, a few students have already been proactive in this engagement at the level of our community when they conceived the Undergraduate Diversity Council, now a voting member of the Student Executive Council. We need to stay informed and use our vote to make significant change in the right direction. Research the candidates, just as CWRU emphasizes research in your field of interest. Read the news one to two times a week. Stay civically engaged.

An America where everyone “has a fair shot” is one that resonates with me most—and I’m sure this applies to the majority of Americans, which includes CWRU students as well.

Josh Lehrer loves politics, but jokes that he could never be a politician because he’s too honest and sensitive.

Want to write for The Observer? Email us.

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8/21/2015

The Jolly Scholar

jolly.scholar

@JollyScholar

216.368.0090 mpv3@case.edu MTW RF Sat. Sun.

11a – 12a 11a – 2a 12p – 2a 12p – 12a

Welcome Back!

Thursday is graduate student happy hour (5 until close)

Catering!

Call the Jolly Scholar for your next holiday party. We’ll cause any party to get Jolly.

Our calendar has changed!

Sundays: Campus & Cleveland Famous “Jolly Wing Day”: All you can eat wings and fries for $9.99 Mondays: Monday Night Margaritas... and Football (starts at 7pm) Tuesdays: Jolly Trivia Night Wednesdays: CWRU Family Feud Thursdays: Jolly Karaoke Fridays: Dancing & $5 Forty’s Saturdays: Late Night Theme Night (Book with us tonight)

The Cleveland Indians: Northeast Ohio’s oldest sports tradition

Billy Heyen Contributing Reporter Welcome to Cleveland, everyone, home of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians.

Since students at Case Western Reserve University come from far and wide, the wonder of the Indians is not common knowledge. We are here to make it common knowledge.

The Cleveland Indians have been a part of the city of Cleveland for over a century. Hall of Famers have littered the ranks of the team they call the “Tribe.” From one of the hardest throwing pitchers of all time, “Rapid Robert” Bob Feller, to the first African American to play in the American League, outfielder Larry Doby, the Indians have a storied history.

In the more recent past, they have been full of stars, from 500 home run club members Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez, to Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar, to the man who is now slightly larger than a small house before he was slightly larger than a small house, Bartolo Colon.

Throw in speedy center fielders like Kenny Lofton and Grady Sizemore, to the aptly named designated hitter “Pronk” (Project Donkey) Travis Hafner, the Indians have had their fair share of superstars.

However, for the Tribe, the past few years have struggled to stick with their storied his-

tory, a history that includes World Series titles in 1920 and 1948, along with three more recent appearances. After making the playoffs in 2013 as a wild card team, the last few years have been a struggle. Promise at the start of the year turns to disappointment as the team continues into the dog days of summer.

However, there is a lot to like about the current iteration of this ballclub. Progressive Field, their home, is a beautiful ballpark that runs lot of promotions; they are especially fond of Dollar Dog Night, where you can get a hot dog for a dollar… the average college student will gladly take that deal.

While the team is all but eliminated from playoff contention this year, the future is bright.

Their rotation contains last year’s American League Cy Young Award winner: the best pitcher in the league, Corey Kluber. They also have three young pitchers who strike out lots of batters in Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer. Combine this with an AllStar second baseman in Jason Kipnis and an All-Star outfielder in Michael Brantley, and future Gold Glovers Giovanny Urshela at third base and Francisco Lindor at shortstop, and the Tribe is destined for greatness.

Progressive is definitely a place to visit to check out the stars of the future here in Cleveland. Over the next few years, there will definitely be some good teams to cheer on, and you will want to be a part of it.

Cavaliers hold Cleveland’s championship hope Noah Crowley Contributing Reporter The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently the single greatest hope for a major sports championship in Northeast Ohio. The last time “The Land” has won a major sports championship was back in 1964: the Browns won before the NFL Championship played the AFL and held the annual “Superbowl.”

Upon his return to the Cavaliers just before the 2014-15 season, LeBron James, the greatest basketball player in the world, became Cleveland’s prodigal son, returning home after he had “taken his talents” down to Miami, won two championships and reached four straight Finals with the Heat four years prior.

Before The King’s return, the Cavaliers were already well-equipped with the All-Star point guard, Kyrie Irving, who was drafted number one overall by the Cavaliers in 2011.

Earlier that summer, the team had also hired multi-time international champion coach David Blatt. And shortly after LeBron had re-signed with his hometown team, All-Star power forward and former face of the Minnesota Timberwolves Kevin Love was traded to the Cavaliers for Cleveland’s number one pick in the 2014 draft, Andrew Wiggins.

Upon the King’s return, the Cavaliers took on huge renovations to their home, Quicken Loans Arena (called the “The Q”). A gigantic new “humongotron”—which has four massive, curved screens—was installed. The court was updated with a design that includes a silhouette of Cleveland’s skyline. It became a palace fit for a king: the King.

With LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, Cleveland now had a mimic of Miami’s former “Big Three.” And with that Big Three came higher expectations and hopes than Cleveland had had in decades: The Cavaliers were expected to win the NBA championship.

And they almost did.

The Cavaliers won the Eastern Confer-

ence Championship and made it to the NBA 2015 Finals. Cleveland’s opponent was the fast and dangerous Golden State Warriors— number one team in the regular season and led by the league’s best sharpshooter and 2014-15 MVP, Stephen “Baby Face” Curry. It was a matchup promising an amazing show, and the ratings proved it.

But disaster struck the Cavaliers. Earlier in the playoffs, Kevin Love’s shoulder was torn out by Boston Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk.

Then, in the overtime loss of the first game of the finals, Kyrie Irving fractured his kneecap.

The “Cleveland Curse” struck again.

However, despite gigantic setbacks, the now ragtag team of basketball players, led by the King, battled their way through a gripping Finals series, ultimately falling short to the healthier Golden State Warriors. An entire city’s hopes and dreams of ending a 50-year drought of championships collapsed while another city won its first basketball championship in nearly as long.

This offseason, the front office of the Cavaliers had one goal—keep the team together and bring in new talent. And the front office did just that. They re-signed LeBron James, Kevin Love, Iman Shumpert and the beloved Matthew “Delly” Dellavedova, and brought in more talent with the likes of former Cavalier Mo Williams. While Tristan Thompson and J. R. Smith remain free agents, they are expected to re-sign, at least for the next season.

As Cleveland looks forward to its next year of hoops, its hopes of a new banner hanging from the rafters are stronger than ever. The Cavaliers have a team that has been together through the worst of times. They have a Big Three that will be remembered throughout the ages of basketball, and most importantly, as will be the team’s battle cry, they have some “unfinished business” to attend to.

Keep your eye on the Cavs this season— you’re in for a thrilling time and possibly even a ring coming to Cleveland.

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Spartans aim for championship Men’s soccer prepared for challenging season Evan Rose Staff Reporter

Observer Archives Joshua Prosser out runs an opponent to the ball last season. The Spartans look to compete and succeed this season against some of the top teams in the country.

The Case Western Reserve University men’s soccer team enters its third year under head coach Brandon Bianco. The Spartans finished last season with an 8-5-4 record, narrowly missing a spot in the NCAA Championship in the Great Lakes region.

Bianco has recruited eight incoming freshmen, whose accomplishments in high school and in the club soccer circuit will be sure to aid the team in the coming season.

The incoming class includes five state cup champions, three of whom were multipletime United States Youth Soccer Association Championship series players with Cincinnati United Premier.

The freshmen will join a strong Spartan squad, returning several of its top performers from last season. Three players were awarded All-UAA honors in 2014: Senior Chris Cvecko (First Team), sophomore Michael Balog (Second Team) and sophomore Calvin Boyle (Honorable Mention).

“All of the freshman come from winning environments from either club or high school, and all seem to have a good understanding of the demands of the next level. I am definitely excited to have them be a part of our team,” said Balog about the new recruits.

Cvecko and Balog will be two of the players to watch in the upcoming season.

Last year, they tied for the lead in total goals scored, each netting seven on the year. With Cvecko heading into his senior year and Balog with a year of collegiate soccer experience under his belt, expect those numbers to

only go up for this season. “Our seniors have been team leaders for the past two seasons, so on top of losing several talented players, the team itself is adjusting and taking a new identity,” said Balog.

However, the Spartans face a tough conference, with whom they have struggled in the past. Last year, CWRU finished with a 2-3-2 conference record, narrowly behind Carnegie Mellon University.

Although the Spartans made consistent improvements last year, increased their point total and decreased their allowed goals since 2013, the UAA conference houses some of the best teams in Division III. CWRU faces several challenging opponents, specifically seventh-ranked Brandeis University. Three other schools, University of Chicago, University of Rochester and Emory University, are also ranked in the top 25 nationally.

The men’s team faces a difficult schedule this year, including six games against teams who competed in the 2014 NCAA Championship. Nonetheless, the Spartans are expected to continue improving under their relatively new leadership, and should have a successful season.

Most of the team’s home games should be exciting: They face a variety of teams from across the country, including rivals in Cleveland and in the UAA. The two best games to attend will likely be a midseason game against top conference team Brandeis and senior day against longtime rival Carnegie Mellon.

Be on the watch for a good season from one of CWRU’s most exciting sports teams; the first home game is against University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg on Sept. 5.

Spartans looking to step up their game Women’s soccer looking to capitalize on experience of returning players

Evan Rose Staff Reporter As another season starts, the women’s soccer team is at a crossroads.

The Spartans will be without their top defender and their top goal scorer from last season: lights-out keeper Abbey Smith and stellar goal scorer Jessie Sabers, as well as the other seniors who graduated last season.

However, with a squad as talented as the Spartans, there isn’t a lot of reason to worry.

To replace the missing talent, the Spartans now depend on a deep junior and senior class of players to lead the new blood back to a high level of success.

The program has been unable to top the national ranking of 13th since that level of success was reached by the 2011 squad, but it has often come near-misses away from reaching that goal. Last season, for example, the squad pulled out an upset over number two in the nation Washington University at St. Louis at home in a double-overtime thriller. However, the Spartans struggled down the stretch to vault into the running for elite teams.

Despite the setbacks, the strong returning core will be hungry for success and led by newly elected captain Lauren Wichman.

Wichman has held down the Spartans back line for three seasons now and was instrumental in helping hold opposing offenses to a mere 0.735 goals against. In addition to her defensive prowess, the senior also has the versatility to help up top when needed, recording an assist on a game-winning goal last season against Baldwin Wallace. The Spartans will be looking to her all season as a model for the success they hope to achieve.

The midfield will be held down by junior Amy Lindberg, who started all 18 games of her sophomore season and was named as an honorable mention to the All-University Athletic Association team for her play. Furthermore, Lindberg was able to add to the Spartans’ offensive push last season, scoring twice and adding two assists.

The likely replacement for Smith in goal will be senior Megan Romelfanger. She played in 17 of 18 games her freshman season before losing out on the starting role to transfer student Smith for the past two sea-

Observer Archives The women’s soccer team celebrates after a win last season. This year, their experienced core will hopefully improve on last year’s record. sons of play. Look for Romelfanger to be out to prove herself this season and improve upon her strong freshmen year statistics of 52 saves and a 0.722 save percentage.

A big question mark may come from the offense this season as a collection of players vie for starting roles after strong play last season. The Spartans struggled scoring down the stretch, oftentimes on plays that were a matter of luck. However, with a junior class of forwards made up of Alexa Williams, Pauline Van Dijck , Marley Praprost, Mahya Krouse and Jennifer Zajic, all of which will be looking to prove themselves, there is a good possibility of a strong

offense to relieve some of the pressure off the stellar defense.

At the helm will be coach Tiffany Crooks, who enters her ninth year of coaching the Spartans, boasts a record of 69-6217 and has a winning percentage of 0.524.

Those wins leave her just seven wins short of clinching the record for most wins in the program’s history. Crooks has built the program into perennial competitors and shows no signs of slowing down this season.

The Spartans kick off their season with a scrimmage against Notre Dame (OH) on Sunday and will host Oberlin in their home opener on Sept. 1.

sports Spartan sports guide A quick look at CWRU’s 17 varsity teams

A guide to the Spartan’s top rivals

Case Western Reserve University has an outstanding athletics program based on the athletic traditions of both Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University. Our student athletes compete at the Division III level and expertly balance school and sports in a recipe for success. Here is a breakdown of our excellent varsity athletics Shounak Bose and an opportunity for you to learn a little about each of our varsity squads. Make sure to put this knowledge to good Contributing Reporter use as you go out and support our Spartans this season.

-Reporting by JP. O’Hagan, Sports Editor Football

Wrestling

Baseball

Head Coach: Greg Debeljak (12 seasons) Home Venue: DiSanto Field Players to watch: Rob Cuda (QB), Adam Hochman (FB) Fun Fact: Spartans returned to the PAC last season, a conference both CIT and WRU helped found First Home Game: Sept. 19 against Saint Vincent College

Head Coach: Danny Song (first season) Home Venue: Horsburgh Gymnasium Players to watch: Connor Medlang, Cito Balsells Fun Fact: Song is only the fourth head coach since CIT and WRU federated in 1967 First Home Game: TBD

Head Coach: Josie Henry (6 seasons) Home Venue: Mather Park Players to watch: Annie Wennerberg (P/OF), Kristen Klemmer (OF), Katie Wede (OF) Fun Fact: Wennerberg hit the most home runs (20) in all of Division III last season First Home Game: TBD

Volleyball

Women’s Basketball

Head Coach: Karen Farrell (10 seasons) Home Venue: Horsburgh Gymnasium Players to watch: Katie Best (OH), Marian Barton (RS) Fun Fact: The team just got back from a trip to Italy First Home Game: Sept. 11 against SUNY Buffalo State

Head Coach: Karen Farrell (10 seasons) Home Venue: Horsburgh Gymnasium Players to watch: Katie Best (OH), Marian Barton (RS) Fun Fact: The team just got back from a trip to Italy First Home Game: Sept. 11 against SUNY Buffalo State

Head Coach: Eric Schmuhl (3 seasons) Home Venue: Veale Center Track Players to watch: Cassandra Laios, Jonathan Freeman Fun Fact: Men’s 4x400 meter relay team set the school record in 2015 and then set it again at the next meet First Home Game: TBD

Men’s Basketball

Men’s Tennis

Head Coach: Kathy Lanese (15 seasons) Home Venue: CWRU Squire Valleevue Farm Players to watch: Ben Davis, Kelsey Aamoth Fun Fact: Alumna Esther Erb will be competing at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Beijing First Home Meet: Sudeck Stampede at Sundown Sept. 4

Head Coach: Sean McDonnell (12 seasons) Home Venue: Horsburgh Gymnasium Players to watch: Jimmy Holman (PG), Julien Person (G) Fun Fact: The team runs Cakes @ Case, cake delivered to your door.

First Home Game: Nov. 13 against Goucher

Head Coach: Todd Wojtkowski (7 seasons) Home Venue: Carlton Courts Players to watch: CJ Krimbill, Louis Stuerke Fun Fact: Stuerke and Krimbill finished in top 4 at NCAA Doubles Championships this past season First Home Game: TBD

Men’s Soccer

Swimming and Diving

Women’s Tennis

Head Coach: Brandon Bianco (3 seasons) Home Venue: DiSanto Field Players to watch: Chris Cvecko (MF), Michael Balog (F) Fun Fact: Spartans are looking to return to NCAA Tournament for first time since 2011 First Home Game: Sept. 5 against University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg

Head Coach: Doug Milliken Home Venue: Veale Natatorium (5 seasons) Players to watch: Mary Katherine Miller, Drew Hamilton Fun Fact: The men and women’s teams broke a combined 12 records last season First Home Game: Oct. 31 against Carnegie Mellon, Clarion University of Pennsylvania and Gannon University

Head Coach: Kirsten Gambrell (3 seasons) Home Venue: Carlton Courts Players to watch: Nithya Kanagasegar, Jennifer Lowe Fun Fact: Coach Gambrell led the Spartans to their highest national ranking in her first season as coach First Home Game: TBD

Women’s Soccer

Baseball

Head Coach: Tiffany Crooks (9 seasons) Home Venue: DiSanto Field Players to watch: Kate Dolansky (M), Lauren Wichman (D) Fun Fact: Coach Crooks is seven wins short of becoming the winningest coach in CWRU history First Home Game: Sept. 1 against Oberlin

Head Coach: Matt Englander (10 Seasons)

Home Venue: Nobby’s Ballpark Players to watch: Aaron Cain (OF), Connor Tagg (P) Fun Fact: Team broke the school record for wins in 2014 with 34 First Home Game: TBD

Cross Country

Track and Field

Note: Both men and women’s cross country, swimming and diving and track and field teams are grouped under one entry.

As any sports fan would know, every team has that one rival team. The Indians have the Tigers. The Browns have the Steelers. Ohio State has Michigan. Rivalry games are a completely different experience from a regular sporting event.

There’s not just a heightened sense of competitiveness, but also a unique sense of determination and pride held by both players and fans. Rivals are determined through history, similarity and geographic proximity.

Therefore, to get to know Case Western Reserve University’s biggest athletic rivals, it is important understand its history, as well as the schools around it.

In the mid-1980s, a group of administrators from well-respected research universities came up with the idea of creating a Division III Conference made up of schools that were located in major metropolitan areas and considered to be similar in academics. This resulted in the formal announcement of the University Athletic Association (UAA) on June 25, 1986.

The founding members of the UAA were CWRU, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Chicago, New York University, Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, Washington University in St. Louis and University of Rochester. Out of those eight, all but one (Johns Hopkins) remain in the UAA, and one institution, Brandeis University, has since joined.

Almost all of CWRU’s athletic teams participate solely in the UAA. However, starting in 2014, CWRU’s football team rejoined the President’s Athletic Association (PAC). This jump is based on CWRU’s history with the PAC. In 1955, the two schools that later merged to make CWRU, Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, were founding members of the PAC. Once the schools merged, CWRU remained part of the PAC until 1986, when it joined the UAA. Unlike the UAA, which includes schools from all around the eastern half of the United States, the PAC consists mainly of schools from Pennsylvania, with one school from West Virginia, and one from Kentucky (CWRU is the only school from Ohio). The conference includes Carnegie Mellon (football only), Bethany College, Geneva College, Grove City College, Saint Vincent College, Thiel College, Thomas More College, Washington & Jefferson College, Waynesburg University and Westminster College.

Although CWRU athletics straddle two different conferences, CWRU is known for having one primary rival: Carnegie Mellon, whose football team also joined the PAC alongside CWRU’s in 2014. Given the similarities between the two schools, it’s no surprise that they are rivals. Both are academic-minded research schools in similar cities with a competitive history. Each year, since 1970 the two schools’ football teams take part in the Academic Bowl, which CWRU has won for the past eight years.

Their intense rivalry will continue on Nov. 14 in Pittsburgh.