Volume XLV, Issue 20: Feb. 21, 2014

the

volume xlv, issue 20 friday, 2/21/2014

Observer Learning to learn online

Massive open online courses, yield mixed reviews, mixed results

see pg. 2 Arianna Wage/Observer

CWRU ROTC sees rise in participation after move from John Carroll University Case Western Reserve University recently received an influx of students participating in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) as a result of the restructuring of the program two years ago.

Prior to the restructuring, students in the ROTC were required to leave campus early in the morning and travel to John Carroll University to complete their physical training and military classes.

Because of the required travel burden, CWRU often saw only one or two ROTC students per year.

“The army had a number of students with

ROTC scholarships wanting to study engineering disciplines,” noted Donald L. Feke, vice provost for undergraduate education.

“We’re really the prime engineering school in the area, but when applicants to the ROTC program who wanted to do engineering learned that they would have to do all their training at John Carroll, it turned them off and they decided to go elsewhere.”

The new program specifications, which allow all physical training, freshman and sophomore level classes to be taught at CWRU, have been received positively by most students, and spurred an increase in ROTC students enrolling at CWRU, with eight in the sophomore level class, and 12 to 15 expected in upcoming class years.

“I decided to join the ROTC program out of a deep desire to not only become an Army officer, but also to add structure, discipline and military education to my college experience,” said Bart Ziganti, a sophomore economics major at CWRU. “Holding activities like physical training and military tactics classes on our own campus is very helpful in cutting down on travel time, while maintaining the fine levels of training constituent to our regimen.”

The university accommodated ROTC students by facilitating their use of the Veale Center for physical training, and by providing office and classroom space to ROTC instructors, who are provided by the United States Army.

Although the university is unsure about

whether or not the junior and senior year ROTC classes will be brought to campus, they are enthusiastic about continuing the relationship with ROTC. “It’s a program that we really value,” Provost and Executive Vice President William A. “Bud” Baeslack III said.

“We really try to enable student leaders on our campus, but we’re also very service oriented,” he continued. “If you look at ROTC, it is an organization that really strongly supports and promotes leadership and a service orientation. I think those two attributes are very closely aligned with what we try to instill in all of our students. From that perspective, it works well and fits well on our campus.”

News

A&E

Opinion

Sports

pg. 3 Want to name a bee?

pg. 9 Roll into a community

pg.15 Digging into diversity

pg. 19 Spartans near finish

Julia Bianco Staff Reporter

news Cognitive Science Department to begin research project to improve online courses Jasmine Gallup Staff Reporter

C

ase Western Reserve University isn’t the first higher education institution to jump on the free online course bandwagon, and it won’t be the last. The concept, in theory, seems both infallible and incredibly appealing, especially to the growing university. What could be better than creating a comprehensive form of education that anyone can ac-

But this online education reform isn’t as revolutionary as it seems. It’s faced one key hurdle: people so far don’t actually complete their coursework. cess? What could be better than

Snap Stats A look at some of the facts and figures behind MOOCs

more than

115,000 people worldwide partook in CWRU’s first two MOOCs this past summer Dr. Richard Boyatzis’s class on “Inspiring Leadership Through Emotional Intelligence” drew more than

90,000 students Participants came from 118 countries However the national rate of MOOC completion was estimated to be only 4 percent.

making intensive, high-level academic courses available to people unable to afford Case Western Reserve University’s tuition?

To many, free online courses represent an attempted revolution in higher education—the first and best way one can use technology to improve education. But this online education reform isn’t as revolutionary as it seems. It’s faced one key hurdle: people so far don’t actually complete their coursework. A study by the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education shows that, out of one million users, only about 50 percent of students who register for an open online course actually view a lecture, and only 4 percent complete the course. Though the universities who launch these online courses tend to be hopeful about their outcomes,the concrete data on the success such programs looks grim.

Critics maintain that the structure and format of online coursework is counterproductive and can often be inhibitive of learning, pointing out not only the low completion rates, but also the low registration rates, low passing rates and inability of online courses to reach those without a college degree. In other words, many believe that Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), at least in their current format, are failing.

Still, CWRU has performed

better than the national average when it comes to the online courses they offer. Seven percent of those who registered for one of CWRU’s first online courses which was started last summer, “Introduction to International Criminal Law,” completed the course successfully. And one has to remember that even with a seven percent completion rate, more than 21,000 people signed up, so over 1,400 individuals still finished the course. That’s more than two and a half times as many students who pack Strosacker Auditorium, the largest lecture hall on campus, for Chemistry 111.

Comments from the campus entity most involved in the launching of CWRU’s online course, Information Technology Services (ITS), were unavailable as of press time. The Observer will examine MOOCs from a technology perspective and ITS’s role and plans for the courses in next week’s issue.

Even as CWRU continues to launch new courses through Coursera, an online sponsor of MOOCs, other members of the university community are trying to find out how to make them better, perhaps even craft a new generation of this idea. Professor Mark Turner of the Cognitive Science Department, in collaboration with Professor Francis Steen at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and The Distributed Little Red Hen Lab, plan to launch a multi-year project in the coming months, in order to study the Mind, Media, and MOOCs. “Next year, Steen and I will teach parallel, collaborative courses on Mind and Media: one at UCLA [and] one in cognitive science at CWRU,” Turner says.

“Students in the two courses will interact with each other through video conference. Naturally, we have been exploring the usefulness of media in supplementing and strengthening the course, and this has led us to look at the current state of MOOCs.” According to Turner, the diagnosis of the conventional model of the online course…isn’t good.

The problem is one of attention.

Turner uses the example of a

black bird to explain.

“If you and I are standing outside an I say to you, ‘There is a black bird over in that hedge that has red stripes on its wings,’ and you look where I am pointing, that is classic joint attention,” Turner says. Blended joint atten-

Nearly all communicative media depend profoundly upon excellent techniques of blended joint attention,” Turner says. But that’s not what MOOCs have focused on. tion, on the other hand, is when two or more people are attending to something outside of their perceptible local environment.

“We might be attending to copyright law instead of a black bird,” Turner says. We might be separate in time, space, or both.

There might be thousands of people instead of two.”

“Nearly all communicative media depend profoundly upon excellent techniques of blended joint attention,” Turner says. But

WRU has performed better than the national average when it comes to the online courses they offer. Seven percent of those who registered for one of CWRU’s first online courses which was started last summer. that’s not what MOOCs have focused on . “The MOOCs we have seen pay very little attention to blended joint attention. Instead, they film a lecture.” This is not a good way to go about creating a communicative, educational environment. People lose interest quickly when they’re watching film of real-time events. The computer screen, rather than an enabler of communication, effectively acts as a barrier between the viewer and the professor, or between the viewer and other viewers.

“Red Hen,” Turner says, “would like to do some work to improve the use of media in learning, and we are currently looking at MOOCs as examples of how not to do it.”

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Editor’s Choice

CWRU’s Farm Food Program to tackle Cleveland’s food deserts Mark Patteson Staff Reporter The University Farm, made up of The Squire Valleevue and Valley Ridge Farms in Hunting Valley, Ohio, is striving to help alleviate food deserts one garden at a time.

It will launch a Kickstarter campaign next Monday to raise funds for a pilot program designed to address the problem and bring more helping hands to the farm.

“It is our first foray into food deserts,” explained Chris Bond, farm horticulturalist and coordinator of the Farm Food Program. “We already offer farmers markets but they usually don’t serve those in deserts.”

Food deserts often appear in low income urban areas with limited or nonexistent access to fresh produce and nutritious foods.

Cleveland has a several identifiable food deserts, some within walking distance of Case Western Reserve University’s campus.

The project aims to bring five additional workers, ideally unemployed people, from the food deserts near campus, to the farm during the most labor intensive time of year, June through fall. In addition to a wage, the participants will receive roughly $40 in fresh produce each week to bring home to their families.

Bond hopes that by planting, maintaining and harvesting crops at the farm, the participants will learn how to grow their own

gardens and transfer their new horticultural skills to their own neighborhoods. The project will also bring in chefs and instructors to teach the participants how to eat locally and prepare fresh, nutritious foods.

“It won’t stamp out food deserts, but if you can show a few people how to grow food and learn a skill, it can help five individuals, and five families, improve their neighborhoods,” Bond said.

Emphasizing the goal of the project, Bond said, “It gives people an opportunity they might not have otherwise had to have access to healthy food that they can prepare. It’s like ‘teach a man to fish versus give a man a fish.’”

The Kickstarter project aims to raise $32,000, enough money to hire five workers for 20 hours a week over 18 weeks.

Additional money will allow the farm to offer more hours, extend the season or hire another worker.

Bond called the Kickstarter a “unique undertaking” for the university and farm.

To complement the novel project, the first pledge level offers a unique benefit: Donors can name a bee from one of the farm’s hive and receive a certificate to prove it.

Bond is optimistic that the Kickstarter campaign will succeed. “Maybe it won’t put a dent in the problem, but it can be part of the solution. We want to do whatever we can and the pilot program is a seed. If successful, we can do more.”

Data, data, everywhere CWRU alumnus backs engineering school’s initiative for “big data” major Mike McKenna News Editor Staff Reporter Case Western Reserve University’s efforts to boot up an undergraduate data science major has gained a major financial supporter this past week due to efforts of one alumnus.

Robert Herbold, former chief operating officer of Microsoft Corporation, committed $2.6 million to create an endowment for a professor of informatics and analytics at the Case School of Engineering.

Herbold holds a doctorate in computer science and a master’s degree in mathematics from CWRU. “The ability to evaluate and apply data has always been an integral part of an organization’s success,” Herbold said in a school of engineering press release.

“But the unprecedented amount of information available today demands far more sophisticated approaches to analysis and execution. Case Western Reserve’s historic strengths give the university a unique advantage in preparing students to seize these emerging opportunities.”

According to Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Dr. Donald L. Feke who is seeing the initiative project through the improvement process, the School of Engineering hopes to launch the major next fall. However, specific classes related to the major will probably not be available until Fall 2015. Feke hopes that students will be able to declare the major and take related introductory courses through other departments.

Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives Lisa Camp called the donation “huge” for Engineering School to establish a program that handles the management of “big data.”

“One thing that is great is that the School of Engineering has a lot of first,” she said, citing CWRU having one of the first biomedical engineering departments among other examples. “When you have an alumnus that wants to be the first in this, it’s significant.” Camp later added, “It sends students a great message.”

Camp emphasized the importance of data management as a field.

“Look at you, data is all around us,” Camp said. “Our future is data everywhere.”

Follow us on Twitter @CWRUObserver

Courtesy case.edu The University Farm will begin a Kickstarter initiative next Monday.

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Researchers looking to link electronic medical records

On the beat:

Don’t just stand there…

There is a phenomenon in psychology known as the bystander effect. It refers to the tendency of people to stand around and do nothing even when something potentially dangerous or criminal is happening to someone else right in front of them. The effect seems to increase with the number of people present as the tendency is to stay inactive and wait for someone else to do something. TV shows like “What Would You Do?” capitalize on this phenomenon by having actors stage scenes in restaurants or other locations to see how people do (or don’t) react.

This phenomenon came to mind recently when reading about the recent tragic passing of an undergraduate student at Denison University who was found dead of exposure not far from the university campus. While the exact circumstances of the tragedy are still being investigated, it is a possibility that the student was intoxicated and fell down before reaching a place of warmth.

This leads us back to the bystander effect.

The opposite reaction is bystander intervention, in which people get up and do something about the situation occurring around them. This can occur in a lot of contexts on a college campus—have you ever seen

a friend get intoxicated and want to drive a car/run off into the snow/get into a potential sexual assault situation? Have you ever seen a friend or classmate struggling with depression, or observed someone peering into car or apartment windows or trying doors, as if they were trying to break in?

It may be a natural human tendency to avoid getting involved, but it is a tendency that needs to be examined closely. Expressions like “I don’t want to get anyone in trouble” or “I don’t want to get involved” need to be weighed against the potential damage that could have been averted if someone had acted—and if you would want someone to intervene if you needed help.

Not all tragedies can be averted, but many can, sometimes simply having someone decide to act, or making a phone call for help.

While we are here, we are all part of a larger Case Western Reserve University community—so let’s opt for more bystander intervention and less bystander effect.

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

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Applied Physics, MS Biomedical Engineering, MS, PhD Biotechnology, MS Chemical Engineering, MS, PhD Civil Engineering, MS, PhD Computer Science, MS, PhD Computer Engineering, MS Construction Management, MS Electrical Engineering, MS, PhD Environmental Engineering, MS Financial Engineering, MS Integrated Digital Media, MS Management of Technology, MS, PhD Manufacturing Engineering, MS Mechanical Engineering, MS, PhD and more…

It isn’t uncommon to send patients with severe conditions to nearby hospitals with better facilities to help them survive. Researchers at CWRU’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing noticed something odd, though: Patients who actually have less severe conditions but are still transferred experienced higher death rates than those who had stayed put. Andrew Reimer, a KL2 Scholar instructor at the Dorothy Ebersbach Academic Center for Flight Nursing at the

nursing school, was particularly interested in this topic.

As the researchers began to investigate, however, they realized that technicalities contributed to this problem. Different hospitals make different records, and flight crews in charge of transporting patients do not use the same operating systems or organize information the same way, making Reimer’s endeavor difficult. Born out of this issue was a new project: Reimer now works with CWRU engineers and biostatisticians to develop a system that will overcome the communication difficulties and gather information from patient files.

The Blotter Police Blotter CWRU Police Blotter Feb.10 to Feb. 17 Feb.13- Petty theft-Items taken from locker, Veale Center.

Feb.16- Felony theft-Wallet taken from suite, North Residential Village On the Beat can be contacted at policecolumn@case.edu.

Have news you want to share with us?

@CWRUObserver observer.case.edu f cwruobserver

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Anastazia Vanisko Staff Reporter

Let us know.

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

Take, for example, industrial engineering student Hanako Tsuchiya, who was determined to improve industry efficiency and safety.

She put her knowledge to work and landed an internship with FreshDirect which turned into a full-time position as an Operation Analyst.

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

ATTEnD OUR GRADUATE infORMATiOn SESSiOn On ThURSDAy, MARch 20Th grad.poly.edu/infosession

Case-Western-The_Observer-2-12-14-v1.indd 1

1/30/14 11:56 AM

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LGBT Center to offer Safe Zone training Tuesday Gabrielle Buffington Staff Reporter The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center will be offering a training session to students, faculty and staff members interested in becoming Safe Zone trained. Any interested party must attend one of two upcoming workshops.

The first will occur Tuesday, Feb. 25 from 9 a.m. to noon and the second will occur the same day between 1 to 4 p.m.

Both sessions will take place in the 1914 Lounge of Thwing Center.

It is estimated that there are 1550 people on campus who identify as LGBT. It can be difficult for someone to come out and express his/her feelings if the person does not know who to trust with this sensitive and personal information, which is why Safe Zone members are crucial to making LGBT individuals feel respected. A Safe Zone member is a person who has voluntarily decided to become a visible ally for all LGBT people on campus.

Anyone, regardless of sex or orientation,

can be an ally.

The duty of an ally is to support people (sometimes strangers) when they share their personal lives with the Safe Zone member. Studies have shown that a number of hate crimes are usually initiated because of one’s sexual preference, and some LGBT individuals who felt targeted and helpless were 5 times more likely to have attempted suicide. Having volunteers in place that can show respect towards those in need could help prevent dangerous behavior like this from manifesting in the LGBT community.

An RSVP is required to attend one of the session for becoming an ally, and it can be sent to lgbt@case.edu. Indicate which session you would like to attend and whether you are a faculty member, a staff member or a student. A group or department on campus can also be a part of the session, with the help of Safe Zone Coordinator Elisabeth “Liz” Roccoforte.

For more information, reach Roccoforte at ecr19@case.edu or (216)3683206, or visit case.edu/lgbt/safezone/.

We’re hiring Needed: Design Editor Distributor Email your résumé to observer@case.edu today.

5

Cleveland Museum of Art music curator retires after 17 years Anastazia Vanisko Staff Reporter For reasons that are currently unknown, Massoud Saidpour, the curator of performing arts and music at the Cleveland Museum of Art, has retired after 17 years in the position.

Considering the recent cutbacks United Airlines intends to put in place in April, this latest news comes at a difficult time for the museum. Saidpour’s job included bringing in artists from out of town, but

due to the lowered number of planes flying into Cleveland, it will be more difficult to convince artists the trip is worth it. If it is easier to travel to a major city directly than to take a roundabout route to Cleveland, why wouldn’t artists go elsewhere? Many of the performers are international, making the already complicated process of traveling even more difficult maneuverability.

Despite Saidpour’s leaving, the museum will continue with its current 20132014 performance series.

Inamori Center program to promote global discussion on military ethics Julia Bianco Staff Reporter On Feb. 25, Case Western Reserve University will be holding its first Global Dialogue Café, a joint project between Cisco Systems, CWRU’s Division of Information Technology Services (ITS) and the Laura and Alvin Siegal Lifelong Learning Program, which will bring together individuals from across the globe.

The new program is designed to be completely interactive. It will facilitate video conferencing between participants in multiple countries, and it aims to move past the traditional online classroom setting that underpins Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) and podcasts. As a result, it strives to create an interactive environment that will result in global discussion-based learning.

ITS and Cisco Systems provided a

high-definition videoconferencing network to be used for CWRU’s portion of the conference, which will be open to all CWRU students, faculty and staff, as well as the general public.

Shannon E. French, director of the Inamori Center for Ethics and Excellence, will run the first session, which will focus on military ethics in the age of “virtual” war. The first session will be connected with other sessions in Lisbon, Portugal; London, United Kingdom; and Paris, France.

The program will continue through three additional sessions slated to occur in upcoming months. The March session will focus on global corporate ethics in China, while the April session will focus on end-of-life issues and the ethics of euthanasia. The last session, which has yet to be scheduled, will focus on ethical challenges in the art world.

6 | ad

2/21/14

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

The MSM Finance program is offering substantial scholarships to CWRU undergraduates.

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In many cases, financial firms are hiring top-performing STEM graduates at much higher salaries than those offered by STEM employers.* No work experience is required. The Master of Science in Management-Finance (MSM-Finance) program is led by the same world-class faculty who teach in our undergraduate finance program, which was ranked #1 by Businessweek 2 out of the last 4 years.

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fun

observer.case.edu

fun page | 7

Crossword Puzzle Across 1. Partiality 5. Perceive by inhaling 10. Express in words 14. As well 15. Basic belief 16. Hodgepodge 17. Belonging to the past 19. The yarn woven across 20. Letter after sigma 21. Battle 22. Shoestrings 23. Abrasion 25. It pumps blood 27. Obtain 28. An emotional collapse 31. Primp 34. Steed 35. Caviar 36. Focusing glass 37. Embankment 38. Magma 39. Utilize 40. Not fluid 41. A machine for baling hay 42. Choke

44. Buff 45. Sorrow 46. Pan for pancakes 50. Coquetry 52. Something to shoot for 54. 18-wheeler 55. Bum around 56. A flat circular stone 58. Air force heroes 59. Creepy 60. 1 1 1 1 61. A covered garden walk 62. A chemical compound 63. Where a bird lives Down 1. Thai currency units 2. Of a pelvic bone 3. An ancient Assyrian city 4. Drunkard 5. Unbending 6. Whinny 7. 12 in a foot 8. Fledged 9. Faster than light 10. In that direction 11. Relating to elections

12. Vitality 13. Plenty 18. Frequently 22. Tardy 24. How old we are 26. If not 28. Film 29. Interlaced 30. Close 31. Add 32. A musical pause 33. Stimulates 34. Perditions 37. Balcony section 38. Territory 40. Hissy fit 41. Releases from custody 43. Apprehend 44. Wall Street figure 46. Wish granter 47. Pilotless plane 48. Queues 49. Excrete 50. Plant fiber 51. Delicate 53. Soil 56. G 57. 2,000 pounds

But if you unplug everything, it gets so quiet you hear that highpitched empty-room hum. And then the whispers begin.

By xkcd

Clock Tower

COM ICS

by Kevin Yong

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Philosofish

Kate Hart Ray Krajci

Horoscopes Aries

The stars have aligned to your benefit; address something that has been bugging you for a while. Now is the right time.

Um...

So, Brandon, how is the job search coming?

Taurus

This weekend, find the time to do nothing. It seems difficult with midterms right around the corner, but it will help you in the long run.

It‛s hopeless.

I don‛t qualify for anything that‛s open, haven‛t been called in for a single interview, and would probably disappoint everyone involved if I did.

Gemini

Yes, you have to walk through slush and cold to do the activities that will be super fun. But also, the couch is calling you. Time to make a difficult decision.

Whoa! Calm down.

Cancer

Whoa, Mom, calm down.

I‛ve got plenty of prospects.

It‛s fine I‛ll probably have a job by next week!

Although it seems like a hard time right now, your future will benefit from laying low for a while. This week, go with the flow.

Yeah, if they‛re looking for specialists in baldfaced lying.

Leo

Shut up.

xkcd

PhilosofishComics@gmail.com

Borders

You could choose a worse time to cause a ruckus.

You’re young, and you haven’t truly experienced it. Let loose and make some questionable decisions; you will surely have stories to tell next week.

Virgo

Your bank account is hurting after last week. Take a breather and spend some quality time with good friends, but be mindful of how you spend your time.

Libra

You’re pursuing your foreign interests this week. Go forth and prosper.

Scorpio

Eventually a UN is set up. And then a lone rebel runs down the line of flags in front of it, runs back to his base, and gets a kajillion points.

You will learn new things, but not from your professors.

Gain some valuable life experiences before it’s too late.

Sagittarius

garbage gentle hire paint paper poetess rapt rite ritual scripture shake software switch system talent tote vest wanton

Wordsearch

airy apartment archive beautiful bitter brash broke cease certain cost cover cream excite factor fallow floppy fore frost gambit

Your new friend will lead you to spend late nights contemplating life and love.

Continue to get to know this person; they will prove to be a true companion.

Capricorn

You feel exhausted, and that’s due to your overextended schedule. Drop a few things this week in order to find a balance once again.

Aquarius

You feel like you just won a gold medal in couch potato.

Become a hot potato and do as much as you can this week.

Pisces

Feed your cravings and eat out a bit this week. Keep your wallet in mind, but you can find a worthy meal on the cheap at many holes-inthe-wall.

arts & entertainment

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Editor’s Choice

Harsha Chandupatla/Observer On Wednesday, Feb. 19, CWRU a capella group Dhamakapella performed at Chutney Rolls’ open mic night. Open mics will occur every last Wednesday of the month.

Chutney Rolls combines community and good eats in University Circle

Allison Duchin Staff Reporter “Delivering Joy.” This is the mission of the Indian restaurant “Chutney Rolls,” located on Murray Hill Road. Inspired by the CEO of Zappos.com Tony Hsieh, Hrishue Mahalaha, the owner of Chutney Rolls. has opened his restaurant in order to bring more than a food to a dining experience.

In an effort to create an all-encompassing experience, Mahalaha has set out to create an environment in his restaurant that engages all of the customer’s senses. In creating an open, calm, yet equally inviting setting, Mahalaha utilizes his customer’s comfort level and further enhances their experience by employing staff members that do more than take your order. A CWRU alumnus, Mahalaha specifically states that he looks for people “who are naturally inclined to engaging with customers.”

Mahalaha’s restaurant plays off of one of the most popular trends in the

fast food service industry. This industry has seen a large growth in the past few years over the following trends: having more health conscious, yet inexpensive food options, as well as being coupled with having a nicer sit-down meal experience. One of the great leaders in this food service trend is Chipotle Mexican Grill; Mahalaha considers his restaurant the “Indian Chipotle.” Mahalaha says that’s what makes his food so successful with consumers: It turns Indian food, which may be overwhelming to some, to simple, engaging and approachable via their signature wrap-style.

In an effort to assimilate into the community, Mahalaha has launched efforts to collaborate with a variety of groups on CWRU’s campus; their first major event was held this past December with the Case Cycling Club. This event had student members of the club act as a delivery service for Chutney Rolls for a week, and in return, 10 percent of the week’s profits went to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Chutney Rolls also cooperated

with a variety of other CWRU organizations including Greek Life, the School of Dental Medicine, ethnic social clubs, engineering societies and even Undergraduate Studies in attempts to ease the stress students have throughout the semester.

As of recently, most student organizations Mahalaha worked with have reached out to him initially; however, in the upcoming weeks he will be looking for a student group to sell Chutney Rolls products in the Thwing Center.

Mahalaha plans to donate 10 percent of the proceeds earned to whichever student group he has partnered with for that week. As of now, Mahalaha is working to secure a partnership with the Indian dance team Kismat as well as the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. Mahalaha doesn’t just reach out to his own alma mater. He is currently working to double his restaurant as a rotational gallery to feature some of Cleveland Institute of Art’s students as well as professors. In an effort to also feature students from the Cleveland Institute of Music,

Mahalaha will schedule open-mic nights at the restaurant. The first open-mic night occurred this past Wednesday, and he currently has a second planned to occur next month on March 26, when a CWRU music group is also rumored to be performing. If interested, Mahalaha plans to hold an open-mic night monthly, every last Wednesday of the month.

When opening Chutney Rolls, Mahalaha knew he wanted reconnect with the local university setting. He said he missed the feeling of being a part of this campus; as the years after his gradation passed, he saw the campus becoming more of a set of buildings instead of memories. His work with the local community allows him to repossess the sentiments with the CWRU campus that he was nervous of losing. The act of reestablishing himself among the community was a main goal when Mahalaha picked his location for Chutney Rolls, but he found out the connection to students and campus organizations happened organically.

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Nighttown: Cleveland’s own temple to jazz Patrick Clarke Contributing Reporter It’s the weekend. Or a weekday. You’re bored. Or you’re tired. Whatever entertainment Case Western Reserve University has to offer, it isn’t working. So you try to amuse yourself with a bit of visual escape—Netflix being the preferred method, of course. You decide to move out of the typical genres: the Parks and Recreations, the House(s) of Cards, the Breaking Bads, whatever it is kids amuse themselves with these days. You need something more, something that harkens back to a grander state of being. Something classy, yet effortlessly so.

Feeling adventurous, film noir is what you settle on. The opening credits roll.

Suddenly, the scenes of the movie start blurring into reality. Suddenly, your life inherits a narrator. The musical prelude sends your mind to a dreamy existence, one devoid of pop culture or the rigors of academia. You’re so thoroughly absorbed in the jazz-induced ecstasy that your mind neglects to consider the generous bar tab you’ve just accrued. Welcome, my friend.

Welcome to the world of Nighttown.

Nighttown probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when thinking of college-friendly venues in terms of atmosphere or price. The crowd is most definitely well past the university age, mostly professionals seeking to expand their night with a bit of culture.

But the sophistication here isn’t limited to the older folks. If you love music or are looking for a break from the younger scene, Nighttown’s got you covered. It’s a short walk from the dorms at the top of hill, so give it a try. I swear, you won’t be disappointed.

You won’t find a lot of room to maneuver around the bar when you first enter.

The tight quarters encourage the patrons to mingle, to discuss the events of the day or the performer on stage. This isn’t a place you show up at to sit by yourself.

You’re here for the people, for the entertainment of others’ company and, of course, to see a top-notch show.

During my visit, I had the privilege of listening to some of the most fantastic artists I’ve ever heard. Grammy-nominated singer Dionne Farris, with whom I carried on a fascinating conversation after the show, provided the emotional

vocals for Grammy-nominated musician Russell Gunn and his band, consisting of Gunn on trumpet, along with a bassist and a drummer. The acoustics here did not disappoint. Every note, every beat, every crying wail cleanly pulsates throughout the room, reaching your ears in an extraordinarily crisp fashion. My own tastes in music never delved much into the complex sphere of jazz, but the music I heard that night made a convert out of me. The coordination, even during the improvisational sections, was remarkable and can be appreciated regardless of your musical appetite. Bona fide virtuosos—every one of them.

The décor in the main room oozes with elegance but never to the point of being excessive or gaudy. It’s a warm, refined ambience, the sort of space you imagine only exists on the set of a Hollywood movie. You’re made to feel welcome here, and the staff goes to great pains to ensure that feeling for the entirety of the night, always prompt and never curt. The menu selections are diverse and sumptuous—served quickly to ensure that your stomach’s rumbling never interferes with the music. If you can’t make it to a show

but want to stop by to see what all the fuss is about, Nighttown’s house piano player provides soothing tunes to help wind your night down or the perfect melodic backdrop for a friendly conversation, playing a variety of well-known songs with a distinctly jazzy flair.

Nighttown isn’t just a local restaurant, a bar or a club—it’s a cultural institution, providing an incredible service to the community by ensuring that talented artists, such as Farris and Gunn, always have a home in Cleveland. It keeps the spirit of jazz alive, reminding us that music doesn’t just have to be a catchy chorus or riff played mind-numbingly loud for two weeks until the next big hit. No, jazz offers a more nuanced approach to music, a sonic exploration of the human condition itself—fear, dread and anger seamlessly fused with joy, sorrow and hope, each recognizable but incapable of being removed from the others. What it offers is existential contemplation by way of emotional investigation. So stop by, stay a while.

Take a plunge and expand your horizons.

Maybe you’ll learn something about yourself. Either way, you’ll be hanging out at the classiest joint in town.

Short. Sweet. Film Fest enlivens winter doldrums Observer the

Laura Hurst Contributing Reporter “Good food, good films, good beer.” A simple but inviting slogan, this weekend’s Short. Sweet. Film Fest promises to deliver two full days of spirited arts and culture.

Mike Suglio, Case Western Reserve University alumnus and one of the founders of the festival, said the Fest arose out of an idea for a “soul show”—an event meant to blend arts, eats, the charming city of Cleveland and indulgence, all into a night of general merriment.

Market Garden Brewery, located on West 25th street in Ohio City, one of Cleveland’s best hubs for culture and nightlife, will host the Cleveland based film festival while keeping viewers’ palettes well-whet for great selections of brews, bites and music as well.

The festival is an ode to Cleveland’s rise in the arts and culture scene—and thanks to the diligent and dedicated work of many of CWRU’s own. The Fest’s founders, Alex Parloff and Suglio were both CWRU students. Henry Snow, the technical director and webmaster completed his undergraduate degree at CWRU and is now pursuing his master’s degree here. Katy Witkowski, coordinator of the festival’s music section, is a current senior student. She is also the arts and entertainment editor of The Observer, but was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.

The lineup will showcase a mix of local and international films with selections from Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as industry names such as Luke Wilson, Zach Braff and Sally Kirkland. The weekend will show a total of 43 films, about a quarter of which are those of Cleveland filmmakers.

Attention spans can be undeniably short.

Fortunately, equally terse director Q&A’s and musical acts intersperse the brief films. The constant changes in subject and format will keep interests piqued.

Some exciting features include a film

by Luke and Andrew Wilson, “Satellite Beach,” the premiere of the music video “Future Warrior” by the band Palms and a documentary on the hip-hop past of an Ohio

City’s own congressman.

The Fest is only in its third year but already proving to be quite the success. This year’s musical acts will inaugurate a new component of the festival. Saturday will have only an intermission show, but after the film showings on Sunday, ticket holders can enjoy the concert following at 6 p.m.

Only two bands performed during intermissions in 2013, but Suglio said that many people came for the music, which was wellreceived. Additionally, he noted that “filmmakers tend to like music and musicians tend to like film.” So why not celebrate the two arts together?

Unlike the films, the musicians are mostly Clevelanders, except for Falling Hollywood hailing from Erie, Pennsylvania, but the line-up still boasts all “Lake Erie based bands,” assured the music coordinator, Katy Witkowski.

Adding to the notable CWRU presence, sibling duo Brendan and Caitlin Hearn (Brendan is an undergraduate here at CWRU and Caitlin is an alumnus) will perform at intermission Saturday. The other acts include Dolfish playing Sunday’s intermission, Meag and the Degrees of Freedom starting out the concert portion, Christopher Black and the headliner, Honeybucket.

The fest fosters Cleveland as a base to showcase its own blossoming arts and culture scene with the support and spice of some unfamiliar and other very familiar artists.

Make an afternoon escape of it or a whole weekend affair: CWRU students need only to hop on the Red Line and bring an appetite for good beer, good films and good music.

A complete, detailed lineup and more information can be found on the festival’s website. Short. Sweet. Film Festival will run from 12 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22 and from 12 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23 then followed by musical acts from 6 to 11 p.m.

Executive Editor’s Note: Because of the festival’s strong affiliation with the CWRU community, The Observer’s business department agreed to sponsor this year’s event. No staff members affiliated with the sponsorship of Short. Sweet. Film Fest were involved in the writing or editing of this article.

@CWRUObserver The Observer observer.case.edu

think: study abroad

FALL SEMESTER & ACADEMIC YEAR PROGRAMS DEADLINE

March 1 SUMMER PROGRAM DEADLINE

April 1

Fall and Year Long Consider a long-term program during the summer, fall semester, or academic year.

CWRU study abroad programs are available in more than 30 countries!

All majors are eligible.

Just come to the Office for International Affairs in Tomlinson 143 or email us at studyabroad@case.edu to set up an appointment with your study abroad advisor, and we’ll get you started on your journey abroad. Join us

www.case.edu/studyabroad for more information

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Electronic music club Playlist of the Week established on campus Anne Nickoloff Staff Reporter

“Walking Light” — Beck

Beck’s new album, “Morning Phase,” was released earlier than expected, and I’m glad that this song got to be in real life existence for even just an extra week. It’s calm, faraway, dramatic and perfect after a long day of work (or college).

“Bill Murray” — Phantogram

Another chill song for a very chill man. “Bill Murray,” off of Phantogram’s newest album “Voices,” is full of ghosts, with a distant sad feel to it.

“Black Rainbow” — St. Vincent

“Black Rainbow” is from St. Vincent’s 2009 album “Actor,” but her new album comes out next week. So it’s time to celebrate, right? St. Vincent’s sweepy, stark lyrics and melodies are just great, and the new album will, hopefully, be just as great.

“Happy” — Pharrell Williams

This song is literal happiness. And I’m so glad that it’s really popular right now, because I could listen to it all day.

to Man Man | 13 “Armed” — SKATERS

I was sifting through the Grog Shop’s calendar the other day, and I saw that SKATERS are performing on March 31. A bit of a ways off, but for this punky, alternative band, it’s plenty of time to get excited.

Courtesy blogs.kcrw.com, chimes.biola.edu, blogs.dallasobserver.com, musicboxmix.net, & pigeonsandplanes.com

Ellie Rambo Staff Reporter If you ask someone to think of electronic dance music (EDM), repetitive dance remixes, heavy beats and bass drops often come to mind. Senior Case Western Reserve University student Elie Nasr believes this understanding of electronic music is too narrow, and that a limited understanding of EDM discourages potential listeners.

“People hear one genre and think that if they don’t like it they don’t like electronic music in general,” said Nasr, the president of the newly created Electronic Music Club. “The breadth of electronic music is amazing, though. It’s not just house, it’s not just dubstep.”

Introducing the CWRU community to more genres within EDM was one of Nasr’s goals when he started the Electronic Music Club this semester. The club began as an informal private group of Nasr’s friends who liked to listen to, discuss and produce electronic music.

As the group’s Facebook page attracted more members, Nasr realized the potential for an official group.

“It’s taken us two years to get to this point,” said Nasr. “We have just been approved by USG this semester, so now we’re trying to look for a strong new executive board.”

Although the executive board is now made up of seniors who will graduate in the spring, Nasr said the group included students of many different ages who were excited about electronic music.

Pranav Jayanth, a CWRU senior and the club’s secretary, agreed that the Electronic Music Club is appealing to a wide variety of people. “Getting people excited about shows, updating them when

there are changes, that’s our goal,” he said. “The Internet has made music very democratic, there’s a new scene every couple of months. People are making music in their bedrooms.”

This makes a discussion club all the more important. “With so much music being produced, there can be quality issues,” said Jayanth. “We want to showcase music, especially quality producers on our campus. This club is a way to connect with others.”

“It’s also to keep us updated,” said Nasr. “With so much out there it’s hard to keep up. This is a hobby for us, and we like hearing what other people are listening to.”

This is especially important because of the variability between genres. Although this variety is one of electronic music’s strengths, Nasr described it as “a double-edged sword.”

“It can pigeonhole artists,” he said.

“Some people get overwhelmed.”

Nasr said that his favorite electronic music artists include Kursa, Asa and Culprate. These artists produce different kinds of glitch pop,towhich be |idenMan can Man 13 tified by a track’s beats per minute and distinctive start-stop patterns.

“It’s glitchy,” said Jayanth. “It sounds like there are glitches in the loop.”

Jayanth said his favorite artists included dubstep like Skream and Silkie, along with the artist Lapalux, who describes himself as an “organic music continuum.”

“It’s pretty hard to classify,” admits Nasr. With the Electronic Music Club officially established on campus, however, it should get a little easier for interested members of the CWRU community to learn about different electronic genres and the electronic music scene in general.

Ohio City shines during fifth annual Brite Winter Fest Teddy Eisenberg Contributing Reporter With additional reporting by Anne Nickoloff, Staff Reporter Biting wind and cold temperatures didn’t keep people from venturing to Cleveland’s West Side last Friday, as the fifth annual Brite Winter Fest drew a crowd of thousands throughout the afternoon and evening.

Brite Winter, according to its Facebook page, is a wintertime “artist showcase and community celebration of fire, arts, music, games and snow.” As promised, all of these things were found along the intersection of West 25th and Lorain Avenue. Local businesses boomed.

TownHall, a restaurant and bar, was so packed that customers had to fight their way through a mob of people just to get to the bathroom. Near the outside stages, steam rose off the boots of countless people trying to thaw their feet by fire pits. A hodge-podge of lamps, neon signs and nightlights brought by spectators formed the Great Wall of Light, a spot just begging for selfies. DonutLab, a mobile mini-kitchen, served freshly fried, sugary dough via conveyor belt. Cups of Great Lakes beer littered every surface imaginable. There was even a live-action game of Angry Birds.

Most of the crowd at Brite Winter was there for the music, and with 78 different artists performing on 10 stages scattered through the festival, it wasn’t difficult to

the

see why. “This is my first year performing,” said Jenna Fournier, lead vocalist of Nights, a Cleveland indie-pop act that calls Ohio City home. Nights is preparing to tour Japan in April, where they have amassed a large popular following. Why the big Japanese following? “I have no idea,” Fournier said with a slight smile.

She appeared as a solo act, accompanied only by her white Epiphone guitar. Her dainty falsetto and shimmery strumming enchanted a small audience in the Market Avenue Wine Bar. Envoi was another first time performer at Brite this year, and filled Joy Machine Bike Shop with their rousing brand of Paramore-style pop-punk. Suspended bikes and tires adorned the crowded shop as the group launched into their final song,

Observer

“What Happened in Wyoming.” Maddie Finn and Steve Perrino, Envoi’s vocalist and rhythm guitarist respectively, shared vocals as the crowd bobbed along.

Not all of the groups who performed this year had the good fortune of doing so inside. One of these groups, local favorites The Lighthouse and the Whaler, performed coatless, rubbing their hands together for warmth. The cold had a noticeable effect on the band’s instruments.

Even with constant tuning almost all of their songs, including “This Is An Adventure,” were slightly flat.

Frigid or not, the crowds that swarmed Ohio City last Saturday were treated to a lively variety of local food, music and art. And for once, no one complained about Cleveland’s weather.

@CWRUObserver The Observer observer.case.edu

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Tokyo National Museum pieces call CMA home during special exhibit

Maria Fazal Staff Reporter The Cleveland Museum of Art has taken a big step forward in terms of cultural exchange with its new exhibition of modern Japanese art entitled “Remaking Tradition: Modern Art of Japan from the Tokyo National Museum.”

This temporary exhibition, which is on view from Feb. 16 to May 11, incorporates pieces solely from the Tokyo National Museum. These varied artworks include paintings, sculptures, tapestries,

Courtesy clevelandart.org ceramics and calligraphy pieces.

Furthermore, the Tokyo National Museum is currently displaying pieces from the CMA’s Japanese, Chinese, Korean and European galleries in an exhibition dubbed “Admired from Afar: Masterworks of Japanese Painting from the Cleveland Museum of Art.” The pieces will travel to the Kyushu National Museum later this year.

CMA interim director Fred Bidwell proclaims, “Thanks to our long-term friendship and partnership with the Tokyo National Museum, it is our privilege

to bring this important exhibition of art from a period in the cultural life of Japan to America.

“Audiences will be fascinated by how the currents of Japanese culture and style represented by our beloved collection of traditional art are reflected in the evolution of Japanese modern art in these objects of superb craftsmanship and artistry.”

The emphasis and interest taken in modern Japanese art is well warranted, especially considering its global nature.

When Japan re-immersed itself with the rest of world in 1854, it was exposed to 200 years of culture.

Masters from this period of Japanese art were able to beautifully combine old techniques and styles from the pre-modern Edo period with artistic influences from the West. The result was a spectacular amalgam of global culture.

There are several pieces of interest in this new collection that display the continuity established during this modern period. One painting, “Portrait of Reiko,” displays a remarkably realistic young girl delicately clasping a green object.

Despite the demure girl’s relatively simple clothing, the piece is reminiscent of earlier European portraits depicting elaborately clad monarchs. Unsurprisingly, artist Kishida Ryūsei was heavily influenced by northern Renaissance art and put a strikingly oriental twist on it with this masterpiece.

Another particularly impressive piece

is Yokoyama Taikan’s “Mount Fuji Rising Above the Clouds,” which is comprised of two massive six-fold screens, each measuring over 13 feet tall and six feet wide. Taikan was heavily concerned with portraying elements invisible to the human eye, such as wind, space, sound and feelings.

In fact, he was once quoted as saying, “There are very few paintings of Mount Fuji that could be called masterpieces, because most of them only convey the mountain’s shape. Even a child can draw its shape.

“To really draw it, one must draw one’s own heart that is reflected in Fuji.

And by ‘heart,’ I simply mean one’s own personality. It could also be called dignity, or spirit.” His relatively simple but emotionally infused piece certainly seems to capture the elements that produce a masterpiece.

Other pieces of interest in the collection include a spectacular impressionist painting titled “Maiko Girl,” a glistening “Footed Bowl with Applied Crabs and Brown Glaze” and “Poems from the Man’yōshū Poetry Anthology.”

Several light-sensitive objects, including “Mount Fuji Rising Above the Clouds,” will rotate. The first rotation is through March 30. The exhibition will re-open to the public on April 3. Tickets are $20 and include re-entry to the second rotation. The tickets also allow access to “Van Gogh Repetitions.”

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observer.case.edu

Pass the suds…

…from Rocky River Brewing Company

Mike Suglio Staff Reporter

STREAM ignitemovies.case.edu

On yet another cold evening, I drove out to Rocky River in search of delicious beer. This week I checked out Rocky River Brewing Company set in a suburban town, but still easily drivable for Case Western Reserve University students.

Upon entering the brewery, several large brew kettles welcome you at the entrance. You are not simply in a pub or a bar; Rocky River Brewery immediately differentiates itself. The bar is a large and wooden staple of the place and reminds you of a turn-of-the century watering hole in any metropolis. The bar circumferences more brew kettles.

A very enthusiastic and energetic bartender served us very generous samples of all eight of their in-house brewed beers.

The brewery also had a few guest beers and some ciders for non-beer drinkers.

The samples were cleverly presented from lightest to darkest, so your pallet is not ruined after the first one. I started off with the Pirate Light, which was a very light and refreshing lager. The beer tasted similar to most American domestics but had a lot more flavor. This would be perfect to drink while watching any summer sporting or music event.

Next I tried the Cooper’s Gold Kolsch, which was a standard kolsch. I enjoyed it, but it was not exceptional in comparison to the other kolsch beers I have had at various other breweries. Following was the Blueberry Ale, which had a clear blueberry taste, but it wasn’t too strong; I found this one very enjoyable.

By far the best beer I tried at this brewery was the Old Man River Barley Wine.

Despite a solid 9.5 percent Alcohol By Volume,this beer had a very sweet caramel taste to it. Unlike most barley wines I have had, there was not a clear alcohol taste because it was so sweet. The use of caramel to mask the alcohol taste you

would get from a barley wine was pretty genius. If you are a barley wine fan, this is worth the drive for. One of the best barleywines I have ever had.

On the flipside, the Rogue Wave Red was my least favorite beer. It was a smooth beer but just tasted odd and not like most reds I have had in the past. I simply did not like it. Their other red ale, Santa’s Little Helper Christmas Ale, however, was fantastic. It had a clear taste of honey and cinnamon and was rather light for a Christmas beer. The drink was very well-balanced and rich with flavor. This was a close second to the barleywine as my favorite beer from this brewery.

The final two beers I had were good, but not exceptional. The Old Detroit IPA was a solid IPA and not too hoppy, but tasted similar to most IPA’s I have had. The Cleveland Coffee Stout was also a good coffee stout, but paled in comparison to other coffee flavored alcohols. The stout did not have a strong coffee taste, which makes the beer very balanced and open to people who like stouts but may not like coffee stouts.

Tuesday night was $6 burger night, so I decided to embark on the special occasion. I ordered the Relish Burger, which was cooked perfectly at mediumwell. It was large, juicy and flavorful.

The burger was topped with a hash brown that resembled the hash browns from McDonald’s. My childhood memories of combining McDonald’s breakfast items with dinner items were finally fulfilled. The fries were big and crispy and had the perfect seasoning on them.

The food was fantastic, some beers were exceptional and others, not so much. But Rocky River Brewing Company had very affordable prices compared to many of the other breweries. If you are looking for something different yet affordable, then the Rocky River Brewing Company is a perfect choice.

TUNE IN channel 17.2

IGNITE TELEVISION Courtesy rockyriverbrewco.com

opinion Editorial

Becoming less sCWRUd, one small step at a time

The administration has made progress but trials remain

Two weeks ago, The Observer published an editorial that caused a wave to radiate from Thwing Center directly into Adelbert Hall. The piece cited troublesome transparency issues in Case Western Reserve University’s administration, ranging from the initial refusal to release statistics about CWRU’s most recent undergraduate applicants to the holding of student-oriented information sessions at inconvenient times and with insufficient notice.

It garnered the strongest reaction from the administration in recent memory and even prompted a public rebuttal from one of the university’s key vice presidents.

But that was not an undesired consequence of the editorial. To the contrary, it was much to the delight of the editorial board that the opinions expressed in the piece bore fruit in the form of an official university response penned by Vice President of Enrollment Management Rick Bischoff. The response, published in last week’s issue, may not be completely satisfying and leaves some questions unanswered, but it also shows that the administration wishes to take part in meaningful dialogue and reach out to CWRU students.

While the university response was published for anyone to read, another important step was taken in a less public medium. Besides the university response, the editorial was preceded by an email to the Student Executive Council (SEC) on behalf of the Office of the Provost, which solicited feedback from student leaders regarding the timing of the annual tuition forum. We believed the routinely poor scheduling of this forum to be one of the fundamental instances of selective transparency at CWRU–until now. By reaching out to students in order to appropriately schedule the tuition forum, the provost took a big step on behalf of President Barbara R. Snyder’s administration.

The university’s response and the provost’s email showed that the administration is not entirely oblivious to criticism from the student body, and it is willing to take steps in the right direction. The proper planning of the tuition forum and taking the time to respond to an opinion piece published in The Observer may be small steps, but they are steps nonetheless, and for that, the administration deserves applause.

However, the story does not yet end here. While it is always satisfying to see a discussion bear results, a public response and an email from the provost do not change the editorial board’s stance regarding selective transparency. There are still issues upon which the administration can improve, but the opportunity to openly discuss these issues without fear of repercussion is most important.

The public reaction of administrators to editorials provides the community with such an opportunity; however, it requires that CWRU students fearlessly speak up about problems that are working against the best interest of the community–even if it causes things to heat up like the Jolly Scholar’s kitchen.

After all, discussion, even if it’s tense, is exactly our goal for the opinion section. Every time a response from a community member runs in these pages, be it a letter to the editor from a student or a response from a university official, it is an indication that there truly is a desire on this campus to fix the way the university operates.

The editorial board encourages the administration to continue taking the promising steps it exhibited these past two weeks. Equally important, students must seize opportunities for advancing conversation when they arise, such as when the provost hosts his open forum on March 7 during community hour. There is still a long road ahead of us, but if the campus community really commits to constructive dialogue, even if it means bringing up sore subjects, the future of CWRU shines brighter than ever.

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

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

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

State Your Case Do you think WRUW should adjust its programming?

18.06%

20.83% 9.72%

51.39%

No, their current programming should be left alone.

Yes, in favor of CWRU students.

I don’t know what WRUW is.

Yes, in favor of community members in Northeast Ohio.

the observer

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

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

opinion 15

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Digging into diversity from the inside out

CWRU’s multiple definitions of diversity lack one core value Staff comentary Tyler Hoffman Jacob Martin We are glad, in fact elated, that our university’s administrators “welcome discussions about diversity on our campus, and look forward to additional dialogue in the future” because if they didn’t we would no longer consider Case Western Reserve University a place of higher learning.

Dialogue, the fruitful exchange of ideas, is at the core of education. We learn through this dialogue and the comparison of individually distinct points of view. Without such conversation, we stagnate and our intellectual growth is stunted.

According to Vice President for Enrollment Management Rick Bischoff, “Diversity at Case Western Reserve encompasses factors well beyond race and ethnicity. In the realm of undergraduate admissions, additional diversity considerations include socioeconomic status,

academic and extracurricular interests, and geography.”

We’re caught up on the phrase, “In the realm of undergraduate admissions.”

What about realms outside that of undergraduate admissions? What about other realms of the university?

One of the greatest definitions of diversity we’ve ever encountered is a simple one: the presence of difference.

Given this definition, CWRU is a relatively diverse place. There is no question that various forms of difference are present on our campus. The real question is how much difference there really is, and how much this difference is valued.

Our question is problematized more with the question of how we measure diversity. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions has posited a seemingly carefully considered list of criteria: “race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, academic and extracurricular interests, and geography.” But why is this definition different than the university’s official definition, set forth in 2012-2015 Diversity Strategic Action Plan:

Diversity usually refers to representation (numbers) related to a wide range of human difference.

The dimensions most commonly identified include gender and race/ ethnicity. Diversity scholars have identified many other dimensions including, but not limited to age/ generation, mental/physical abilities, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, religion, family status, communication style, geographic location, and military experience. Another important dimension is immigrant status.

But to us, one key element is missing: diversity of thought. To be clear, we are not arguing against the need for racial, socioeconomic, and spatial diversity, but if there is no dialogue between these groups, then diversity at CWRU is merely a façade of fancy curtains concealing the shattered window of unbiased reality.

Executive Editor Tyler Hoffman’s response to Bischoff’s letter to the editor asked the following: “How open do you perceive the university to be about issues

the

that matter most to you? When you speak your mind, do you expect to be heard?

And when you ask an honest question, do you trust that it will be answered?”

After careful consideration, we believe writing well thought out answers to these three questions would be too laborious when the answer to each of them boils down to a simple “no” in the realm of campus diversity. Diversity is not tangible, but we argue you should know it when you see it, when you feel it and when you experience it.

By stating that Case Western Reserve welcomes further dialogue about diversity at the end of his letter to the editor, Bischoff rolled out a welcome mat that should have already been present. So we must ask, why did he feel that this principle required reaffirmation? If diversity is a true, inherent value of the university, shouldn’t the value of dialogue and the thoughts that inspire it go without being said?

Tyler Hoffman, executive editor, and Jacob Martin, senior opinion columnist, are both fourth-year undergraduates at

@CWRUObserver The Observer

Observer

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Signatures: how to get them right

Un-sCWRU your lifestyle Theresa Smetona It’s a short, routine email, asking for responses to a survey or participation in a campus event. I’m about to click out of the message when the author´s signature catches my eye. It spans not three lines, or even six lines, but fourteen, and has significantly more text than the body of the email.

Curious as to how it is possible for a seemingly average student to have more titles than the president of the United States or a medieval king, I begin to scan the signature. Too soon, my hopes for having received a personal message from an important player in world affairs are vanquished. The student is extraordinary only in his capacity to convert every activity he has ever participated in into another line in his signature.

A shortened version of the signature might look something like this: Smith S. Smith, III Pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Estimated Graduation Date, May, 2015 Member of XYZ Fraternity Author of an influential letter to the editor of the campus newspaper Potential candidate for Dean’s High Honors Former Resident’s Assistant Participant in Case for Community Day Former member of high school football team

Member of Talented Students of America (Admittance fee $500) “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop” – Confucius Signatures such as the above are unfortunately not infrequent. While they sometimes offer entertainment value, it is always at the author’s expense. In light of the fad of never-ending and irrelevant email signatures, I offer a few points to keep in mind if you choose to create your own email signature.

1. Signatures should be short and succinct. You know how résumés do not have an indefinite page limit? The same applies to signatures. Quality over quantity is always a good rule to keep in mind.

2. Along those lines, you shouldn’t be trying to fit a one page résumé into your email signature. Include only pertinent information, please. Choose one or two of your most significant activities, and then stop.

3. Make sure your signature is up to date. There is no need to include your high school GPA or mention that you once participated in a summer camp.

If you do, you will appear desperate and give off the impression that you are stuck in the past. College students are much too young to be allowed to indulge in the latter, and the former is never an advisable behavior.

4. Look at your signature from the perspective of your audience. If you only send out emails to your peers, do you think they will be impressed by your inclusion of something as meaningless as “Full-time critic of Bon Appétit Dining Services” or “Entertainment Engineer for Suite 337”? Likewise, if you are trying to impress potential employers or deans of admission, you might want to reconsider what message your signature is sending them.

5. There is such a thing as being over-involved. Quality over quantity principle again. If you feel a page-long signature is essential because you are an absolutely vital member of 16 campus organizations, hold two jobs and

volunteer several hours each week, you could be Superman, but chances are you’re just delusional. Successful professional applicants are generally qualified by their complete dedication to a few activities rather than multiple nominal involvements. Are your extracurricular activities adding value or only distracting background noise?

6. Save the inspirational quotes for Pinterest. Or your bedroom wall. No further explanation is necessary.

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

Editorial policy In the interest of maintaining the opinion section of The Observer, the editorial board would like to clarify the process for submission of columns and articles. Firstly, all decisions regarding the publication of articles is always discussed among the editorial board and are not made solely by any individual editor or director. Upon submission of manuscripts or pitches, The Observer does not guarantee the publication of submissions to the opinion section. Additionally, the editorial board reserves the right to accept or reject opinion pieces or articles at any time the board should deem appropriate. If editorial modifications are made to an article, excluding changes involving AP Style and copy editing, the author’s consent is required. Decisions to carry a column or article are made based upon the first submitted draft. The Observer pays its columnists for the rights to their manuscripts, not their opinions. Any opinions expressed in the opinion section must strive for the highest standards of accuracy, consistent with the reporting of The Observer. Questions or clarifications regarding this policy should be directed to the Opinion Editor at observer@case.edu.

16 opinion

2/21/14

The first day of school A few thoughts here and abroad on assault policy From CLE to Cape Town Heather O’Keeffe After two months of winter break, my school year has begun at the University of Cape Town. Sunday night I was a little excited to start off the semester, but mostly I was dreading having an 8 a.m. class every day of the week. 8 a.m.! I haven’t been alert at that time since high school!

A sunny morning made waking up much easier and I made it to the Jammie stop nice and early. The Jammie is just like the Greenie, a transport system crossing campus and the surrounding areas. The Jammie is a bit better though, the buses are larger and they cover a greater area: I can get to the mall three neighborhoods away any time of the week. However, sometimes Jammies break down and there is no handy smartphone app with which to check the schedule.

I have been utilizing the Jammie a lot the past few days because UCT is built into the base of a mountain. Forget the Elephant Stairs, I practically need hiking boots and a CamelBak to make it to class!

The hike to campus or the crowded, stuffy bus ride is well worth it though.

There is no way Huffington Post could rank UCT as one of the ugliest campuses; it truly is gorgeous. The buildings are made of old brick and covered in vines; trees line the brick road dissecting campus; and the students are incredibly diverse.

There is a plaza in the middle of campus, Jammie Plaza, that is a really popular hangout area between classes. Sitting on the steps of the plaza, the view of the surrounding suburbs and townships of Cape Town, all the way to the distant, hazy mountains is fantastic. At the bottom of a huge run of steps, someone painted “Look Back” onto the sidewalk. And look back one should do indeed. Up the steps, past the plaza and classic university halls, Devil’s Peak plummets upwards into the blue sky. Better yet, there is no Ugly Statue to taint an otherwise stellar campus.

As briefly mentioned, the student body at UCT is incredibly diverse. 26,000 students from across South Africa and beyond converge on this one campus to attend varsity (that’s what they call university) at the premier school in Africa. Students from all walks of life crisscross Jammie Plaza: some have never used internet before coming to UCT, others are insanely wealthy. It is an interesting glimpse into a post-apartheid nation.

The clothing attire of students is a bit different, as well. If I had to sum up the look, it would be a laid-back, beachy style.

Ladies’ attire is fairly similar, but men’s attire is wildly different and I have no issue with it. You won’t see Timberlands, jorts, cargo shorts, basketball shorts or grey sweatpants with grey sweatshirts here.

Lots of guys look they walked straight out of a Rip Curl advertisement: flip flops, col-

orful shorts or board shorts that are above the knee and non-sports related t-shirts (surfing being the exception).

Finally, once I have taken in all of my surroundings, I arrive at class. Most of my classes here run four or five days a week and have a tutorial or lab in addition: It’s pretty full-on.

One of the main topics during the first day of lectures was: What do you have to do get your DP? DP stands for duly performed and is the benchmark of achievement needed to write the exam. Essentially it’s a really good way to prevent students from being lazy and skipping class. For example, a DP requirement could be attending 80 percent of all tutorials and handing in all assignments. If you don’t get your DP, you can’t write the exam and have just wasted the past twelve weeks.

UCT is in the top 200 of universities in the world, and it really is an excellent school. However, since South Africa is still a developing nation, the university is held back from reaching its full potential in many aspects. These third world aspects of university are the greatest difference I have thus far noticed.

While UCT uses PeopleSoft (SIS) for basic purposes, the majority of systems are paper-based. This means that rather than click “Enroll” on SIS, you must queue for literally hours to speak with a course advisor and have your classes approved.

I waited in line for 1.5 hours two weeks ago just to receive my student ID, a process that took all of a minute at CWRU. If you want to add or drop a course, you must see so-and-so in that building and then hand in a form at some office on the other side of campus. By no means is it an efficient system, but with millions of South Africans in poverty and many without an internet connection, it is the best system UCT has.

Besides a few administrative issues that have only been exacerbated by the paper-based system, the first days of class have gone by without a hitch. Some of my classes seem interesting, I’ve already taken a doze during a few. Some lecturers are great, others speak right into the chalkboard, and I’ve forgotten everything I learned in calculus III already. I’m curious to see what classes will be like in a few weeks: Will they be harder or easier than CWRU? Boring or more exciting?

I’m sure an university education is essentially the same everywhere and that the big picture will be fairly similar to CWRU. But if and when it’s not, I’ll just have to sit on the steps of Jammie plaza, look at the city, the people, the mountain and appreciate that I’m not at CWRU, that things should be different, because I’m lucky enough to study in South Africa.

Heather O’Keeffe is a second-year biomedical engineering and sports medicine student attending the University of Cape Town for the year. She is pleased as punch with her faint, yet apparent tan and her favorite Cape Town beach has been featured on Shark Week.

@CWRUObserver observer.case.edu f cwruobserver

The elephant in the room Andrew Breland For the past few weeks, the university’s revised sexual harassment policy has garnered significant attention, and significant criticism, from areas around campus.

Critics, including myself, have attacked the new policy for reporting requirements that threaten to promulgate unsubstantiated rumors, while putting the burden to report on individuals who are unaffiliated with any interested party. The revisions to the policy come after a “Dear Colleagues” letter, distributed by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, called for such increased requirements to help improve the problem of sexual harassment on college campuses.

Recently, editorials published here and and in commentary at the Undergraduate Student Government open forum on the policy highlighted the reporting requirements, as well as the perceived overbroadness of the policy. In total, the policy threatens to create a chilling effect, encouraging those who have been assaulted to not report or confide in friends because of the fear of someone else, unconnected to the victim, reporting the issue. Again, the policy gives each and every person who hears about an incident, whether from the victim or through a rumor, taking place on or off campus, a punishable responsibility to report the incident to the proper university authorities.

Among the midst of this criticism though, there is another example to keep in mind. Earlier this week, the New Republic published an article, almost a year in the making, profiling the epidemic of sexual assault and victim-blaming at Patrick Henry College, a small Christian school in the hills of Virginia. The article profiles three separate incidences of violence and the university’s refusal to respond and, in some cases, decisions to blame the victims in favor of keeping the school’s good name intact. The author of the piece seems to pin the blame primarily on the Dean of Student Affairs at the college, as she was the individual who “counseled” victims out of reporting their incidents to police.

This investigation and “gotcha” journalism is nothing new, but the spread of these stories highlights a troublesome pattern on campuses around the country. That when I first read the New Republic article and emerged unaffected shows how regular these stories have become. Familiarity for these ideas is not a good thing.

Some will highlight cases like that at Patrick Henry for why the sexual harassment policy should be revised, updated and strengthened. But that is not the case.

By and large, these horrific incidents of violence occur on campuses that reject the federal requirements already in place; places like Patrick Henry, which forego all fed-

eral cash, including student loans, or those where ideology triumphs over the safety of students (Liberty University, BYU and Bob Jones, for example). Such schools normally have strict conduct guidelines in place and attempt to control the outof-the-classroom activities of all students.

Requirements, such as a sexual conduct pledge, chapel services (in the case of religious schools), and 11 p.m. curfews are among the most common examples.

This, however, is a very limited set of cases. Most universities, especially most of the ones where students at Case Western Reserve University once applied, do not impose such draconian requirements on their students. Likewise, most of these universities accept the federal funds that others choose to forego, and are thus regulated by federal requirements. Some go beyond the minimum required by the government, and most provide multiple reporting options with differing levels of confidentiality to suit the comfort level of any victim.

It would be idiotic to assume that these requirements are all the necessary means to end sexual assault on campuses. In fact, over the last few years, sexual violence has increased. By some estimates, one in five women will experience sexual assault in college. But the answer is not increased requirements. If the schools where requirements are nonexistent and victim-blaming is ascendant have violence equal to that of the regulated campuses, will further regulation improve the problem?

The simple answer to that question is no. It is apparent that increased requirements and regulations do not prevent violence. Assaults occur to the same rate at Patrick Henry College as they do at The Ohio State University, Carnegie Mellon or even CWRU. The level of institutional reporting of incidents, seemingly, has little to do with violence. Thus, our increased and more stringent requirements promise no remedy to the “epidemic of sexual violence” on college campuses, to use Vice President for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity Marilyn S. Mobley’s language.

Education is not the answer either.

You can only teach people to behave so much. Instead, the community needs to come together. There needs to be a discussion about violence and what is right and wrong. The bathroom posters are nice, but their effectiveness is fleeting, especially once they’ve been covered in obscenities, straight from the minds of bored, immature college students. No, we need a conversation. Together, there might be a solution.

Requirements from higher-ups hardly do the same. It might sound cheesy, but its the way we have to go.

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

Have an opinion on this week’s editiorial?

Let us know.

observer.case.edu

sports | 17

Spartan success at AllOhio Championship bodes well for remaining season Skyler Phillips Staff Reporter The track and field team participated in two meets this weekend—on Friday, the Baldwin Wallace Mid-February meet, and on Saturday the All-Ohio Indoor Championship meet. The men placed seventh in the All-Ohio meet (out of 19) and 12th in the BW meet (out of 15); the women placed sixth in the BW meet (out of 13) and eighth in the All-Ohio (out of 18).

The All-Ohio Championship is a meet in which every Division III track and field team in the state of Ohio comes together to compete against each other; the result is 19 teams facing off. According to coach Eric Schmuhl, it’s a very useful meet in a variety of ways. First off, it’s a good checkpoint to look at oneself in thinking of the upcoming outdoor season (specifically the terminal championship meets in April). Second, the Spartans were able to compete against teams they usually don’t get to compete against, because they’re not in our conference. Third, it’s a dress rehearsal for the team members to size themselves up against better competition. Lastly, it can either motivate team members to work harder if they didn’t perform as well as they’d like, or give them a confidence boost if they did.

Concerning the performance at this weekend’s All-Ohio meet, Schmuhl was “very pleased” with the results. “Anytime you can say you’re in the top 10, it’s a good thing…

Typically, the teams that will perform well [the rest of the season] will place in the top 10.” He was especially surprised at how well the distance relays on both sides did (the men placing first, the women second), considering how young they are, with all of them be-

ing underclassmen.

This weekend’s meet bodes well for the rest of the season, which Schmuhl is “very excited” about. Not only are the Spartans performing well, but they are stepping into different roles that are now vacant due to graduating members: they are taking leadership positions and shaping up well for the competitive UAA meets. When asked about students he could highlight so far this season, the list of names was long.

Harry Weintraub was brought up, of course: “All-American, great job of continuing to improve” (he continues to break the school record at every consecutive meet).

So was David Dixon, who “has been outstanding, he gets out there and pushes his personal best.” In reference to Tim Travitz, “he’s been just outstanding in the longer distances, really improving.” Someone he said he would “absolutely want to highlight,” was Dave Leishman, on the throw side. He’s been having a fantastic senior year. Schmuhl stated there is a kind of tradition at Case where someone is a nobody as a freshman, then later becomes a top UAA competitor.

That’s Leishman, who has become a “dual threat indoors.”

On the women’s side of things, “Kelsey Aamoth is a stud,” Kristen Ruckstuhl is dependable, Keri Walter is an “outstanding leader, and outstanding performer.” He also stated that “the female throwers are doing a great job and improving, and it has been fun to watch because they have come such a long way.”

Hopefully, the weather will lighten up soon so that the track team can move outdoors in both practice and events. That is where the season really takes off, and where athletes can truly test their mettle in competitions; the indoor season is just preparation.

Men’s tennis prepares for Nationals Katie Wieser Sports Editor The Spartan tennis program is off and running as the men won out over Oberlin College in the spring season opener. The Case Western Reserve University team looks to continue the trend with a strong showing at the Division III Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Indoor National Championship at the same site this weekend.

The team expected to come out swinging in their first indoor event of the year. With a last minute change of opponent, the main goal was to get used to the pace of competition again before the national championship.

Head coach Todd Wojtkowski was glad the team was able to get some experience in during the first week of the season: “It was a good chance to get used to the match format and get to know the building we’ll be playing nationals in.”

The Oberlin meet saw the Case team sweep their opponent 9-0 with good showings by nationally-ranked individual players Christopher Krimbill, Will Drougas and Eric Klawitter as well as ranked doubles teams Klawitter/Krimbill and Drougas/ Healey. The team won in swift fashion with only one individual player being forced to play to a third set. This bodes well for the team that started 11-0 on indoor courts last

season and has risen in national rankings steadily over the past two years.

Case comes into the tournament as the seventh seed, set to face off against two-seed Kenyon College in the first round on Friday, a rematch of last year’s NCAA Sweet 16 matchup which booted the Spartans from the tournament. This is the first year the men have made it to the national indoor event.

The team’s style of play suits the indoor courts well and the team consistently plays well in these matches.

Because of their strength in the past, the team isn’t satisfied with just receiving their first invitation to the tournament. “It’s not like we’re just happy to be there. The guys want to win and we think we can. Not saying we aren’t glad to just have the opportunity, but we’re looking to compete,” said Wojtkowski. The pressure is heightened by the fact that Case serves as the host of the event.

For a team that has consistently pushed themselves to compete at the highest level, the opportunity to compete in a national tournament is just another step on the road to growing the program. “As we get better and better, it’s harder to do something new and push the bar higher. This is a great new milestone for the program,” said Wojtkowski.

The Spartans will look to reach this whole new level starting Friday at the Mayfield Village Racquet Club.

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2/21/14

Cleveland Indians logo switch stirs up controversy JP O’Hagan Staff Reporter The outcry over the use of names such as the Redskins in professional sports has not diminished in the past few months. Just last week it was revealed that two Congressmen have written letters to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell urging Goodell and the league to take a formal stance against the Redskins and support a name change, from the controversial Redskins moniker. There seems to be no rest, and the issue will likely plague the team for years to come as owner Dan Snyder has continued to make it clear that there are no plans to change the name.

Here in Cleveland, however, the swing in public opinion and the wave of political correctness have claimed its first victim— well, sort of. While Case Western Reserve University students were still at home enjoying the final days of break and the rest of the baseball world was working on signing and trading to put a team on the field, the Indians front office made a subtle, but possibly important move. The Cleveland Indians have demoted Chief Wahoo, the iconic smiling Indians logo, to a secondary logo, making the simple “block C” the official team icon.

The change comes following a poll of the local fan base last fall by the front of-

fice in the wake of the Redskins controversy. However, do not expect the sudden disappearance of the Chief, as he will still be on both the home and away jersey—although only as a patch on the sleeve. Visually the demotion is not a huge change, Chief Wahoo will still be seen all around the stadium, both on the field and in the shops. The real implication of the change is the subtle movement toward possibly phasing out Chief Wahoo.

The front office has not, and likely will not, come out and definitively cut the Chief Wahoo logo in the near future.

They do not want to alienate the dedicated fan base. However, by making subtle

changes, the organization is able to appeal to both camps: those for and against the logo. The team has actually been making adjustments for seasons. Many have noted the lack of Chief Wahoo during spring training, both on the uniforms and facilities. These subtle changes are a way for the Indians to stay out of the public spotlight, unlike the Redskins.

This officially announced change likely will not have any prominent impact this season or in coming years. However, it again begs the question of what role the Cleveland community feels that political correctness should dictate, a debate that will continue arise for years to come.

Swimming season comes to a close, Spartans perform well at conference Skyler Phillips Staff Reporter This weekend, the Spartans participated in the annual UAA Conference Championships for swimming. However, this year there was a bit of a twist in the set up. The conference meet was supposed to be hosted by Emory University in Atlanta this year and the teams were to meet up there on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

However, this year bad weather prevented three teams from making it to Atlanta: Rochester, University of Chicago and

Case Western Reserve University.

So, instead, those three teams competed at our very own Veale Natatorium. It was similar to this year’s earlier virtual meet, in which times were taken and submitted to determine the points and winners. The other teams—Emory University, Brandeis, New York University, Carnegie Mellon University and Washington University—competed in Atlanta. The final results had the women placed seventh and the men fifth.

When asked about the conference meet, coach Doug Milliken said “I thought it went really, really well…I was

really happy with how we performed”.

Because this was a taper meet, the swimmers were rested and ready to go.

This led to a lot of season bests and even lifetime bests.

This meet marks, for the most part, the end of the season. There are two meets remaining—the Midwest Invitational and the NCAA championships.

The Midwest Invitational will be the taper meet for swimmers that were not on the conference roster and the NCAAs for those who made qualifying times. This means that the vast majority of swimmers are done with practic-

es at the moment and that, after next weekend, only a handful will still be in the pool.

At this point in time, most people are taking a well-deserved break, but they will begin to filter back in after spring break to work out on their own. It’s up to the swimmers to stay in shape for the rest of the semester and over summer.

In fact, that is where a lot of significant growth comes from, according to Milliken: “What really determines how well a swimmer will improve in the next season is if they come back from the summer in shape and ready to go.”

UAA Championship event pins Spartans in last place overall

David Hoffman Staff Reporter

It was a weekend of some positives for the Spartans wrestling team, even though they lost both of their matches at the University Athletic Association championship tournament at New York University.

The Spartans’ opposition at the tournament included the University of Chicago and New York University.

The biggest highlight for the team was the performance of Josh Hall, who was named All-UAA for the second consecutive year. Hall won both of his matches at the tournament, including a victory via a major decision against New York University’s Wayne Yuan. In two seasons with the team, Hall is now 4-0 against UAA competition with two All-UAA designations to show for his efforts. For the season, Hall is now 15-6 after a spectacular showing.

For the tournament, Hall was one of five Spartan wrestlers to pick up a victory. Three of the other four won by a decision: Jeff Gould got the better of NYU’s Sean Billings, Luke Marcelli defeated Jacob Smith from the University of Chicago (U of C) and Brian Snyder emerged victorious over Brennan King from U of C. The remaining victory went to David Brunk, who got the win by forfeit. Marcelli’s victory was his 25th of the

season, extending his team lead.

As the Spartans wind down the regular season, it is natural to begin looking back on their season to this point. The theme of the season has been improvement, with the wrestlers displaying a hearty effort and remaining competitive week in and week out.

Coach Mark Hawald has been encouraged by the Spartans’ progress this season, displaying optimism for future seasons. He sees the current era of Spartans wrestling as a “building phase,” with an emphasis on not only improvement in the ring, but also improvement in participation in the program. The roster, as currently constructed, only goes 13 deep, and only 10 of those wrestlers are currently active. Coach Hawald has expressed a desire to “get up to 25” wrestlers in the program, or at least somewhere in that range. In terms of the bigger picture, he firmly believes the program is “heading in the right direction,” an assessment backed up by the improvement of the team this season. The future looks awfully bright for Spartans wrestling.

Next weekend, the Spartans return home to wrap up the regular season with the annual Si Ostrach meet. It will be a quad-meet against three other schools: Thiel College, Muskingum University and Rochester Institute of Technology. The meet will take place on Saturday at Horsburgh Gymnasium.

observer.case.edu

sports | 19

Editor’s Choice

Spartans break losing streak in dominant fashion Stephen Wong Staff Reporter The Spartans found their way home and back on the winning side of things this weekend against the University of Rochester and Emory University. With their wins on Friday and Sunday in Horsburgh Gymnasium, the Spartans snapped an eight game losing streak and find themselves currently sitting at 9-13 overall and 3-8 in the UAA. Friday’s game against the University of Rochester Yellowjackets came on Play4Kay night: the ladies donned pink jerseys made possible by the CWRU Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing in a game that came down to the wire. All proceeds from that night went to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

Forwards Laura Mummey and Erin Reynolds led the way for Case with 16 points and 14 points respectively while Reynolds, Brooke Orcutt and Julie Mooney each grabbed eight, nine and seven rebounds each, helping to give the Spartans the advantage on the glass.

The Yellowjackets fought hard with the Spartans in the first half, with six lead changes in total and continued to exchange blows late into the first half. It was not until two minutes left in the half, when Mooney was sent to the charity stripe, that the ladies went on a 9-3 run and ended the half up 34-24.

Despite the cushy lead for the Spartans, Rochester came out of the locker room looking to crawl back into the game. Key three-pointers by the Yellowjackets’ Ally Zywicki and 15 points by Loren Wagner gave Rochester a two point lead with 2:39 remaining. But Case’s Orcutt iced the game for the home team with two free throws

track & field

Arianna Wage/Observer Jessica McCoy gets moving versus Rochester University during last Friday’s Play4Kay event at Horsburgh Gymnasium. with :03 left to give Case the win 56-58.

Two days after the nail biting win, the 16-5 Emory University Eagles came to Cleveland on Seniors’ Day, where Seniors Lauren Elkin, Kathryn Huber and Mooney were honored. Mummey once again led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds while Mooney put up one

59.4

women’s swimming

they never looked back. The Spartans led from that point on and won the game 62-67 in a game that was not as close as the score made it seem.

The Spartans hit the road next weekend with games against No. 2 ranked Washington University in St. Louis and the always tough University of Chicago.

new school record for weight throw accomplished

by Harry Weintraub

women’s basketball:

125-118

55.64 4 Maggie Dillione’s 2nd place time for 100-yard butterfly event

3

of her best games of the season with 14 points, seven boards, four assists, three blocked shots and three steals.

The beginning of the half was tightly contested with both teams struggling to score. At the 13:38 mark, the Eagles took the lead 8-6, but the Spartans retook it with a free throw by Mummey and from then on

men’s tennis:

score vs. weekend opponents

men’s basketball: years since wrestling: last season with winning record

quick shots

25 Matches won by freshman Luke Marcelli

nationally ranked men’s swimming: players school records on team broken women’s tennis: sets won in individual play

5

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2/21/14

sports

Spartans unable to keep winning streak alive; fall to Emory in home closer JP O’Hagan Staff Reporter It was a weekend of mixed emotions for the Case Western men’s basketball squad.

An amazing win on senior night was followed by a crushing defeat during the season home finale. The Spartans now stand at 13-9 and are 5-6 in UAA play. With just a few games remaining, the focus is still strong for the Spartans. “[Washington University] is undefeated in UAA play and we were beating them late in our game at Case,” said head coach Sean McDonnell. “We need to play our best game of the season, and if we do we’ll have a great chance.”

The Spartans played Rochester on Friday night and Seniors Tim Chung and David Thompson were honored in a small ceremony prior to the game. Following the ceremony Chung stepped up to drop 20 points on Rochester, sophomore Jimmy Holman added 19 of his own to boost the Spartans to a close 67-66 comeback win. The Spartans started slow and were down by 15 multiple times in the first half. The Yellowjackets opened the game by hitting eight of their first 10 shots to grab a 19-8 lead after just under seven minutes of play. The Spartans fought back but slipped heading into the locker room as Rochester finished the half with a 8-0 run.

Feeding off of the emotion of the student section, the Spartans exploded out of the locker room the second half, as Chung hit the first seven points to cut the lead to single digits in just two minutes of play. The Spartans chipped away at the lead heading into the final minutes, with the Yellowjackets still on top with a 64-59 lead with 3:18 left to play. Holman put the next two buckets on the board to cut the deficit to one. Forward Dane McLoughlin connected from behind the arc to give the Spartans their first lead of the game on the ensuing possession, going up 66-64 with only 1:39 left on the clock.

Rochester couldn’t equalize and a last ditch effort rattled off the rim as the final buzzer blew. “Our team played well, especially in

Sophomore Jimmy Holman goes to work against the Rochester defense at home last weekend. the second half,” said McDonnell.

The Spartans started strong in their final home game of the season against Emory before it turned ugly, with Emory crushing the Spartans 84-68. Jumping out to a 16-12 lead by the 11:05 mark with a beautiful shot from behind the arc by McLoughlin, who would put up 22 points in the contest. The game turned extremely physical from there as Emory looked to exploit the Spartans’ biggest weakness: transition ball. Emory dominated the game here, scoring 52 points in the paint and 30 off of turnovers.

Miscues by the Spartans came off full court presses by the Eagles and the Spartans

struggled to set up their strong half court offense. Lost possessions due to miscommunication started to get to the Spartans and their play began to crack. This lead to a technical against McLoughlin and a highly controversial block call against Thompson.

Emory rode that momentum to a 25-8 run and to a 41-26 lead heading into the locker room. “Emory has been a tough matchup for us, and we really struggled to play well on Sunday,” said McDonnell.

The Spartans were unable to funnel their anger from the first half into any strong run despite many short flashes of possible comebacks. Mistakes on both

Arianna Wage/Observer

ends of the court would crush any hope of a Spartan revival. There was the positive of getting some of the younger players off the bench in the final minutes as the team begins to look forward. “Our team’s success this year was going to hinge on the talented, experienced returning players we had,” said McDonnell, “but we look forward to watching our young players work hard to develop.”

The Spartans have three more games this year. While the season is drawing to a close, the team isn’t done yet. “We still have a number of goals to accomplish,” said McDonnell.

Women’s tennis team still aces in second week of season Spartans win match versus Kenyon College to move to 3-0 Katie Wieser Sports Editor The women’s tennis team had another strong meet versus Kenyon College last weekend. The ladies are 3-0 so far in the spring season as they gear up for a road trip down south this weekend.

The team won seven matches during the meet, only dropping three sets on the way to victory. However, many sets were fiercely contested showing the continued fitness of the Spartan ladies to maintain a high level of play during long matches. Doubles play once again proved to be a strong factor in the Spartans’ play, with the Case team winning two of the three matches.

The teams of Taylor Sweeney/Michelle Djohan and Sara Zargham/Jenni-

fer Lowe both won their matchups with scores of 8-2 and 8-6, respectively. The only doubles team that wasn’t able to find success was Surya Khadilkar/Sarah Berchuck who forced a tie-breaking set at 8-8 before eventually falling to the top-ranked Kenyon team.

With doubles matches going first in the day, the two schools were tied heading into the individual match between Sweeney and Kenyon’s Jenna Murray.

The two ladies were evenly matched, forcing the first set to seven points with Sweeney pulling through with a margin of victory of only two points in both sets to win the match. The momentum of the hard-fought win brought the team to a whole new level. The Spartans didn’t lose another match that day.

The strong mental focus of the team was an advantage during the more competitive portions of the meet. Head coach Kirsten Gambrell was impressed with the level of toughness shown by the young players.

“During the doubles match that we lost 9-8, we really tried to get momentum going and just couldn’t make it happen. After that we went onto singles and played really strong.

Everyone showed a lot of maturity and we didn’t let it bother us. We definitely rose to the occasion,” said Gambrell.

The team will receive their first big challenge this weekend as they travel to Georgia to take on Emory University on Saturday and then the University of Sewanee on Sunday. The road trip has been looming over the team’s schedule; so far they’ve faced off against opponents that are ranked lower

than the No. 25 Case team. Emory won the University Athletics Association championship last year and Sewanee is currently enjoying a No. 15 rank nationally.

Gambrell is excited to see how the team handles the pressure and the higher level of competition. “We’ve played three good teams so far, but we’ll be at another level this weekend. It’ll be a good opportunity to see where we are against teams ranked a little higher than us nationally.”

She is looking for the ladies to continue their trend of mental toughness and aggressive play to earn the respect of these tough opponents. “Even if we don’t win, I want us to compete hard and stand up next to two higher ranked teams. It’ll be good to see everything we’ve worked on come together.”