Volume XLV, Issue 5: Sept. 20, 2013

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the

volume xlv, issue 5 friday, 9/20/2013

Observer Making his mark without

leaving a trace Like his climbing gear, this year’s Inamori Center Ethics Prize winner, Yvon Chouinard, has shown that business and the environment can coexist. MUIR WALL, EL CAPITAN. YOSEMITE VALLEY, CALIFORNIA. 1965: “For the first half of the day we followed a single crack and then switched to another which we followed until we were forced to quit climbing early when the intermittent rain settled into a downpour. Since we were obviously in for a nasty bivouac, we prepared for it as best we could. We even tried to hang our hammocks above us as a shield against the torrents of rain. It never stopped all night and the cold was intense, as in a high mountain storm. Soaked through, we huddled together to keep warm. TM had a particularly bad night, shivering so violently that he could hardly speak. When he did, he sounded almost delirious. We were despondent and for the moment had lost the vision and our courage. Yet we kept any thoughts of retreat to ourselves.” –Yvon Chouinard, “The American Alpine Journal”

pg. 3 Arianna Wage /The Observer

Anisfield-Wolf Book Award-winner speaks at MOCA Prominent award given to Oberlin professor for works that address race relations in contemporary America The literary world descended upon Cleveland on Sept. 12, when select authors came for the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards ceremony held at the Ohio Theatre. The awards were created by Cleveland poet and philanthropist Edith Anisfield Wolf in 1935 to honor her husband, Eugene Wolf, and her father, John Anisfield, both of whom represented her family’s interest in promoting social justice

and diversity. Now in its 78th year, the 2013 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award saw winners like Nobel Literature Prize winner Wole Soyinka, nonfiction writer Andrew Solomon. The jury for the prize included Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Rita Dove and Joyce Carol Oates. The award sold out to a diverse crowd—the young, the old and people of all races attended. The crowd listened attentively to the two hour-long ceremony. The event itself was solemn, reflective

of the subject matters associated with the awards. These topics included the Filipino experience in America, as reflected in poet Eugene Gloria’s novel, “My Favorite Warlords,” and the relationship between slave and master as seen in Laird Hunt’s novel, “Kind One.” However, as the award ceremony went on, the speeches given by the winners of the award deviated from reciting a simple passage reading of their works to giving speeches that were lighter and more buoyant. Wole Soyinka, who won the Life-

time Achievement Award and was the last speaker of the night, added humor frequently to his speech about the importance of education and the current situation in Nigeria. He said, “ I thought immediately of children… today, in Nigeria for instance, who risk their lives to go to school, to learn to read. Not just in my part of the world, various places in the African continent, but of other countries, in which to go to school, to handle

News

A&E

Opinion

Sports

pg. 15 Rankings or Retention?

pg. 19 Indians: Wild card?

Jessica Yang Contributing Reporter

pg. 5 pg. 13 Physicist designs Observer’s choice: new MRI Emmys

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University energy curtailments work to avoid another major blackout Last week’s two were successful in reducing electricity consumption by twenty percent Mark Patteson Staff Reporter

Power saving stats 2,200 kilowatts

Last week, campus was alerted of two emergency energy reductions and encouraged to reduce electricity use until the end of the day. While the reductions should not have affected regular work and study, those on campus may have noticed the dim light in hallways and the hum of emergency generators on the roofs. The university began voluntary participation in the Emergency Demand Response Program last year to help avoid another blackout like the 2003 Northeast Blackout. The blackout struck 50 million people in the U.S. and Canada and cost the nation approximately $10 billion. The university may have lost millions in interrupted or destroyed research alone. The blackout was caused by excess demand from overcharged air conditioners on a hot summer day, triggering a short circuit and cascading failure across the Northeast. To reduce power demand on similar days warmer than 90 degrees, grid operator PJM issues requests for participants across the region to curtail usage during peak temperatures in the afternoon. The university’s facilities services then reduces nonessential electricity consumption and switches on the emergency generators to work alongside regular grid power. During the course of the Sept. 11 curtailment, the university reduced demand by approximately 2,200 kilowatts, a 20 percent reduction in usage. PJM also reported an approximately 6,000 megawatt reduction in load across the whole region, a value comparable to five nuclear generators. The power curtailments do not prevent blackouts with cer-

amount of energy saved by the university during the Sept. 11 energy curtailment

6,000 megawatts

amount of energy saved in the region that day; that’s equivalent to the energy output of five nuclear generators

tainty, though they do significantly reduce the risk. While switching to emergency generators has a cost, almost $7,000 for the natural gas and diesel fuel, the campus saves a significant amount in reduced grid consumption. At the same time, the university can avoid another disastrous and costly loss of research as seen after the 2003 blackout. While most of the curtailment can be attributed to the emergency generators, Eugene Matthews, director of facilities services, emphasized the importance of campus-wide power reductions. “With everybody pulling together helping to reduce, it has a big impact,” Matthews said. He estimated that if everyone on campus turned off a 10 watt device (fluorescent light fixtures draw roughly 30 W), demand could drop 150 kW. Even this conservative estimate represents a major reduction, enough to power roughly 30 average homes. Matthews believes that simply being conscious of the curtailment helps. “We saw a bigger reduction the second day,” he said, “Each time we have a curtailment, people think of one or two new things they don’t need.”

CWRU finishes 37th in US News Best Colleges Rankings Jonah Roth Contributing Reporter Case Western Reserve University retained its spot this year at number 37 in US News and World Report’s Best Colleges 2014 rankings, published on Sept. 10. The rank remained the same as last year’s after what US News calls “significant changes” to its ranking algorithm. Among the changes that applied to CWRU, graduation and retention rates and average standardized test scores were given more weight, and selectivity and high school class standing of accepted students were given less. US News calculates its rankings using a combination of objective data collected from each university and peer assessment surveys completed by the president, provost and dean of admissions of other colleges, as well as an academic reputation survey completed by high school counselors. This is the first year in several that CWRU’s ranking has not increased; in the 2012 rankings, CWRU took number 38, up from 41 in 2011. This year’s rankings brought other increases for CWRU, however: US News now describes CWRU’s admissions as “most selective” (up from

By the numbers A quick look at the university’s retention, graduation, and admission data in comparison to its peers Retention from Fall 2011 to Fall 2012

Graduation Rate*

Percent Admitted (Fall 2012)

Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Fall 2012)

CWRU

92 %

78 %

54 %

17 %

Rice

96 %

92 %

17 %

37 %

Carnegie Mellon

95 %

87 %

28 %

29 %

UChicago

99 %

92 %

13 %

46 %

OSU (Main Campus)

92 %

82 %

64 %

44 %

Harvard

97 %

97 %

6%

84 %

*(at 150% of the time (essentially means 6 years, because of co-op not everyone does 4 years)) Source: National Center for Education Statistics

“more selective”), accompanied by a sixplace jump to no. 36 in the high school counselor’s rankings. According to Jonathan Wehner, director of recruitment and strategic initiatives, the admissions office works hard to maintain its relationships with high school counselors by meeting in person with counselors and sending out monthly newsletters. “High school counselors are one of our most important partners in helping identify students who could be a good fit for [CWRU],” he noted. CWRU’s biggest increase, however, was the 10-place jump over the past two years to 27 for Best Value Colleges, representative of the highest-quality programs available at the lowest net cost after need-based financial aid. “Students and parents right now are more focused than ever on the value of an education. ‘What do I get?’” Wehner said. Of CWRU’s class of 2012, 86 percent of the graduates are currently employed or pursuing graduate degrees, and 82 percent of those employed are in jobs related to their degree. “We’re an institution that can make a really compelling argument that you get a lot,” Wehner said.

Freda Li/Observer The university’s lease of Taplin Hall to CIA will expire at the end of this school year.

CWRU reclaims Taplin Hall to house incoming freshmen Julia Bianco Staff Reporter Beginning next fall, Taplin Hall will stop housing students from the Cleveland Institute of Art and will instead be home to freshmen from Case Western Reserve University. Taplin Hall, which belongs to CWRU, is currently leased to CIA. Taplin holds about 100 students. “There’s an agreement between the university and CIA that the university will reclaim Taplin for its own use in June 2014,” noted Steven Campbell, vice president of campus planning and facilities management. “There will be a renovation of Taplin over the summer of 2014, and then fall of 2014 it will be available for CWRU student housing,” he said. CIA will house their students in Uptown Phase Two, the apartment buildings

that are being built on the corner of Euclid Avenue and Ford Drive, which should be finished by August of 2014. Loretta Sexton, assistant director for campus living, said that she is unsure how using Taplin to house freshmen will affect the housing situation in Clark Tower and the Village at 115. “We’re in the very beginning stages of looking at our occupancy projections for next year,” she says. Changing Taplin into a CWRU residence hall is just one step in dealing with housing the larger incoming class sizes. “We are exploring options on a number of fronts,” says Campbell. “This includes the reclamation of Taplin, expansion of existing residence halls where feasible, consideration of old residential units in proximity to the campus, including the Triangle Apartments and potential new residence halls.” -Sheehan Hannan contributed reporting


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From front page

Dedication to sustainable business practices earns Patagonia founder Inamori Ethics Prize Jasmine Gallup Staff Reporter Talia Gragg Staff Reporter

Y

von Chouinard and TM Herbert weren’t setting out to make history when they made their first continuous ascent of a then-unnamed climbing route in Yosemite Valley. They weren’t expecting their nine-day climb of Muir Wall to become something young mountaineers would ask them about decades later. And they definitely weren’t expecting their “leave-no-trace” approach to climbing to redefine the standards of modern alpinism. The thought running through their minds was simple: “What next?” In 1964, Chouinard, Tom Frost, Royal Robbins and Chuck Pratt made the first ever continuous ascent of an El Capitan climb (the North American Wall). While arduous, it was also an experience that proved to the group just how long they could spend living on a climb. They found their bodies and minds adjusting to the task—able to make the climb even after a night of uncomfortable sleep, a day of less water or less food. “We reached the summit,” Chouinard writes in The American Alpine journal, “feeling as if we could go on for another ten days.” And so, in 1964, after their first onepush ascent on El Capitan, Chouinard and Herbert decided to make their next one. This time with only two men, the risk would be more, the challenge greater. But Chouinard and Herbert were— and are—the kind of men who are always looking for a new challenge. Consummate athletes, they were never satisfied with something easy. They didn’t climb because it was easy. They climbed because it was hard. “When you’re really good at a sport,” Chouinard said, almost 50 years later, “you simplify it.” Chouinard knows a guy who spears an elk every year. He himself is skilled in tankara fly fishing—a Japanese form of the sport in which you really only use a pole and a line—no reel, no high-tech additions; just a man with his rod. And he and his friends reinvented modern rock climbing in the year 1965—not by making a climb in record time, not by hammering steel pitons permanently into the cliff face using siege tactics— but by scaling their new challenge with as little equipment as possible. By free-

Arianna Wage/Observer Yvon Chouinard speaks to a crowd of students and faculty as part of the Inamori Ethics Prize presentation. Chouinard was intially reluctant in accepting the award. “I want the company to receive the award, not me personally, because it’s the people working there that are doing the job,” he said. climbing wherever possible; and when aid climbing, using safety equipment that wouldn’t scar the rock. By leaving no trace behind. *** Leaving no traces is a mantra that has echoed throughout Chouinard’s life. It’s the philosophy by which Chouinard has run both his equipment company, Chouinard, LTD (now Black Diamond Equipment), and his clothing company, Patagonia, for the last fifty years. It’s the philosophy that has guided him towards sustainable business practice. It’s the philosophy that had driven him to stand up as an environmentalist within that same business world, donating thousands of dollars to many smaller, more easily overlooked non-profit organizations every year. It’s a big part of the reason that he was selected as this year’s Inamori Ethics Prize winner. Patagonia’s mission statement is, like many other things in Chouinard’s life,

Arianna Wage/Observer Yvon Chouinard speaks to an attendee of his panel session last Friday. Chouinard is an avid environmentalist and his company, Patagonia, has donated one percent of sales to environmental groups since 1985.

simple: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” For the most part, they’ve been overwhelmingly successful. But the road to sustainable business practice wasn’t always easy, according to Chouinard. When asked about the challenges he faced in running his company, Chouinard answered by talking about one of the darkest points in Patagonia’s history. A single spring in 1991. “I think at one time we were growing too quickly,” Chouinard noted. “We were growing the business like every other company. We were growing at 50 percent a year.” When the economic recession hit, the bank called in Patagonia’s loan. The incredible growth that had put once put Patagonia on the cover of Inc. Magazine now put the company so deeply in debt that they had to lay off 20 percent of their employees trying to compensate—20 percent of their friends. “That’s when we reassessed what we were doing,” Chouinard says, “and we decided to put our business on a hundred year basis, make all decisions as if we were going to be here a hundred years from now. That changed our whole attitude, and then after that we really started examining the way we were doing business, as far as using industrially grown cotton and all of that stuff.” Since 1994, Patagonia has been making steps forward every year in cleaning up their production line. Their first year, 1994, was the year they decided to make the switch to organic cotton. “One question led to another question,” Chouinard says.“We had to ask about dyes, well are dyes toxic? We didn’t know.” They decided to find out. Patagonia is not a company that ignores environmental problems brought to their attention. Since 1985, they have been donating one percent of their sales (or 10 percent of their profits, whichever was higher) to environmental groups. Every year, they give 750 grants to various non-profit organizations. They don’t follow every

“I’m almost 75 years old and I feel like I’ve done what I set out to do. It’s time for me to pass some of the baton on to other people. You know, I want the company to receive the award, not me personally, because it’s the people working there that are doing the job.” -Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia founder dollar they spend, but for Chouinard, its easy to see how their donations are helping. When asked if there are any concrete effects he and the company can appreciate, he recalls an example quickly. “There was a dam on the Quinibeck River in Maine,” he noted, “and the local small NGOs wanted to take it out. It was worthless and did a lot of damage. And it was a local issue, so it got nowhere. I think we spent 70,000 dollars, came out with an ad in a national edition of The New York Times about taking out the dam, and made it a national issue. And it’s gone,” he laughs. “And the fish have come back.” “There’s no victories in the environmental movement,” Chouinard continued, “...but when you can take out a dam, that’s a concrete victory.” He laughed. “So to speak.” Yvon Chouinard didn’t set out to become the owner of a major outdoor clothing company. In fact, his first forays into entrepreneurship started in the back of his car. In the 60’s, Chouinard was making and selling his own steel pitons, driving up and down the Californian coast to find new mountains to climb, and living from penny to penny. And even though the scope and direction of his business has now changed, the spirit of it remains the same.

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Alumni and friends set new record for donations

To date, donors have committed $138.5 million Brian Sherman Staff Reporter Case Western Reserve University has long been proud of its alumni, as their successes in the real world reflect upon their times as students of the university. Recently, however, CWRU has had another reason to be appreciative of its alumni. Thanks to the support of over 17,000 donors, all of whom are CWRU alumni and friends, the CWRU annual fund has surpassed the $10 million mark for the first time in its history. This new record was not alone. In addition to the new record of the annual fund, CWRU has also, for the fifth time in six years, broken the record for the total amount collected by the university, with over $145 million during the 2013 fiscal year, marking a $7.5 million increase over last year. This brings the total amount raised by Forward Thinking, CWRU’s capital campaign, to $861.4 million. “I’m impressed and extremely grateful that, despite these economic times, our alumni can still donate this large amount,” said Lara Kalafatis, vice president for university relations. Gifts given by donors to the university can fall into two categories, either the annual fund or endowment. The annual fund contributes to aspects of the university like the various on-campus libraries, individual schools and athletics. An endowment is more long term, as it generates interest income for the university. This interest is used for long term funding, such

as professorships or student aid. To date, donors have committed $138.5 million this campaign in support of students. “It’s like planting a seed for a tree for the future,” said Kalafatis. In addition to funding professorships, the university has used the money generated to fund other initiatives, such as the Tinkham Veale University Center, which was started by a $20 million donation by Tinkham Veale, an alumnus of the class of 1937 and frequent donor to the university. Located next to Thwing Center and Kelvin Smith Library, it is slated to open next year thanks to contributions from donors. Other initiatives by the university include the James Wyant Field House and Wellness Center, Toby’s Plaza in Uptown, ThinkBox and an $8 million contribution by the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation to the buildings that bear their names. Alumni contributions form a significant part of the campaign, and recent news of gifts show that this trend is not going to end anytime soon. Recently, Joseph and Nancy Keithley pledged $15 million to CWRU and the Cleveland Museum of Art to support joint programs in art history. In addition, Chuck and Char Fowler have pledged a $6 million commitment to support fellowships for highly qualified MBA students passionate about sustainable value. To thank the generosity of its contributors, CWRU has invited its donors to the Blue Block 2.0 Party for a special “You’re In” celebration. Donors will be able to share their stories of why they support CWRU.

Arianna Wage/Observer

Fight Back 4K: Bubble Run 2013 Last Saturday, Relay For Life hosted its first annual “Bubble Run.” The event, which raised money for the American Cancer Society, was a 4K trek along the northside of Case Western Reserve University’s campus. It started at Leutner Commons and featured five “bubble stations” where volunteers showered runners with the soapy spheres. Pictured above, first year student Sonja Cuollo passes through one of the “bubble stations.” Left, sophomore Drew Weibel completes the 4K with fellow runners.


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Editor’s Choice: Spotlight on Research

Physicist to design new MRI scanner, nets $600,000 grant Kushagra Gupta Contributing Reporter When it comes to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, the average physicist usually has nothing to do with it — MRI technology is typically associated with those in the medical field. However, despite common perceptions, Dr. Michael Martens, associate professor of physics, recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for $596,365 in order to work with these very machines. He will be leading a project that hopes to design a superior scanner, while offsetting a potential rise in price of the device. After attending Case Western Reserve University as both an undergraduate and graduate student, Martens is back home to work with this innovative medical technology. He first plans to deal with the cooling agent, liquid helium, which is one of the more expensive parts of an MRI scanner. A typical scanner currently uses two to three thousand liters of the coolant, and with both price and demand steadily increasing, a coolant shortage is projected in about the next five years. In order to circumvent the issue, Martens is experimenting with making the keystone electromagnet in the machine out of a new material, magnesium diboride. “[The current material] is cooled down to about four kelvins, and that’s why you need so much liquid helium. For the magnesium diboride, the material becomes superconducting at 39 kelvins,” said Martens. With this, a smaller amount of the coolant would be needed, counteracting the projected rise in liquid helium costs. In addition to the new material, Martens is planning to further stabilize the cost by figuring out a way for the machine to use a smaller magnetic field, further reducing the amount of coolant needed. However, he noted, “it wouldn’t give you quite as good of an image.” Marten’s college major and doctorate is in physics, with his thesis on magnetic

Arianna Wage/Observer Associate Professor of Physics Michael Martens works in his medical imaging physics lab. He is looking to develop cheaper MRI technology, primarily by designing a scanner that uses less liquid hydrogen, a costly substance) as a coolant. resonance imaging. With this background in mind, it’s no surprise that Martens has decided to innovate the scanner’s makeup. He plans to alter the Radio Frequency (RF) coils in the field. This would allow for an enhanced quality image in a lower magnetic field. In MRI scanners, RF coils charge up hydrogen atoms, and the image produced is made from how the electromagnet interacts with the atoms as they discharge. With this in mind, the group’s plans call for reducing the magnetic field from 3.0 tesla to 1.5 tesla.

Well-loved faculty member falls to pancreatic cancer

Courtesy Rosalie Candau Antonio Candau, associate professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, died Tuesday morning after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Candau was a well-loved Spanish and SAGES professor, friend, brother, husband and father. He is survived by his wife, Cindy (pictured above), and his two children, Rosalie and Frank.

Martens won’t be building the scanner himself, however. He noted, “What we hope to get to is a point where the design is complete enough where someone could build it.” The project will cooperate with the Columbus-based company, Hypertech. The partnership was created under a group called the Ohio Platform for Tomorrow’s Industrial Medical Imaging Systems and Equipment (OPTIMISE), which partners Case Western Reserve University projects along with technology based companies

from Chouinard | 3 “We don’t have cubicles at work,” Chouinard said. “If I had to work in a regular business, I’d go nuts. So what I did is I made a business that I enjoy going to work at. And you can do that.” It’s true. Employees at Patagonia treat each other more like family than like co-workers. They go surfing together at lunch. The flexible work-hour schedule means that they can take time off to go climbing or to volunteer at a non-profit organization. But regardless of where they go, or what they do, they do it together. “We never knew where we were going,” Chouinard said, speaking once more about his business, “just took it one step at a time.” Chouinard was initially hesitant to accept the prize. He doesn’t feel a pressing need to be recognized for his achievements in environmental awareness or sustainable business practices. He’s ready to retire, he says. “I’m almost 75 years old and I feel like I’ve done what I set out to do. It’s time for me to pass some of the baton on to other people. You know, I want the company to receive the award, not me personally, because it’s the people working there that are doing the job.” And what would he rather be doing? “Fishing,” he replied with a laugh. “I’d rather be fishing.” *** When asked, Chouinard says Muir

such as Siemens, Toshiba and Samsung. “It’s an informal group,” as Martens describes it. However, the interaction provides footing for what could eventually require a large amount of venture capital. Marten’s grant is for two years, and while that may seem like a lot of time, a lot of work must be done on the path to reaching his goal. Martens, however, is optimistic. “There’s a lot of possibilities. It’s a growing concern, and there’s a lot of interested parties,” he said.

Wall is probably the most challenging climb he’s ever done. “Nine days hanging in hammocks,” he said. “When we got to the top we were pretty wiped out.” Chouinard speaks of his climb casually. At 74, he’s been climbing mountains for most of his life. So it makes sense that his experiences have impacted how he lives. When you climb, Chouinard said, “You’re losing yourself, just like any artist. And you just forget about time and space. I mean, if you don’t concentrate, you’re dead.” Chouinard doesn’t see a problem with that. The rewards far outweigh the risks. “When I was young,” Chouinard noted, “the reward was pitting yourself against the adversity, and just, you know, becoming a stronger and better person… the spiritual values of it, really.” Chouinard considers himself a Zen Buddhist—it’s the simplicity of the philosophy that appeals to him. He doesn’t own a cell phone. He doesn’t own a laptop. He doesn’t worry about getting the newest edition of something every year. For Chouinard, necessity is simple: clothes, food, shelter. He lives a minimalist life—emulating personal heroes like Thoreau and Emerson. When Chouinard and Herbert made that Muir Wall climb, there were only 10 people who knew they were there— all friends and fellow alpinists who would be waiting for them at the top. And they weren’t doing it for recognition, and they weren’t doing it in pursuit of achieving the summit. They were doing it for the climb.


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Outside the Circle

A look at news outside of Case Western Reserve

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International

1. Man shot trying to swim from South Korea 3. 12 Victims dead in Washington Navy Yard shooting to North Korea On Sept. 16, 2013, a shooting left 12 vic- buildings and streets secured by guards, Attempts of defecting from South Korea to North Korea are rare. However, on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013, a man whose surname is Nam, tried and failed to do so. Other than his surname, the South Korean government has released no other information as the case is still being investigated. It is believed that Nam got past the barbed wire fence put by the bank of the Imjin River and then jumped into water with a float. The Imjin River flows through part of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.

A unit of 30 soldiers attempted to verbally warn him and directed him to turn around, as it would not have taken him very long to swim across. When Nam failed to turn around, the unit started firing, where it is believed several hundred shots were fired. When asked his opinion of whether or not he thought the response to the situation was appropriate, Brig. Gen. Cho Jong-sul of South Korea responded with, “It is regulation to shoot anyone who does not respond to the command and tries to escape in the controlled area.”

2. Tropical storm in Mexico leaves at least 40 dead Dual tropical storms hit Mexico’s east and west coast Sept. 15, the day before their Independence Day. The Mexican government has declared a state of emergency in over 20 towns as well as distributing emergency funds to fix the

natural disaster. These storms have left over 4,000 people in shelters as well as 40,000 tourists stranded in cities due to closed airports after power cuts and flooding of main highways leading out of the city.

tims and a gunman dead. The gunman has been identified as Aaron Alexis, a 34-yearold contractor from Queens, New York. The Washington Navy Yard is a ceremonial and administrative headquarters for the U.S. Navy, where over 18,000 people work. The Navy Yard is over 41 acres of

metal detectors and employee screenings. While his motive still unclear, research into Alexis’ past shows a history of complaining about the Navy. He was also described to being a victim of discrimination and has a record with law enforcement, two of which were shootings.

What in the world? 4. Colorado town considers issuing drone hunting licenses License to Kill… Robots? Applications for drone hunting licenses have poured into the small town of Deer Trail, Colorado after the town trustees decided to vote on a proposal to issue permits and $100 bounties for “killing unmanned aerial vehicles” and “defending the sovereign airspace of Deer Trail Colorado.” Though the town has yet to approve the measure, nearly 1,000 people have applied for the $25 licenses. The author of the ordinance began selling mock licenses on droneshooters.

com in August to protest the expanding use of surveillance drones by the federal government. The town of 561, previously known as the “Home of the World’s First Rodeo,” considered adopting this ordinance after the licenses’ rapid popularity promised to bring money and tourism. However, the Federal Aviation Administration challenged the legality of the proposal, saying “Shooting at an unmanned aircraft could result in criminal or civil liability, just as would firing at a manned airplane.”

Reporting by Tara Tran and Mark Patteson

On the Beat Last week we talked a little bit about theft, especially of unattended items, which is probably the most common criminal occurrence here at CWRU. Not nearly as common (fortunately), but far more serious is robbery (defined as using force or the threat of force to take property from someone), and recently we have had a few robbery incidents on or near the campus. So now would seem like a good time to go over some tips on how to avoid becoming a victim, and what to do if you should find yourself in a bad situation. Robbery can occur at any time of day but is still statistically most likely to happen to people who are by themselves at night. When moving around the area late at night use university provided services like the shuttle bases, Safe Ride (saferide@case.edu, or 216-368-3000 for the automated dispatch system), or just walking in groups. Be aware of your surroundings and what

is going on around you. Several of our recent robberies have been of the “cell phone snatch” variety where a suspect, either on foot or bike, comes up behind someone and snatches the cell phone out of their hand in mid conversation and takes off. Try and keep one eye on your surroundings even when on a phone. Trust your instincts-if an alley looks dark & dangerous don’t go in, if an approaching person is making you nervous cross the street. No law says you have to continue on blindly and see what is going to happen. If you are robbed, give the robber what they ask for, possessions can always be replaced. As soon as you are able to get away call the police as soon as possiblecall 368-3333 for CWRU police or 911 for Cleveland or other city police departments depending on where you are when an incident occurs. If calling from a cell phone you may have to help the dispatcher by giving your location-use street names/

intersections if you know them, or nearby landmarks or buildings. When you call give as detailed a description of the suspect(s) as possible, to include clothing as well as your location and the direction of travel taken by the suspect(s). If you are blanking out on how to describe someone, use your own height and weight as a reference point and go from there. Try and stay calm when speaking to the dispatcher so you are clearly understood so the help you need can be sent. The police can never be everywhere. As a campus community we need to look out for one another and if you think you see someone else in trouble, call the police and give the same information as above. On the Beat is a weekly safety column written by Sergeant Jeffrey Daberko & Officer Mark (The Crossing Guard) Chavis of CWRU PD. Send feedback to this or other columns at policecolumn@case.edu.

police blotter 9/9/13 to 9/16/13 9/9 — Two juveniles arrested for bicycle theft, Peter B Lewis Building. 9/10 — Drug use/arrest — Male observed smoking marijuana in front of the Thwing Center, found to have outstanding arrest warrant with CPD. 9/13 — Robbery — Cell phone snatched from victim’s hand, Lot 46 9/16 — Criminal Mischief — Box lit on fire, picnic grounds near Leutner Commons. On the Beat can be contacted at policecolumn@case.edu.


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fun Sudoku

Crossword Puzzle Across 1. A territorial unit of Greece 5. Critical 10. Break 14. God of love 15. A worker of stone 16. Roman robe 17. Widely circulated 19. Not under 20. Card with one symbol 21. Listened to 22. Skid 23. Barricade 25. Sugary 27. Frozen water 28. Forever 31. Streamlined 34. Run away to wed 35. An Old Testament king 36. Happy cat sound 37. A French dance 38. Sun 39. Genus of macaws 40. “Bolero� composer 41. Strict

42. Savior 44. P 45. Wall climbers 46. Affinity 50. Smooth brown oval nut 52. Hindu loincloth 54. Animal foot 55. Quaint outburst 56. Understate 58. Liturgy 59. Aroused 60. Dwarf buffalo 61. Utilized 62. A drama set to music 63. Benefit Down 1. Type of vacuum flask 2. Genus of heath 3. Modulator/demodulator 4. East southeast 5. Current amount 6. Unit of weight for gems 7. End ___ 8. An inedible mushroom 9. Terminate 10. Burgled 11. Religious person 12. Matured

13. Cut back 18. Hut 22. Arid 24. Jetty 26. Cried 28. Young eel 29. Russian emperor 30. Tale 31. Box 32. Attraction 33. Destroy completely 34. Listen in 37. Contest 38. Stair 40. Bridle strap 41. Old photo color 43. Avoided 44. Verdigris 46. Wanderer 47. Express a thought 48. Stubble remover 49. Fine-tune 50. South American country 51. Auspices 53. Go backpacking 56. Pair 57. One time around

Wordsearch

Comic about armor blade chorus deem distress going grand guide hearts heed hogs horse lettuce listen maybe moat mournful never night nose

original pants recording rise rusty sates satisfied sneak still street sword there think together tool torn tower twins wishes wrong

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9/13/13

By Hoan Yong

Horoscopes Aries

After having a total of 15 hours of sleep this week, your sleep schedule will be further destroyed by the dental fraternity’s continual partying. Try and join, but don’t enter without brushing your teeth beforehand.

Taurus Stop getting a hamburger from the dining halls. Really, though, your poops smell so much worse now that you’re eating them consistently.

xkcd

Gemini He knows.

Cancer After trying your darndest to avoid talking to the strange girl who keeps staring at you across the dining hall, you’ll realize that she’s the only person who understands that one impossible calculus problem. Just do it and get it over with already.

Leo

Obama had you in mind when he wanted to pass healthcare reform.

Virgo

Dental hygiene isn’t the only thing your electric toothbrush is taking care of.

Libra Your professors will never know that you actually haven’t completed any of the required readings due to your honed bullshitting skills. Your student loans are going towards learning general life lessons, not accruing knowledge.

Scorpio Every time you fall asleep in class, the person sitting directly behind you sends elaborate Snapchats of your nodding head falling into the open mouth of a dragon.

Sagittarius If you can incorporate “kerfuffle” into your next essay, your professor will definitely appreciate your vast vocabulary. Despite having little-to-no pertinent content in your piece of art, you may actually come out with a passing grade.

Capricorn Whenever possible, think beyond the possible. It won’t sCWRU you, I promise.

Aquarius Your true love will reveal himself to you on the third floor of KSL. Or is that the second floor? Maybe you’ll just hook up in the stacks.

Pisces Your new favorite song that you can’t stop playing is annoying everyone around you. That odd smell in your room may not be from the week-old snacks you still haven’t thrown away.


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Juniors and Seniors are eligible. 1-3 person teams.

The topic of the case study will be released three weeks prior to the competition date. In addition to the opportunity to present to c-suite executives, there will be a cash prize of $5,000 awarded to the winning team as well as the opportunity to interview for DDR’s industry-leading Management Training program for seniors and Summer Internship program for juniors. Click here to learn more about the Management Training program.

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Important Dates


arts & entertainment

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Mary Kate Macedonia/ Observer World-class Cleveland Orchestra calls Severance Hall home during the fall, winter and spring. During the summer, the Cleveland Orchestra performs at Blossom Music Center.

Severance Hall serves the students Anne Nickoloff Staff Reporter More than ever before, the Cleveland Orchestra has pushed student attendance at their upcoming concert season by implementing huge student discounts and increased advertising. “We’re trying to have the youngest audience of any orchestra in the country,” said Jim Sector, the Cleveland Orchestra’s assistant director of sales and marketing. “It’s a huge, hairy, audacious goal to have something like that,” he explained, “but it’s something that we can really strive towards. We’re making really tremendous steps. Students actually made up a pretty good percentage of our audience… so we’re really starting to depend on our students to come.” At last year’s orchestra concerts during the fall and spring school semesters, a spike in student attendance was apparent from the size of the younger audience, but this year seems to be bringing even more students to the velvet seats of

Severance Hall. To put the Cleveland Orchestra’s increased student interest into perspective, last year just under 400 frequent fancards (aka: the golden ticket for any classical lover) were sold, but this year, already over 1,000 students have purchased the card, and the number is still growing. That may be in part due to the recent half-off sale that the Cleveland Orchestra announced several weeks ago. Instead of the usual $50 charge applied for the frequent fancard, the passes were, for a twoweek window, sold at 25 bucks a pop. However, the current $50 charge for the fancard is still a potentially good deal in comparison to the $10 student tickets still available through the Student Advantage Program. “You only need to come five times to make it worth it. You come that sixth time, and you’re already saving yourself money,” explained Sector. CWRU student Josie Krome bought the pass, claiming, “It’s a cheap way to make me feel more cultured.” Severance has already become more attractive to students, but it continues to seek even more concertgoing in the de-

mographic of young music lovers. “The key is to get [the students] in the door,” said Sector. “I think that’s kind of the beauty of these programs, is getting them to consider doing something that they haven’t done before, and getting them to take advantage of a really great resource.” Many CWRU students have already taken advantage of the offers the Cleveland Orchestra has made available. “The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the top five orchestras in the country and while I’m in Cleveland, I’ve got to take advantage of the awesome things it has. Plus, going to concerts is fun,” said student Christina Cheng. Student musician Sun-Mee Kasper agrees: “I have played cello basically all my life, and classical music is a big part of my life, so it’s pretty awesome to be able to see a fantastic orchestra for cheapsies right in my backyard.” Tonight’s concert is particularly special, being the first “Fridays@7” performance of the season. This show will feature both a preconcert and a postconcert that surround the main Cleveland Orchestra event at 7 p.m.

The main event this weekend is Beethoven’s “Emperor Concerto,” which Sector claims to be “one of the greatest concertos ever written.” The preconcert to this event, which begins at 6:15 p.m., will include a shorter version of the full Cleveland Orchestra’s performance. Later, after the last notes of “Emperor Concerto” resound in Severance Hall, the postconcert show will begin, which features acoustic jazz band Trio Globe. Future concerts include Dvorak’s “Violin Concerto” during Oct. 17-19, and the “Faith and Freedom” music festival that, from Oct. 24-26, will present three different symphonies by both Beethoven and Shostakovich to showcase. The Cleveland Orchestra chose these pieces “to really explore these two big names in music, and kind of how they wrote their music within the politics of their day,” said Sector. “It’s a lot of piano this year,” added Sector. Following this piano-featuring trend, the Cleveland Orchestra will play Tchaikovsky’s “First Piano Concerto” next weekend.


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Courtesy Robert Muller Many literary figures came to the Museum of Contemporary Art to celebrate the 78th Annual Ainsfield Wolf Award Winners. From left to right, Wole Soyinka, Kevin Powers, Andrew Solomon and Laird Hunt enjoy the presentations. Eugene Gloria, the winner in poetry, isn’t shown.

from Anisfield-Wolf | 1 a book becomes a life or death event.” Similarly, Andrew Solomon, winner of the nonfiction award and author of “Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity,” which won

multiple accolades and praise, spoke of children as well. He told the audience how he knew he was gay from a very young age and he felt his parents didn’t accept him. He spoke of one event where he was picking out balloons at a shoe store and he wanted a pink balloon. His mother reminded him that his favorite

color was blue and he joked, “The fact that my favorite color now is blue, but I’m still gay gives you an idea of my mother’s influence and its limits. He also spoke about how conditions like dwarfism could become identities and how parents could relate to children who are vastly different from them. Ultimately,

Solomon concluded, “Love and acceptance are not necessarily the same thing. Parents love their children… but it takes some effort to accept their children. It takes some time to parse the complicated question of which things to change or improve and which things to accept because they are not going to change.”

CHVRCHES debut album falls short of expectations Jason Walsh Staff Reporter Artist: CHVRCHES Album: The Bones Of What You Believe Rating: 3 / 5 Although “The Bones Of What You Believe” is CHVRCHES’ debut album, it feels like they have been around for a while now. A string of singles starting in late 2012—“The Mother We Share,” “Recover,” “Now is Not the Time,” “Gun”— were all critically acclaimed and fairly successful. An EP, “Recover,” was released in March of this year and contained a couple of songs that had been released already and a couple of remixes of those songs. All in all, it seemed like CHVRCHES were keeping a tight lid on their musical output. All that has led “The Bones Of What You Believe” to be a hotly anticipated al-

bum. Their singles have proven that CHVRCHES have the ability to write fantastic pop songs; the slow and deliberate way they have been releasing music made it seem like any album would be carefully crafted and well-developed. Unfortunately, this is not really the case with “The Bones Of What You Believe.” Despite its 45 minutes length, it’s an album that feels more like a long EP than it does an actual album. It’s a collection of songs that all sound similar, without much flow or cohesion between them all. It’s telling that the first song on the album is “The Mother We Share,” probably CHVRCHES most famous song and maybe their best, and then proceeds to alternate between previously-released-single and non-single for the first seven songs. After listening to the album numerous times, I can hardly remember what tracks two, four and six sound like— other than that they’re not the great singles. After that, the back half of the album pretty much fades away. “By The Throat”

is the one standout from the second half of the album, and the only really great song on “The Bones Of What You Believe” that wasn’t a single already. “The Bones Of What You Believe” exists in a recent tradition that goes from Robyn’s 2010 magnum opus “Body Talk” right through M83’s 2011 effort “Hurry Up We’re Dreaming” (which spawned “Midnight City”) to Purity Ring’s 2012 debut “Shrines.” All of these are socalled indie artists that make pretty straightforward pop music – what often gets labeled as “synthpop” or “electropop” (as if Kanye West, Katy Perry, and mainstream pop didn’t use synthesizers or electronics). CHVRCHES sit somewhere at the intersection of these artists. They’re not bombastic bubblegum pop like Robyn. They’re less musically experimental than Purity Ring. They share some similarities with Chromatics’ 80-minute, 2012 popepic “Kill For Love,” although CHRVCHES are much more oriented towards the

three-and-a-half minute pop song than Chromatics are. The problem is that all of these other albums are great pop albums. “The Bones Of What You Believe” has some fantastic pop songs on it, but you’ve heard almost all of them before, and the rest of the album doesn’t do much but add filler in between the great bits. Which leads me to one last problem I have with this album: the inexplicable absence of “Now is Not the Time.” Released on the “Recover” EP, “Now is Not the Time” easily competes with “The Mother We Share” for CHVRCHES’ best song. I really can’t understand why it was left off of the album. If you love CHVRCHES’ singles, there’s no reason not to check out “The Bones Of What You Believe.” You could easily have a more gracious opinion of it than I do. Unfortunately, I don’t see myself returning to this album very often except to play the three or four songs I’ve been listening to on YouTube for months.


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Editor’s Choice

65 years of the Emmy Awards: The Observer’s predictions Lily Korte Staff Reporter It’s that time of the year again, television fans. Emmy season has suddenly crept upon us, and hard though it might be to think about last year’s episodes of shows while most of this year’s seasons are just starting, it’s time to take a look back on the front runners from television’s past several months. While most of the usual suspects received most of the nominations (“Game of Thrones,” “Breaking Bad,” “30 Rock,” etc.) the awards ceremony should be interesting if only for the fact that online-only series have been nominated for awards for the first time in history.

Drama

As always, this is the category where all the action is. In previous years, “Breaking Bad” could be relied upon to sweep all male acting categories, while “Mad Men” could be relied upon to win Best Series, but everything is up in the air now. The upsets by “Homeland” might be repeated this year, or it may have been a fluke. Despite its adoring fanbase, it’s also worth noting that “Game Of Thrones” generally walks away with nothing to show for its many nominations, outside of perhaps a technical award. “Downton Abbey” also seems to have been moved from the “miniseries” category back to the regular series category, but it will almost certainly have no awards to show for its many nomina-

tions either. The performance of “House of Cards” will be interesting to watch, but it seems guaranteed to be another long shot winner, though the star power of Kevin Spacey may tempt voters into giving him an acting award. The big shows to watch here are probably still “Breaking Bad” and “Homeland,” since the most recent season of “Mad Men” was meandering and disappointing—though that certainly wouldn’t stop it from receiving some undeserved awards anyway. My personal feeling is that “Breaking Bad” will sweep the drama categories in 2014 after its final season has aired, but that the awards will be a bit more evenly distributed in the meantime.

Comedy The Emmys are a notoriously unreliable barometer of comedic quality, frequently handing out awards to popular shows, rather than those that are genuinely funny or innovative, as demonstrated by its frequent rewarding of “Modern Family” and “The Big Bang Theory.” Trying to predict winners is thus rather difficult, as reviewers are torn between who they think will win, and who they believe actually deserves it. “30 Rock” might pick up some sympathy awards as the show bows out after its final season, but then again it might not. Louis C.K also has a good shot at securing at least one award of some kind—I have him listed in my predictions as winning an acting category, but it’s more likely that he’ll pick up an Emmy for writing or directing or some other category

instead. The long-awaited fourth season of “Arrested Development” will probably not win anything, but it was a nice gesture to at least see it nominated. “Girls” has risen in mainstream popularity, but it is likely still too controversial to be acknowledged with any awards this year. The key word to keep in mind when evaluating Emmy comedy nominations is “inertia.”

Other At this point it’s more or less a given that “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” will continue winning in the same variety show category it’s already won for the previous nine years. Whether this is deserved is a matter of debate—I feel that Stephen Colbert’s program has been the superior one for the past several years. A lot of the awards in niche genres are inevitably handed to the same shows year after year, such as “The Amazing Race” in the Reality Show category. Similarly, while it would be nice to see “Bob’s Burgers” win for Outstanding Animated Program, the award is more likely to go to a longrunning show like “The Simpsons” or “South Park.” Outstanding Short-Format Animated Program is another rather niche category, but one that it would be nice to see “Adventure Time” win in, as the show is quite unlike almost anything else on television. As for the miniseries/movie categories, based on the amount of press it received at the time, my (metaphorical) money is probably on “Behind the Candelabra” receiving most of the awards.

Predictions Drama Best Series: “Breaking Bad” Best Actor: Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards” Best Actress: Claire Danes, “Homeland” Best Supporting Actor: Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad” Best Supporting Actress: Anna Gunn, “Breaking Bad” Comedy Best Series: “Modern Family” Best Actor: Louis C.K., “Louis” Best Actress: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep” Best Supporting Actor: Somebody from Modern Family Best Supporting Actress: Somebody from Modern Family

Fuel Coffee Bar brings new smiles and caffeine to Little Italy Zsolt Bognar Contributing Reporter The student community and Little Italy have a trendy new hotspot to celebrate in Fuel Coffee Bar. It’s located in the setting of a converted vintage gas station on Mayfield Road and 123rd St. In an atmosphere that combines historic Cleveland with upscale contemporary design, Fuel is the ideal community gathering point, study place and a space to recharge throughout the day. Open since June 7, the coffee bar is quickly gaining the reputation as having the best coffee in town. Owner David St. Phillips proudly explained, “We wanted to create an inviting place with both a retro

vibe and a modern appeal—paying homage to Cleveland’s history and attracting members of the local community and the Case Western Reserve University student body alike.” Featuring a wide variety of coffee and espresso products and top-of-the-line Italian hardware DeLonghi, Fuel also features food offerings ranging from soups and chili, to cookies and pastries—including the very popular line of designer cupcakes from Luna Bakery at Cedar/Fairmount. The hours and services are ideally suited to students, with free outlets and wifi, along with expanded opening hours during midterm and finals periods. Jillian Johnston, a graduate student of speech/language pathology at CWRU, said of the product:

the

“I’m not even really a coffee drinker, but I come here anyway for the great taste of the coffee and for the atmosphere.” Students presenting a valid ID during Student Happy Hour (daily between 3-5 and 7-9) enjoy a $1 discount on coffee. With extensive branding derived from its past as a gas station from the 1940s through the 1970s, the walls feature classic Americana and photos from earlier days in Little Italy. Sleek stainless steel and brushed aluminum inside with machinery contrast with the warmth of wooden tables, and the study bar’s countertops (which include outlets on both sides) provide plenty of space for work as well. Adding to the local appeal of the spot is the local artwork and photography

by featured local artists, with musical offerings by local bands and singers on Friday nights, as well as poetry readings. A great convenience of this new location is the free parking for customers— otherwise almost impossible for the heart of Little Italy. Hours are depend on time of year, but are typically 7 a.m. to a “soft” 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 10 a.m. through 8 p.m. on weekends. Ideally located midway between the north and south sides of campus, Fuel Coffee bar is a pit stop along Mayfield Road in Little Italy and a perfect new addition to the community, with a trendy and inviting atmosphere with contrasts that sets itself apart from ample corporate coffee chain offerings in the area.

Want to write for Arts and Entertainment? Email kew41@case.edu

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Deerhunter brings good vibes and moves to stage Tracy Boachie Contributing Reporter “Don’t you wanna be somebody, don’t you wanna be? Don’t you wanna be somebody?” Marnie Stern asked her fans as she performed her song “Noonan” during her set on Sept. 11. It was not surprising that the boisterous New York City singer and guitarist was chosen as the opening act for Atlanta-based experimental rock band Deerhunter’s fall American tour. Their stop at the Beachland Ballroom was undoubtedly one of this fall season’s most anticipated concerts. Hundreds of contemporary rock lovers filled up the Waterloo District venue for the show. As Marnie Stern walked on stage, wearing a floral print dress and her fresh-outthe-box pair of New Balance sneakers, the crowd cheered on and appreciated her blatant “I don’t give a f**k” attitude. When Stern wasn’t crooning on her guitar, she gulped her beer and showed her comedic side to the audience. It was also obvious that she had chemistry with her bandmates, as she and her bassist Nithin Kalvakota stole the show at certain points with their childish yet entertaining bickering. But only good things came out of their constant teasing, as after a few attempts, Kalvakota convinced Stern to

show the audience one of her unknown talents: celebrity impressions. The crowd shared some laughs as Stern did impressions of Woodie Allen and characters from the show “Seinfeld.” Stern’s live show was effervescent and her quirkiness was flaunted through her stage presence. Plus, her affinity for shredding on the guitar only made it more enjoyable. Stern performed songs from her most recent album, “The Chronicles of Marnia,” sharing tales about her world; no lion, witch or wardrobe included. Stern’s songs highlight the daily struggles a human goes through, such as starting a new life in a different place to dealing with heartbreak to confronting feelings of inadequacy. Stern welcomed the crowd into her life through the lyrics to her songs, each ballad painting the picture of an aspect of her ever-changing life. “Hey, you want me to slay drama/To walk in my shoes/But nothing is easy/It’s a pretty good mystery,” sang Stern while performing her song “Nothing Is Easy.” Stern’s live performance distinctly expressed every single emotion, with the fast-paced guitar riffs and tumbling rhythms being the main determinants of her songs’ moods. Throughout her performance, it was apparent that Stern was not a novice when it came to enticing her audience, as her spunk and unrefined humor left

the crowd smitten. Deerhunter’s headlining performance was, to say the least, hypnotic. The band’s frontman, Bradford Cox, commanded the crowd’s attention, donning a black wig that covered part of his face. Cox’s rigid and mysterious personality left the audience swimming in uncertainty throughout the band’s set. One minute Cox would be belting out on the microphone, the next he would be screaming obscenities at the sound technician when there would be a technical problem with the instruments. Although some may have seen him as being immodest, his spontaneity kept the crowd wondering what his next action or outburst would be. Cox is known for being quite an interesting character, but there is no denying that his otherworldly style captivates all who seize the opportunity to listen to his band’s music. Though there were minor technical difficulties, the band gave an overall spectacular performance. Most of the set list was comprised of music from their latest album, “Monomania” with a few from their 2010 album “Halycon Digest.” The band opened with the song “Earthquake” the first track off of “Halycon Digest,” which sets the scene of a lucid dream. “Do you think of me? Your long lost friend from the sea,” questioned Cox as he gave his haunting performance of the song. The cinematic elements in Deer-

hunter’s set wooed the crowd and kept the mood dynamic, with lighting techniques switching eerily to the music. The band concluded their set with an earsplitting, punk-infused version their latest album’s title track “Monomania,” providing an intense exit for Cox and the band. Among the concertgoers last Wednesday was Case Western Reserve University undergraduate student Turaia Ahsan. Along with many others, Turaia was excited for the show and expressed how her experience at the show exceeded her expectations. “It was my first time at the Beachland Ballroom and I really thought it was great for rock music,” said Ahsan. “Marnie Stern sounded pretty good, and the people who attended all had great energy.” The Beachland Ballroom show was Turaia’s second time attending a Deerhunter show and she believed that the band successfully displayed their artistic style and mood during their live performance. “They really do their music justice when played live. It sounded a lot more shoegaze this time,” she added. Overall, Deerhunter and Marnie Stern gave performances that challenged the norms of the usual rock show. With their impetuous and unconventional artistic styles, both acts offered high energy and vivid shows, setting the bar for the upcoming performers for this fall season.

” AN EROTIC COMEDY WHIRLWIND . The voice behind “

–Peter Travers,

“In a World”

Lily Korte Staff Reporter In a world where movie trailers still seem to all begin with the words “In a world,” there is really only room for one type of voiceover actor. The late Don LaFontaine was the originator of that particular “genre” of theatrical trailer, and anyone hoping to follow in his footsteps would need a voice to match his: booming, deep, authoritative, slightly intimidating and overwhelmingly masculine. It would be more or less impossible for a man with a higher voice, let alone a woman, to try and break into an industry dominated by a handful of people who all strive to sound exactly the same, but the attempt to break the glass ceiling of trailer narration is the main focus of the film “In A World,” the screenwriting/directorial debut of actress Lake Bell. Carol (Bell) is the daughter of famed voice actor Sam Sotto (Fred Melamed), and has long wanted to break into the industry, but has been held back by her gender as well as her father’s condescension and jealousy. She has been living in his house, scraping by on money made from vocal coaching work, until he finally kicks her out and she moves in with her sister and her sister’s boyfriend. By a stroke of pure luck, when she is at a studio helping other actors re-record their lines, she makes a test recording of narration for a trailer for a new children’s film coming out; the executives like her voiceover work, and she picks up some other jobs after that, but then a massive opportunity arises, which elates her, but brings out the jealousy of her father and his basso-voiced ilk as they

try to stop an inexperienced young woman from encroaching on what they view as “their” natural territory. The film is part movie industry in-joke, part romantic comedy, part drama and part pseudo-feminist musing on the nature of certain types of jobs. It is unfair to systematically shut a group of people out of a certain line of work, to be sure, but does a movie voiceover have the same amount of gravitas if it doesn’t have the type of voice that everyone has been associating with it for decades? The film doesn’t linger too long on any of its points; it moves along fairly breezily through its different genres, with varying amounts of success. There are a lot of characters and a lot of plot points stuffed into the movie, perhaps too many for its own good, and a lot of the romantic drama with side characters winds up feeling superfluous. It is probably least successful when it is trying to be a comedy, since much of the humor is of the “have the characters talk in long, rambling sentences” sort. Many comedians have small parts in the cast, notably Demitri Martin, Rob Corddry, Nick Offerman and Tig Notaro, but none of them get much of a chance to be funny themselves, making their casting seem a little strange. For those with an interest in the voice acting business, that aspect of the film is probably the most intriguing, and the cameo appearances of a couple of legendary movie trailer narrators are a fun little reference for those of us who recognize them. (For those that don’t, look up the video “5 Guys In A Limo” online and marvel at finally putting faces to voices you have been hearing your entire life.) All in all, it is a decent movie, if not an outstanding one, and its concept is more interesting than its execution.

STARTS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 27Th IN ThEATERS EVERYWhERE! 21056 DON JON COLLEGE NEWSPAPERS 4.75" x 8" 1/4 PAGE NO BASE

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Album Review: Elvis Costello Lily Korte Staff Reporter Some musicians stick resolutely to making the same sort of music throughout their entire lives, each album essentially identical to the last, with each song an attempt to recreate the formula that gave them their first hit. Other musicians are inveterate genre-hoppers to the point where it’s sometimes difficult to figure out why on earth they thought recording certain songs would be a good idea in the first place. Elvis Costello can be firmly placed in the second category, as he is one of popular music’s most infamous musical omnivores. Despite getting his start as a pub rock act and quickly gaining fame as the most literate act on the punk rock or New Wave circuits (“rock and roll’s Scrabble champion,” as he once described himself), he has long been fascinated with other genres of music, and within years of his first album was recording everything from Cole Porter covers to an entire album of country music. When a new collaborative album from Costello and The Roots was announced, few were surprised that Mr. Costello was again seeking out new musical directions and new collaborators, though some of us were a bit concerned that a 59-year-old white English singer-songwriter would suddenly decide it was a good idea to spend an entire album attempting to rap. Nothing too alarming happens, but the album “Wise Up Ghost” is a bit of a mixed bag regardless. Costello and Questlove certainly seem

to get along personally, after meeting several times on Jimmy Fallon’s show, but musically they don’t always manage to gel. The laid-back grooves provided by The Roots as a backing for Costello’s vocals occasionally result in the songs sounding more lethargic than they should, given their funky accompaniment. The stabilizing presence of The Roots helps keep the entire album sounding like a cohesive whole though, which is more than can be said for a lot of Elvis Costello’s past albums. It isn’t an entirely experimental album either; “Tripwire” is classic Costello balladry, though it is built upon a sample from “Satellite,” a track from an album he released in the 1980s. Speaking as a Costello aficionado, the album is difficult to objectively analyze based on only a couple of listens, not just because of the voyage into new musical territory, but also because of the constant callbacks to the old and familiar. It is a densely self-referential album, taking hiphop’s use of sampling to another level as Elvis Costello lifts entire lyrics from songs decades old to repurpose them. As mentioned, there are old-fashioned samples from earlier Elvis Costello songs sprinkled throughout the album, but the recycling of the lyrics to “Pills and Soap” to form “Stick Out Your Tongue” is jarring to anybody familiar with the thirtyyear-old anti-Thatcher polemic. Similarly, “Refuse To Be Saved” borrows from “Invasion Hit Parade,” “Wake Me Up” borrows from “The River In Reverse” and “She’s Pulling Out The Pin” is transformed into “(She Might Be A) Grenade.” Most of the recycled lyrics are from rather deep cuts, so the fact that the

lyrics are reused might not even be apparent to any but the most obsessive listeners, but it’s still a rather bold choice to base so many new songs on old material. One wonders whether he is revisiting the past as a means of commentary on how little things have changed since the dark days of the 1980s, but that might be reading too much into it. Those approaching the album as fans of The Roots, or those who have no knowledge of either artist might have quite different initial reactions, but piecing together all the parts of Elvis Costello’s past in their new arrangements is certainly a fascinating task for his fans. At almost 56 minutes, it’s certainly a long album by any standard, and a number of recorded songs were cut to even get it down to that length. It doesn’t feel long, though, with no songs that seem to drag on interminably, and there even exists a deluxe edition of the record (which I have not yet heard) that contains a handful of additional songs. The heavy influence of The Roots in the backing material leads one to wonder how Costello will be able to perform most of the songs on tour—he seemed to have solved the problem with his previous album (“National Ransom”) by playing very few songs from it at live performances! Their position as the house band for Jimmy Fallon likely prevents The Roots from going on a joint tour, but based on the ecstatic reaction of fans at a recent Brooklyn concert by the two artists, it seems like such a tour would be widely welcomed. Even if it doesn’t come to fruition, listeners will at least have a varied and lengthy album to pore over in the meantime.

The Observer Playlist of the Week 9/20/13 Jason Welsh Staff Reporter Four Tet - “Parallel Jalebi” “Parallel Jalebi” is the second single from Four Tet’s upcoming album “Beautiful Rewind.” Four Tet aka Kieran Hebden has been making electronic music since the late 90s, to pretty much continual critical acclaim. If “Parallel Jalebi” and the first single, “Kool FM,” are any indication, “Beautiful Rewind” will not disappoint. Sleigh Bells - “You Don’t Get Me Twice” Sleigh Bells’ third album “Bitter Rivals” is set to be released Oct. 8. “You Don’t Get Me Twice” is the second single, and it confirms that Sleigh Bells are pretty much still doing the same thing they did on their 2010 debut “Treats.” Personally, it doesn’t sound anywhere near as fresh or exciting as it did three years ago, but maybe “Bitter Rivals” will have some surprises up its sleeve. Azealia Banks - “Count Contessa” Azealia Banks’ debut album “Broke With Expensive Taste” was supposed to come out what feels like years ago. It’s in a state of what seems like perpetual delay, so “Count Contessa” is a new, non-album track to hold you over. (Although really, you should probably just listen to “212” a couple more times instead.) Best Coast - “I Don’t Know How” If you know Best Coast, then you know what this song sounds like. If you like Best Coast, then you’ll like this song. It’s nothing particularly exciting or different than the rest of Best Coast’s discography, but that also means it’s just as good as the rest of Best Coast’s discography. Katy Perry - “Dark Horse (ft. Juicy J)” Yes, you read that right. Katy Perry featuring Juicy J. Mega-pop meets trap. And it’s surprisingly awesome.

Courtesy startribune.com

Courtesy youheardthatnew.com Courtesy soundisstyle.com


15

opinion

Editorial

Rankings – why they should matter to you Last week, U.S. News and World Report released its annual national college ranking list. While the number one on the list may have surprised some, the changes were not as earth-shattering here in Northeastern Ohio. In fact, there were none; Case Western Reserve kept its spot as 37th in the nation, the same as last year. These rankings are always widely reported by various news outlets, but it is questionable whether a regular student should actually care about them at all — the guardians of the lists certainly do not care about the regular students. The reality is that the U.S. News and World Report ranking is not based on any student-based evaluation—it is based on simple statistics, largely ignoring student input. In constructing their widely-revered rankings, they take into account basic reputation, high school guidance counselor’s input, peer evaluation and financial means. It’s a self-perpetuating formula that doesn’t take into account student views, instead focusing on the opinions of administrators and caustic financial simplicities. In short, the rankings are hardly a comprehensive indication of any given universities potential or standing, 37th or not. Another piece of information that U.S. News and World Report will not tell you is that universities heavily oriented toward science and technology tend to have lower retention and four-year graduation rates. This is mostly due to the fact that many first-year engineering and science students realize mid-year that they would like to switch fields. At a university like ours, the temptation to transfer from CWRU to a well-known liberal arts school may be higher when studying humanities. The science orientation of CWRU also affects the graduation rates. Our low graduation rankings are partly due to the fact that many engineering and business students do co-ops and practicums, which can delay their graduation by a semester. The rankings must be put into perspective or else we cannot actually understand how they reflect on our university. However, there are statistics that are more useful in properly evaluating student experiences. As The Daily reported on Sept. 10, CWRU went up in undergraduate participation and admissions, and down in graduation and retention. The average retention rate was reported to be 92 percent while the six-year graduation rate was 78 percent. Why is it that CWRU is struggling with the same issues year after year? Is anyone doing anything about it? As a regular student, it may be easy to point out problems on campus, but it is less easy to pinpoint which of those reasons are actually causing poor retention rates.

A quick look at the results of last year’s CWRU senior survey shows that students expressed slight dissatisfaction in categories like “sense of community on campus” (36 percent were dissatisfied) and “student voice in university policies” (40 percent were dissatisfied). It is also telling that, while 81 percent of the students surveyed are satisfied with their undergraduate experience, only 60 percent would “definitely/ probably attend CWRU again.” There it is again – retention. Given the results, CWRU obviously should do something about the retention issue, and it has. As it happens, in 2012, the university reformed its freshman experience program. In practice, this means that the administrators are taking a softer view on how to treat the students. Whether it means showing first-year students how to navigate around Cleveland using public transportation or combining certain services of the Office of Undergraduate Studies with those of the Office of Housing and Residence Life, some major changes have been made. And they are bearing fruit. In fact, the most recent freshman retention rate, published this last Monday with results from last year’s freshmen class, is a staggering 94.3 percent—higher than it has been in a long time. In general, the administration has taken steps toward a more individual-oriented approach where the students’ needs are given more personalized attention. It remains to be seen whether those changes will translate into satisfaction for graduating seniors. While national rankings are interesting to follow, they do not reflect on what kind of an institution CWRU actually is. The fact that CWRU’s retention and graduation rankings went down from last year does not mean that we go to a bad school. Rather, the lower rankings are a reflection of a potential problem within the university. They are merely indicators for areas for improvement. And we certainly are improving, however slowly and tediously. Rankings should not be taken too seriously. They are imperative in terms of recruiting, but for the average student, it does not matter whether CWRU placed 36th, 37th or 38th in the nation. Rankings are a good source to point out areas where the university should improve, but they do not serve well as a general evaluative tool. The fact that CWRU’s retention and graduation rankings have historically been on the low side is discouraging, but the fact that the administration is taking initial first steps to fix the problems is very promising. Hopefully, the satisfaction percentages on the senior surveys of the future will look much more uplifting than they do now.

The editorial opinion takes a stand on a select campus issue that The Observer’s board of directors, the executive committee of the editorial board, considers relevant and consequently should be brought to the attention of the Case Western Reserve University community. The board consists of the executive editor and publisher, director of design, director of web and multimedia, director of print, director of business and marketing, and opinion editor. A member of the board meets with students, staff, faculty or any other persons who the board considers to be a subject matter expert. The board will then decide what stance to take on the issue, or if there are disagreements among the members, communicate them in the editorial. The meetings with interviewees occur off the record; no person will be directly quoted or referred to by their name. The editorial opinion does not in any way influence the work of the editors, reporters and staff of The Observer, nor does it represent the opinions of those interviewed for it.

Editor’s Note Closing doors, opening windows The past two weeks have been turbulent ones for Case Western Reserve University. From the release of the U.S. News and World Report rankings to the realization that university alumni gave more than ever to the institution, each passing day seemed to bring a reason for school administrators to either grimace or smile. As Hank Williams would say, there were tears in the beers of many university administrators after they learned Case Western Reserve maintained its position as the nation’s 37th-ranked university in U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Colleges” list. Released last Monday, the U.S. News and World Report ranking represents the most important benchmark for the university, and it is the grading scale on which many key initiatives are scored. While the Case School of Engineering leaped nine places in its undergraduate ranking, other schools did not fare as well. For instance, the Weatherhead School of Management slid from 31st to 34th in the undergraduate list. Other disappointing areas included the graduation and retention rankings, which slid from 51st to 59th this year. This important statistic quantifies many of the qualitative issues outlined in the Opinion section of The Observer over the past year. It shows that students value the academic merits of the university, but their overall experience, which includes their time living, working and relaxing at the institution, is not holding up to their standards. However, there may be a silver lining. As alumni support of the institution continues to increase, the money is beginning to compile for future spending. The university raised $7.5 million more this past fiscal year than the year before, which indicates that resources are being gathered to help remedy many of the issues students are citing as reasons for their unsatisfactory experience. But money can’t solve all woes. In an effort to ultimately improve the student experience, the Division of Student Affairs is working on its first strategic plan in recent memory, which is causing its departments and organizations to rethink their own structure and make strategic preparations for the future. These internal efforts to make Case Western Reserve more efficient, relevant and student-focused will surely net a positive return. This year’s U.S. News and World Report ranking may have closed the door on what could have been a time for university-wide celebration; however, several important windows have opened. Let the fresh air roll in.

Tyler E. Hoffman –EXECUTIVE EDITOR

the observer

established in 1968 by the undergradute students of case western reserve university executive editor & publisher TYLER HOFFMAN director of design MEREDITH DYKEHOUSE director of web & multimedia KYLE PATTERSON director of print SHEEHAN HANNAN director of business & marketing PETER CHOI assistant director of business & marketing COLE MORRIS account manager ERIC HAUFLER ad manager CELIA TORRES news layout MEILYN SYLVESTRE a&e layout AMBER ALBERGOTTIE sports layout HEATHER HARGROW opinion layout EDWIN LO distributors SAGE SCHAFF DANIEL DOHERTY photographers ANQI LI, AUSTIN STING

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

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.


16 opinion

9/20/13

Help me, I can’t breathe Andrew Breland The Elephant in the Room So I will come out and admit it. I love coffee. I think in stating that, I join a large club consisting of most of the undergraduate population at the country’s universities, as well as most business professionals, etc. And the best place to satisfy an otherwise addictive craving is none other than the Starbucks located in scenic house three of the Village at 115. I only choose this location because, living in the Village myself, it is the closest to me. But as I sit outside each morning, drinking coffee, enjoying the last few days of bearable Cleveland weather, I cannot help but be distracted and annoyed every morning at the smell permeating at me from across the street. For those that are unaware, I am talking about the existence of one of CWRU’s designated smoking areas in the North Residential Village. Let me be clear about something first. I do not hate smokers. I have many friends who smoke and I do not fault them at all. However, I do hate smoking. I think it’s a terrible habit and would never consider taking part myself. Perhaps having a grandfather die from complications of smoking will do that

to you. But this column isn’t meant to be a public safety announcement. In fact, I do not care if students smoke. However, I do care when it begins to impede on my ability to enjoy an otherwise pretty campus. There are 13 designated smoking areas on the CWRU campus with another two at university owned buildings a few blocks away. Other than these areas, the university’s policy toward smoking states: “The university does not permit smoking in any of its buildings or structures, including in residence halls or in university vehicles. In addition, all outside walkways and grounds of university property are smoke-free…” The policy goes on to recognize the designated smoking areas and concludes by stating that the entirety of the health sciences campus is completely smoke free. CWRU prides itself on being at the forefront of health issues. Our dining halls are filled with food made locally and prepared in a healthy manner. All students must take physical education classes to help foster a desire to remain active in life. But across campus, our image as a healthy campus is scarred by the existence of smoking areas—home to perhaps the unhealthiest and deadliest habit in which one can choose to partake. The matter only worsens when we consider that designated smoking areas are hardly the only place people smoke. Walking

across the quad and even through the residential areas, one can’t help but catch the scent of cigarette smoke. Every day if I walk by less than 20 smokers outside the designated areas, I consider myself lucky. I cannot even enter my suite in the Village without the same issue, as any slight breeze lets the smell of cigarette smoke permeate my windows. Febreze, therefore, has become my best friend. We have a campus of 155 acres in University Circle. I have never stood in one place, anywhere, and been unable to see a single individual smoking, and this is a sad reality to live in. Those instructed to patrol and ensure compliance simply remind those in violation, and keep walking. The smokers tend to just keep going (I have personal stories I couldn’t fit here, so please ask me). And it gets even worse. Sitting outside, one can’t help but notice that tour groups visiting campus walk by no less than four designated smoking areas. One of these areas is embarrassing to our university as cigarette butts litter the ground and is a constant sign of mediocrity and disgust (the smoking area across from the Coffee House, for anyone interested). This isn’t the fault of the admissions office, or even the smokers, who could of course do more to clean up the area, but instead it’s a flaw in the university’s policy. But there is a feasible solution. Last year, Cleveland State University, a

public university with more than triple the number of undergraduates as CWRU, voted to go completely smoke-free. Elsewhere in the state, Ohio State University will be smoke-free in January, and Miami University has been smoke-free for years. All public universities in the state have been instructed to eliminate smoking on campus and most have succeeded or will within the year. CWRU, therefore, remains one of the very few universities in the state that still allows smoking on campus. These other universities don’t have CWRU’s commitment to health. But somehow they have beaten us to the game on this extremely important issue. Study after study has proven that secondhand smoke, or inhaling smoke from another’s cigarette, is as dangerous or even more so than smoking yourself. If CWRU wants to continue an image of health consciousness, we must eliminate all smoking on campus. The health science campus has been this way since at least 2005. It’s about time that status makes its way to the entire campus. Andrew Breland is a double major in political science and English, planning on getting a master’s degree in political science before attending law school. He is the vice president of the Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity and the treasurer of CWRU’s undergraduate mock trial team.

The “Pretty Rock Project” turns ugly Maia Delegal Heard from a First-year Yamil Piedra (Spanish for “pretty rock”), an actor in the film“When Justin Meets Kelly,” in TV series like “Graceland” and an occasional co-star on programs like “TOSH.0,” created a self-titled one man comedy show featured during new student orientation this year. Throngs of socially timid fresh-people processed across the North Residential Village. Some of us were under the impression that the event, “Pretty Rock Project,” meant painting over the colorful boulder near Denny’s. But as our crowd surged past Denny’s and other landmarks of burgeoning familiarity down to the field, we formed new theories about what was to take place. Gleaning bits and pieces from passerby conversations, we understood that a real treat awaited us: there was a comedy show in the tent. Tweeting highlights from Piedra’s twitter account flashed on the projector screen as students filed into the tent. At that point, his

humor seemed harmless, sometimes more punny than funny, social commentary. Then the show began. Nothing struck me as a hilarious. I mustered a chuckle here and there just to show courtesy to the man who put it all on the line in front of a restless crowd. I think the bravery of any performer warrants at least a little slack from audiences. However, as time went on, the jokes lost their luster. Then whatever resemblance of class Piedra started off with decayed away. What was left barely constituted entertainment. One by one, volunteers from the audience made their way on stage to complement one of Piedra’s ridiculous alter-egos. The dud magician persona ripped up one girl’s dollar bill. She responded only with a prompt flick of her middle finger as she walked off stage. Piedra welcomed another female volunteer to the stage with a cat-call and performed the “magic trick” of covering her with a sheet, picking her up and putting her back down. How clever. The performance really took a turn for the worse when Piedra pulled out his iPad to scroll

through his greeting card concepts. I can’t imagine I was the only one taken aback by the card about suicide. On the cover it read, “Sorry to hear about your latest failed suicide attempt,” and on the inside? “Please try again.” This mess of poorly-veiled sexism and insensitivity—among other offensive themes— drove us away in, well, droves. Luckily, fireworks started to crackle in the distance, providing us a convenient excuse to leave. The fact that Piedra expected uncontrollable laughter after every “ef you” and not-sopoignant expletive heavily influenced my own decision to leave. Though, his success up until that point means that he has a solid fan base. Our age group probably comprises a decent portion of that fan base. The coordinators for new orientation figured that we all must enjoy the crude, insult-based “TOSH.0” style of comedy. It’s an unfair generalization, to be sure. But we should also take responsibility for perpetuating that stereotype. We didn’t have to laugh at Piedra’s immaturity. Not only did we reinforce the belief that college humor is inherently offensive, but we

created unwanted tension in our blossoming, fragile friendships. Every idle smile at Piedra’s stupidity brought on disapproving looks from those who weren’t afraid to express their distaste. This wasn’t an ideal situation for beginning long-lasting college relationships. One would think this incoming class’s high SAT scores would indicate a higher caliber of humor, and maybe our standards are higher after all. But until we learn to refine our appreciation and reject the comedy status-quo, we’ll run the risk of sacrificing our intelligence for a cheap laugh. Yamil Piedra can go back to “TOSH.0” while we find the sense of humor that better reflects an atmosphere of higher education. Maia Delegal is a first-year student from Jacksonville, Florida. She is planning to double major in music performance and either cognitive science, psychology, neurobiology, political science or women’s and gender studies. In her free time she likes to read, write and have jam sessions with the talented musicians in Taft.

On dialogue, community, and why they matter Jacob Martin The Meaning of Spartan Life

I’ve spent a lot of my time fostering rewarding relationships with many of my professors in my years at Case Western Reserve University. Probably the greatest benefit of that is the ability to speak candidly and informally with them. I can remember one conversation in which I was asked what a college education is, and I was unable to answer with precision. My professor interjected, “It’s a dialogue. It’s mutual growth in academic curiosity and it’s almost gone here.” When I asked him why honest education was dying, he paused and then said, “Because academia breeds egotism.” In similar discussions with other professors and students alike, I have inferred that a CWRU undergraduate education is good for one of three things. First, among too small a minority, it is the dialogue my professor suggested. Second, it’s a place to spend four years finding yourself and discovering what’s best for your future and its monetary ventures—in essence, the egotism argument. Third, it’s an unnecessary speed bump on the way to gradu-

ate or professional school. Another reality that has revealed itself through these discussions is that CWRU is not the community it would seem to be on the surface. When I observe students’ social interactions on campus, I see something that resembles an oversized high school where no single group reigns supreme; I do not see a community of scholars striving for greatness and mutual excellence. In order to create a strong sense of community, certain things have to be abolished: ignorance, judgment, stereotypes and society’s imposed individualism. I refrain from providing specific examples so I don’t inadvertently help perpetuate them. We are constantly reminded that we attend the thirtyseventh best school in the nation according to U.S. News and World Report, so let’s use our prodigious knowledge collectively to transcend difference, so that we can individually benefit from an open discourse. As I was reading the last few issues of The Observer, I saw the pilot-light of wonder grow into the flames of change. Students got fired up over foreign viewpoints and engaged in a meaningful exchange of opinion. Sadly, this is a rarity at CWRU. Whether it’s

because of an overloaded 21-credit semester, affiliation with five student organizations, a job that pays for tuition or the plethora of other activities that consume the average undergraduate’s time, there seems to be no time left for this kind of dialogue despite its fundamental relation to the college experience. We are working for better futures by attempting the absurd task of completing 120 credits, four non-credit quarters of physical education and a SAGES writing portfolio among others, all while trying to keep social lives. Therefore, the cliché statement “it’s not about the destination, but the journey that takes you there” is not a trite or zealous thing to say about college. Is college merely about getting a piece of paper to hang on your wall or is it about what that paper stands for? Education should be about the experience of learning and growing through directed thought. We as students must always be suspect of our professors and administrators. Another one of my professors always says to not trust her and check her facts. Ask yourselves, “Am I being taught how to think, or what to think?” How you answer that question makes all the difference. This column will be exploring questions

such as: what is and what should a university be? What should a professor, a community, an education be? What are collegiality, collaboration, solidarity, scholarship and what does all this mean for us? The recent emergence of student concern makes me question the purpose of education and why we pursue it. I want to see all the students of CWRU enter into a stimulating and productive dialogue with unrestrained vigor. The vitality that broke through the barrier of conformity as of late has the power to instill hope in the future of what an institution of higher learning should be: a community of original thought. Our spirits of curiosity awoke and showed themselves in the past few weeks. But is this momentary abandonment of apathy reduced to leftover end of summer energy (merely an anomaly) or is it the birth of new semester inquisitiveness, something bigger stirring within each of us ready to be let loose? I’d like to believe the latter. Jacob Martin is an English and political science double major. He drinks too much chamomile tea, and when he isn’t in the Kelvin Smith Library, he enjoys running and discovering new music.


opinion 17

observer.case.edu

Homesickness: Refuting the myths Daniel Botros Health & Wellness With three-fourths of the student body from outside of Ohio, it would come to nobody’s surprise that homesickness exists on Case Western Reserve University’s campus. However, the concept of homesickness is largely misunderstood. Here is a list of the top five misconceptions. Misconception #1: Homesickness is most prevalent among students who come from outside of Ohio. In-state and even commuter students have an equally difficult time adjusting to college life. Homesickness is not a function of one’s distance from home but rather one’s ability to adapt to something they’re not accustomed to. The transition from high school to college is a dynamic one: friends move away, responsibilities increase and most importantly, support systems change. This is reflected in the recruitment timelines of CWRU’s clubs and Greek life; both aggressively advertise early in the fall and spring semesters when students are most likely to seek out a sense of community. Despite not being far from home in the literal sense, commuter students still face the daunting task of adjusting. Dr. Aarti Pyati, a psychologist at the counseling center, claims that commuters face a different kind of homesickness in which they find “difficulty fitting in different priorities from home and from school.” Commuters often have trouble immersing themselves into campus life and of-

ten miss out on non-formal forms of student interaction. Surprisingly, international students less frequently show signs of homesickness. This may of course be due to a culturally-induced lack of self-reporting, but Pyati offers another explanation: International students often begin their United States education in high school and are better adapted to the transition to college. These students know what they are signing up for when they decide to study in a different country. Misconception #2: Homesickness is easy to identify because it is usually found in sad introverts. Both introverts and extroverts can feel homesickness. However, it can be manifested differently depending on the person. Pyati states how homesickness oftentimes manifests itself as poor academic performance, relationship issues and substance abuse problems. Though there is a clear link between homesickness and other commonly reported issues, students are not likely to report the former. Homesickness is perceived by many as a “childish emotion” and a sign of immaturity. Thus many students are ashamed to admit they are experiencing it. Misconception # 3: Homesickness is a mild form of depression. Homesickness and depression are often confused. Pyati says the indicator of distinction is a person’s “functionality.” A person who is self-motivated to engage in activities and interact with others is not depressed, even though he or she may be experiencing homesickness. When a person, for an ex-

Freshmen: fifth-year high school seniors Stephen Kolison A Fresh Perspective Freshmen can easily become the butt of jokes by any upperclassman. If we were to step back and just pick one aspect of our behavior, you could make a video called “Sh!t Freshmen Say.” Oh wait, there are already 19 of those on YouTube. As a freshman, I can also see why we can become the source of so many zingers and quips: we are still in high school. That is, we are not physically in high school, but our minds and attitudes are still hanging out in the hallways trying to open a locker while flirting with a jock. This high school mentality is not helping our cause. In fact, it is making our freshman experience somewhere between a snafu and a borderline hot mess. Don’t get me wrong, I love Case Western Reserve University and all of the fellow freshmen that I’ve met so far. College has turned out to be an awesome experience. If we look back to before we came here, I think it is safe to say that a majority of the class of 2017 loved their senior year. To be honest, I loved it a little too much. We are now fresh off this happy experience of leaving the people that we were cooped up with for years, and now we’re making new friends away from home. The first few weeks of college have been filled with that honeymoon stage. We love it so much that we can easily avoid the reality of the situation; for instance, I love CaseCash. I went from $150 in CaseCash to $45 in two weeks. Did you know that stuff was supposed to last us the semester? My odd example further proves that if the real world is not considered, things can start becoming real pretty quickly. College for us has been like summer camp. Our residence assistant is the camp counselor that monitors us, but is still a friend in a twisted way. We all stay up until two o’clock completely ignoring quiet hours, even though we know that there’s more important things we need to do. This lack of structure is the opposite of what high school offered, and it comes with more responsibility. Some of us interpret this freedom as a time to get into a relationship with the first person we see. I can attest to seeing hand-holding during day four of orientation.

Then again, this sort of behavior, a part of the high school mentality, is probably a coping mechanism for being forced into this awkward situation of college arrival. For example, everyone has met that student that says, “In high school I got a six on my AP calculus test, a 40 on my ACTs, and a 19.00 GPA. I was also president of my entire student body and volunteered as a flying fireman.” Does anyone really think that that’s still relevant? Do you know why so many girls shave their heads before they get to college? Because they want a new start. College offers a new, clean slate. The fact that we could reinvent ourselves is daunting. We spent four years building up a reputation, making friends, and trying to get into a good college, and some of us are left to wonder what defines us now once we’ve achieved all of that. When the real world decides to catch up with us, there’s an overwhelming sensation that takes over our feelings. Some days I feel like I am more than a hot mess—I am a burnt mess. Hopefully some of my fellow freshmen can relate. You have two tests back-to-back and a quiz the next day. You also know for sure that you cannot “get by” any more. You see other people who have their lives together. By the first week of school, they know that they are going to be president of the class while you have no idea what you’re doing tomorrow. In fact, the food at Leutner is the only constant thing in your life at the moment. Then there are the hundreds of us who are BME and pre-med, or just plain pre-med. When I am asked what I am doing here at CWRU all I can think is, “Do you want to take my shirt off, give you my blood type and my first born child? Because this interview is getting personal.” Honestly, I just have no clue what I am doing. For some odd reason, I think it is okay to be a little confused so long as you are maintaining some control over your life. I remember officer Mark giving me some advice as I crossed the street: “Take it one week at a time.” And for now, I think that will do. Stephen Kolison is a first-year biology student. While confining himself to his dorm, he enjoys knitting while watching Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey.

tended period of time, is no longer willing to participate in activities he or she normally would, this presents a red flag. Simply put, homesick people seek out enjoyment while depressed people do not. Misconception # 4: Connecting with or visiting people back home is a good way to alleviate homesickness. Though it is not a bad idea to bring a memento or picture from home, reconnection with home too frequently can prolong or even worsen homesickness. First-year coordinator Kaleena Rolitsky advises students to allow some time to make friends and find their niche in the campus community. She encourages homesick students to “try to stay on campus for at least two weeks before visiting home.” Misconception # 5: Homesickness is most common among freshmen. You read that right; first-year students do not experience homesickness the most. According to Pyati, seniors experience homesickness more than any other class. Seniors often suffer from preemptive homesickness due to uncertainty about the future. Difficulty coping with the idea of parting with friends, moving to a new location or entering the workforce contribute to this unique form of homesickness. Surrounded by peers enjoying their final year at CWRU, seniors are often reluctant to speak about their anxiety of graduating. Maryam Zeinomar is a sophomore supplemental instruction leader and an avid member of both the Muslim Student Association and Autism Speaks. In an interview she shared the feelings of homesickness she experienced

during her freshman year. Question: Did you feel homesick your first semester of college? Answer: Yes. The first two months of college were the hardest of my life. Being away from my family was very difficult. When my parents dropped me off I didn’t know what to do, I felt so alone. Q: Would you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert? A: A little bit of both. I value alone time but I like getting involved and hanging out with my friends too. Q: Did freshman orientation lessen your homesickness? A: No, for me it made it worse! It was too much at once and not gradual; I couldn’t handle it. Q: What do you recommend to students who feel homesickness? A: Talk to people you trust. Don’t worry about feeling judged; everyone goes through it to some degree. Chances are they will be able to relate. Q: How do you feel over a year after you were dropped off? A: I still do feel a little homesick sometimes but it is not as bad as before. CWRU has become a second home for me. I have my own family here. Daniel Botros is a senior biology major with minors in anthropology and chemistry. In his time at case he has been an SI, RA, and has studied abroad in Spain, Italy, and France. He has a particular interest in health education.

State Your Case Do you think the Greek scholarship room system should be more strictly controlled?

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32.61% No; I see no problems in the current system. It makes no difference to me. Yes; chapters should have specific guidelines for what is allowed in the rooms.

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18 | sports

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from Frostburg | 20 The loss, says Debeljak, was hard. “Very disappointing. Both on myself and how we performed. I don’t want to ever go through that feeling again.” Oberlin’s ground game outmatched the Spartan defense, with Yeomen running backs Moses Richardson and Blake Buckhannon putting 84 and 50 yards on the board, respectively. Even Oberlin’s quarterback, sophomore Lucas Poggialli, managed 78 ground yards, tacking on 100 extra air yards for good measure. He scored touchdowns both on the ground and in the air, with Buckhannon slamming the nail in the Spartans coffin in the fourth with a 7-yard touchdown run. Oberlin’s run game was the key to their success, racking up 219 yards on 52 carries. The Spartans only managed 16 yards on 22 carries. “It certainly wasn’t the greatest defensive game we’ve ever played,” said Debeljak. “But holding a team to seven points for most of the game, we should have been able to win that game.” The Spartans central problem, said Debeljak, was a lack of offensive production. In addition to a lack of rushing yardage, CWRU only put 179 passing yards on the

Talia Gragg/Observer Outside Linebacker Everett Dishong has two sacks and 22 tackles in his first season with the varsity team. Pictured versus Marietta College.

Talia Gragg/Observer Spartans pictured above surge past Marietta before falling to 1-1 against Oberlin College. They will face off against Frostburg State this weekend.

from Cross Country | 19

from Heidelberg | 20

up front and being able to compete with other teams in our region,” Lanese said, “It was a good beginning, but I know we can be better.” The junior varsity squads travelled to Penn State Behrend where they competed in the Behrend Invitational. The men’s team ran well together, with all five top scorers finishing in the top 40 of 137 runners for a 5th place finish. Sophomore Chippy Kennedy led the CWRU squad, finishing in 18th place with a time of 26:57.6. He was followed by sophomore Abdallah Soliman in 31st place, senior Eric Dong in 32nd, freshman Patrick Leo in 37th and sophomore Chris Everett in 39th. The women’s team also posted some excellent times on their way to a ninth-place finish. Junior Anna Duewiger was the first finisher in 37th out of 123 with a time of 21:05.6, followed by freshman Abby Casalnova in 41st, junior Mackenzie Michalk in 52nd, senior Emilie Dunham in 58th and sophomore Veronica Cole in 63rd. Lanese was very pleased the top performers this week, who both delivered personal best times in the competition. The whole team will get a break before heading into the All-Ohio Intercollegiate Championships in October.

the fourth to win with a score 25-20 and force a fifth set. The team dominated from the start of the set, holding on for a 14-16 win. The middle and right-side players kept the match competitive, with junior Natalie Southard logging 14 kills. Sophomore Haley Kauffman and freshman Kenya Moyers contributed 11 and 10, respectively. Freshman Lauren Gurd aided in the offensive effort with 51 assists. Junior Jordan Genovese and freshman Kristen Mitchell held down the court’s defense with 13 digs each. The second day went a little smoother for the Spartans. On Saturday morning, the team faced off against Kalamazoo College. The ladies dominated in the first and second sets, opening up with scores of 25-12 and 25-18. The Kalamazoo team rallied for a third set win 2729 before the Spartans shut them down during the fourth set with a score of 259. The confident playing by Southard and Kauffman continued as both ladies had double-digit kills in the match and very few errors. Gurd had 48 assists and Sophomore Katie Best led on offense with 28 digs. The ladies went into the following match against Hanover College with confidence and demonstrated their skill in a straight-

board, split between quarterbacks Billy Beecher and Erick Olson. The rush, generally a strength, was severely crippled, with running backs Kenny Riordan and Ricky Hanzlick only putting in 22 and 16 yards, respectively. “We didn’t run the ball very well and that led to some long yardage situations, and if you put yourself in that, the outcomes usually aren’t great,” said Debeljak. After their loss to Oberlin, the Spartans are heading to Frostburg State in Maryland, a team that beat CWRU in their last match up. Case Western will be challenged by FSU quarterback Ken Emmons. In his last game, versus Waynesburg, Emmons put up 384 yards in the air and 147 yards rushing, accounting for most of the game’s scoring. The Spartan defense will be centered around containing Emmons to the pocket in Saturday’s game, said Debeljak. “That’s the number one issue. Their quarterback,

if you let him out in the open field, can really hurt you. He hurt us last year and it’s very evident in the games this year that when he get out, he hurts you.” One problem in the game versus Oberlin was the Spartan offensive line, which allowed five sacks for a total loss of 28 total yards. “The issue there is injuries,” said Debeljak of the line. “Our options are very limited. I think cutting down on what we’re asking them to do will probably help.” By focusing on short passes, Debeljak hopes to alleviate some pressure on the line, though Frostburg’s three-man front may present a different set of issues than those presented by Oberlin. However, Frostburg’s scheme is similar to CWRU’s, so the Spartan offense will see a version of the FSU defense in practice this week. For updates on Saturday’s game, go to observer.case.edu.

set win. With set scores of 25-18, 25-13 and 25-21, several Spartans posted great numbers during the match, led by Southard on offense with 12 kills and Best on defense with 15 digs. The tournament provided the team with a great opportunity to bounce back against a tough loss against Mount Union University last week and some uneven play in previous matches. Moyers was named to the all-tournament team for her contribution of 21 kills and six blocks on the weekend, Southard was named University Athletics Association Volleyball Co-player of the week and many of the more inexperienced players on the team got into a rhythm with consistent play and success against opposing teams. Coach Karen Farrell was happy with the team’s showing, including a great deal of skill and talent against competitive teams, and expressed a great deal of optimism going forward. “Any time we play well, we can win matches” Farrell said, “It means we have balance in the attack and consistency at the team’s core.” The team looked strong heading into the match against Heidelberg University on Tuesday and got off to a quick start, winning the first set 19-25 after going on a 13-3 scoring run at the beginning of the

set. However, with Heidelberg competing well against nationally-ranked opponents, the Spartans knew not to get too comfortable. The tables were turned in the second set with Heidelberg putting together multiple scoring streaks leading to a 25-15 win over the Spartans. The oppressive offense left the team with little time to gain momentum against the dominant team. That trend continued as the Spartans dropped a close third set 25-23 before the ladies rallied for a fourth set win by the same margin. It all came down to a fifth and final set where the Spartans fought from point to point against the Heidelberg team before eventually losing the set and the match 17-15. The match was competitive throughout with superior playing by all the starters. Gurd contributed another double-double, Southard, Kauffman, Moyers and freshman Isabelle Wagner all posting double-digit kills and Best, Mitchell and freshmen Julie Colianni and Shannon Chua all showing double-digit digs. The team looks to continue competitive play at the Carnegie Mellon University Invitational this weekend. The competition features many regional teams and gives the Spartans a chance for revenge against Geneva College after a tough loss early in the season.


observer.case.edu

sports | 19

Editor’s Choice

Indians in swinging distance of playoff berth David Hoffman Contributing Reporter With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Indians find themselves just half a game out of a playoff spot. Even though they have already exceeded all expectations for this season, they are far from satisfied. Currently, they are looking up at the Rays and Rangers in the wild card standings. Lucky for them, those two teams happen to be playing each other this week down in Tampa. Meanwhile the Indians still have games left on their schedule against the Houston Astros, Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins, who possess the three worst records in the American League. Compared to the

schedules of the other teams contending for a playoff spot, the Indians’ schedule is the most forgiving by a considerable margin.The Indians also get to play the Astros and White Sox at Progressive Field, where they have enjoyed a substantial home field advantage this season. So far in the month of September, the Indians have managed to beat up on inferior competition, compiling a record of 10-5. Regardless of the competition they have faced over that span, a stretch like that certainly qualifies as a hot streak. With the playoffs in sight, very little currently stands in the Indians’ way. Although they don’t completely control their own destiny, they are currently in a position several other franchises around the major leagues

would die for. That is not to say that everything has been rosy for the Tribe, though. The offense, which was supposed to receive a significant boost from the team’s offseason acquisitions, has endured prolonged stretches of ineptitude this season. In the entire month of August, the Indians scored just 92 runs. Put another way, the team averaged a measly 3.3 runs per game for the 28 games during that span. That is not to say the offense is consistently inept, just that they are not immune to offensive droughts. The starting rotation, on the other hand, has endured more ups than downs to this point in the season. Although Justin Masterson, who has been their best starting

pitcher this season, is currently sidelined with an oblique injury, the rest of the starting rotation has picked up the slack in his absence. Danny Salazar, Scott Kazmir, Ubaldo Jimenez, Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister have all held their own when taking the mound for the Tribe. Finally, the bullpen is usually solid but is prone to the occasional meltdown. The worst thing that could happen to the Indians is the bullpen going cold at the wrong time. If ever there was a time the Indians absolutely needed a reliable bridge to closer Chris Perez for the ninth inning of close games, this is it. With two weeks left and a playoff berth well within their grasp, the Indians are certainly giving their fans reasons to be excited.

Women’s Soccer still positive after loss at Wittenberg J.P. O’Hagan Staff Reporter The Spartans dropped to 3-3 after an unfortunate overtime loss to Wittenberg, a late loss to Baldwin Wallace, and when Thursday’s game was ruled a no contest against Oberlin. The Case Western women’s team played very well over the past week despite only chalking up a loss on their record. “Being on the road has been tough. It’s a lot of time away from campus and the travel takes a toll on our legs,” Head Coach Tiffany Crooks said. “It’s been very important that we take advantage of any time we get to recover. The Spartans were leading 4-1 in Thursday night’s women’s soccer match against Oberlin when officials deemed a no contest due to lightning. The game did not reach the 70th minute and therefore the game is considered to not be an official game and does not affect the season record of either time or the season stats. This was a disap-

pointment for the Spartans. Senior captain Leah Levey had scored three goals, a “hat trick,” in the first half and was leading a very productive offense. The scoring started early when Levey scored the game’s first goal at the 17:17 mark off an assist by Jessie Sabers. However, Oberlin tied the game just seven seconds later, beating Spartan keeper Abbey Smith. It was the first goal against Smith in over two games. Levey took the lead back with a strong 30-yard shot that found the back of the net in the 25th minute. She then tapped in another goal in the 38th minute to complete her hat trick, the first of her career. “Leah is a very skilled player,” Crooks said. “She was connecting a ton with her teammates and the space was there for her to attack. She took advantage of her opportunities.” However, the weather turned shortly after halftime as a large storm came in, causing a lightning delay. The Spartans continued to dominate on offense as Co-Captain Rachel Bourque scored her first goal of the

season during the limited restart, bringing the score to 4-1. Just a few minutes later, a second lightning delay forced the officials to call the game. The team will replay the game on Oct. 8, and can hopefully duplicate their strong showing. Against Wittenberg on Sunday Sept. 15 the Spartans played a very strong game, battling the Tigers through regulation. However the Spartans were unable to find the back of the net as the score remained tied at zero despite outshooting Wittenberg. “We played very well against Wittenberg and had really great chances to score. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to put any of those chances in the back of the net,” Crooks said. The defense play a strong game and Smith had six saves between the posts. However the Spartan’s also lost a crucial part of their back line last week against Wooster when Lauren Wichman went down. She is out for the season. “The defense is starting to connect much better,” said Crooks. “(Losing Wichman) is going

to take some time for the group to sort out some new roles. But, it’s also an opportunity for new players to step up.” Despite the strong defensive play by the Spartans, the Tigers snatched away the match from Case Western when Wittenberg’s Kayla Murphy beat Smith just over a minute into overtime, scoring the games only and winning goal. Wednesday night, a strong showing by the Spartan’s was spoiled by a late goal after the Baldwin Wallace, Yellow Jackets scored it’s second goal in the 80th minute to get the go ahead and had the Spartan’s their second straight loss. Baldwin Wallace scored first, late in the first half when they were able to deflect in a corner kick. Rachel Bourque scored her first goal of the season off an assist by Katie Chaplin at the beginning of the second half, drilling a strong shot past the goalkeeper. Baldwin Wallace however stole away the game late, beating Smith in the 80th minute. The Spartans will play again and look to get back on track on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Kenyon College at 1:00 p.m.

Cross Country competes with split squad Katie Wieser Sports Editor The Case Western Reserve cross country team split up this past weekend to take on two separate competitions in the region. All four squads performed well, earning top spots in both the Knight Invitational and the Behrend Invitational. The varsity teams travelled to Calvin, Michigan to compete in the Knight Invitational. The Calvin course will be used as the regional competition course this year, so the Spartans took this opportunity to recognize the challenges

present both in the environment and in the competition. The men’s team excelled, taking the fifth spot among the 27 teams competing with the top five finishers all running the 8,000 meter race in a total time of 2:10.15. The top finishers among the squad were senior David Dixon, who led the way in 12th place, followed by sophomore Timothy Travitz in 27th place, senior Wyatt Hoch in 34th place, sophomore Ben Davis in 67th place and freshman Lou Takahashi in 82nd place out of a total of 336 runners. Coach Kathy Lanese is very excited about the talent present in the

men’s team this year. “When one person is down, someone else steps in,” Lanese said, “which means that the talent on the team is really deep and I can depend on the top 10 runners to perform well.” The women’s team also showed strength, taking third place overall out of 26 competing schools with the top five runners coming in with a total time of 1:34.18. Five Spartan women finished the 5,000 meter race in the top 50 out of 316 runners with sophomore Kelsey Aamoth leading the way with a sixth place finish and a time of 18:13.20. The race earned Aamoth honors as the

University Athletic Association Women’s Cross Country athlete of the week. The second CWRU finisher was junior Kristen Ruckstuhl in 24th place, followed by sophomore Dana Jeter in 41st place, junior Erica Bauerbach in 43rd place and sophomore Lydia Greene in 47th place. Lanese was very excited by the women’s demonstration at the competition with several top schools in the competition along with regional competitor, Kenyon College. “I was happy to see us

to Cross Country | 18


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9/20/13

sports

Volleyball 7-6 after loss to Heidelberg Team looks to improve at Carnegie Mellon Invitational this weekend

Katie Wieser Sports Editor The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team boasts a winning record after a successful weekend at the Purple Raider Classic followed by a loss against

Heidelberg College last Tuesday which brought their record to 7-6. The team hopes to improve after the Carnegie Mellon Invitational this weekend. The Spartans swept the competition on their way to an undefeated weekend at the Purple Raider classic hosted by

Mount Union University. The ladies won nine of their 12 sets against the competition resulting in a 3-0 result through the event. The Spartans opened up against Transylvania University last Friday. After dropping the first set with a score of 14-

25, the team went on a run in the middle of the second set, edging out a victory 25-22. The third and fourth sets went in the same way with the Spartans losing the third 18-25 and fighting back in

to Heidelberg | 18

Arianna Wage/Observer caption stuff here

Charlotte Palmer/Observer Sophomore Haley Kauffman goes up for a block as teammate Carolyn Bogart looks on during a match versus Capitol on Septermber 7th.

Football falls to Oberlin, to play Frostburg Saturday Sheehan Hannan Director of Print Last Sunday, the CWRU Spartan football team fell to Oberlin, their first loss against that opponent in 28 years. The loss, which puts Case Western Reserve at 1-1, came as a surprise. “I didn’t foresee us getting beaten that badly, just getting

physically beaten up,” said head coach Greg Debljak. “I’m not shocked that we lost, but in the manner that we did, I was very surprised.” “They just physically beat us,” said Debeljak. “They were ready to play and I think we were feeling good about our performance against Marietta and didn’t think Oberlin was going to be a problem.

And they certainly showed us that we have to be focused and play every week.” The Spartans don’t typically play on Sundays, and the unique schedule may have played a part, albeit small, in the loss. When asked if playing Sunday, rather than the team’s usual Saturday, influenced the game’s outcome Debeljak said, “It shouldn’t have, but I’m sure it did. It,

I think, led to some of the lack of focus things. It was just a very different environment and we didn’t do a good job of adapting to it.” “I certainly don’t want to ever play a Sunday game again,” he said.

to Frostburg | 18


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