The Observer, Volume L, Issue 03, 9/7/18

the

Case Western Reserve University volume L, issue 3 friday, 9/7/2018

Observer Fall Convocation celebrates spoken poetry, distinguished faculty Sarah Kay’s witty remarks, relatable poetry rings in the academic year stories in their words. I want them to feel their stories are valuable and worthy of our attention and amplification, especially in communities where there are voices that have been historically silenced or told that they don’t count.”

Currently, Project VOICE is “dedicated to promoting empowerment, improving literacy, and encouraging empathy” in students around the world.

Still, Kay admitted she does think about film school.

“Writing for the screen felt like a great white whale that I had one point thought that I was going to pursue and then didn’t,” she said.

A group of her friends created a movie, “Blindspotting,” and Kay remarked that her onscreen appearance, which is

Courtesy of TED Conference

Sarah Kay, author of the Common Reading book “No Matter the Wreckage,” spoke at Fall Convocation on Aug. 29.

“Sarah Kay is so relatable and I loved her performances.

It was a nice way to start the first week of classes.”

only signals the beginning of the school year, but also serves to celebrate several faculty members with the Distinguished University Professors honor. Recipients of the prestigious award must be fulltime, tenured faculty members with a strong background in research, scholarship, teaching and service.

This year’s recipients include Mark R. Chance, Ph.D., Ross Duffin, Ph.D., Kalle Lyytinen, Ph.D. and Shirley Moore, Ph.D. Chance’s expertise in proteomics and structural biology have earned him more than 280 publications, as well the position of Director of the Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics at the University.

Duffin, meanwhile, specializes in Franco-Flemish music of the 15th century and English music of the Jacobean period. His passion for music was instrumental in his success as chair of the Music Department 11 (non-consecutive) years, as well as Head of the Historical Performance Practice program at CWRU and as the founding artistic director of Quire Cleveland.

Read an interview with Kay on Pg. 9

Sarah Kay gave her Fall Convocation speech peppered with her typical amusing remarks, “Sometimes, when I make plans with a friend, they ask if I want chocolate chip cookies or ice cream after dinner, and I say, ‘Sometimes the question is “or,” but the answer is “and.”’ Sometimes, in a game of ‘Would You Rather?’ my friends ask, ‘Chris Hemsworth or Chris Evans?’ and I say, ‘Sometimes the question is “or,” but the answer is “and.”’”

Kay’s witty remarks, charisma and relatable poetry have earned her invitations to speak in over 25 different countries on prestigious stages like New York City’s Lincoln Center and the floor of the United Nations. Her most recent performance, though, was at Case Western Reserve University’s Fall Convocation ceremony on Aug. 29.

Kay was invited to speak at Fall Convocation after her book, “No Matter the Wreckage,” was chosen as the Universi-

ty’s annual common reading book. The common reading book has become tradition at CWRU, functioning as a way to provide first-year students a shared experience for stimulating discussions.

In her speech, Kay hails college as a time to “date yourself” and explore your interests. She shares her stories from Brown University, her alma mater, and admits that she was a chemistry major for her first two years before switching to modern culture and media, on track for film school.

But she never went to film school.

Nearing graduation, while all of her friends applied to graduate school, Kay realized sharing poetry with high school students made her happier than anything else and decided to spend one year doing just that—a single year which has since turned into almost one full decade.

She expressed no regrets, her eyes shining as she described her vision for Project VOICE which she helped found: “I want to continue introducing young people to poetry until they feel ownership over it and feel they can tell their

about eight seconds long, makes her feel that her former dream is not so far away.

In context of the recent run-in with film, she reiterated the theme of her speech.

“Sometimes, the question is ‘or,’ but the answer is ‘and,’” she said. “It’s nice to feel that I can be on the path that I’m on, [poetry], and still find my way back [to filmmaking].”

Kay’s speech was well received by the primarily student audience that filled the seats of Severance Hall.

Chloe Mieras, a second-year student, said, “[It] was really comforting to [hear] that even someone as successful as [Kay] is doesn’t always know she wants, and I feel less badly about changing my major.”

Second-year student Nitya Talasila agreed with Mieras, adding, “Sarah Kay is so relatable and I loved her performances. It was a nice way to start the first week of classes.”

The Fall Convocation ceremony not

Lyytinen has a repertoire of past positions including vice president for the Association for Information Systems and editor-in-chief for the Journal of the Association for Information Systems. He also boasts more than 300 publications, making him one of the top five scholars in the information system field by citations.

The fourth recipient of the award, Moore, is a self-management science visionary. Nationally and internationally, she has contributed over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles to her field, as well as more than 80 other publications.

Fall Convocation stands as a foil to CWRU commencement, which will take place in late May.

News

A&E

Opinion

Sports

pg. 2 Students deal with heat

pg. 7 Stunning artwork at CMA

pg. 4 Understaning media bias

pg. 14 Women’s soccer splits two

Yvonne Pan Staff Reporter

news Student organizations promote inclusion, identity Katherine Broderick Staff Reporter As the fall semester kicks off, many student organizations are renewing their efforts to uphold their values and pursue their long term goals. Two of the most prominent student organizations on campus, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and the Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative (UDC), are using the new year to promote diversity and inclusion on campus through policy changes, events and active engagement with the student body.

USG is an umbrella organization tasked with representing the interests of the students to the administration. A notable example of this is USG’s responsibility to allocate approximately $200,000 of funds among nearly 200 student clubs and organizations each semester.

According to third-year student and USG Treasurer Tim O’Shea, one of USG’s major focuses this year is to ensure that, “All voices will have an opportunity to be heard throughout our processes.”

O’Shea said that this goal entails converting the previously first-year-only “First-Year Caucus” to a more inclusive “First-Year to CWRU Caucus,” which involves not only first-year students but also anyone who has not yet completed two full semesters at Case Western Reserve University.

“Logistically,” O’Shea explained, “this means that transfer students will have the opportunity to both vote and

run in the fall election for the First-Year Caucus occurring next week.”

When asked for his favorite aspect of participating with USG, third-year student and Vice President of Public Relations Parv Sud said he especially values, “the opportunity USG presents to the student body to have their voices heard and to bring about meaningful change.”

UDC is another prominent umbrella organization on campus, which also allocates funds to partner organizations and collaborates with student organizations on campus. UDC aspires to uphold eight pillars of diversity: ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ability, age, gender, religion and race, according to second-year student and UDC Vice President of Public Relations Joel Fuentes.

He said, “[By serving] as an advocating body for diversity groups, [UDC is] a platform for voicing student diversity concerns and a resource for organizations in regards to diversity programming.”

This spring, UDC will collaborate with the University Programming Board to host the fourth annual World Expo, which integrates many different student organizations, and, according to thirdyear student and UDC Vice President of Communication Alisa Quemado, highlights the world’s cultures and identities.

Quemado said that UDC’s long term goals at CWRU involve the establishment of “an Identity Center where UDC and its organizations will have a home, and where students of all identities will have a safe space to truly be themselves.”

How students beat the heat Yugan Sakthi Staff Reporter First- and second-year students around campus living without residential air conditioning are finding creative ways to beat the summer heat in a record-setting year for Cleveland.

With Sept. 4 marking the 15th day of above 90 degree heat this summer, the city is well above the previous average of eight days above 90 a year.

The risks of high-heat environments are well-documented. Without proper hydration, people lose water through sweat, tire more easily, have less energy and generally suffer. Although college students are not known for their healthy living habits, Case Western Reserve University students have managed to think beyond the possible and come up with innovative methods of keeping cool, some of which are quite elaborate.

For example, first-year student Julian Robinson said “I throw my blankets and sheets in the freezer during the day and use them at night.”

Although the cool sheets warm up quickly, Robinson says he can’t live without them, “even if it’s only five minutes of cold.”

For those who do not own a minifridge or whose freezer is too small,

other students may provide answers.

“Just stick your head in the refrigerator,” said second-year student Nitya Talasila. It is to be noted, however, that leaving a refrigerator open as a makeshift air conditioning unit is counterproductive. The extra energy used by the fridge to keep itself cool heats up the unit, and the surrounding air. Talasila also recommended buying a box fan to place in front of windows for a refreshing flow of air.

Another way students escape the daytime heat is by finding airconditioned common spaces on campus to both work and relax. “I live in Carlton [Commons],” said second-year student Raymond Wong.

All upperclassman housing on campus has air conditioning, although a few second-year students have been able to enjoy it as a benefit of being moved from their original Clarke Tower housing.

Robinson said, “I would like for [CWRU] to invest in air conditioning,” a sentiment echoed by many students.

More than just a luxury, it’s a necessity for a liveable environment on campus.

But for now, first- and second-year students who live in the heat will have to take comfort in the fact that Cleveland summers never last long, and the biting cold of autumn and winter is just a few weeks away.

What can you do about food waste on campus?

Ibtesam Ghazy Staff Reporter “Feeding people, not landfills” is the motto that the Food Recovery Network (FRN) thrives on.

The organization was started by Ben Simon and Mia Zavalij, both students at University of Maryland, in 2001. Simon and Zavalij agree that a big component of practicing sustainability and slowing down global warming is saving food, which would otherwise be wasted, to feed those who are hungry.

The FRN spread across 230 universities in 44 states and has become one of the largest movements against hunger, recovering over two million pounds of food to feed people, not to fill landfills.

Case Western Reserve University joined the FRN bandwagon in 2014.

The recovery project has been instrumental in uniting the CWRU student community with Greater Cleveland. The FRN’s regular recovery projects are done at Leutner Commons, Dunkin’ Donuts, Einstein Bros.

Bagels, Greek chapters and various student organizations. The group has also recently started partnering with organizations as large as Cleveland Clinic.

Anyone who participates with the FRN at CWRU works on a shift, which usually last about 15 minutes at a time. Fanny Huang, a fourth-year student, stumbled upon the FRN through a Facebook post that one of her friends was tagged in, and quickly became involved.

Huang describes her experience: “It’s

heartwarming to see all the relationships formed through our mission of fighting waste and feeding people.”

Huang said she was excited when Leutner, CWRU’s largest dining hall, began participating with the FRN. In addition, she said that volunteering on Saturdays with the FRN at St. Matthews Hope Soup Kitchen was a memorable experience because she saw people of all ages come for hot meals.

“It’s so unreal the amount of food that can be picked up,” she noted.

Huang would like to see the food recovered

by FRN to be more accessible to the campus community, since she believes there is more food insecurity than one might expect. She added that she wishes the accessibility would be like that of grocery stores, so recipients will feel comfortable picking up their food without receiving unwanted attention.

Ramiz Ahmad, a second-year graduate student of medical physiology and a fellow FRN volunteer, also found motivation to join the cause.

He said, “I wanted to better understand the hardships of food insecurities that a concerning amount of Americans struggle with.”

Like Huang, Ahmad’s most memorable experience with the FRN was interacting with the St. Matthews community on Saturdays and learning more about the people he is helping.

“I would love to see [the] FRN spread across universities in the United States,” he said, “so that more communities can have access to food that might have otherwise gone to waste.”

think : study abroad SPRING

SEMESTER

CWRU COURSES

SPRING BREAK ABROAD Italy

Italian Life and Culture: Comparative Family Policy SOCI 329 March 9-17, 2019 International Management Institute MGMT 315 March 9-15, 2019

Jordan

The Arab World Experience—Jordan WGST/ARAB/ETHS 349 March 10-17, 2019

France

French Connections: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Medical Ethics BETH 315D/415D March 11-15, 2019

Poland

Invisible Groups in a New Poland MSASS 375C/575 March 10-16, 2019

The Netherlands

Mental Health Issues & Practice in the Netherlands MSASS 375B/575 March 9-15, 2019 Public Health in the Netherlands: Sex, Drugs and Public Health Ethics BETH 315B/415B March 11-15, 2019 The Netherlands Social Justice: Health and Violence Prevention MSASS 325/525 March 9-15, 2019

Guatemala

APP DUES 12/1

Child Welfare in Guatemala MSASS 375D/575 March 8-17, 2019

Namibia

Domestication of Marama Bean BIOL 309/409 March 9-17, 2019

Uganda

Global Health Design in Uganda ENGR 350U/ANTH 300 March 10-16, 2019

SPRING MAY ABROAD Ghana

21st Century Ghana: Culture, Institutions, and Development in West Africa MSASS 375H/575 May 21-June 5, 2019

India

The Netherlands

Israel

Norway

Global Issues, Health, & Sustainability in India EECS 342i May 21-June 2, 2019 Regional and Urban Economics: The Case of Israel ECON 350 May 13-18, 2019

Death, Dying and Euthanasia: Netherlands and the USA BETH 315G/415G May 13-24, 2019

Spain

Comparison in Bioethics, Spanish & American Perspectives on Health, Wellness, Medicine, & Culture BETH 315F/415F May 12-24, 2019

Narrative Medicine: Aging, Mental Illness & Cancer BETH315N/415N May 13-24, 2019

To see additional study abroad opportunities and to apply, go to www.case.edu/studyabroad

APPLY TODAY studyabroad@case.edu

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Professional development, career planning Cleveland now available in student lab Catch Up Jahci Perry-Richardson Staff Reporter

Sophia Yakumithis News Editor

Students can now walk into a lab specifically geared towards professional development and career planning.

The Offices of Post Graduate Planning and Experiential Education, formerly the Career Center, have opened a new spot on campus for students to provide and receive guidance on resumes, internships, job opportunities and more. Located off the Thwing Center Atrium, near the Case Western Reserve University LaunchNet, the area is now called the Career Lab. It will be available to students on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.

Associate Director of Career Education Robin Hedges explained why she believes the offices implemented the Career Lab. “I think [the] purpose was to create a space, in addition to that space that exists here in Sears 229, that’s essential to campus,” she said. “[This is a space] that would bring together students to leverage their collective knowledge and experience with guidance from a career development professional [to] achieve whatever career development goal it is that they would bring to Career Lab.” Hedges also mentioned the Career Lab’s hours of operations are specifically intended to attract students during Thwing Tuesdays. She hopes that with the Career Lab amidst the foot traffic of Thwing Tuesdays, students will become aware of the new service available to them in this location. “[The Career Lab is] a different format than the traditional drop-in

Sen. Rob Portman named ‘beer champion’ The Beer Institute, a national trade association for the American brewing industry, honored Ohio Senator Rob Portman as a “beer champion” on Wednesday, Cleveland.com reported.

The senator was named one of four honorees for supporting policies that provide tax relief for brewers and beer importers.

CEO and President of the Beer Institute, Jim McGreevy, praised Portman for promoting innovation from breweries and importers.

The Ohio Republican was the first Ohio politician to receive the award.

Cleveland Hopkins launches navigation system Later this month, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport plans to launch a new navigation system in hopes to innovate satellite-based navigation, according to Cleveland.com.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-regulated change is part of its Cleveland/Detroit Metroplex project, which will integrate coordination in regional air traffic. In addition to Cleveland and Detroit area airports, the project includes 10 other small airports.

The FAA said the project will increase the number of entry and exit points within Cleveland/Detroit airspace. This will mark the 10th region to switch to satellite navigation in the United States.

The project is associated with the FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System, an effort to foster safety and efficiency improvements in airports nationwide.

Corn maze pays tribute to Indians shortstop According to Cleveland.com, Brunswick, Ohio’s Mapleside Farms recently unveiled a seven-acre corn maze in honor of Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor.

The maze was launched in preparation for Mapleside’s fall festival and Pumpkin Village, which begins today.

From an aerial view, an outline of Lindor is clearly visible, along with the Indians “C” logo and the words “Go Tribe.” In the past, the farm has paid homage to other Cleveland athletes, including the Browns’ Joe Thomas and LeBron James.

Gay health pioneer dies at 70 “The Gay ‘90s with Buck Harris” host, Buck Harris, passed away on Saturday, Sept. 1 at the age of 70, according to Cleveland.com.

Born in Lakewood, Harris worked in Greater Cleveland’s Family Planning Association and Planned Parenthood and taught sexual education at the Cleveland Health Museum.

Harris was believed to be the nation’s first state consultant on gay health in 1984 under Gov. Richard Celeste and, despite many critics, preached safe sex practices at gay bars and bathhouses.

After giving up alcohol, he learned how to needlepoint and spread the hobby to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Harris also used his responsibility as a gay health consultant to develop a training program for HIV counselors, which he perpetuated throughout the state and beyond.

In 1993, he launched what is said to be the United State’s first “gay radio show” on WHK-AM. After the first show’s airing, he received a bomb threat and was escorted into a police car with his colleagues. Regardless, the successful broadcast received a myriad of sponsors, including the Cleveland Orchestra.

Harris founded Bridge Brigade on Bridge Street, his home neighborhood, which battled crime and poverty. He also helped found the Ohio AIDS Coalition.

Dylan Rasmussen/Observer Located near CWRULaunchNet in the Thwing Center, the Career Lab helps students with professional development and career planning. hours,” said Hedges. “[Students] can come, bring whatever it is they want to work on [and] stay as little or as long as they’d like in a space that not just has facilitation available from a career development professional, but also where they can collaborate with other students to advance their cause.”

According to Hedges, other schools have implemented similar initiatives with Career Labs with names like Career Studio, which also promotes the collective learning and collaboration among professional development faculty and students. “[The Career Lab] is intended

to be developmental as opposed to transactional,” said Hedges.

She also mentioned the lab is a pilot project, and if it is successful, the offices aim to extend the availability of this service for students. Previously, Hedges revealed, the Career Lab was a part of drop-in hours at the Career Center and students seemed to find it beneficial.

Now the idea behind collaborative learning is being implemented on a larger scale by the offices.

“I think the potential for learning is really great,” said Hedges. “The collective wisdom of students is really pretty remarkable.”

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opinion

9/7/18

opinion Editorial

Understanding our media In the modern political landscape, it is easy to view most things with a little underlying skepticism. When the 2016 election made the term “fake news” a part of everyday jargon, it entirely transformed how all of us approach information, especially when it comes to news media.

While recent polls have shown that the general population still possesses an overall trust of journalists and their organizations, the advent of “fake news” has made journalism as a whole much more difficult.

Regular people and rival organizations throw around claims of bias daily. Both print readers and self-appointed researchers on various social media platforms subject news coverage to vetting. From these conflicts, pundits have been able to gain notoriety and thrive through scathing criticism of their peers and defiance against the mainstream media.

Simply put, it is an age when satisfaction comes at a premium. And perhaps at the root of it is a fundamental misunderstanding of

the news media’s role in society.

When reading newspapers or watching news programs, it is common for consumers to approach media seeking an objective account of events. We are going to these platforms to receive information presented to us “as is,” without the influence of bias or misleading reporting. But the problem with this expectation lies with how objectivity, as we wish to see it in media, is just not possible.

Furthermore, the American concept of news was never intended to meet this demand of truly impartial reporting.

In reality, information can never be treated as a two-sided issue, especially when one is seeking objectivity. An accurate account of events will more than often appear biased as, ironically, nobody’s idea of what is objective will be exactly the same. Taking this idea one step further and believing that these supposed biases make an issue two-sided only exacerbates the problem of informational misunderstandings.

Every story will have many perspectives.

Some are valid, while some would could be genuinely treated as false. The inherent value in modern news media is that you can, regardless of the context, expect validity in what you are listening to, reading or watching.

Dating back to their party-associated origins and issues with yellow journalism, news organizations have always been able to establish their own voice in the media sphere.

Their collective shift toward independence in the late 1800s laid the foundation for modern journalism, eventually refocusing the American media upon “objective” reporting.

This era of transition is perhaps where the misconceptions emerged from. From this period onward, newspapers became increasingly involved in a watchdog role.

Events such as Watergate and the Pentagon Papers became landmark events allowing us to understand journalism as a counterweight to the dishonesty of politics. In moments of governmental uncertainty, we could trust the news media to expose the issues we wouldn’t otherwise know of.

So when the news media became politicized again, we reflexively associated it with unprecedented bias.

Throughout the 2016 election, thenPresidential-candidate Donald Trump was able to reassociate media organizations with politics by reframing their reporting.

In doing so, he was able to contort the image of the mainstream media that most people possessed. Reporting on Trump’s numerous egregious actions was viewed by his supporters as a series of deliberate attacks, turning the relationship between the presidency and the media into an “usversus-them” conflict.

It’s understandable to have doubts concerning the state of news media, especially given how many platforms have struggled with Russian interference and blatantly fraudulent sources. But wishing for true objectivity is simply unrealistic, and it only plays into a narrative promoted by the very people media has set out to counteract.

In support of the prison strike Unsolicited Opinion

Won Hee Kim Since Aug. 21, prisoners across the country have led a peaceful strike to advocate for their rights and protest prison slavery. Though slavery in the modern age seems anachronistic and unreal, the Thirteenth Amendment did not ban slavery for all people. The Amendment explicitly states that “punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted” is an exception to the ban. Regardless of the reasons behind it, slavery and “involuntary servitude” demean the enslaved and do not have a place in present times.

And ending slavery is only a fragment of the demands of the protesters. The strike is in direct response to the riot at a prison in South Carolina, where seven prisoners died nominally due to severe blood loss but really due to understaffing and overcrowding at the institution perpetrated by greed. South Carolina has one of the cheapest prison systems in the United States.

As such, the organizers of the strike ask for improvements to prison conditions

and policies: the end of prison slavery, the rescinding of the Prison Litigation Reform Act, the Truth in Sentencing Act and the Sentencing Reform Act. Additionally, they are requesting the destruction of racial prejudice in court proceedings.

In Ohio, at least two prisoners, David Easley and James Ward of the Toledo Correctional Institution, are confirmed to be on a hunger strike. According to the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (IWOC) Twitter account, “there may well be more” than these two as “prison officials would not confirm names or total number of prisoners refusing food.”

If this number seems small, it is because there is heavy opposition to the strike from prison officials. According to Shadow Proof, a leftist news site, “Ohio prison officials revoked phone access for one year” for a prisoner who spoke in favor of the protest. By taking away the means of communication, the officials attempted to stifle the protest. Whether or not they were effective remains to be seen.

Some people may claim that the prisoners owe a debt to society or that prisoners gain a sense of purpose or acquire marketable skills from being put to work, as in the case of some Californian inmate firefighters. These claims are vengeful justifications, paternalistic and prejudiced. It does not make sense that

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Won Hee Kim/Observer A graphic in support of a new prison strike appeared on the Spirit Wall this past week. Many have described prison work as a form of modern slavery. different people should be paid less for the same amount and quality of labor. That is discrimination, and prisoners should be paid minimum wage.

As for the firefighters, California’s certifications and licenses do not allow former convicts to continue being firefighters once they leave prison.

The prison system in America is flawed. To support the prison strike, the IWOC suggests spreading the word of the strike, educating yourself and others and showing solidarity.

The strike will last until Sept. 9.

Won Hee Kim is a third-year English major with minors in creative writing and economics.

the observer

established in 1969 by the undergraduate students of case western reserve university executive editor & publisher EDDIE KEREKES director of web & multimedia ALEXANDRA FACCENDA director of business operations SARAH PARR director of design ZOEY CHEN photo editor JAY KASSEL LEWIS web editor PRESTON WILLIS news editor SOPHIA YAKUMITHIS news designer RYAN YOO a&e editor MATT HOOKE opinion designer SAMI ARYAL opinion editor JACKSON RUDOFF sports designer ZOEY CHEN sports editor ANDREW FORD adviertising manager DARIA RYABOGIN copy editors accounts manager AURA ROSSY MARY MCPHEETERS general assistant OONA HAFFEY EMILY YOUNG advisor JIM SHEELER WON HEE KIM

opinion 5

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Why impeachment is meaningless Letter To The Editor Last week, we saw two different articles in The Observer discussing recent developments in the President Donald Trump-Russia collusion investigations and their implications for President Trump’s potential impeachment. It is a conversation I have seen in many political circles. For that very reason, it’s a conversation I’ve grown sick of.

For people who still maintain some degree of reverence and faith for the “office of the presidency,” I can see the appeal of impeachment. Trump represents a sharp aberration from the traditional poise and tact seen in previous presidents. His unfettered hate and bigotry are a massive departure from typical presidential conduct.

Add in the constant drip of the Russia collusion investigations, and you see why impeachment appears so logical. But as a solution to these problems, impeachment

just does not appeal to me.

I push back against impeachment because I don’t see how it solves the primary issues this country faces. Say you are like me, and the Trump administration and its policies represent a full-fledged assault on your core values. How would impeachment solve this? How would a potential Mike Pence administration represent a meaningful, substantive policy distinction from the status quo of attacking the rights and lives of marginalized people?

Furthermore, a Trump impeachment vote would only proceed in a Democratcontrolled Congress, who would have larger issues to resolve anyway. I’d much rather see a theoretical Democratic House investigating and holding hearings for former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan and United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen for their role in the family separation crisis.

I want Secretary of Defense Mattis to

answer for the United States’ role in supporting war crimes committed by our Saudi allies in Yemen.

There are so many things wrong with our current government that a potential Democratic majority can and should deal with.

Impeaching Trump would be a meaningless gesture that would only serve to galvanize his base, if it was even feasible to begin with.

Maybe some people still have faith in Congressional Republicans that “put country before party,” but I certainly do not. There is no way over a dozen Senate Republicans would vote to remove their president, especially considering how popular he is among their constituents.

And there is no reason to assume his popularity with his base would sink amidst impeachment, as it only reinforces their belief that the Washington establishment is out to get him.

A new wave of Democratic politicians have brought forth bold, progressive legislation that would bring about the

sweeping change that the American people are desperate for. Publicly financed elections, Medicare for all and free public college represent just a few of the sweeping progressive policy alternatives that members of Congress have already proposed as legislation.

These are the efforts that Democrats should campaign on this fall to win majorities in both chambers of Congress and press to implement should they succeed.

It actually worries me a great deal that many people, including the authors of the aforementioned articles, are not focusing on these policies. In doing so, they are avoiding a conversation on true progress for all in favor of discussing the potential to impeach Trump.

I hope their attitude changes in the coming months. The fate of the American people depends on it.

Viral Mistry Class of 2019

Plastic straw ban is a textbook straw man Staff Columnist

Peter Wilson It has happened every day this summer. You order a cold drink to escape the scorching heat, and it’s handed to you in a plastic cup, complete with a lid and straw. Not thinking twice, you guzzle it down and then throw the whole plastic cup out. Inadvertently, you’ve become part of the plastic trash conflict.

Recently, several major cities, including Seattle and San Francisco, have instituted a ban on the use of plastic straws. Even the entire state of California has passed legislation regulating the use of plastic straws.

But why are straws the targets? Why are people who just want to escape the heat being punished for something they didn’t explicitly ask for?

The plastic straw ban was a flawed idea from the beginning. Yes, the ban raises awareness about an exceptionally important issue: the constant use of single-use plastics. But it targets a rather small portion of the overall problem. Additionally, the bans punish the consumers, entailing anything from a $250 fine to jail time. Consumers who didn’t ask for the straw are being punished for its existence in their cups— which are entirely made of plastic, by the way.

The plastic straw ban is a perfect example of the classic straw man fallacy. The ban is presented as a stand against plastic waste, when it’s actually just companies and politicians attempting to distract constituents from the root of the problem.

Right now, between Hawaii and California, there is an island which won’t show up on any map. An island that is twice the size of the state of Texas and is made entirely out of plastic.

Collections of plastic like this exist all over the world. These islands are made up of items we use every day without thinking twice: plastic bags, bottles, containers and yes, straws.

A whopping 79 percent of all plastic products used everyday wind up in floating plastic islands or a landfill.

A dismal nine percent of single-use plastics even get recycled. However, plastic straws make up a miniscule

Jack Lewis/Observer A sign in the Tinkham Veale University Center describing the straw ban on campus. Outside of campus, many coastal cities have implemented bans on plastic straws. portion of all the plastic which gets thrown out. Other plastic items, such as plastic cups or water bottles, make up significantly larger percentages of the plastic that does not get recycled.

Plastic straws are a scapegoat for the plastics businesses to cut costs. Brown paper bags could easily be used instead of cheap plastic bags, as could paper cups be used to replace plastic ones.

Substitution is absolutely possible, but nobody wants to foot the bill.

It’s therefore nonsensical to push responsibility for the straw problem onto everyday citizens. Why are these cities punishing the consumers who just bought a drink instead of the manufacturers who produce the straws in the first place? The straws cannot

contribute to the overall issue of nonrecycled plastics if they were never created. The areas instituting straw bans should be prohibiting manufacturers from making or distributing them, or at the very least only banning businesses from giving them out to people in the first place.

Punishing the common consumer is inherently wrong as it won’t solve the issue directly; especially since, besides Seattle and San Francisco, most of the areas which have instituted the bans are smaller cities which do not have large and influential populations. The amount of people refusing straws due to the various bans around the country is not enough to cause the market to shift to less production. Instead,

consumers are slapped with fines they don’t deserve for something they didn’t even ask for.

At its core principles, the straw ban is a great start. Single-use plastics are one of the single most detrimental elements in our society to date. But it doesn’t do enough, targets the wrong ideas and hurts the everyday, noncorporate people. Avoid plastic straws but also resist using plastic bags, cups, bottles or containers. Don’t fall for the straw man that is the plastic straw ban.

Peter Wilson is a second-year biomedical engineering student on the biomaterials track. He works in the Gustafson Lab and can be found on Twitter at @wpieltseorn.

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Remembering Sen. John McCain, a testament to the American way Publicized Confab Josiah Smith Unfortunately, there are not many people in this world who have a clean bill of ethics. It is a challenging feat to achieve. We are flawed the majority of the time, and it sets us up for greatness.

There are those who are exceptionally kind, irrevocably compassionate and painstakingly selfless. Recently, one such great passed on: Sen. John McCain; a true maverick and a testament to the American way.

There are, of course, several reasons to admire and applaud McCain, but I

commend him most for his integrity.

In too many scenarios, we witness how partisanship contributes to a lust for political points. And within the general population, trivial factors such as race or social status seperate and confuse the most important parts of being an American. McCain was an example of how to avoid these plights.

He refined his campaigns to matters of most importance, shunning the scope of unfair biases and the reward of playing into this nation’s prejudice.

It would have been easy for McCain to promote the “birther” rumors directed toward then-Sen. Barack Obama during the 2008 campaign. He chose not to do that. In fact, when one of his supporters insinuated that Obama was an Arab in a question she was about to tee up, McCain took away her mic. “No ma’am,” he said

respectfully as he retrieved the mic.

“He’s a decent family man, and a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues. That’s what this campaign is all about.”

That statement represented a kindness that is woefully rare in this country. He embodied decency and practiced the correct way to handle people you do not agree with. It is an attitude this country needs right now. And with his death, I fear it is an attitude that we may not see exemplified again for a long time.

I have always enjoyed the grit of McCain and his refusal to do what others thought a person in his position of power should do. He made it abundantly clear that he was a statesman, a senator and a Republican through and through.

But, above all of those identities, he was first and foremost John McCain.

He refused to play into fear. Instead,

he tried to enlighten people and give them something concrete to believe in.

He was appalled, as anyone should be, by senseless fears and how people used them in their judgment of candidates.

His death pains me, because we are saying goodbye to a man whose greatness of character exceeded that of his accomplishments. But even more so, I am saddened that the country he hoped for and his vision of freedom may never be realized. I am upset that more people didn’t believe in his vision of America.

Goodbye Sen. McCain. Though we never met, your hope and legacy made its way to me. And if no one else is willing to, I’ll fight for the decency you demonstrated so flawlessly.

Josiah Smith is a third-year English and business management double major.

Self-care has spiraled out of control Zhusclues

Caroline Zhu While our definition of health continues to change and expand to fit the current generation, we also must ensure that this definition stays accurate, and most importantly, achievable. This is especially important in the face of the self-care trend, which seems to promote maintaining one’s health and happiness, but has slowly morphed into a system that promotes overspending and other unhealthy habits in young adults.

When addressing this issue, we must be able to define what health is. To me, it is balancing one’s physical and mental health with a social and work life and ensuring that none of these are neglected in favor of another. However, this definition is a very broad one and proves to be overly simplistic. The trend of selfcare is a response to the broad definition of health and acts as a breakdown of the broader definition into more manageable, everyday tasks.

Self-care has become increasingly

popular in the past few years, likely stemming, at least in part, from the intensely popular “Treat Yo Self” gag from the television show “Parks and Recreation.” At the time, this brought attention to an often overlooked area of personal care, pointing out that we often refuse to spend money on things that make us happy. Upon closer inspection, the trend points out that people often choose to work towards some long-term goal, which can make them single-minded and neglectful of their short-term happiness.

This commentary is especially relevant now, when studies have recently been published from Columbia University and the City University of New York citing that depression rates are rising in the United States, particularly in millenials and members of the following generation, which may account for why the selfcare trend appealed to so many. As a continuation of the “Treat Yo Self” bit, the self-care trend focuses more on basic issues like helping young people build healthy habits.

In its early stages, the self-care trend helped many young people who struggled with mental illness and taking care of

themselves daily by encouraging them to hydrate more or keep up with skincare.

However, the trend has since grown to include too much. What began as a way of providing simple tips to living a healthier lifestyle has become a trend that teaches young adults to spend their time and money on goods and services they don’t need. This has built cult followings of consumer brands developing into unhealthy overspending habits in many young adults.

These shifts in the self-care trend were subtle, but eventually snowballed into a culture of overspending on unnecessary items. Staying hydrated prompted people to buy water bottles, which created a cult following under the Hydro Flask brand.

Similar followings developed under skin care and cosmetic brands, as well as stationery and other utility brands.

Looking at each of these situations individually, there seems to be no problem. Spending some money on short-term happiness does not necessarily mean wasting money, as “Treat Yo Self” shows us.

The issue stems from the fact that many young adults have taken self-care to mean that in order to achieve healthy

standards, they must spend money on these cult-following brands. By equating these two ideas, the opposite also becomes true: without spending money on self-care, they are neglecting their health, essentially becoming “unhealthy.”

This mindset also often convinces young adults that consuming goods will act as a stopgap against depression and anxiety, which only contributes to these unhealthy buying habits.

The issue lies in the misconception that buying consumer goods to achieve shortterm satisfaction is the same as taking steps towards self-care and long-term happiness. Self-care is ultimately a longterm investment, as we have to take care of ourselves in order to stay healthy for the future. However, buying consumer goods in the spirit of “Treat Yo Self” is only a short-term consideration. To equate the two will not lead to a healthy lifestyle.

Caroline Zhu is a first-year computer science major with an interest in economics. She spends her time reading good literature and watching trashy movies or belting out ‘80s power anthems.

Why history? It’s no mystery.

Staff Columnist Stephen Kerby Thanks to packing my first-year schedule, my final-year schedule has few constraints outside of predictable upperlevel physics courses. Counting General Relativity, Electricity and Magnetism and my senior capstones, I was two credits below the 12 credit minimum for a fulltime student. I decided on Greek history, a crazy swerve when I could have settled for something familiar and arithmetic where I would just crunch some numbers and spit out some nice graphs.

Much to my chagrin, the humanities seem neglected by many at Case Western Reserve University, viewed as curiosities instead of curricular keystones. The Seminar Approach to General Education and Scholarship (SAGES) is a feeble attempt at a diverse education that garners eye-rolls in its current form and breadth

requirements can be quickly swept away with Advanced Placement credits.

A CWRU education shouldn’t involve cloistering all the engineers in the Charles William Bingham Mechanical Engineering Building, all the physicists in the Rockefeller Building and all the business majors in the Peter B. Lewis Building.

Crashing headlong into a totally alien way of thinking based on artifacts and inferences instead of graphs and logarithms broadens the scientific mind.

Conversely, some courses on biology or computer science might prove useful to an English major. Ideas are best grown when fed on soil rich in diverse academic nutrients. Aristotle was both physicist and philosopher, Gregor Mendel both monk and geneticist.

Why did I choose history instead of something familiar like theater or music?

To be pithy and modern, history is the first, last and best weapon against fake news.

These days it’s easy to shout about how the latest scandal is an invention

of the liberal media. Without constant vigilance, our shared history, the very root of our society, could be revised at the whim of crooked politicians for their own ideological gains. The truth, though, has no agenda.

I could have chosen one of a slew of other history courses at CWRU, all of which are more pertinent to modern times. Some of the tantalizing courses that the Department of History offers are World War I: Crucible of the 20th Century, Women in American History I, Introduction to African-American Studies and the History of Zionism.

These are topics and events on the forefront of modern thought, not some collection of tall tales from a patch of the Mediterranean the size of Ohio. Other courses cover subjects as recent as a few decades ago whereas my Greek history course stops around 150 B.C. Greek history might not appear immediately applicable to current issues, but it lies just beneath the surface of

every other topic in Western civilization.

Everyday, we live steeped in Greek history; Greek linguistics builds our languages, Greek legends color our idioms. Even after only a few classes, I feel like I’m studying more than just a list of dates but rather a story about the naissance of western culture.

The university has done a poor job of promoting in-depth studies in fields different from one’s major, judging by the dismissive treatment of SAGES and breadth requirements by the student body. Sacrificing intellectual flexibility in the name of graduating quickly into a highly-paid sector might look good for job prospects from a statistical perspective, but it’s a poor reason for forgetting our past. Serious study of the humanities is not mutually exclusive with a scientific education in four years.

Steve Kerby is a senior studying astronomy and physics. When he grows up he wants to be a Jedi Knight.

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arts & entertainment Utter immersion

Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors captivate viewers at art museum Julia Knight Staff Reporter As you duck into the room, the door softly shuts, enveloping you in absolute darkness. Your eyes adjust to the millions of bright, twinkling lights, stretching on and on into infinite space—all inside of an intimate room not much larger than a walk-in closet.

Yayoi Kusama , who was born in 1929, created her “Infinity Mirrors” exhibit to provide her viewers the opportunity to contemplate life, death and the passage of time within a calm and surreal space. The gallery features mirrored rooms, epochal sculptures and kaleidoscopic displays.

Kusama’s art carefully evokes a sympathy of the shared human experience.

As the final stop in a five-city North American tour, “Infinity Mirrors” has been on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art since early July. Tickets only go on-sale once weekly and often sell out within minutes.

Repetition is a constant theme for Kusama, who is well-known for her patterns of polka dots and nets that engulf viewers in an immersive universe.

Kusama began painting with dots and nets at the age of 10. As described in the gallery, the first of her Infinity Net works were created “without composition – without beginning, end or center.”

Kusama painstakingly labors for hours to etch small arcs and dots on plain black or colored backgrounds to give the effect of immeasurable repetition which fully captivates the senses.

Her incorporation of mirrors in 1965 amplified her repetitive patterns. Kusama’s iconic Infinity Mirror rooms not only create boundless stretches of darkness and light, but also fuse their beholders with the reflective walls and surfaces.

Watching the endless reflections of your figure become a part of this vast, beautiful space is truly breathtaking.

“The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away” (2013) is one of seven immersive mirrored rooms in the gallery. The

Clockwise from the top: “All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins” (external view), “All the Eternal Love I Have fo the Pumpkins” (internal view), “Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity,” “The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away,” “The Obliteration Room”

museum describes it as “a harmonious and quiet place for you to contemplate your existence.” Glancing up at the ceiling reveals a dreamlike dark sky. As you shift your gaze downward, your field of vision gradually floods with endless blue, green and gold-hued lights reminiscent of a galaxy or star-filled night.

Apart from the mirrors, Kusama’s gallery features her idyllic “Obliteration Room.” The room includes props like furniture, potted plants, coffee mugs and

children’s toys painted stark white. Visitors are welcome to place multi-colored circular stickers anywhere they please, allowing them to contribute to the obileration of form that the room showcases.

The effect of Kusama’s art on the senses is striking and unforgettable. The exhibition will remain at the Cleveland Museum of Art until Sept. 30. Tickets can be purchased online each Monday beginning at 9 a.m. until tickets are sold out for that week.

Photos courtesy of Cleveland Museum of Art

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Playlist of the Week

What to do this weekend Matt Hooke Arts and Entertainment Editor

Kyle Smith Staff Reporter Over the weekend, the world memorialized Aretha Franklin, one of the most influential artists in the history of popular music. The funeral service lasted eight hours and featured performances by artists both new and old. This week’s playlist eulogizes her legacy by containing songs from many of the performers at the service.

“Like Sugar” - Chaka Khan

Mere months before Franklin’s service, funk artist Chaka Khan released “Like Sugar.” The song, released on June 15, is the lead single from Khan’s forthcoming album, due sometime this year. The full release will mark an astounding 22 studio albums by the legendary singer. The funky grooves of “Like Sugar” are sure to make your foot tap with rhythm and anticipation.

“I Heard It Through The Grapevine” Gladys Knight & The Pips

An all-time great from Motown Records in Detroit, “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” is more famous as a Marvin Gaye song. However, Gladys Knight & The Pips give the song an entirely different energy. In his version, Gaye plays center stage and his anguished vocals combine with a subdued organ riff to create a melancholy sense of inevitability. On the other hand, Gladys Knight & The Pips give more power to the back-up singers, creating a gossipy call-and-response that invites the listener to hear the tragic news, hot off the rumor mill.

Friday, Sept. 7 What: SexPo When: 11:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

Where: Tinkham Veale University Center Ballroom Notes: Strip away the taboo around sex at the third annual Case Western Reserve University SexPo. This event in the ballroom of Tinkham Veale University Center features booths where students can learn about sex and sexuality in a safe, accepting environment.

What: Front Porch Concert Series When: 7-9 p.m.

Where: Lakewood Public Library Notes: Live music will fill Downtown Lakewood on Friday evening with the last installment of LakewoodAlive’s Front Porch Concert Series. The Light of Day Band will cap off the ninth year of the 12-week concert series with a set of high-energy funk and R&B.

Saturday, Sept. 8 What: Cleveland Drag Showcase When: 8 p.m.-midnight Where: Beachland Ballroom and Tavern Notes: The Cleveland Drag Showcase celebrates its third year of bringing all ages drag performance to Cleveland. The show, headlined by E the Dragnificent, features 12 performers. The night’s festivities will be hosted by Ken Schneck, a professor at Baldwin Wallace University and the host of the nationally syndicated radio show “This Show is So Gay.” General admission costs $15 online and $20 on the day of the show.

“Hard Piano” – Pusha T feat.

Rick Ross

Few songs have the upbeat energy that Stevie Wonder’s “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” delivers with crashing cymbals and jangling guitar. The piece is a perfectly preserved relic of the golden age of Motown, the record label behind R&B legends like The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson.

Wonder’s blaring horns and relentless drums pour nostalgic positivity straight into the listener’s ear.

What: 2001: A Space Odyssey When: Saturday 9 p.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.

Where: Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque Notes: See one of the most influential science fiction movies of all time in a brand new way at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Watch in 4K resolution as the crew of the Discovery One battle the supercomputer HAL on their voyage to Jupiter.

“SUMO|ZUMO” – Denzel Curry

Among a lineup of classic R&B artists, Ariana Grande stood out as the most contemporary artist to perform at Aretha Franklin’s service. Despite being contemporary, Grande’s music fit right in. Aspects of classic R&B strongly influence Grande’s sound.

“Dangerous Woman” presents this in the form of horn and electric guitar accompaniments. Additionally, much of Grande’s work carries on Franklin’s legacy of female empowerment.

What: Cleveland Taco Festival When: 1-7 p.m.

Where: JACK Thistledown Racino Notes: Over 20 of the area’s best restaurants will be serving a variety of tacos for $3 each. The event features live entertainment, a chili pepper eating contest and a giant nacho bar. General admission costs $9.99, and parking is free.

What: End of Summer Party When: 3-11 p.m.

Where: Toby’s Plaza Notes: Experience one last summer party at Toby’s Plaza. This free event features WRUW DJs, games, live music by Jul Big Green and a screening of “Avengers: Infinity War.”

“Think” - Aretha Franklin

No remembrance would be complete without a word from “The Queen of Soul” herself. “Think” displays much of what made Aretha Franklin such a captivating artist. Franklin’s powerful voice demands the listener’s attention, as she scolds an unfortunate man for his disrespect. The song not only demonstrates Franklin’s larger-than-life personality, but also exhibits the vocal talent that made her a legend as her voice swings back and forth between rockabilly verses and soulful choruses.

Sunday, Sept. 9

Find all these tracks online with our weekly Spotify playlist at observer.case.edu All photos courtesy pluspremiers.us, genius.com, directlyrics.com, and wikipedia.com

What: Asian Grocery Tour & Tasting When: 3-5:30 p.m.

Where: Asian Town Center Notes: If you want to learn about the ingredients that go into some of your favorite Asian dishes, take advantage of this opportunity in Cleveland’s historic Asiatown. The event, hosted by Ice and Rice, will feature tastings of fruits, vegetables and prepared foods.

Cleveland Orchestra’s 101st season features both new and timeless pieces Derrick Liu Contributing reporter The Cleveland Orchestra will launch their versatile 2018-2019 season on Sept. 20 after months of practice. The repertoire for the ensemble’s 101st season features tremendous variety, even compared to last year’s remarkable centennial season.

The orchestra, widely considered one of the world’s finest ensembles, will perform timeless classics like Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “Auferstehung”, Tchaikovsky’s Suite from “Swan Lake”, Ravel’s “Pavane for a Dead Princess” and Copland’s Suite from “Appalachian Spring.”

The season highlights lesser-known, underappreciated pieces like Prokofiev’s Symphony Nos. 1 and 3, Strauss’ “The Happy Workshop”, Schubert’s Mass No. 6 and Debussy’s Suite from “Pelleas and Melisande,” all pieces ripe for rediscovery and reintroduction into Severance Hall. This season, the orchestra will perform several works they have never performed before, such as Strauss’s “Adriane Auf Naxos,” a comedic opera about a petty competition for public attention between a crude comedic group and a highbrow opera group.

In addition to Strauss’s 106-year-old opera, the orchestra will perform a new commission, “Pantheon” by Cleveland oboist Jeffrey Rathbun, that is hand-tailored to the abilities of the orchestra’s world class musicians.

Rathbun said his goal is to “feature the sections that make up the Orchestra both in individual solos, highlighting by section and combinations of sections … in essence, a pantheon of the highest artistic quality.”

Concert patrons can also look forward to the extensive list of praised guest conductors and soloists lined up for the year. Some of the guests are pianists Alexandre Tharaud, Yefim Bronfman, Lang Lang, Garrick Ohlsson and Mitsuko Uchida; conductors Alan Gilbert (New York Philharmonic) and Herbert Blomstedt (San Francisco Symphony) and violinist Leila Josefowicz.

It will be especially exciting to hear Josefowicz navigate American composer John Adams’ “Scheherazade.2”, a frantic, solo-violin-focused piece. The piece is inspired by Scheherazade, the narrator from One Thousand and One (Arabian) Nights, and her rebellion against a patriarchal society. The piece is written specifically for Josefowicz to perform.

In a statement, the orchestra’s Executive Director Andre Gremillet writes “2018-2019 can perhaps be thought of as a season of contrasts and continuing exploration…Works by new composers, discovering a fresh take on standard favorites, new artists, and returning friends.” There’s a lot of personality in the coming season, come to Severance Hall and share in the excitement.

Student tickets are $15 each and a season pass is $50, both can be purchased online or at the box office. The season schedule and other information can be found at the orchestra’s website.

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Bees, Picasso and slam poetry Fall Convocation speaker Sarah Kay on stage poetry, finding inspiration in unusual Yvonne Pan Staff Reporter Since 2002, Case Western Reserve University’s common reading book has served as a shared experience and catalyst for discussions among first-year students. Incoming students receive the book a few weeks prior to their arrival on campus and are given the remaining time to read and become familiar with it.

For the 17th annual common reading book, CWRU chose “No Matter the Wreckage” by Sarah Kay. Kay is a professional poet, founder and co-director of Project VOICE, performer and bestselling author. “No Matter the Wreckage,” a collection of poetry, bears a stark contrast to previous common reading books. Typically, these are non-fiction pieces, such as last year’s “Lafayette in the Somewhat United States” or 2015’s “Whistling Vivaldi.” Perhaps no one was more surprised with this selection than Kay herself.

“I didn’t understand what it meant at first,” Kay admits. “But after I discovered all these first-year students would be reading my book, I couldn’t believe it. It is a huge honor and made me feel like a writer.”

In addition to publishing four books of written poetry, Kay also writes stage poetry, a form distinct from written poetry.

“The best kind of art of any genre makes use of the form that it is in,” Kay said. “It is a terrible feeling when you read a book that would make a much better movie. A good book works as a book

and only works as a book. Nobody looks at a Picasso painting and says, that’s nice but I wish it were a photograph.”

Kay is widely known for her stage poetry, rising in popularity after her 2011 Ted Talk, “If I should have a daughter,” which garnered more than 11 million views. Her personable poetry has appeared in several other mediums, including the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” and on Uniqlo T-shirts.

Kay’s performances are powerful and prevalent; a quick Google search can confirm this, yielding dozens of her talks.

What make her performances so compelling are her beautifully crafted words and her presentation, suitable for every audience. She believes different audiences demand different types of poetry.

Kay explored a thriving poetry community while growing up in New York City. The city’s constant activity has allowed her to find inspiration for her works. The latest object of her fascination is a swarm of 20,000 bees that attacked a hot dog cart in Times Square last week.

“Apparently, there is a bee unit in the New York Police Department that even have their own Twitter, and they get called for bee emergencies and show up to vacuum bees without hurting them,” said Kay. Kay’s authenticity and enthusiasm shines in her poetry. She invites readers to explore her world, and her method of figuring out her world through her words. Her endless curiosity and unapologetic emotions make her relatable and refreshing.

Courtesy of Wikimedia Sarah Kay spoke at Fall Convocation on Aug. 29. Above, she is presenting at one of her many TED talks.

“My first impression of stage poetry was from a poetry slam that had a lot of loud men in it,” said Kay. “So I thought stage poetry had to be angry and aggressive. But I quickly found out through

performances by women and people of color that there is actually so much more.

And because of the diversity, I can find a version that is more authentic to who I am, which is not an aggressive male.”

“Late: A Cowboy Song” welcomes students back to CWRU Julia Knight Staff Reporter Sarah Ruhl, writer of the Eldred Theater’s past renditions of “Dead Man’s Cellphone” and “The Vibrator Play,” contemplates the boundaries of gender and the outer limits of love in “Late: A Cowboy Song.”

With childish charm and a roller-coaster romance, Ruhl transports audience members to a secluded home in the Pittsburgh area.

The show centers on the lives of Mary and Crick, played by fourth-year students Evan Adeen and Matt Thompson.

The opening scene features Crick’s frustration at Mary’s late return to their unassuming home. As the title suggests, being “late” is a recurring theme. A quick transition into the next segment depicts Mary’s anxiety about being late in a different way.

Although she is unsure of her feelings toward pregnancy, Crick quickly warms her up to the idea of marrying him, reminding

her that the couple has been naively lovestricken since the second grade. Thompson’s depiction of Crick’s boyish facial expressions and enthusiasm added to the innocence of the scene.

Their simple relationship is rapidly complicated by Mary’s cowgirl friend, Red, played by fourth-year theatre and English major Nailah Matthews. Matthews takes the character in an intriguing direction—a mysterious, androgynous cowboy who clearly cares for Mary. Red endeavors to help Mary experience life beyond the city limits, with horses, sunsets and cool nights, while Crick adamantly opposes these efforts.

Despite Crick’s outward resistance, Red and Mary’s friendship slowly picks up speed. There is an ever-growing contrast between Crick and Mary’s childlike interactions and Red and Mary’s more mature, introspective encounters. The audience watches as the chasm between Red and Mary’s world closes, while the rift between Mary and Crick broadens. Matthews did an

excellent job of subtly, yet gradually, displaying emotion toward Adeen, which made Red’s ultimate affection toward Mary strikingly impactful in the end.

Several scenes throughout the show depict Red singing lullabies to Mary and her newborn baby. The repeated lyric “who will cradle the sky to sleep / the cowboys will” stood out. The costume choices for Mary featured a pale blue dress which seemed to represent the sky, referenced in this song.

Later, she wore a bright yellow one, reminiscent of sunshine and of the sunset she watches with Red. Along the same lines, the lighting cues also used color as a symbolic tool. After an intense altercation with Mary, the end of the show features Crick sitting alone under a wash of red light. Crick’s anger toward Mary, and toward himself, is evident. The light signals this, along with the unwelcome and unmistakable manifestation of Red in his life.

The transitions between scenes were

often awkwardly long, and sometimes executed in total silence, which tended to disrupt the flow from one scene the next.

One part of the play features a run-through of several holidays in rapid succession.

The hasty effect could have been better achieved if lighting cues occurred more quickly and without pauses.

The performance was well-executed in many ways, but left me longing for faster transitions both logistically and rhetorically.

I left the show questioning the big-picture idea, which led me to believe that the production lacked cohesion and a clear vision for each scene and storyline. With profoundly talented actors and thoughtful lighting and costume choices, I hope that future shows will accomplish this feat.

Show: “Late: A Cowboy Song” Group: Department of Theatre Performance: Aug. 31, Sept. 1 Rating:

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Poetry for people who hate poetry Dave Lucas

Interpol’s “Marauder” is a tour de force Matt Hooke Arts and Entertainment Editor

This the first monthly column from Case Western Reserve University full-time lecturer and Ohio Poet Laureate Dave Lucas. The column will appear in other publications.

“I, too, dislike it.” - Marianne Moore, “Poetry But you don’t hate it.

At least that’s what I hope you’ll discover as you read this column.

I don’t want to convince you that you should love poetry. I want to convince you that you already do.

If you know by heart the lyrics to your favorite song, you already love one kind of poetry. You love another whenever you laugh at a joke or groan over a bad pun.

The jargon of your profession and the slang you speak with friends are poetry.

So are the metaphors we use to describe this world we all are trying to understand.

For instance: we are so immersed in poetry that to hate it would be like a fish hating water.

Silly and inexact as it may be, that simile—this is like that—is a poetic gesture, a comparison that attempts to present an abstract idea in concrete terms. My metaphor might not be good poetry, but it’s still poetry.

Poetry is a name for the pleasure we take in the language we hear and speak, read and write. We savor words for their music as well as what they mean, the wonderful alchemy of their sound and sense together, even as we use them for the most mundane, practical purposes.

We find poetry in poems, of course— “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”, “My soul has grown deep like the rivers”—but we find it elsewhere too.

In this column you’ll encounter traditional and nontraditional poems alike.

But I also hope that the words we will share, both in poems and about poems, can welcome you to the pleasures and challenges—the poetry—of words, wherever we find them.

Let me offer an example: I teach a course called Poetry for People Who Hate Poetry, from which this column has evolved. On the first day of class we introduce ourselves: name, major, hometown, etc. But then I ask each student a strange icebreaker. What is your favorite word?

They hesitate. What an odd question.

They look for the door. Just pick one, I tell them. It won’t be etched in stone; you don’t have to get it tattooed on you.

So—if a bit suspiciously—they do.

“Serendipity,” they say. “Defenestrate.” They say “Home.” “Dream.”

Their responses often divide them into two camps: some choose a word because they “just like the way it sounds.”

Others select a word that holds some personal meaning for them in addition to its “dictionary definition.”

Readers of poetry tend to divide along similar lines, as the poet and critic James Fenton has observed. There are “those who, confronted with what appears to be like a code, insist that they must crack it, and those who are happy to listen to the spell, without inquiring too closely what it might mean.”

That “spell,” as Fenton calls it, was cast on all of us long ago. It is the spell

Courtesy of Pixabay Many people claim to dislike poetry, despite its large presence in pop culture. not only of poetry but of words themselves. We love the way words sound; we are bound to them by what they mean.

Poetry happens—in metaphors or jokes or in poems themselves—at that place where sound and sense blur into each other.

We may not realize that we are under the spell of poetry, because poetry is made of ordinary language (if language can ever be ordinary). Some words we use to toast a wedding or to bless the dead; others we use to order a pizza.

Language is the medium of our speech and thought and being, so it is natural that we would take pleasure in it. It is also natural to take that same pleasure—not to mention its profundity—for granted.

Poetry indeed offers us pleasure, but it can offer much more than that. I believe that poetry can be a way of making meaning of our lives and of the lives of others.

We do this with words, even as words themselves remain a mystery. Stare at any word for a while, say it again and again to yourself, and it becomes a foreign language. Its meaning bleeds from it, and the word reclaims its original and utter strangeness.

“Every word was once a poem,” Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in 1844.

“Every new relation is a new word.”

Emerson is being a bit poetic himself here, if not entirely obtuse. I think he means that, just as Adam and Eve named the animals in the story of the garden, so we find ourselves always in the act of trying to name our world.

Twenty years ago the word “bling” was just a clever nugget of slang from a half-forgotten hip-hop song of the ‘80s.

Now, thanks to the Cash Money Millionaires and digital media, we find it in the Oxford English Dictionary, the definitive record of the English language. I can even type “bling” into Microsoft Word without worrying about the red squiggly line warning me of a spelling error. It is a part of speech, a kind of poetry.

If indeed poetry is a name for the pleasure of language, it is also a way of trying to name the world.

Simple sounds in the air or marks on a page become profound human com-

edy and tragedy, the scripts for our most beautiful and awful acts. These marks and sounds can be “Hamlet” and the “Letter from Birmingham Jail;” they can be “Mein Kampf.”

How those marks and sounds become so much more is a process of transformation that remains miraculous to me even now, some twenty years after first falling in love with poetry. They remain my way of making sense of my world, of myself and of you—stranger, reader, friend—too.

Not all of us read poems. Not everyone needs poems. I believe we all need poetry, though, because we need language. We need to communicate, and we need just as much the pleasure and meaning it can offer to our lives.

Some people find such meaning in their faith, in logic or science, in a career or a political ideology, or some combination thereof.

I never found the meaning I needed in those places. I do find it in poetry, in the art of language itself. I find it when Walt Whitman writes “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you” or when Toni Morrison says “All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.”

This is why I want to share poetry with you in whatever form we might find it. I hope you will find some of it in reading this column. I hope you will find even more in listening to the words you hear and those you speak every day.

There and here, I hope you will find a kind of poetry that you can love, or even some that you have loved all along.

Dave Lucas is the author of “Weather,” which received the 2012 Ohioana Book Award for Poetry. Named by Rita Dove as one of 13 “young poets to watch,” he has also received a Discovery/The Nation Prize and a Cleveland Arts Prize. In 2018 he was named the second Poet Laureate of the State of Ohio. A co-founder of Brews + Prose at Market Garden Brewery and Cleveland Book Week, he lives in Cleveland, where he was born and raised.

Headshot courtesty of Heidi Rolf

Interpol’s latest album “Marauder,” their first since 2014’s “El Pintor,” is a fantastic record that showcases what the trio does best. The album came out while the band toured in honor of the 15th anniversary of their classic debut album “Turn on the Bright Lights.”

The band could easily rest on its laurels and attempt to just walk the path they already made in music. The band enlisted producer David Fridman, most known for his work with the Flaming Lips, for their sixth album. Fridman’s presence marks the first time in over ten years that the trio has had an outsider behind the boards, and the new perspective shows in some of their most vital music yet.

Guitarist Daniel Kessler’s performance is a highlight of the entire album.

His guitar work provides the bedrock for much of the music on the 44 minute record. His jagged melodic lines on the lead single “The Rover” immediately sets the tone for the energetic track to follow. Drummer Sam Fogarino and singer and bassist Paul Banks create a looping groove that immediately lodges itself in the listener’s ear. Around this basic rhythm, they add different textures throughout, continually inserting waves of distortion and guitar phrases.

Lyrically Banks describes the character of “the rover” a traveling charismatic cult leader. Banks’ lyrics are abstract and difficult to decipher, fitting the mad, demented character he inhabits perfectly.

“Complications” much like “The Rover” begins with a great guitar introduction. Here, however, the groove has more space. There are fewer waves of distortion, with a more relaxed energy replacing the frenetic insanity of “The Rover”—a musical reflection of the lyrical differences between the two pieces.

Interpol takes advantage of the extra time on “Complications” by filling in the space between the staccato rhythmic chord stabs with tasteful guitar lines.

The band takes a break after the second chorus for a bridge repeating the refrain “sliding up the street.” The trio uses this opportunity to deconstruct the groove.

They remove every instrument except for one guitar and a simple hi-hat figure before bringing all the instruments back together again. This sudden shift from a quiet, sparse figure to a full, heavy sound feels like a freight train barging through a sleepy suburb.

Despite these highlights, and the fantastic tunes the band sprinkles throughout the album, “Marauder” could have benefited from some quality control.

The two ambient interludes feel like lethargic apperictions on the exciting road trip the group is taking the listener on. They add nothing to the tracks that precede and follow them, and do not work well on their own. For most of “Marauder,” Interpol is locked in with a raw vibrant sound that hits more than it misses.

Album: “Maraurder” Artist: Interpol Release: Aug. 24 Rating:

a&e 11

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Amine rocks Tink Ballroom at the first UPB concert of the semester Henry Brandon Staff Reporter

Last Friday night’s Amine performance in the ballroom of the Tinkham Veale University Center kicked off the fall semester in style. The rapper from Portland, Oregon led the crowd through songs from his catalogue mixed with a few choice covers. A mashup of TLC’s “No Scrubs” and Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” lit up the crowd around 10 minutes into his set, setting the tone for the energetic show to come.

Other highlights included Amine’s song “Spice Girl” followed by 30 seconds of “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls, a standout performance of “Yellow” (featuring Nelly, who did not appear) and the startling chorus of “Caroline.”

The show, originally scheduled for the Thwing Ballroom, moved to the Tinkham Veale University Center Ballroom to accommodate the large amount of interest in the show. Expectations and prior knowledge of Amine varied for the 800 students that went to University Program Board’s (UPB) first UPBeats concert of the semester.

Those that knew Amine were mostly excited about his performance.

“I’d heard very good things about Amine live, and he fulfilled them,” said third-year student Bobby Bruno. Bruno described Aminé’s performance of his 2017 hit “Caroline” as “absolutely in-

Henry Bendon/Observer Amine performing at UPBeats Rap Night, the first UPB concert of the semester. The concert moved from the Thwing Center to the Tinkham Veale University Center because of a large amount of interest. sane.” The song began slowly and played for a full minute before the beat dropped.

Even some that weren’t expecting much found the concert to be enjoyable.

Third-year student Clara Mueller said that the show exceeded her expectations.

She emphasized that the larger venue gave people space to move around, instead of the claustrophobic atmosphere associated with many indoor concerts.

Reactions were not universally posi-

tive, however. Amine’s tendency to cut the beat and let the crowd sing his songs was a little more self indulgent than some attendees were hoping for.

Additionally, his stage time, which began around 9:25 p.m. and ended around 10:15 p.m., left some people wanting more. “[UPB] brings in great talent, but they aren’t on stage for as long as I’d like them to be,” said second-year student Max Berky.

Very early on Amine stopped the music to spread some self love within the crowd. He yelled “you’re beautiful” into the crowd, and had the crowd respond with “I know.” This call and response crept back in throughout the show, including near the end, and most people left happy and feeling good.

“Everyone in that room was beautiful,” said Bobby Bruno while leaving the venue, “including Amine.”

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Can you find all these words related to articles in this issue?

STRIKE MEANINGLESS STRAW HISTORY LIFESTYLE ETHICS TWINKLE ORCHESTRA VOICE COWBOY POET INCLUSION HEAT WASTE CAREER DEFEAT

Sagittarius On the Road in America

Capricorn E-Lit: New Media Narrative

Aquarius Decision Making in Everyday Life

Pisces The Tobacco Wars

14

sports

9/7/18

Athlete Spotlight

Upcoming Second-year football player all about the team CWRU Sporting E vents the team. One of his most memorable Niko Kamlet Staff Reporter

If you ask most athletes what their favorite part of playing sports is, their answer is likely the team. Second-year safety Nick Kadlecik is no different in this aspect, as he longs to be part of something truly special. His time with the team allowed him to enjoy his first year at Case Western Reserve University, and luckily he has three more thrilling years to come.

Kadlecik fondly remembers his West Allegheny High School coach teaching his players to really “buy into” the program. This lesson from his former coach is what spurred Kadlecik’s passion for football.

During Kadlecik’s first year, he saw playing time in five games and had two interceptions. The interceptions came in back-to-back weeks against Geneva College and Washington University in St. Louis. In addition, he earned recognition for the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Although he has some great individual accomplishments, Kadlecik is quick to reiterate the accomplishments of

games was one he did not even play in.

Carnegie Mellon University, arguably CWRU’s fiercest rival, was set up in victory formation, but Kadlecik’s teammates managed to draw a penalty, force a punt, block that punt and score the winning touchdown. This was a great example that even in the darkest moments, when you play as a team, you should never give up.

Off the field, Kadlecik is pursuing a chemical engineering degree.

“I am majoring in chemical engineering mainly because of my father,” he said. “I have always been intrigued by developing something and making it. That is why I want to be an engineer.”

Kadlecik made it clear that his parents drive him to do well because they are professional, funny and caring.

They are who he wants to grow up to be.

Of course, athletes’ lives are about more than sports and academics.

Although Kadlecik is not involved in any other clubs or organizations on campus, he previously considered getting involved in Greek Life. Most of Kadlecik’s free time consists of watching television shows like “The Office” and “Game of Thrones.”

Football

Sep. 15 at Grove City College Sep. 22 Thiel College Sep. 29 at Westminster College

Volleyball

Courtesy of CWRU Athletics Kadlecik, a second-year safety, values the camaraderie of the team. Buying into the program is something that he values and is what drives him to play football.

Editor’s Choice

Women’s soccer bounces back, defends home turf Sanjay Annigeri Staff Reporter The Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team bounced back from their loss in the season opener against Kenyon College on Aug. 31 by defeating cross-town rivals John Carroll University at home 3-0 on Sunday, Sept. 2.

The match against Kenyon started off slow as the teams tried to get back into their rhythm after the offseason.

Kenyon found their rhythm before CWRU, with second-year forward Samantha Hayes scoring an unassisted goal at the 22 minute mark. Hayes scored another goal at the 58 minute mark with an assist from fourth-year defensive back Meredith Rogers.

The Spartans were able to make a push late in the match as first-year forward Christina Hickson scored a goal at the 86 minute mark.

Even with the 12-10 advantage on shots and the 6-5 advantage on corners, CWRU was unable to make up the one goal difference and ultimately lost the contest.

After Friday’s loss, Head Coach Tiffany Crooks said that the team made no adjustments in-game.

“We watched the film, focused on a few breakdowns and a few things we wanted to find ways to do more often.

Every game presents different problems to solve…. Sunday’s problems we did a better job solving than we did on Friday,” she said.

As Crooks alluded to, the Spartans bounced back with determination.

Second-year midfielder Lizzy Barna kicked off the scoring with an early goal at the 18 minute mark from a pass by third-year forward Kimberly Chen. At

Sep. 7 & 8 CWRU Invitational Sep. 12 at University of Mount Union Sep. 14 & 15 at Buffalo State Bengal Challenge Sep. 19 at Baldwin Wallace University Sep. 21 & 22 at Heidelberg University

Women’s Soccer

Sep. 8 at Ohio Northern University Sep. 12 Hiram College Sep. 15 Chatham University Sep. 18 at Wooster College

Men’s Soccer

Sep. 7 Geneva College Sep. 8 at Oberlin College Sep. 12 at John Carroll University Sep. 15 Capital University Sep. 19 Heidelberg University

Cross Country

Sep. 15 Gator Invitational at Allegheny College Sep. 29 All-Ohio Championship at University of Akron Observer Archives The women’s soccer team defended DiSanto Field this past weekend, defeating John Carrol at home. the 51 minute mark, Chen jumped into the action also, scoring off of a shot by fourth-year forward Melanie Kukura which was saved. Hickson would add the finishing touches and another goal to her college resume, as she scored at the 56 minute mark from a Kukura assist.

John Carroll was unable to score because of the defense of second-year goalkeeper Lauren Metz and third-year goalkeeper Lauren Unterborn, who combined for seven saves and the shutout.

“The second half of John Carroll we played with a winner’s mentality,” Crooks said. “That is what we need to have every day, including practice and games.”

The Spartans finished the week with a win and a loss, bringing their overall record to 1-1.

The team will travel to Ada, Ohio to face No. 8 Ohio Northern University on Saturday, Sept. 8 and will return back to action on DiSanto Field on Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. against Hiram College.

“We’ll be watching film on [Ohio Northern and Hiram] to get a sense of what we can expect in terms of shape and players to watch,” Crooks said. “But, our main focus will be on us and the identity we’re trying to develop in ourselves. We won’t change what we’re doing but we’ll raise the bar some on ourselves.”

Men’s Tennis

Sep. 8 & 9 at Kenyon Invitational Sep. 14-16 at Oberlin Invitational Sep. 14-16 at Cincinnati Collegiate Invitational

Women’s Tennis Sep. 7-9 at Oberlin Invitational Sep. 21-24 ITA Central Regional Championships at Kalamazoo College

sports

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Men’s soccer splits Volleyball starts season with solid games to open season wins David Chang Staff Reporter

Andrew Ford Sports Editor Through their first four games of the 2018 season, the Case Western Reserve University volleyball team is an even 2-2.

The Spartans kicked off their season with the Ohio Northern Tournament overon Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, winning one and losing one each day.

In their season opener, the team beat Defiance College in four sets. The Spartans had a balanced offensive attack, with three players recording at least 10 kills each, led by third-year outside hitter Karley King with 12. Second-year libero Anna Jaskoviak had a team-high 22 digs to pace the defense in the back row. Thirdyear middle hitter Haley Sims dominated the middle of the court, recording kills on 12 of her 20 opportunities with only one error and blocking four total balls.

The second game of the day against Thomas More College proved to be more of a challenge. This time the Spartans were on the wrong side of scoreboard, falling in four sets. Thomas More’s offense was too deadly for CWRU to handle. They converted almost 30 percent of their offensive opportunities while the Spartans were successful only on 16 percent of theirs.

King again led the offense, this time managing 13 kills. Second-year middle hitter Katie Kaminski had seven kills.

Defensive specialist Karina Bondelid had nine digs and third-year outside hitter Brianna Lemon had eight. Ellis contributed 18 assists. “[Thomas More is] just very, very good in all aspects of the game,” Head Coach Karen Farrell said. “They’ll do quite well this year.”

That night, the team had a relaxing dinner at first-year right side hitter Kassie Blank’s house. Farrell was very appreciative of the family for offering their hospitality to the team and providing a lovely meal.

On the following day, CWRU opened against host Ohio Northern University,

a team ranked 19th in the country. The Spartans won the first two sets, but the top-20 team stormed back to win the next three sets and take the match.

Lemon finished with 16 kills, while King again had 13. Third-year setter Faith Ellis notched 30 assists and Jaskoviak led the team with 27 digs. Lemon also added 20 digs. Second-year defensive specialist Alara Suctu had 16 digs. “[Ohio Northern] just out-offensed us,” Farrell said. “But I thought we competed very hard... We were solid, they were just better.”

Against a top-25 team, it is hard to complain with such a competitive outcome. Even though the result didn’t fall their way, Farrell was proud of the level her team played at.

The Spartans finished the tournament on a high note, sweeping Bluffton University 25-23, 25-17 and 25-20.

Lemon had a team-high 10 kills. Ellis had a solid game, with 19 assists and six digs. Sims finished with eight kills and two blocks.

Farrell was extremely pleased with the play of the team this weekend. They beat the teams they were better than and competed against nationally recognized teams.

Through the first four games, it seems that the team’s success depends on one stat: kill percentage. In every one of the Spartans’ games, the team with the higher kill percentage won. This does not come as surprise, since games are often won based on who can hit at the net better.

In the season preview, Farrell discussed the battle for the second setter position.

It looks like second-year setter Jordyn Harberts won that battle, at least for the time being. Harberts walked on to the team this year after a year playing club volleyball. Her height and skill set earned her the nod as a regular rotation player.

Jaskoviak is adjusting to a new position this year, but has shown no signs of weakness. Farrell praised her servereceive abilities as well as her positive, motivating attitude on the court.

The Spartans will return to the court on Sept.

7 and 8 at home for the CWRU Invitational.

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To the start the season, fourth-year forward Alex Besl showed the Marietta College Pioneers who the real pioneers of turning song lyrics to life are. With his last shot, he “turned the 0-2 to the 0-3” to seal the game.

On Aug. 31, the Case Western Reserve University men’s soccer team took on Marietta College at home and won 3-0 to start their season. However, the team then lost 1-0 in a tight game against the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio on Sept. 2.

The Spartans relentlessly pushed the ball to start their season opener, attempting three shots in the first six minutes. Eventually, one of the shots found the net, as a corner from second-year midfielder Connor Weber and three headers to keep the ball away from the defense set up an opening for second-year forward Maximillian Klemm to drill in his shot to the left corner for the Spartans’ first goal of the season.

“We changed practice to play more aggressive, so our mindset translated [into the game] and we came off the right foot...we were the aggressor,” said third-year midfielder Brian Woo. The team then used the momentum from the first goal to further break Marietta’s defense. A cross from Besl to second-year forward Seldon Magruder led the opposing goalie to come up for the tackle, and thirdyear midfielder Garrett Winter shot the ball off the deflection past the goalkeeper. Backto-back goals within a minute deflated the Pioneers’ confidence.

Marietta picked up the pace in the second

half, but the Spartan defense and offense was too much for the Pioneers. Like the first half of the game, the ball was played mainly on CWRU’s side of the field for most of the second half. The Pioneers took some desperate long shots, but none of the shots or corners connected. First-year goalie Charlie Fink had three saves and earned his first shutout in his debut.

To put the icing on the cake, Besl took advantage of the Marietta’s careless play by intercepting a kick from the Pioneers goalkeeper. Beating out the opposing defender with his speed, Besl took possession and swiftly shot it into the goal while the opposing goalie was taken aback from his kick. Besl’s energy demonstrated that the Spartans’ motor does not let up even in the last twenty minutes of the game when the team is up by 2 points.

In the game against Mount Union, both teams exchanged shots to start the game.

At the 37 minute mark, the Spartans committed a foul in the box, allowing Mount Union to score the only goal of the game off of a penalty kick.

The Spartans tried to mount a comeback in the second half by taking seven shots, but Mount Union managed to finish the game with a clean sheet. The Spartan defense was solid, allowing only 3 shots in the game with Fink saving one.

“We’re still working on managing small moments so we could execute [our] chances,” commented Woo. The Spartans will play their next game at the Disanto Field against Geneva College on Sept. 7 then head to Oberlin, Ohio for a game against Oberlin College the following day.

Cleveland Browns expect slow, steady improvement Andrew Ford Sports Editor Disappointing does not adequately describe the Cleveland Browns’ 2017 campaign. They became just the second team in NFL history to lose all 16 regular season games. The Browns finally hit rock bottom. Quite literally, they can only go up from here.

Luckily, such a torrid season granted them the first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, while they also owned the fourth pick in the draft via a trade with the Houston Texans the year prior (a trade which landed the Texans superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson).

With the first pick, after much public debate about who the correct choice should be, the Browns went against popular sentiment and selected the Oklahoma Sooner star and Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield.

Mayfield is a competitor who played with a chip on his shoulder in college. Given the quarterback struggles the Browns have had for two decades, there was a lot of pressure on General Manager John Dorsey to get this pick right. Mayfield is a proven winner, something the Browns have lacked throughout their organization for a long time. There was much debate about who the most talented quarterback in the draft was, but Mayfield is a great choice for a franchise that needs someone who can go out and win games. When his time comes, he will do just that.

But Mayfield will not start right away.

The Browns traded for Tyrod Taylor, an experienced quarterback who took the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs last season. Head Coach Hue Jackson gave Taylor the starting nod for the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Taylor is a solid quarterback and is

the correct starter for opening day. He does not throw many interceptions and is accurate at short and intermediate throws, but he won’t make explosive plays. Additionally, he is a great mentor for Mayfield and will give the rookie time to develop without costing the team games.

As mentioned earlier, the Browns also had the fourth pick, which they used on cornerback Denzel Ward from Ohio State University.

Ward will provide much needed help to a secondary that lacked talent at the position last year. And in a division that touts two of the best receivers in the league in Antonio Brown and A.J. Green, his pass coverage skills are a necessity. To help bolster the defensive back unit, the Browns also traded away quarterback Deshone Kizer for safety Damarious Randall from the Green Bay Packers. On the defensive line, Myles Garrett will look to continue to wreck offensive lines in his second year in the league and will emerge as a top-10 edge rusher in the league this year. Likewise, they added offensive weapons Jarvis Landry at wide receiver and Carlos Hyde at running back.

While these are notable additions, this is still not much different from the team that a year ago failed to muster a single victory.

And although the defense looked stout in the preseason, nobody knows if that will transfer to the regular season. Undoubtedly, the 2018 Browns will secure at least one victory this year. But should their fan base expect significant improvement? Probably not. My prediction is the Browns will finish the year with a 5-11 record and will again have a top10 pick in the draft. But fans will see a budding talent base that, with continued development and additional talent, will compete in years to come. Just not this year.

sports Spartans sting Yellowjackets in opener

Chris Heerman/Observer The Spartans dominated Rochester in their first game of the season. First-year quarterback Drew Saxton (4) and fifth-year wide receiver Giuseppe Orsini (19) are two contributors to their new-look offense. The student section was fired up for the home opener.

Riley Simko Contributing Reporter The Case Western Reserve University football team took the field by storm on Sept. 1, beating the University of Rochester Yellowjackets 38-10.

The home game was attended by a massive amount of CWRU fans, and Residence Life and the Greek Life offices teamed up to kick off the game with a tailgate party for students.

As they enter this season, the team is looking to “defend its Presidents’ Athletic Conference and University Athletic Association Championships, and make a second-straight appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs” and winning this game put them on the right path to do both, according to the CWRU Athletics website.

J’Niah Johnston, a second-year football fan watching from the student section, said, “I am extremely happy to be back here at CWRU, especially for the Saturday football games. The team is looking very good this year and Colt Morgan is making exceptional plays. I am truly looking forward to the rest of the season.”

Fellow second-year student Kate Schultheis agreed. “The Spartans are putting on quite the show for their first game. It’s good to be back and see them playing some good football,” she said.

The Yellowjackets scored first, putting the ball in the end zone early in the first quarter. Their lead did not last long, and the Spartans tied up the score with a few minutes remaining in the quarter. The two teams entered the second quarter at tied at 7, and the Spartans quickly scored two more touchdowns. Rochester made a field goal with a few minutes left in the first half, making the score 21-10, but it wasn’t enough, and the Spartans drove it home with another touchdown before halftime.

The Spartans played in a slight drizzle throughout the first half, locking up a score of 28-10 by halftime. As part of the first game festivities, third-year student Brian Holden was selected at random to do a halftime field goal kick.

The kick went wide right but had great distance, and the crowd went wild.

Despite fierce efforts throughout the third quarter, neither team scored.

The Spartans padded their lead with a field goal and another touchdown in the fourth quarter, reaching 38 points, while the Yellowjackets did not score.

In the last quarter, first-year student Ian Wilson, a member of the brass section in the CWRU Spartan Marching Band, provided perspective on his first college football game.

“It was fun. I enjoyed watching the team win,” he said. Looking around at the rest of the band lining the home stands and playing wildly for each Spartan score, he added with a laugh,

“The band was pretty good.”

The Spartans wrapped up their first game of the season, winning 38-10 against the Yellowjackets.

CWRU sent first-year quarterback Drew Saxton out to start the game, and he did not disappoint. He threw for 234 yards and ran for a score. Thirdyear quarterback Ryan Coolidge also manned the offense, but he did most of his damage on the ground, running for 50 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw for a touchdown in the game.

Fourth-year wide receiver Justin Phan tore up the field, catching a whopping 14 passes for 116 yards, picking up where he left off last season when he led the team with 62 receptions and 773 receiving yards.

The Spartans were stifling on the defensive side of the ball, holding the Yellowjackets to a mere 40 rushing yards.

After the game, Reed Gurschenson, a third-year lineman, said, “We made a couple mistakes here and there. We played pretty physical, but we got the job done. That’s the most important part.”

With this week’s win, the football team moved up in the ranks from No. 23 to No. 22 in the Division III football standings, according to D3football.com.

Next week the team has a bye. They return to the field on Sept. 15 to play an away game against Grove City College.

Saturday, Sept. 1 CWRU

Rochester

38 10 Fast Facts

220

Rushing Yards

321 Passing Yards

1 rception Inte Sacks 2