The Observer, Volume L, Issue 11, 11/9/18 by The Observer

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Case Western Reserve University volume L, issue 11 friday, 11/9/2018

Observer Third-year student shot on South Side Two suspects taken into custody after shooting student in torso

Sophia Yakumithis News Editor On the night of Nov. 3, a Case Western Reserve University student was shot in a parking lot on Murray Hill Road during a carjacking incident which escalated into a shootout with police. A press conference to address the incident was held by President Barbara Snyder, Vice President for Student Affairs Lou Stark, CWRU Police Chief Jay Hodge, University Circle Inc. President Chris Ronayne, University Circle Police Department Chief Jim Repicky, Councilman Blaine A. Griffin and representative from University Hospitals surgical leadership on Sunday, followed by an additional update from Snyder, Stark and Hodge later in the evening. CWRU Student Affairs and Public Safety also released a joint statement on Monday confirming that the victim was moved out of intensive care the previous night and is now physically responsive. Just after 8 p.m., the CWRU Police responded to reports of a gunshot victim in

a parking lot in South Residential Village. Upon arrival, the officers found a student who reportedly encountered two youths in the lot who attempted to steal the student’s car. After shooting the third-year student in the stomach, the suspects fled before police could arrive on the scene. The City of Cleveland and University Circle Police Departments connected with CWRU’s force in the lot shortly after. At 8:15 p.m., the UCPD reported that the two suspects were apprehended in the vicinity of East 120th Street and Coltman Road. One exchanged fire with officers and, while none of the UCPD officers were injured, the suspect was shot. The officers then proceeded to secure the scene and gathered evidence and information from those present during the shooting. Both Javon Williams and Shamar Smiley have been charged with attempted murder. Williams is held in county jail on $1 million bond, while Smiley, who was shot by UCPD and transported to the hospital, was charged on Tuesday after a release from the hospital. Hodge said that the three police forces frequently work together and have a “strong,

Jack Lewis/Observer The Phi Delta Theta house on Murray Hill Road. The nighttime shooting on Saturday, Nov. 3 occured on the road near the house. collaborative working relationship.” Residents on South Side had difficulty comprehending the situation, but according to Co-Director of Residence Life Stephen “Skip” Begley, Resident Assistants (RAs) did their best to help students with their emotions. “The RAs have reported that many students just wanted to talk through what had happened, how it made them feel and what they could do to help,” he said. “The RAs did a lot of listening and made referrals to campus resources, such as University Counseling Services or the Interreligious Council, for those students who needed more support.” The University offers an on-call service

to those living in campus housing, which is answered by the Office of Residence life during business hours. At night and on weekends, though, different levels of staff respond to those calls. At the time of the shooting, RAs were not on call, only Supervisors On-Call (SOCs). Begley said that SOCs were notified about the incident and responded to CWRU’s management of the situation. “The severity of the incident and its location meant that CWRU Police and University leadership took on the most active roles in responding to the incident,” he explained. Although the CWRU police officers are presently working to respond to dangerous situations with greater safety measures on

Jackson Rudoff/Observer (L to R) University Circle (UC) Inc. President Chris Ronayne, CWRU PD Chief Jay Hodge and UCPD Chief Jim Repicky look on during a press conference. campus, Hodge says there is always room for improvement due to the “ebb and flow” of crime frequency on or near campus. “Incidents overall were significantly lower in 2017 than in the previous two years, but incidents like this weekend’s shooting powerfully demonstrate that numbers alone do not define the security of a community,” said Hodge. Hodge also explained that various safety measures like the CWRU Shield app, a 30 percent increase in security cameras since 2015 and training opportunities like

A.L.I.C.E. are effective, but the department wants to do even more to keep students safe. Third-year student Libby Schubert shared their concerns on potentially increasing police presence on campus out of what they consider to be a “reactionary response from the University.” They said, “I have concern for how it will make persons of color on and off campus feel in terms of their personal safety, even though I cannot personally speak from their perspective.”

News

A&E

Opinion

Sports

pg. 3 Prioritizing mental health

pg. 7 Experiencing a seance

pg. 11 Improving alert times

pg. 15 Soccer secures playoff berth

to SHOOTING I 2

Jackson Rudoff/Observer President Barbara Snyder speaking during a press conference on Sunday.

news Trumponomics 3.0 panel clarifies confusing national policies

Jack Lewis/Observer

During Trumponomics 3.0 held at the Happy Dog, panelists discussed how the policies of the Trump Administration affected the economy in five areas.

Jack Heneghan Staff Reporter Our current president confuses a lot of people. Experts on the news struggle to explain various policies which can elicit explanationless feelings in regards to the questions the general public may have. In an attempt to explain national policies under the Trump Administration, the Weatherhead Economics Society’s Trumponomics 3.0 took on Happy Dog on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. and tried to resolve various long asked questions. Five panelists spoke on different matters of economic and political expertise. Mark Sniderman spoke on national debt, Paul Schroeder analyzed trade, David Clingingsmith spoke about immigration, Mark Votruba discussed healthcare and Daniel Shoag discussed fiscal policy. At the event’s conclusion, the panelists

from SHOOTING | 1 To make the campus community aware of responses to the incident, three security alerts were sent out between 8:50 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Saturday. The first alert came almost an hour after the student was shot in the torso, while the third notified the community that the student’s parents were made aware of the incident. The timing of these alerts raised additional concerns among students fearful for their safety with the prospect of an active shooter on campus. At Sunday’s second press conference, Snyder and Hodge addressed this issue. Snyder said she had not been made aware of the situation until about the time the first

addressed the audience’s questions as well. Sniderman portrayed a grim reality of the president’s financial policy. Sniderman holds that tax cuts could help boost the U.S. economy in the short run, but will not lead to long term benefits and could increase the budget deficit tremendously. He projects that the national debt will equal the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by the year 2026. “[President Donald] Trump made a big deal about reducing debt,” he said, “but Trump’s economic plan makes it larger and puts us at a disadvantage if we want to make any headway on reducing our trade imbalance.” Meanwhile, Schroeder focused on U.S. trade, specifically with China. He mentioned Chinese retaliation against tariffs, which he said hurts American businesses that trade with China. He analyzed this in the scope of soybean farming. According to Schroeder, China’s soybean market has dropped 90 percent; a point where soybeans in America are piling up

and essentially rotting outside silos. He mentioned one soybean farmer specifically who lost $250,000 as a result of Chinese retaliation. “History does not look kindly on America in this trade war,” said Schroeder. Votruba spent the first half of his talk giving a basic explanation of different aspects of the Affordable Care Act and what did and didn’t work. He also mentioned having the privilege to speak to one of the authors of the act … in a public restroom. As one of the few people excited to see Trump’s healthcare plan, which Votruba hoped would “give everyone beautiful coverage,” he now admits he was wrong in this prediction. Clingingsmith touched on the Trump Administration’s relationship with immigration and called claims that “immigrants steal jobs and commit crimes” lies. He said that Trump is using immigrants as scapegoats to win over those who have been economically left

behind. He went on to suggest that immigrants often do not replace jobs but rather take on vacant positions or those which are complementary to jobs they are already familiar with. Clingingsmith said that one of the few areas were immigrants do increase competition lies in the American population lacking a high school diploma. Deficit and tax cuts were brought up in Shoag’s portion of the panel. On tax reform, he believes that the system is no more equal, but it is much simpler. He also explained that while America still has one of the highest corporate tax rates, it also has many loopholes, so effectively no one is paying complete taxes. One of his concerns is the unprecedented increase in national deficit during such an economic boom. Shoag ended his talk encouragingly, stating that our current economic situation is one of the best times to graduate college and enter the job market.

alert was sent out, while Hodge explained that the department’s priorities were to first tend to the student, and second, warn the campus community. He said that moving forward, CWRU Police will be more proactive in warning students to avoid areas on campus if need be, but ultimately the department will ensure the victim is helped before alerts are sent out. Students’ rights to bear arms for self defense purposes was another topic discussed at Sunday night’s follow up broadcast, and Snyder said the University does not support the notion, citing a Johns Hopkins University study which found firearms to be ineffective means of protection amongst students on college campuses. Tyler Thieding, a third-year student, dis-

agreed with the President. “I would feel much less vulnerable if I had a weapon to protect myself, especially when walking by myself after dark in areas with minimal security or police presence,” he said. “I pray that I’d never have to use force against a perpetrator. However, simply knowing that students may be armed and willing to defend themselves would incentivize criminals to search for other targets.” According to Undergraduate Student Government (USG) President Maya Rao, USG has not yet spoken with the central administration regarding the incident. “I think the University has improved greatly in terms of response to crisis situations,” she said, “however, there is still work

to be done in terms of ensuring that nonpersonnel based forms of safety are held to a consistently high standard. We hope to further discuss the topic of safety and security in our upcoming [executive] meeting and our General Assembly on Tuesday, and we should have more information on any forthcoming action afterwards.” Rao said that USG is also working on several initiatives which address issues tied to Saturday’s shooting, including lighting on campus, real time updates for Greenies and shuttles, increasing the University’s Safe Ride fleet, advocating for more prompt and informative alerts and expanding transparency between CWRU Police, the administration and the student body.

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Students attempt to prioritize mental health

Justin Hu Staff Reporter

Managing time is often a tug of war for students at Case Western Reserve University. On one hand, students value rest, a social life and relaxation; on the other, it’s academics, clubs and research opportunities. Although students know that both are important, reminders about the increasingly competitive professional world can become a distraction which often pushes work to the forefront while self-care is relegated to the back seat. “My main source of stress is definitely performing well in classes,” said Margaret Zimmer, a first-year student majoring in accounting. “Sometimes, I wish there are more hours in a day. Then I would have time for homework, clubs and all the fun events on campus.” Statistics major Chloe Jen, a second-year student, echoed a similar sentiment. “Common sources of stress often arise from not just the abundance of work but the timing of work,” she said. “Although time management is essential, sometimes there really isn’t enough time unless you cut down sleep, which often causes even more stress.” This high achieving mentality is prevalent across most universities and colleges and has become associated with the term “Duck Syndrome:” the birds seem to effortlessly glide across water, but underneath that water lies frantically propelling feet. Similarly, students see peers who seemingly manage all their responsibilities with ease, oblivious that underneath the surface, those people are just as stressed and overworked as the rest. University Health & Counseling Services (UHCS) hopes to address these issues. Although the school provides a number of wellness services, many students neglect to utilize them, often due to lack of knowledge about the programs offered. As a result, UHCS has worked with several organizations on campus to reach out to the study body. “We are partnering with Class Officer Col-

lective, Students Activities and Graduate Student Council to host Stress Less Week at the end of November,” said Jennifer Wright McCarthy, the executive director for UHCS. In addition to a week dedicated entirely to relaxation, the office also has the #WalkCWRU program, which focuses on getting students, faculty and staff to increase their physical activity levels, as well as the Financial Wellness Wednesday series which teaches students how to finance health insurance and eat healthy on a budget. While the University offers several initiatives to encourage healthy lifestyles, it is ultimately up to students to keep mental health in check. Both McCarthy and Zimmer make sure to take breaks in between their academic responsibilities in order to stay rested. “Even before long papers or big exam, it is important to clear your head periodically,” said McCarthy. Zimmer said she also does her best to keep her grades in perspective. “I try to remind myself that grades don’t define me as a person. If I get a bad grade on a test, I need to reflect, move on and try to be better next time.” It’s important to note that self-care isn’t just watching an episode of Netflix after a stressful day; it requires planning and self-awareness of one’s own habits. This isn’t to say it needs to be complicated, though. It can be as easy as getting off all electronic devices 15 minutes before bed. “Engage in healthy behaviors to enhance your ability to cope with excessive stress,” advised McCarthy. “Establish or re-establish routines such as eating meals at regular times and following an exercise program.” For any students struggling with their mental health, McCarthy encourages them to try out the services at UHCS. “Your information is private and not shared with others,” she said. “Most importantly, treatment works. Coming in for a visit can be the start of the healing process and enable you to move toward your academic goals.”

Panhellenic Council hosts empowerment series

Maryam Iqbal Staff Reporter

On Thursday, Nov. 1, Tinkham Veale University Center hosted the second part of the “Our Story, Our Voice” event, a three day empowerment series hosted by the Panhellenic Council and supported by the Greek Office. Open to anyone identifying as feminine or gender fluid, the event took on the theme #LIMITLESS and was motivated to break barriers, boundaries and glass ceilings. Our Story, Our Voice was inspired by the notion that women and those who identify as feminine or gender fluid lack sufficient space on campus to share certain stories, meet potential mentors and build connections with others with similar experiences on campus. The night was filled with small group discussions focused on the participants’ goals, fears they would like to overcome and how to use their voices to support one another. The event included appearances by professors and faculty from several departments, with the keynote speaker of Susan Case, Ph.D., a fulltime Case Western Reserve University faculty member specializing in ethics education, organizational behavior and women and gender diversity. Case gave a powerful, raw testimony of her own life, speaking how she managed to balance ambition in her work with her identity as a woman and her desire to care for her growing family. She then read a self-written spoken word piece, detailing other people’s difficulties in understanding her achievements in conjunction with her role as a mother. As such, Case’s realization of the differences between

herself and her male colleagues was always at the forefront of her mind in the workplace. In her talk, Case recalled being called “power hungry” and “not motherly enough.” She tried to portray how her accomplishments ended up “playing second fiddle” to her husband’s accomplishments. Slowly but surely, she said she realized she would never be able to satisfy everyone in her life and as long as she tried her best she could feel fulfilled. She explained that achievement is patchwork, and “reinventing ourselves is what it means to be a woman.” After her speech, participants of the event broke into groups combining students with CWRU faculty and staff members who served as facilitators. Discussion topics ranged from using voices effectively to what happens when strong voices disagree and how people can empower others. To answer these questions, the night ended by people writing their fears down on a small wooden board and then breaking the board in half to signify overcoming those fears. The Panhellenic Council followed Our Story, Our Voice with an event called “Our Story,” which took place Sunday morning. This was an all-sorority chapter meeting which brought together the Panhellenic community to engage in dialogue. The conversation explored wellknown women in the media, how media helps or hurts one’s perspective and how social media affects confidence. As Panhellenic Council President and fourth-year student Sara Ahmad recounted, “As people stepped forward when a phrase applied to them, it was eye-opening to see how similar and different our community is.”

Black women unified through The Sisterhood Nihal Manjila Staff Reporter “We want to give black women on campus support and provide opportunities for growth academically, professionally, spiritually, emotionally and generally,” said third-year student Yannique Stewart, president of The Sisterhood. The Case Western Reserve University community lauds a number of cultural and ethnic groups with new ones taking shape every year, including The Sisterhood, which was founded in the spring of last year. The primary goal of The Sisterhood is the empowerment of black women at CWRU. The Sisterhood currently has about 40 members and meets twice a month in the Thwing Center Lounge, with about 10 members in regular attendance. Meetings include discussions, watching and discussing movies and planning for events, but the group hopes to host speakers in the near future. Its most recent meeting on Oct. 30 primarily included planning and logistics for The Sisterhood’s upcoming projects. Aside from its bi-monthly meetings, the organization puts on four major events throughout the academic year: two Soul Food Sales, the Hair Expo and the Hair Workshop. The Sisterhood also has tentative plans to throw a party for the black community at CWRU, depending on funding and time. The Soul Food Sale is a semesterly fundraising event where members of The Sisterhood come together to cook and sell food to raise funds for the organization. The event not only raises money for the organization, but provides a bonding experience for its members. Also during the fall semester, The Sisterhood’s Hair Expo gives black women in the CWRU community an opportunity to have their hair braided by local braiders before the Career Fair for reasonable prices: $10 to $35 compared to a typical $80 to $200. During the spring semester, the orga-

nization will host its Hair Workshop and another Soul Food Sale. The Hair Workshop focuses on helping black women learn how to properly care for their hair and educating the community on black women’s hair. This is facilitated through samples, demonstrations and other visible activities. According to Stewart, the Workshop holds special value due to the prominence of the natural hair movement. “It is important for women who make the decision to go natural [to] know how to look good and feel confident with their natural hair,” she said. The Sisterhood also encourages women who choose to relax their hair to keep it as healthy as possible. “In the black community, especially to black women, hair is more than just hair; it is a status symbol, a point of contention and overall important part of our culture,” said Stewart. To this end, The Sisterhood works to support the care of and personal expression through hair with events tailored for that purpose. The organization is lead by Stewart, fourth-year student Oluchi Onyeukwu as treasurer and first-year student Doraja Lake as secretary, but lacks a vice president. This vacancy poses a challenge in terms of what the organization aims to accomplish, so new members are encouraged to seek out these positions to help boost The Sisterhood’s campus presence and role in tackling campus issues. Recently, the University announced its decision not to appoint a full-time faculty member in African American history due to budget issues. While the process’ ongoing nature raises a hesitation to speak out, Stewart said, “I feel disappointed [that the administration] made that choice. We find that, when matters directly affect us as the black community here, we are not consulted as we should be. We are the ones most affected by decisions such as this, yet we are not consulted consistently.” The Sisterhood’s impact at CWRU is only growing from here.

Cleveland Catch-up

Emily Young Copy Editor

additional $2.6 million in equipment and software maintenance cleveland.com reports.

Record voter turnout for 2018 gubernatorial election On Tuesday Nov. 6, Ohio voters turned out in record numbers to vote in the 2018 midterm elections. In the gubernatorial race between Democrat Richard Cordray and Republican Mike DeWine, preliminary tallies showed 4,307,665 votes cast, according to cleveland.com. With Cordray winning 46.4 percent of the vote and DeWine 50.7 percent, cleveland.com reports that the Republicans secured the governor’s race for the seventh time in eight elections.

Court finds that Cleveland police withheld evidence in a 2002 murder trial A panel of appeals court judges reviewed the case and determined that Cleveland police withheld two eyewitness statements that would have helped the accused killer, Michael Buehner cleveland.com reports. The appeals court judges also found that Cuyahoga County Judge Peter J. Corrigan abused his power when he refused to hold a hearing for the accused’s request for a new trial based on the police departments misconduct. Buehner has been imprison since his sentencing and will appear in court on Nov. 15 for a hearing regarding his conviction.

Cleveland Police Department to spend millions upgrading department technology As part of an equipment maintenance and upgrade plan, the city seeks to keep its police force up to date by spending over $27 million between 2018 and 2023 on equipment upgrades, according to cleveland. com. This plan is a part of a consent plan designed to make the police department more efficient and reduce excessive force by Cleveland police officers. The department will be purchasing new desktop and laptop computers, as well as spending an

Law enforcement agents hospitalized for fentanyl exposure after drug raid Eight Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s deputies and two U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents were sent to the hospital Wednesday Nov. 7 after being exposed to fentanyl during a drug raid. The officers entered a home on Hilliard Drive at approximately 5:30 a.m. and were exposed to the drug while arresting one man. All officers were checked at the hospital and were given a clean bill of health.

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Jack Heneghan Staff Reporter

11/9/18

US-China relations discussed at international summit

The U.S. has long been a world superpower, but some suspect a new challenger is giving the country a run for its money: China. The U.S.-China International Summit at Case Western Reserve University was held for the second year in a row to discuss U.S.-China relations and the current trade war between the two countries. The event, hosted in the Tinkham Veale University Center Ballroom, occured on Sunday, Nov. 4. The summit began with keynote speaker Steven Feldman’s thoughts on the countries’ economic relationship in the coming future.

Between 2015 and 2016, Feldman collected data on reform in China in areas of business innovation, law, finance, the anti-corruption campaign and State Owned Enterprise (SOE). He remarked that when doing business in China, the government’s mantra was “the government in omnipresent.” Feldman has written a book on his findings and plans to write an entire series on his research. Discussing the future of the SOE sector, Feldman said its existence is key in maintaining Chinese employment and deemed the sector vital to China’s economy. He attributed the SOE’s massive size to the government itself. “The Chinese government poured hun-

dred of millions of dollars into the sector after the financial collapse in 2008,” he explained. Because less than 10 percent of loans in China went toward the private sector, Feldman said that SOEs were able to grow to the size of a “powerful political interest group,” which can sway politics. He added that SOEs cannot be reformed because of “cultural density.” SOEs are structured with dense networks of self-protecting mechanisms that prevent employees from being fired. Feldman also blamed the elite families of China as a major reason SOEs cannot be reformed. He said that influential families use the SOEs as “piggy banks,” draining money to make money themselves. These families constitute China’s “Princelings,” and are also

a large interest group within the government. Later in his speech, Feldman also noted that China will have difficulty moving away from a purely manufacturing economy due to its weak intellectual property laws. In the current system, laws help Chinese manufacturers produce convincing knock off products without fear of repercussion. This, he believes, is preventing Chinese citizens from creating independently designed products. The next event of the night was a panel about innovation and entrepreneurship, featuring James Gilmore and Robert Brown. Brown discussed a modern “Cold War II,” which he believes is a result of long growing trends; he claims that China and the U.S. were destined to collide.

UDC plans events geared toward culture, diversity Anna Giubileo Staff Reporter The Undergraduate Diversity Collective (UDC) has recently picked up its event planning efforts, working hard with a variety of groups on campus to showcase the community’s many distinct backgrounds and experiences. The umbrella organization—which oversees different student groups ranging from cultural to activist organizations—is involved with a number of events throughout the year, all of which center around diversity. In April, UDC will host its annual

World Expo. The celebration will consist of food, performances and entertainment, all of which showcase the many different cultures represented at Case Western Reserve University. “Aside from orientation, there is really no large-scale celebration devoted to diversity on campus,” explained second-year student and UDC Vice President of Public Relations Joel Fuentes, ”but the goal of the World Expo is to do just that.” Fourth-year student and UDC Vice President of Campus Initiatives Jered Butler agreed with Fuentes, adding, “We intend to change the fact that many students lack a sense of belonging and school pride

and to increase the overall experience of our fellow underrepresented students by fostering a sense of belonging and increasing organizational transparency.” One way in which UDC plans on making those ideas a reality is through the installation of an Identity Center. Envisioned as a hub for the many different identities on campus, it will hold offices and organizations related to identities and expressions. The center will allow for a physical manifestation of CWRU’s commitment to diversity and supporting its minority students. Butler continued, “We also plan to improve the overall CWRU experience by

increasing organizational transparency.” By “holding the different offices on campus accountable” for expanding diversity events—in addition to the events that already exist for admitted and incoming students—UDC aims to build partnerships and collaborations with even more campus organizations. “We’d like for people to know that the can always reach out to us if there is a change they would like to see on campus,” said fourth-year student and UDC Executive President Arik Stewart. “It’s a beautiful thing, as our mission is to advocate for diversity on the behalf of all underrepresented students on campus.”

. N R A . E D L A E L . E R CA

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Learn more via Webinar! Login to one of our hour-long lunchtime webinars to discuss the Grad Entry Nursing Program. Upcoming webinars are scheduled for October 18, 2018; November 2, 2018; and November 15, 2018. All webinars begin at 12 pm EST. Follow the QR Code to select and register for the in person information session or one of our graduate program webinars. You can also find links to register at: case.edu/nursing/admissions/graduate-information-sessions

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House of Wills seance brings the dead back among the living Michael Wu Staff Reporter This is a first person account of a seance at the House of Wills, an abandoned funeral home in Cleveland. The article features references to the occult and Satanism. I’m running late to the seance. Despite my plans to arrive at the historic, haunted and infamous House of Wills 30 minutes before the seance is set to start, an email sets me back. It’s from the Cleveland Area Paranormal Society (CAPS), telling me that I should come prepared with a white head cover, like a scarf or hat, in order to best protect against spiritual possession. I settle on a light pink ski cap. With my head now protected from pesky spirits, I have the challenge of finding the house. Driving down the mostly abandoned E. 55th Street, it’s too dark to find the building by the address alone. “Just look for the most terrifying building on the block,” I tell my Lyft driver. We find it based on my description. The building is massive and ominous, with an exterior scarred by swatches of fading baby blue paint peeling off the walls. It gives the impression that, even in daytime, the house can only be viewed when shrouded in darkness. A small group of people have gathered at a side entrance. A table decked out in the CAPS logo is manned by chatting staff members. I check in for the seance. I’m told that the mediums are making sure the room we’ll be in is properly blessed and ready for us. In the meantime, I have to sign a waiver. A staff member hands me a sheet of paper filled with precautions I would expect for entering a building abandoned since 1995. “And if you get possessed, we’ll do our best to get you de-possessed,” the staff member tells me. I don’t ask if she’s joking. When it is ready, they lead us into an underground room that was formerly used to showcase caskets. House of Wills used to be a funeral home, but that is just one of the building’s many past lives. The house previously served as a school and an opera house before becoming the biggest black funeral parlor in the state and one of the biggest black-owned businesses in Cleveland. But tonight, it’s for calling the dead. A medium in loose white garments welcomes us. She stands next to an altar covered in candles, glass cups, a bottle of rum, cigarettes and pictures of holy figures. There are folding chairs spread around the room that we are instructed to arrange in a circle. Our group has about 15 people, including a mother, her two daughters and a couple other people who have come on their own. But the majority of the people participating in tonight’s seance appear to be part of the CAPS staff or one of their friends. There is a paranormal investigator, a couple of witches and a man from Germany who can apparently see spirits as easily as the medium. Unlike the Halloween ceremony a couple nights before, which was double the size and filled with curious interlopers, tonight’s event is a friends-and-family affair. Almost everyone

Courtesy of Wikipedia The House of Wills in Cleveland is a historic abandoned funeral home, owned by the Cleveland Satanic Temple. knows each other, and they ease themselves into a familiar rapport. I attempt to replicate this with the woman sitting next to me. “I’m scared to be in the dark,” I say, gesturing to a dim bulb in a nearby hallway, our only light source, which I assume will be turned off soon, enveloping us in darkness. “It won’t be in the dark,” she tells me, with the hint of an eye roll. I would later learn that this woman was a medium herself, and the light would stay on all night. But for now, I end the conversation with the unique humiliation of getting shut down for not knowing the basic mechanics of a seance. The ceremony begins with prayers, recited robotically by the medium. We cleanse ourselves with some sort of blessed elixir of blue liquid, an extra level of protection against possession. The medium makes one final call and the Circle of Death is officially opened. The messages from the spirits pour in, and it becomes clear tonight is not for me. The spirits want the young witch to continue her practice of the dark arts, no matter what people say. The investigator has let an angry spirit into his life that is screwing up his relationships. In the emotional climax of the night, the mother receives a message of forgiveness from her mother, leading to sobs across the circle. It is a good hour before the medium turns her attention to me. She wants the young man in the pink hat to know that he’s finally receiving a message, but she can’t quite figure out

which spirit is contacting me. “They want to know: what are you doing here,” said the medium. “They just keep saying, what are you doing here?” She quickly realizes, it’s not a spirit asking me this question. It’s the house itself. Her eyes flit around the circle. She can see spirits surrounding every single person in the circle but me, and she knows why. My ancestors have blocked off any spirits from communicating with the mediums tonight. They don’t want me to be here, so what am I doing here? In the worlds of both the living and the dead, I am the least important person here. I did not come prepared. Unlike me, my seance-mates had all come with something to untangle. To name a few ailments: a lack of confidence in contacting the dead on their own, a supernatural presence in their home, deteriorating interpersonal relationships. No one else seemed to be driven by a macabre interest of simply witnessing a seance. I was the alien of the group, and I would be treated as such. The well of spirits has run dry and it’s time to close the Circle of Death. We hold hands as the medium recites a final prayer. Once we unclasp from one another, the spirits are officially gone. Everyone rushes to the medium to thank her, hug her and leave tear streaks on her white clothing. I hang around until I spot an opening, an opportunity I take to thank her for the night. “Of course. I hope you had fun,” she tells me, as if I was exiting an amusement park for the day. Behind me, I can hear someone sobbing.

I make my way back up to entrance and call a Lyft. I stand by the table where I checked in making small talk with staff members. A man with thick black-rimmed glasses and slicked-back hair walks through the entrance. He comes bearing a massive pack of chicken fingers from a nearby fast food place and sets it on the table. It’s for the hungry staff wrapping up the night’s seance and any outside participants waiting for a Lyft to pick them up from a haunted house at 2:30 a.m. He asks me, “Do you want some chicken?” I would later recognize him as Eric Freeman, the owner of the House of Wills and one of Cleveland’s most prominent Satanists, but for now, he is the man with the chicken. I’m halfway through my chicken finger when a commotion erupts. It turns out, despite the precautions, someone had managed to get themselves possessed. The staff rushes to aid. Amid the chaos, there is a pounding noise and the sound of the medium yelling for someone to bring the cross. I feel my phone vibrate with a notification that my Lyft driver is here. After spending the past three hours delving into the world of the dead, it’s a relief to be disturbed by something familiar. I wrap two chicken fingers up in a napkin, stick them in my pocket and head out to find the car.

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Ariana Grande surprises Playlist of the Week with new single

Kyle Smith Staff Reporter

Are you going to a party this weekend? Do you think there will be any insufferable music nerds there? Do you want to impress them with your excellent knowledge of niche music? This week’s playlist is a good place to start solidifying your hipster credibility.

“In The Aeroplane Over The Sea” - Neutral Milk Hotel

“In the Aeroplane Over The Sea” is an iconic hipster anthem with weird sexual lyrics, bizarre instrumentation and poor recording quality. The song is driven by the aggressive strumming of a heavily blownout acoustic guitar. Above that, frontman Jeff Mangum’s distinctive, nasally vocals croons lyrics like, “Now how I remember you, how I would push my fingers through your mouth to make those muscles move.”

“The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” - The Postal Service

If you like Death Cab For Cutie but worry that music snobs will look down on you for liking such a mainstream band, The Postal Service is the solution. The 2003 side project of Death Cab For Cutie frontman Benjamin Gibbard only ever released one album, “Give Up,” which was re-released in 2013. While their sound is distinctly different from Death Cab For Cutie, showcasing a much stronger electronic influence, Gibbard’s signature vocals perfectly deliver the melancholy breakup lyrics.

“John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” - Sufjan Stevens

Stevens is one of the weirdest, most talented and most prolific artists out there right now. “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” appears on the album “Illinois,” a musical tribute to the midwestern state. The song tells the story of the notorious serial killer. The juxtaposition of the song’s soft, folky melody and the horrific content of the lyrics create a haunting, otherworldly quality. It is easy to imagine the horror felt by those who discovered the horrible deeds Gacy committed in their sleepy midwestern town.

“Stand There Until You’re Sober” - Bomb the Music Industry!

Bomb the Music Industry! is a ska-punk band led by Jeff Rosenstock, the darling of indie punk. The band, and Rosenstock himself, is famous for its DIY ideals, giving away its music for free and sacrificing profits to ensure that the shows are cheap and open to all ages. “Stand There Until You’re Sober” features many of the staples of Rosenstock’s music, including raucous vocals, the use of a midi organ and his selfdeprecating wit.

“The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton” - The Mountain Goats

John Darnielle has been making music as The Mountain Goats since the early ‘90s. In that time, he—plus a rotating cast of accompanying musicians—have released an astounding 16 studio albums, on top of countless singles and EPs (extended play records). “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton” is not a metal song but instead draws heavily from folk and garage-rock influences. The song also draws heavily from Darnielle’s own life, as it discusses two children who pursue dreams of musical fame despite their parents’ disapproval.

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

Sophia Yakumithis News Editor She’s done it again, folks. Ariana Grande has once more proven that this year might really be the “Year of the Woman.” This time, it is because of a surprise single which debuted Monday and broke Spotify’s global, single-day streaming record for a female artist. “Thank U, Next” dropped last Saturday night just an hour before Grande’s ex-fiance, Pete Davidson, took Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update desk to address the couple’s recent breakup. Their fast-paced romance definitely had me feeling a certain way while it lasted, but if their split is what catalyzed this song’s release, I cannot say I am sorry it did not work out for them. Once “Thank U, Next” hit radio waves, The Atlantic considered Grande to have “conquered the breakup song,” while the website Jezebel described the bop as “petty.” Do not be fooled by the song’s snarky title; instead of blaming her exes for heartache, Grande presents the overlying theme that the short-lived compatibility between herself and each former romance has brought her closer to self-actualization, culminating to a deeper sense of identity and maturity. Going down the list, she emphasizes

“love,” “patience” and “pain” as the key virtues that helped lead to her current state of emotional health. What is petty about acceptance? Grande did speak out upon the song’s debut, clarifying that “Thank U, Next” is not a diss track. I mean, she revealed that she even let former flames have a taste before the song’s release. She’s pretty generous if you ask me, compared to the typical airing of dirty laundry we see from other newly single artists. “no drags.... no shade..... jus love, gratitude, acceptance, honesty, forgiveness ... and growth,” Grande tweeted after its premiere. Meanwhile, most of our Twitter feeds are full of passive-aggressive callouts by friends who cannot create positive takeaways from experiences that did not end favorably for them. With the bad luck Grande has experienced—which, at a glance, includes a terror attack at one of her concerts and the death of Mac Miller, her long-term boyfriend and featured artist in “The Way”—this woman can do whatever she wants as far as I am concerned. I think “Thank U, Next” is the perfect ode to Grande’s survivor mentality: when the chips are down, a strong person can find growth in just about anything. So to (Big) Sean, Ricky (Alvarez), Malcolm (Mac Miller) and Pete (Davidson), “thank u.” We cannot wait to see what is next in Grande’s repertoire.

What to do this weekend Matt Hooke Arts and Entertainment Editor Friday, Nov. 9 What: The Drowsy Chaperone When: Friday/Saturday 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday 3 to 4:30 p.m. Where: Eldred Theatre The Case Western Reserve University Department of Theater presents “The Drowsy Chaperone.” The musical comedy written by Bob Martin, Don McKellar, Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison is directed by graduate student Keli Schimelpfening and has musical direction by Mike Caraffi. The play features a middle-aged theater fan seeking a cure for the blues while listening to his favorite guilty pleasure. Tickets cost $5 for students, $10 for the general public and $7 for senior citizens, CWRU faculty and staff. What: Case Concert Choir and Church of the Covenant Sanctuary Choir When: 8 to 9:30 p.m. Where: Church of the Covenant The Case Concert Choir and the Church of the Covenant Sanctuary Choir will come together to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the World War I armistice and the 50th anniversary of the McGaffin Carillon. The two groups will premier a new piece by composer David Childs commissioned for the event. The concert will include works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Lucas Pearsall, Max Reger and Josef Rheinberger. Saturday, Nov. 10

What: TEDxCWRU presents: Stories Untold When: noon to 4 p.m. Where: Thwing Center This is TEDxCWRU’s third event, and it will feature 12 different speakers. The speakers range from current undergraduate students to CEOs to physicians. Tickets are $10 for CWRU students and staff and $20 for general admission. What: Festival of Lights - Diwali 2018 When: 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Where: Thwing Ballroom Join Satrang, the Indian graduate student association, for a celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights. The event features Indian food and performances by Case Kismat, Dhamakapella and Spartan Bhangra. Register on CampusGroups for this free event. What: UCCtoberfest When: 8:30 to 11 p.m. Where: House 4, The Village at 115 This event is the Upperclass Community Council’s annual fall tradition. The free event features beer, cider, pierogies and bratwurst. Sunday, Nov. 11 What: CWRU Symphonic Winds and Percussion Ensemble When: 3 to 5 p.m. Where: Maltz Performing Arts Center This performance is part of the Silver Hall Concert Series. The concert is free but requires registration through the Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center website. The concert is part of a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the joint music program between CWRU and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

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Footlighters’ “If/Then” Offers Emotional Experience, Displays Young Talent Kyle Smith Staff Reporter “If/Then” is a musical that every college student should see. It asks many of the questions that keep young adults up at night: questions about fate and chance, choice and consequence. The show seeks to answer these questions and more, but occasionally the best the show can do is throw up its hands and say “Who knows?” From Nov. 1 to Nov. 3, the Case Western Reserve University Footlighters performed the Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt musical in Carlton Commons. A skillful set design team transformed the space into New York City by way of a cardboard-and-plywood skyline, complete with lighted windows. The play followed Elizabeth, played by first-year Marissa Lahr, a recently divorced urban planner who moves to New York City to pursue a new life. In the opening scene, she finds herself in Central Park. There, she runs into her former boyfriend and activist Lucas, played by third-year Luke Doston, while on her way to meet her free-spirited neighbor Kate, played by fourthyear Brittany Stern. Elizabeth is faced with the choice of spending the day with Kate in search of love and freedom or

protesting with Lucas. From that point forward, the play follows two timelines. In one timeline, Elizabeth decides to go by “Liz,” and spends the day with Kate. In the other, Elizabeth chooses to be “Beth,” and goes to protest with Lucas. Throughout the course of the musical, the timelines diverged and converged, showing how Elizabeth’s life was affected by her decision at the beginning of the musical. The production team used lighting to indicate which timeline was which. In the “Liz” timeline, the skyline was lit pink, and in the “Beth” timeline, the skyline was blue. Occasionally the stage became a mirror, showing both timelines at once. Half of the stage was lit pink for the Liz timeline and the other half was lit blue for the Beth timeline. Elizabeth’s choreography swings her from one reality to the other, illustrating the differences created by the seemingly small decision of going with Kate or going with Lucas. Sometimes, Elizabeth’s decision did not matter at all: no matter what choices she made as either Liz or Beth, sometimes she was unable to avoid the inevitable. In these scenes, blue and pink blended together into purple, which indicated that reality was absolute. Throughout the course of the show, Liz and Beth lived very different lives. Liz sacrificed her career ambitions to

start a family with Josh, a doctor and army reserve officer, but in doing so, she left herself open to hurt she never thought possible. As Beth, she skyrocketed through the ranks of New York City’s Department of City Planning, finally realizing her graduate school dreams of designing a meaningful cityscape. However, in doing so, Beth neglected and harmed many of her personal relationships. In the end though, the major points of both realities were the same. As both Liz and Beth, Elizabeth met and fell in love with Josh, played by first-year Kyle Rickert. Both Liz and Beth were offered high-profile urban planning jobs and the opportunity to pursue their passion. However, the small meaningful events that lay in between these pillars were markedly different, and it was left to the audience to decide what was inevitable, what was fate and what was merely coincidence. Is it worth sacrificing your career for love? Is it worth being miserable in the present to ensure happiness later? These are some of the conflicts that plagued both Beth and Liz, and they might sound like conflicts that plague students, too, as students face decisions that could impact the rest of their life on a daily basis. Director Paulina Martz, a third-year student, recommended the show to the Footlighters because of the reassurance

it offers people facing tough decisions. “I first saw [If/Then] four years ago … It came to me during an emotional time in my life. It was really an intense catharsis,” Martz said. Rickert agreed with Martz and said the show helped him gain perspective on day to day life. “One of the big things I took away [from the play] is that a bunch of c--- can happen to you. You’ve just got to go with the flow. Tomorrow is always a new day, and you’ve got to have a strong will to keep going. That sort of attitude is something that I strive to have,” he said. For others, the simple act of being in the show was a catharsis in itself. For Lahr, the best part of the play was just being involved. “Everyone is so nice,” Lahr said, “It helped me adjust to college life really quickly, meeting all these new people.” Last weekend’s performance of “If/ Then” was an incredible, emotional experience. Rickert and Lahr’s powerful performances and the great supporting work by Doston and Stern got the play’s message across well. The presence of two first-year students in the lead roles points toward a bright future for the next four years of Footlighters’ productions. Editor’s Note: Footlighters is a member of the University Media Board which also includes The Observer.

Tactile Carnival raises the awareness of sensory disabilities Tracy Wang Staff Reporter

On November 4, the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), gave visitors the chance to experience the life of deaf and blind people at their Tactile Carnival. The carnival was a collaboration with the Cleveland Sight Center, Community Center for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Northeast Ohio Deaf-Blind Association and Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities. The event provided participants with a sensory experience featuring a wide range of adopted tabletop games designed to simulate the life experience of deaf and blind people. CMA encouraged participants to think about the difficulties that deaf and blind people encounter in real life. The event was open to everyone, regardless of disabilities. The organizers made efforts to take care of both adults and kids. They set up a play station for kids where they could play building blocks and walk on colorful plastic rocks. People of all ages had fun playing the various games that offered abled people the opportunity to empathize with the blind and deaf. To emphasize the sense of touch, participants were asked to cover part of their face, sometimes wearing a blindfold during games. One of the most popular games was the harvest toss, where

Tracy Wang/Observer Children playing at the Cleveland Museum of Art during the Tactile Carnival. participants threw plastic fruits and vegetables into a bucket while wearing a blindfold. Visitors had to use a walking sticking to perceive the position of their target. Touch Tetris, an activity based on the famous video game, let visitors use their hands to feel the shape of colorful blocks and put them together on a board to create horizontal lines of ten

block units without gaps. Both games aimed to let participants experience how a blind person functions in day-to-day life. The event promoted useful classes and educational resources for people with disabilities. In the braille name game, participants were asked to write down their name on a sheet. After the

name was typed onto a laptop, participants put their hands on a special machine and felt their name in braille. The Ohio Library for the Blind & Physically Disabled said they want to let people who are physically disabled know that they offer a great variety of reading services, including audiobooks and printed braille magazines.

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Acoustic guitar, karaoke and free drinks: This is “Sing Bro” Henry Bendon Staff Reporter If you like free beer, watching your friends embarrass themselves and fun song covers, the Jolly Scholar has a new event for you. Each Monday night, the Jolly Scholar hosts “Sing Bro,” a new event hosted by third-year student Nick Charles and second-year students Conor Clark and Jared Jacknow, where contestants sing their way to securing a free drink. The rules of the game are simple. A combination of Charles, Clark and Jacknow sit onstage with guitars and a cup full of songs pulled from the Spotify playlist “Songs Everyone Knows.” Contestants walk onstage and pull a song from the cup, and the hosts sing and play their way through the first verse. At some point, usually during the first chorus, the hosts stop and say “sing, bro” and the contestant must complete the section of the song alone. If they succeed, they win a free beer. If they are underage or uninterested in alcohol, they get a free milkshake. This is the first semester for “Sing Bro.” It originiated from a meeting over the summer between Nick Charles, who is also a server at the Jolly Scholar, and owner Matt Vann. “I approached Matt over the summer about wanting to be able to sing and play in front of people,” said Charles. “Matt told me about this idea he had for an event and how he was looking for a way to kick it off.”

Henry Bendon/Observer Nick Charles, Connor Clark and Jared Jackow shepard students through rendtions of popular songs. One of the struggles the event faces is a lack of audience participation. The Monday night time slot can leave the bar with few willing participants, and since the concept relies on audience interaction, the show often pauses for the Sing Bro team to perform as a group. These breaks give the trio the opportunity to show off their chops, including Charles’ singing and songwriting talent. Monday night was a very slow night

for the Jolly Scholar itself, but after a few tables filled up, the onstage duo of Charles and Clark coaxed some new and returning players to the stage. “It was fun,” said first timer and third-year student Laurel Williamson. “Being on stage was not as nerve racking as expected.” For returning players, the choice of song made for an entirely different experience.

“Last time, I sort of just hummed,” said second-year Amelia Leong. “[This time] it was really fun because I actually knew the song and the lyrics.” Sing Bro’s success relies in large part on having people in the bar, and for that reason it may not retain its current 9 p.m. time slot forever. No matter what time on Monday night the Sing Bro team ends up on stage, it’s sure to be a good time.

THE CAREER BENEFITS OF STUDY ABROAD WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14 10 - 11AM TOMLINSON HALL CASE.EDU/INTERNATIONAL/EVENTS

A PRESENTATION BY ROB STALL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AT THE CLEVELAND CLINIC

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opinion Editorial

Focus on alert times, not reactionary measures The Case Western Reserve University community was taken aback this past weekend when a third-year student was shot outside Phi Delta Theta in an attempted carjacking. Unfortunately, the campus is not inexperienced with incidents of similar magnitude. We are all too familiar with reports of muggings, attempted robberies and other violent incidents in and around the University Circle area from security alerts and reading the news. Yet, this situation stood out for many, with a number of community members taking it as a sign of escalating campus violence and weaker on-campus safety. But neither of these conclusions would be completely accurate, or get at the true problems related to security affecting CWRU: an inability to promptly inform its students of safety risks on campus. Reactionary solutions can be expected when a tragedy such as Saturday’s shooting occurs, and many of those were at the forefront of the discussion of the last few days. Suggestions such as the allowed carry of firearms on campus, known as campus carry, and an increased police presence were both cast out, with debates breaking out in classrooms and on the University’s Facebook page. Neither of these ideas are feasible.

As far as campus carry goes, President Barbara Snyder gave a short and effective counterpoint in her Facebook broadcast. There is a wealth of research demonstrating that it only leads to an increase in gun violence, and given the frequency of false reports to security on campus, it would probably not be best to give students license to take matters into their own hands. However, a reliance on a heavier police presence would be no better. The Cleveland area already has a complicated history regarding the shooting of unarmed black men, and increasing campus exposure to this problem would endanger a number of a community members. It would exacerbate any safety concerns persons of color on campus are already feeling and, much like with campus carry, increase the likelihood of tragedy at the hand of misunderstanding. The most glaring issue with both of these propositions is that they address the wrong takeaway. While there are some measures the university can and should take to improve baseline security on campus, the most necessary improvements pertain to how the university responds to incidents of immediate danger. There was a period of time after the initial shooting when an active shooter and accomplice were being chased around campus. For a good portion of

that time, they were in major residential areas for students. Eventually, police officers and one of the suspects exchanged fire on the edge of campus. While all this was unfolding, only a few students were actively aware of the situation. We can appreciate the diligence of numerous emergency services in their rapid response to situation. But what is unacceptable is how it took more than 40 minutes for the university to notify students of an active shooter on campus. By the time this information was passed along, the immediate danger had passed, with the injured student’s condition becoming the focus of campus. When questioned about the gap between incident and alert, university officials stressed the importance of “accuracy” of information, indicating a complete misunderstanding of how you inform students of active shooter situations. The most critical piece of information in an active shooter situation on campus is that shots have been fired in an area dense with students. The shooter’s approximate age and the conditions of the victim are details for later, and the university did provide them. But there needs to be an immediate alert to students in the area to take caution, shelter or go into lockdown. Assurance of safety should always take precedent to slightly false information.

A member of the editorial board was close to the 2016 knife attack at the Ohio State University. They recounted how mere minutes after the first reports of shots fired, a message was texted to every student and the entire campus was placed on lockdown. The reported shots ended up being fired by a campus police officer, which Ohio State security did not know at the time. However, that did not change the urgency of their alerts and safety response. Saturday night’s incident may not have been of the same magnitude as that attack, but that does not change the cruciality of response time to informing students of danger on campus. They should not learn of active shooter situations through hearsay and text chains. It’s not unreasonable to consider CWRU lucky that the incident did lead to any more violence, as there was a long period when its students could have wandered straight into a crossfire. So, as CWRU administrators draw conclusions from the weekend and determine what changes they will make, the alert system should top their priorities. Yes, more Safe Ride drivers and shuttles would also be a welcome improvement. But the 40-minute delay is a glaring issue desperate for repair. Incidents around campus aren’t going to magically slow down, which is why we need to speed up.

Editor’s Note

First aid is a must for CWRU students This past weekend, the Case Western Reserve University community experienced an event many feared, but few thought possible: the shooting of an undergraduate student. Thankfully, the student survived the gunshot wound to the stomach after treatment at University Hospitals and remains there in a regular room. The victim may have not survived if not for the quick thinking of two fraternity brothers who both called emergency services and administered basic first aid. Third-year electrical engineering major Patrick James and second-year computer engineering major Steven Clark responded to cries of help from their fraternity brother. They had the presence of mind to grab

a recently-purchased first aid kit and apply pressure to the wound with gauze before paramedics arrived on scene. It’s hard not to self-reflect after being in close proximity to a traumatic event, and that’s exactly what we should be doing on both a campus-wide and individual level. Put yourself in the situation. Would you know how to treat a wound, apply pressure with simple gauze and remain calm while your friend lays suffering on the ground? Would you have a first aid kit nearby? Do you even know where one is? Knowing the answers to these questions could be the difference between a serious hospital stay and a minor injury. So, I implore everyone on this campus to get trained in first aid.

The Observer is the weekly undergraduate student newspaper of Case Western Reserve University. Established in 1969, The Observer reports news affecting students and provides an editorial forum for the university community. Unsigned editorials are typically written by the opinion editor but reflect the majority opinion of the senior editorial staff. Opinion columns are the views of their writers and not necessarily of The Observer staff. For advertising information, contact The Observer at (216) 302-4442 or e-mail observer-ads@case.edu. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be e-mailed to observer@case.edu or submitted on our website at observer.case.edu. Letters otherwise can be mailed to Thwing Center 11111 Euclid Avenue, Suite 01, Cleveland, Ohio 44106. For policy and guidelines related to the submission of Letters to the Editor, refer to observer.case.edu/submit-a-letter. The Observer is a proud member of CWRU’s University Media Board. Follow The Observer on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @cwruobserver.

It’s a skill that will be useful not just in emergencies but also for everyday accidents. And it’s knowledge that, if learned properly, never leaves you. You could use first aid in the office, the lab and even at home. CWRU offers a halfsemester class on first aid that fulfills part of the undergraduate physical education requirement. I would also strongly recommend assembling a simple first aid kit. There are plenty of websites that explain the basics of a simple one with easy to find items. Or you just go out and buy one. They cost as little as $5 at Walmart and an Amazon search for “first aid kit” turns up over 10,000 results. Just don’t put in on the top shelf and forget about it. Label its location in big letters and

put a map on your door. That way you won’t forget when it’s actually time to use it and remembering the location is the furthest thing from your mind. It shouldn’t take a near tragedy to evaluate our preparedness, but it’s a way to move forward from the senseless violence we witnessed. If another shooting ever happens (and I pray it won’t), we will be ready to take action.

Edward J. Kerekes - EXECUTIVE EDITOR

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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 RYAN YOO news editor SOPHIA YAKUMITHIS a&e editor MATT HOOKE opinion editor JACKSON RUDOFF sports editor ANDREW FORD web editor PRESTON WILLIS designer KATHY YAO social media editor CHRIS HEERMAN adviertising manager DARIA RYABOGIN photo editor JAY KASSEL LEWIS accounts manager AURA ROSSY copy editors marketing manager BRADLEY SCHNEIDER development editor GRACE HOWARD MARY MCPHEETERS EMILY YOUNG advisor JIM SHEELER WON HEE KIM

12 opinion

11/9/18

It was a close one for America’s future The Left-Wing Conservative David Pietrow Everybody knows that this year’s midterm elections were critical to the nation’s future, mostly because both the Senate and the House were highly contested. The elections determined our representatives in the House, Senate and other offices, such as the state governors. The media frequently speculated on how close the results of the elections would be. Comparing their predictions with the actual results, it’s easy to get an idea of our future. Let’s start with Texas. Texas is traditionally a Republican state. An extremely Republican state. In fact, the last Democratic senator from Texas was Bob Krueger in 1993, who was appointed rather than elected. Could Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke break the 25year streak? Well, it wasn’t likely to begin with, and the result confirmed that. RealClearPolitics had their average favoring Sen. Ted Cruz, the Republican incumbent from Texas, as a 6.5 point favorite, and it probably should be higher. That does not suggest that O’Rourke is a bad candidate; on the contrary, he is a good man and an even better politician. But Texas is a state that he, or any other Democratic candidate, simply could not win due to its political culture. For example, during the 2016 presidential election, 93 percent of the websites predicted that Hillary Clinton would win Texas based on probabilities. She ended up losing by 9 percent, which is a substantial losing margin for a state she was predicted to win. It is hard to predict how these elections will turn out, but based on 2016, O’Rourke could not have won. Let’s relocate to Florida. The election pitted Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson and Republican Gov. Rick Scott. This Senate race is particularly interesting based on what has happened to Florida over the previous two years

following the 2016 election. Don’t forget that Hurricane Michael displaced thousands of Puerto Ricans, causing them to move to Florida, and the tragic Parkland gun massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February. Both these events will play into Nelson’s hands, as Puerto Ricans and gun-control advocates typically have Democratic voting tendencies. But neither of these events ensured Nelson’s hold on Florida. Scott won the governor’s seat twice (2010 and 2014), which clearly shows he is a competent campaigner with a strong base to support him. He played on the anti-Obama movement which took hold in Florida early into Obama’s first term. In addition, President Trump won the state back in 2016. So, Scott always had a good shot at upending Nelson. The question became: had the anti-Trump movement taken hold of Florida like it did with Obama? Probably not as much as the media thought it had. In September, President Trump had an approval rating of 49 percent and a disapproval rating of 47 percent. Public opinion is about as divided as it gets. It is hard to trust polls, but these numbers projected that 49 percent of people in Florida still approve of the work Trump has been

doing, a metric that could have perhaps told us Nelson wouldn’t return to the Senate. Exceeding most agencies’ expectations, the Republicans tightened their control of the Senate. How will this impact the nation? Well, it depends on each individual and how they relate to the Republican platform, but I know it certainly will not be good for me as an ordinary American. Like every other young person, I enjoy the internet and use it on a daily basis. The removal of net neutrality has caused me to worry about if I will be able to pursue that for any longer. Net neutrality ensured that internet service providers (ISPs) cannot charge more based on which websites a consumer wants to visit. For example, a customer would previously pay flat rates for access to the entire internet. Now, if Congress chooses to enforce the removal of net neutrality, American citizens and companies will have to pay more to access services they previously had for much cheaper. ISPs will charge premiums for access to basic popular websites such as Google. This means more money out of my and every other American’s pocket. It will likely also extend to small businesses and companies, meaning

Courtesy Gage Skidmore/ Wikimedia Commons

that they would have to pay more to have their website displayed to potential consumers. The removal of net neutrality really does not benefit average Americans, and since the Senate remained red, this could spell trouble for us. The final point I would like to discuss is the changes to health insurance that we might see. One of the Republican movements has been for the removal of “pre-existing condition” clauses on federal laws. These clauses ensure that health insurance companies cannot deny coverage for individuals based on pre-existing injuries that occur before seeking insurance claims. As I have been injured numerous times, this will not be good for me. It will make it substantially harder for me to find health insurance, and assuming I can find a company, it will cost me a great deal of money more than it already does. I’m not sure how this will benefit other Americans, even those without frequent injuries. The rates themselves may or may not lower for injury-free people, but it’s more likely they would increase because companies have no incentive to lower them. Insurance providers would profit more by keeping rates the same for healthy people and hiking them up for those with preexisting conditions. I could be spared an unfortunate policy change now that the House has flipped blue, but this will remain to be seen. As much as I would like to discuss other policy points such as abortion, the data is too trivial to even speculate as to what will happen. If you voted this year, hopefully the results did not discourage you from doing so again. Change only occurs over time, never all at once. The fate of the nation rests in the people’s hands, so keep exercising your most powerful right in this democracy. David Pietrow is a second-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in computer science with a minor in applied data science. He was once hit by a bus, so if his reporting of the facts are a little off, please be forgiving.

A shout amidst a quiet return Taekman Tangents Sarah Taekman When I was in my senior year of high school, a Holocaust survivor came into our classroom and told us about her experience. She didn’t look her 90 plus years: she walked unassisted, her hair was white but well-kept and she still had a sharp tongue. She had aged wonderfully, especially considering she had spent three years hiding in a doctor’s sunless basement with her family on the border of Poland. Her story left most of us with dry mouths—it’s incredibly hard to imagine such a cramped, fearful existence. But she had done it, and she had survived and was incredibly honest as she answered our many questions about religion, the buildup and the aftermath. Toward the end of the class, she scooped her bag into her lap and pulled out a folder filled with newspaper clippings. She slid her glasses onto her face, cleared her throat and announced: “Anti-Semitism is on the rise worldwide. And it’s coming here, too.” Hate crimes all across Europe. Politicians spewing anti-Semitic propaganda and winning elections. Shootings, brawls and swastikas. All prevalent across the sea, and

according to her, soon to be prevalent in America, too. And based on the past two years, her prediction was correct. With the rise of the alt-right and other outspoken neo-Nazi groups, American hate crimes against Jews seem to be more frequent than ever. The recent Pittsburgh shooting has brought anti-Semitism to the forefront of the public eye. We’d seen graffiti and hate speech before this, but this was the first mass shooting we’d noticed. There has been a lot of support from the general public: a lot of prayers, a lot of promises. It’s been wonderful to see everyone come together to denounce such a hateful act and pledge to stand with the Jewish community. It’s easy to pin all of our concerns onto the violent anti-Semites. We can pretend that this is a new problem, and they’re just outliers. But anti-Semitism isn’t just now coming to America. We’ve been cultivating it here for years. It’s ingrained in how we speak and act. When you’re raised Jewish, you very slowly become aware of the subtle antiSemitism around you. It’s not quite as blatant as the xenophobia expressed towards other minorities. In fifth grade, I went to my Jewish weekend school and we had a discussion

about anti-Semitic sentiments we had experienced in our day-to-day lives. Everyone had experienced at least one. Holocaust and nose jokes, being called greedy, laughing at our diets and our traditions. The list went on. This behavior hadn’t even seemed like something strange to me until our teachers pointed it out— it was just a part of everyday life. They weren’t outright death threats, but still: we were 10 years old, and we already knew we were different. And I haven’t ever really stopped feeling that way, ever since that discussion. It’s easy to put qualifiers on our own bigotry: “It’s not like I shot up a synagogue, so I can’t be an anti-Semite. I have Jewish friends. I’m not drawing swastikas in the bathrooms.” We do this for all marginalized groups. We aren’t the extremists, so we’re not part of the problem. But why do you think extremists feel comfortable enough to act out? Our words have meaning. Offhanded jokes about the Holocaust, casual statements about being a “dirty Jew” and implications of stinginess have all been normalized in our everyday lives. Because there are no societal repercussions for such language, the overall implication is that it’s okay to hate Jewish people verbally. Hating Jewish people physically follows

soon after. How often have we scrolled by something ignorant online? How often have we awkwardly laughed at something bigoted someone said for the sake of avoiding conflict? If you want any sort of progress, you have to take action. And luckily, action isn’t hard to take. Tell people off when they casually use hateful language. Create repercussions for bigotry. Let people know that no, it’s not okay, and no, you’re not going to let this one go. Anti-Semitism can sometimes seem like a relic of a part of history that people would rather forget. But anti-Semitism has been prevalent for the entirety of Judaism’s existence, and it certainly has not ended in 2018. Following the events in Pittsburgh, I thought about that little old lady for the first time in three years. I thought how she warned us, and how far away all those newspaper clippings seemed at the time. But she was both right and wrong: antiSemitism isn’t re-emerging, it’s already here. It’s always been here, under the surface. Now it’s up to us all to cut it off at the source. Sarah Taekman is a third-year student majoring in origins sciences.

opinion 13

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Sacrificing personal identity for filial piety Zhusclues Caroline Zhu With the holidays coming up fast, suddenly more and more questions arise regarding identity and how to define that outside of the home. One of the most significant is how to bridge the LGBT identity and the AsianAmerican culture when going home this season. Most identity crises in Asian-American households come from our understanding of filial piety, or the sense of duty and obligation we have to our parents that lies at the very core of the Asian identity. Although thinking deeply about this isn’t something that comes up too often in everyday life, it has to be confronted in order to bridge personal and familial identity. Personality and family values are almost always in conflict in Asian-American households. The problem is only exacerbated by throwing sexuality into the picture. Filial piety in second-generation immigrants creates a pressure to conform to parental expectations while living in an American society that

encourages personal expression, which only leads to friction between the two. This forces a choice between one and the other but choosing one over the other is counterproductive and leads to unhealthy outcomes. Growing up under Asian parents also means growing up with the understanding that children are essentially extensions of their parents. This expectation comes from many factors, from the sacrifice that firstgeneration immigrants made to come to a different country and from the sacrifices they continued to make in the hopes that their children would lead better lives. This story is common enough but develops a guilt complex in second-generation immigrants to agree to concede parts of their personality and identity in favor of upholding family values. In doing so, second-generation immigrants become distanced from the culture they live in and can grow resentful of their families because they feel pressure to hide who they are. While this is not to say that American values are necessarily wrong, part of the issue lies with how overbearing American culture is in telling people to be themselves. The Western idea of self-identification is almost

purely based off individualism, which is simply not applicable to most Eastern cultures. For almost all Asian-Americans, a significant part of your identity is your family and their values, and trying to let go of that isolates us from an essential part of our culture. Having said all of this, it becomes significantly worse when sexuality is factored in. Not only is the American LGBT community aggressively individual in its understanding of the self, many LGBT youth in America experience alienation and subsequent separation from their families, which can leave Asian-Americans cut off from a significant part of their own identity. This is not a condemnation of how LGBT youth in the US express themselves, but to point out that this experience is different for people from different backgrounds, and that being LGBT does not often lend itself to the conservative values of Asian households. Not only is being LGBT often seen as immoral, coming out means reflecting that immorality upon your parents and family, which is seen as a sign of disrespect. To most Asian households, it seems ungrateful that despite the fact that your parents sacrificed so

much for you, you are unwilling to sacrifice this part of your identity for them. Bridging the gap between familial and personal identity is often difficult enough for Asian-Americans, but adding in the LGBT identity can result in internalized homophobia and a lack of self-acceptance. Although it seems trite, one way out is to take aspects of both cultures, and trying to balance selfacceptance with fulfilling your duty to your family. This may mean not coming out until later in life, or maybe not coming out at all to your parents. However, this is an issue we have to face instead of choosing one way or another and losing an important part of our lives. Duty is duty, but it does not have to mean sacrificing your identity to maintain the respectability of the family. Caroline Zhu is a first-year computer science and economics major with a deep and abiding love for Shakespeare. She is currently trapped indefinitely within a block of ice due to the combination of a southern Californian constitution and Cleveland’s cold weather.

The trials of first-year living Columnist Kehley Coleman A few days ago, I woke to shouts of jubilation in the hallway outside my room. “There’s hot water,” the girls next door cried out joyfully. From my room, I couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief. For Storrs House had spent the previous 36 hours without any hot water in any of its bathrooms, a source of great frustration for all of its residents, myself included. My experience in Storrs—and, from what I have heard from students housed elsewhere, the general experience of first-year housing— has been somewhat tumultuous. When I asked other Storrs residents for their perspectives on first-year housing, they clamored for me to share the injustice of the “Hot Water Debacle,” as if I would have overlooked such a recent burden. There were complaints about damaged ceiling tiles, old and broken couches in the common areas and peeling paint. Personally, I’ve found myself annoyed by the highly ineffective hand dryers in the bathroom. It seems like a small thing, but spending months walking out of a bathroom with hands that are still damp after being held under the dryer for a full 30 seconds becomes irritating rather quickly. And of course, there is the lack of air conditioning, an issue not unique to the firstyear residence halls, based on what I’ve been told by several of the second-year students I’ve spoken to, but a major issue nonetheless. I understand why the university has not made

adding air conditioning to these dormitories a top priority. After all, the dorms stand unoccupied for the hottest months of the year. And in any event, this is Cleveland we’re talking about—how bad can the heat really get? Well, if you’ll pause for a moment and think back to around two months ago, you may recall that it can be fairly bad indeed. I understand that a few hot weeks at the beginning and end of every school year probably don’t justify the cost of installing air conditioning systems in every university owned building. However, that doesn’t mean I have to like spending 80 degree nights in an air conditioning-less building designed to shelter its inhabitants from Cleveland winters. One of the biggest issues I have heard about, though, is the matter of inequality between different first-year dorms. The issue isn’t with the price. Some of the dorms, I have heard, are significantly better than Storrs. Granted, my knowledge of many of

the other dorms is extremely limited, but I believe it is fairly safe to say that there is a definite difference in quality between some of the buildings. Some of the buildings, such as Taft House, have been renovated relatively recently, while some others appear not to have been updated in any significant manner since their erection in the 1960s. Again, I myself have not had much exposure to the interiors of these supposedly “nicer” dorms, but the fact that they are universally and vehemently described as better by other residents of my own dormitory strikes me as more than just a classic case of “the grass is greener on the other side.” Yet, the room rates for the renovated and the un-renovated dorms are exactly the same, something that strikes many of those living in the older buildings as deeply unfair. It seems as though, if there is truly a real difference in room quality, Case Western Reserve University should adopt the practice used by many other universities, in which room rates

“My experience in Storrs—and, from what I have heard from students housed elsewhere, the general experience of first-year housing— has been somewhat tumultuous.”

vary depending on which building the room is in. For all my frustration with the firstyear housing and with Storrs in particular, however, there are some ways in which living in a residence hall has not been as bad as I anticipated. I am deeply grateful, for example, about the fact that our laundry machines do not require quarters to operate. Not because I feel as though I am saving money, but because it is simply convenient to not have to constantly have coins on hand. Although I do wish there were more than three machines to a building housing this many people—I’ve found myself having to do laundry at 11 p.m. on weeknights on more than one occasion to avoid the crowds. Likewise, I appreciate Storrs’ quad-style layout, which means that the bathroom entrance is only a few steps outside my door within a relatively private cluster, rather than all the way down a long and public hallway. And, perhaps most importantly, I’ve found commiseration with my dorm-mates about the various day-to-day horrors of life in our dearly beloved Storrs House to be an excellent bonding exercise. It may be cold comfort as we mourn our predicament, but it has proven somewhat comforting nonetheless. Kehley Coleman is a first-year student planning on (maybe) majoring in chemical engineering. When not in class, she can typically be found reading trashy teen fiction and/or in rehearsal for something or other.

Body modification positivty only, please McPheeters’ Musings Mary McPheeters I’m tired of people commenting on others’ body modifications. When I say “body modification,” I mean all types. Not just tattoos and piercings but also cosmetic surgery and any other way you can modify your body. Generally, the idea of getting breast implants after breast cancer or facial reconstruction after a traumatic injury is not met with disdain. Of course we wouldn’t deny people those modifications, they’ve endured so much and should get to feel normal. But things like tattoos, piercings and other “unnecessary” modifications are often met with negative and unwanted opinions.

People think that if a body modification does not directly affect someone’s health or wellbeing, it shouldn’t be done. That seems to be the general attitude, at least among older generations. I’m asking them to consider that maybe the body modifications that they judge do affect the person’s health and well-being, even if it’s not obvious. I offer a cosmetic fix I had done as an example. When I was probably eight years old, I was spinning in circles in my living room until I got dizzy and ran into a wall face-first. I hit my right front tooth upon impact and crumpled to the ground, crying. I was so upset with myself for chipping a significant piece off the corner of my recent permanent tooth. Up until about six months ago, I had the original piece that chipped off epoxied on. I have always been weary and self-conscious of

that chip. I also had small chips on the bottom of my left front tooth, and I hated the idea of anyone looking too closely at my smile. So what happened around six months ago? The corner piece came loose and my dentist decided it was time to reconstruct my front tooth with whatever fake material dentists use. He carefully matched the color of the fake bit with the color of my actual teeth, and he filled in not only the corner chip on my right front tooth, but also the small chips on the bottom of my left front tooth. This completely unnecessary-for-myphysical-health procedure left my front teeth looking beautiful, with straight, unchipped bottoms. It skyrocketed my self-confidence about my teeth. I actually wanted to smile. Suddenly, I wasn’t afraid of people looking at my front teeth closely anymore—all because of a simple procedure to fill in the chipped

parts of my front teeth. I don’t think that many people would take issue with this procedure, so maybe it’s not the best example. But it showcases what I’m trying to get at: you don’t know why people get body modifications. And the only person whose opinion matters is the person getting their body modified. Although there isn’t anything inherently wrong with asking about someone’s body modifications, they also have the right to say they don’t want to share their reasoning with you, and that’s okay. It’s also okay to not want body modifications. But don’t shame people who do. It’s their body and their decision, not yours. Mary McPheeters is a third-year mathematics major. Their only aspiration is to be employed after graduating.

sports

11/9/18

Forecasting the NFL MVP, playoffs Andrew Ford Sports Editor This week will kick-off week 10 of the NFL season, one that has seen the emergence of many storylines and has featured multiple marquee games thus far. The MVP race this year is especially intriguing. A lot of players are worthy of the prestigious award based on their performances in the regular season. Patrick Mahomes II has taken the league by storm for his play leading the Kansas City Chiefs. Every week, it feels like he has broken another record. On the opposite side of the age spectrum, Drew Brees is arguably having his best year of his very long career. Plus, his New Orleans Saints appear to be the best team in the NFL. And then there is Todd Gurley II, running back for the Los Angeles Rams, who has wreaked havoc on the league. While all three of these players deserve the recognition, Brees’ spectacular performance should earn him the MVP. Even though it’s still early in the season, the potential playoff matchups in the conference championship games will be must-see TV. In the AFC, the two regular powerhouses remain near the top of the standings in the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steel-

ers. They are joined at the top by the Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers. Any combination of two of these four teams would be immensely entertaining. The most likely scenario is a Patriots-Chiefs matchup, given the Steelers and Chargers have both had defensive struggles thus far. Additionally, Kansas City and New England have the best coaches of the four contenders. The NFC appears to have three elite teams: the Saints, the Rams and the Carolina Panthers. Again, any matchup of these three would be worthy of a conference championship game. All three teams have dominant offenses that can put up points with any team. On defense, each team also has its weakness. The Rams and Saints have struggled in the secondary. The Panthers lack star players on that side of the ball, but have proven more than adequate. But the Rams and Saints just have too much talent all around and will meet in the NFC Championship. Kansas City will close out the season as the No. 1 seed in the AFC and will have home field advantage, which will get them to the Super Bowl. The Rams will learn from their early season loss to the Saints and will advance to face the Chiefs. In what will be a matchup featuring high-flying offenses, the Rams will come out on top. They just have too much firepower all around and will hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Editor’s Choice

Volleyball ends season hoping for more in 2019 Andrew Ford Sports Editor At the beginning of the season, the Case Western Reserve University volleyball team had high expectations. They were coming off a solid season a year ago and only graduated one player while returning all of their crucial pieces. After 32 matches, the Spartans fell short of expectations. However, labeling this season as a disappointment would be wrong. CWRU had an extremely tough schedule, competing against many regionally and nationally ranked teams. To make matters worse, their roster was decimated by injuries. The loss of two of the most talented players on the team, third-year hitters Brianna Lemon and Haley Sims, contributed to more losses than expected. Despite that schedule and season-altering injuries, they finished 18-14. In the Spartans’ final three matches at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships, they were 1-2. They opened the conference tournament with losses to Carnegie Mellon University and Brandeis University but finished the season strong with a victory over the University of Rochester. Throughout the season the team has struggled to close out tight sets, but they won two of their three sets against Rochester by two points. Second-year middle hitter Katie Kaminski paced the team with 12 kills in the final match of the season. Third-year outside hitter Karley King contributed 10 kills. “It was good to end the season on a win,” Farrell said. “Hopefully this gives us some

hunger going into the next nine months to improve the program.” King finished the season as the team leader and third in the UAA with 362 kills while also earning First Team All-UAA honors. Kaminski was second on the team in kills with 262, and also boasted the fourth-best kill percentage in the conference at .353 and was named Honorable Mention All-UAA. Second-year libero Anna Jaskoviak’s 538 digs ranked second in the UAA. Even though the season did not turn out as she hoped, Farrell did not express disappointment regarding her team. “We trained hard from day one all the way through [the season]. Various players had to take on different roles throughout the season and stepped into those roles willingly and confidently,” she said. But, Farrell recognized that the program still needs to move a level. First, that means getting healthy. Second, the talent still needs to develop within the program to take that next step to become one of the best teams in the region. “It will be a lot of work between now and the spring season, and between spring season and next fall, for individual players and the team collectively to put together a special season next year,” Farrell said. With a talented third-year class featuring the bulk of the Spartans’ attack, next year has the potential to be a special year for the CWRU volleyball team. Additionally, the current firstand-second year classes have displayed their potential. The team also brings in a solid firstyear class next season that will try to patch up their struggles on defense. The question will be whether all that potential can be actualized.

Strong early start for swimming & diving

TOGETHER IN LOVE

Janet Van De Graaff and Robert Martin INVITE YOU TO THEIR WEDDING

AT THE TOTTENDALE ESTATE IN THE ELDRED THEATER NOVEMBER 9th to 18th TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHTEEN

Andrew Ford Sports Editor

Wedding Bells Will Ding-A-Ling and we will ding-a-long

theater.case.edu

by Bob Martin, Don McKellar, Lisa Lambert, and Greg Morrison

Chris Heerman/Observer The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have started the season with two wins in their first three meets. They aim to continue that success in their next meet at University of Rochester.

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

After their first three meets, the Case Western Reserve University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams each stand at 2-1 after a loss to Carnegie Mellon University and victories over John Carroll University and Oberlin College. Against Carnegie Mellon, the men’s team lost by a score of 206-94. First-year swimmer Neil Wible won the 100-yard freestyle in just under 50 seconds. Wible was the only Spartan to take first place for the men. The women’s meet was much closer but CWRU still fell, this time by a score of 161.5-138.5. First-year swimmer Daniella Rupert won two events, the 50- and 100-yard freestyle. Fourth-year swimmer Alli Drohoksy earned a first place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke, and second-year swimmer Caitlyn VonFeldt finished in first in

the 100-yard backstroke. Both teams fared much better against Oberlin, the men winning 222-63 and the women 238-47. For the men, two first-year swimmers, Wible and Nicholas Schoenig, combined to win four events. Wible took first in the 50- and 500-yard freestyle; Schoenig finished first in the 100-yard backstroke and butterfly. In diving, second-year diver Mark Fox won the 1-meter and 3-meter dives. VonFeldt secured two victories for the women’s team in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke. Also claiming two wins was fourthyear swimmer Suhan Mestha in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle. The Spartans had seven more individuals claim first place finishes and two teams winning the 400-yard medley and freestyle races. Third-year diver Adi Alkalay won in the 1- and 3-meter dives. Both teams will return to the action Nov. 16 and 17 at the University of Rochester.

sports

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Athelete Spotlight

Life’s imperfections are what make it great Third-year basketball player builds off obstacles

Niko Kamlet Staff Reporter Alicia Marie Gonzales is a third-year guard on the women’s basketball team. She has played basketball since the first grade and has continued to better herself at the sport despite suffering injuries. Off the court, she is an active member in Phi Mu, Theta Tau and the American Society of Civil Engineers as a civil engineering student. What is your favorite part of being on the basketball team? Why? My favorite part of being on the basketball team is being a part of a team full of strong, confident women who inspire me to work harder in basketball and in all aspects of my life. Many of my best friends in college are also my teammates, and we treat each other like teammates both on and off the court, making the bonds with one another on our team stronger. Where did you get your passion for basketball? Any good stories? I got my passion for basketball from when I began playing as a little kid. In first grade, I attended my first basketball clinic where I was taught the basics of basketball, like how to dribble, pass and shoot. This was the first time I was ever exposed to basketball, and I did not realize at the time how large of an impact it was going to have on the rest of my life. I enjoyed learning how to play the sport, even when I broke my right arm at seven years old and learned all my basketball skills with my left-hand (making me a dominant left-handed bas-

ketball player despite being right-handed in all other parts of my life). I competed on my first organized basketball team in third grade and loved how it felt to work with a team to reach a common goal of winning. Although to some people athletics could be seen as a waste of time, my passion for basketball and my experiences with it from first grade to now have molded me into the person I am today. I believe that because of basketball, I have become a better leader and learned the importance at a young age of teamwork, effective communication, perseverance, learning how to lose and learn from failure and learning how to work hard, even when the odds are stacked against you. Basketball has been an integral part of my life for the past 14 years, and my passion for it has helped me to be successful in all other aspects of my life due to the traits that I gained from playing a team sport. Do you have any games that you remember being particularly special? Why? The most recent game that I remember being particularly special was during my [first] year here at [Case Western Reserve University]. We were playing [the] University of Chicago for our throwback weekend, which is the weekend that we play our games in Adelbert Gymnasium and wear [Flora Stone] Mather College uniforms to honor the all-women’s college that was in Cleveland before CWRU was established. It’s a big weekend where many alumni come back to visit. Everyone expected [the] University of Chicago to win the game, but our whole team went into the game determined to show them how great of a team we were. I remember that we

Spartans look passed loss towards NCAA berth David Chang Staff Reporter The Case Western Reserve University soccer team dropped its final game against Carnegie Mellon University 3-1, finishing the season with a solid 14-3-1 record, and a 4-2-1 University Athletic Association record, finishing second for the conference. The Spartans looked to take control of the pace early, with second-year midfielder Connor Weber and third-year forward Zachary Senft missing shots high. However, off Carnegie Mellon’s first corner kick, an opposing striker was able to sneak in a goal off a missed header. Third-year midfielder Garrett Winter attempted to even the score, but the opposing goalie saved his shot. The Tartans then took their momentum off their first goal and shot from twenty yards out, just three minutes after the first goal. Both teams played scrappy defense all throughout the match and combined for a total of 30 fouls. In the 34th minute, a Tartan player managed to score a goal to extend the lead. Fourth-year defender Josh Wargo commented about the intensity of the game: “Playing against Carnegie we always expect them

to be a little chippy especially with them being rivals…[there was] extra emphasis on our season and on possibly winning the UAA.” Weber managed to score the Spartans first goal of the game off a free kick. In the second half, both teams slowed down their pace and took their time on offense. However, CWRU couldn’t find the back of the net anymore and lost to their rival. Despite being down 3-0, Wargo recounts the determination of the team: “We were confident that we could’ve came back because we’re still getting quality changes on goal...we found a lot of success through swinging the ball from side to side and being patient in our build up...[by pulling] teams out before we can get in the box.” The Spartans will be hosting Keystone University on Saturday, Nov. 10, for the first game of the Division III NCAA championship. On Sunday, the winner of the Capital University and Westminster College match will play the winner of the CWRU-Keystone matchup. “We’re taking each day one at a time and relishing in the opportunity to still be one of the last 62 teams playing November. It’s a huge opportunity and we’re really looking forward to it,” Wargo said.

all played very well that game and really worked hard for each other. We ended up beating Chicago, and many of our friends and family were at the game celebrating the big win with us. That game showed our team that, when we all work hard together, we can accomplish anything we set our minds to. Aside from basketball, what else are you involved in on campus? Can you explain your role? I am an active member of Greek life in Phi Mu on campus, where I was the philanthropy director last year and assist the new philanthropy directors this year with running our main event coming up in the spring. I am also a part of the American Society of Civil Engineers, which is an organization through which I just received my latest internship offer as a part time engineering intern during the fall and spring semesters in the Building and Properties Department at Cleveland Clinic. I am also an active member of Theta Tau Fraternity, which is the fraternity on campus for engineers. I also have a job in the Athletic Department where I assist the Assistant Athletic Director in supporting the athletic department through the management of donations and record keeping of alumni. Through that job, I also assist in the event management of CWRU athletic events. Why are you majoring in civil engineering? What interests you about it? I am studying civil engineering because I have always been interested in creating architecture and building structures, so getting a civil engineering degree can help me get involved in this on a more technical side in the future. What do you hope to accomplish with the degree?

SUMMER

What are your favorite free time activities? Why? My favorite free time activity is visiting new places with my friends. I do not get a lot of free time, so when I do, I like to spend it doing activities that I can enjoy with the people around me. I am not from Cleveland, so if I ever have an afternoon or weekend where I am free, I like to go explore different parts of Ohio, like Ohio City or different parts of downtown. I also enjoy going to the museums near campus, like the Cleveland Museum of Art and the [Cleveland Museum of] Natural History museum, because they remind me of the museums in Washington D.C, which is where I am from. What is your favorite quote or what inspires you? My favorite quote is “Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful” because I think it represents how life can still be great and amazing even if you make mistakes or have obstacles that you are going through. I aim to do everything to the best of my ability, whether it is in basketball, school or any aspect of my life. This quote reminds me that, even if I mess up or fall short in something, I can still continue on and be successful, even if my road to success is not perfect.

study abroad

CWRU COURSES

China

ENGR 200T Statics and Strength of Materials May 27–June 11, 2019

France

FRCH 328/428, WGST 333, WLIT 353/453 Science and Technology in France: Yesterday and Today May 12–May 31, 2019 ARTS 305/405 Architecture, Design and Culture: Paris

May 17–June 15, 2019

Italy

CLSC 236/426 Rome on Site: The Archaeology of the Eternal City June 9–June 27, 2019

NCAA Men’s Soccer First and Second Rounds Saturday, Nov. 10 at DiSanto Field No. 19 CWRU v. Keystone 11 a.m. Capital vs. Westminster 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11 at DiSanto Field Second Round matchup between First Round winners 1 p.m.

I hope to get involved in work that allows me to create structures and infrastructure that improves the quality of life in the community that I am building in. I want to oversee construction projects that will become buildings and structures that will help improve people’s lives, whether that is constructing a bridge that will improve the flow of traffic in an area or creating a building that will become a hospital that many people can be healed in on a daily basis.

APPLY TODAY

www.case.edu/studyabroad studyabroad@case.edu

sports CWRU wins over Waynesburg Riley Simko Staff Reporter

The Case Western Reserve University football team defeated Waynesburg University 41-17 at home on DiSanto Field last Saturday, Nov. 3. Waynesburg kicked off the game with a 33-yard field goal in just over five minutes of game time, but the Spartans came right back with their own field goal from first-year kicker Robertson Albrecht. The first quarter ended in a 3-3 tie, but the Spartans rallied in the second quarter to pull ahead of the Yellow Jackets. Fourth-year wide receiver Joey Spitalli caught a 17-yard pass from firstyear quarterback Drew Saxton for a touchdown, bringing the score to 10-3. The Yellow Jackets were hot on the Spartans’ heels though, and quickly scored a touchdown of their own to tie the score. Fourth-year wide receiver Justin Phan caught a touchdown pass from Saxton, boosting the Spartan score to 17-10 right before the end of the half. Phan caught 12 passes over the course of the game, moving into third place among CWRU football players with 177 career receptions. Second-year running back Kyle Turcovsky caught a 26-yard pass from Saxton to score the first touchdown of the third quarter. The scoreboard flipped to 24-10, and Waynesburg never recovered from the deficit. As the Spartans continued to score throughout the second half, Waynesburg continued to lag behind. Luke DiFrancesco, a fourth-year wide receiver, caught a long 51-yard touchdown pass from Saxton, bringing it into the endzone for a 31-10 score at the end of the third quarter. Moving into the final quarter of the game, second-year wide receiver Colt Morgan caught a quick touchdown pass from Saxton, bringing the Spartans to a whopping 38-10 score. This was Morgan’s 17th touchdown of the season, adding to his current record for most touchdown passes caught by a CWRU football player in one season.

Chris Heerman/Observer Second-year wide receiver Colt Morgan (86) takes a hit from a Wayneburg defensive player. Morgan continues to add to his record of the most touchdowns in a season in CWRU history. Albrecht made his longest field goal kick to date at 37 yards, putting the Spartan score at 41-10. At the last moment, the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets bounced back with another touchdown, putting the final score at 41-17. The Spartans gained 476 yards throughout the game, with 327 of the 375 passing yards made by Saxton. Between victory songs, a member of the Spartan Marching Band commented, “The team is stellar this year. It’s awesome to be able to play our fight song every game.” Isaac Withrow, a third-year linebacker, headed the defensive effort with four solo tackles, and nine total tackles. Patrick Crossey, a third-year safety, recorded a forced fumble and eight more

tackles, including three solos. Over the course of the game, Saxton threw for five touchdowns, each to a different receiver, making him the third Spartan player in CWRU football history to exceed 30 passing touchdowns in one season. Saxton has 33 touchdown passes so far, and one more regular season game to continue breaking CWRU records. Saxton is one short of the record for most touchdown passes thrown in one season, currently held by Dan Whalen at 34. With another win under their belts, the Spartan football team moved up to No. 20 in the overall Division III college football ranking. At 8-1 overall and 7-1 in the Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC), the Spartans are tied for first place with Washington & Jefferson College.

The Spartans will compete in their final regular season game this Saturday, Nov. 10, at home on DiSanto Field against Carnegie Mellon University. A win over Carnegie Mellon in this year’s Academic Bowl would clinch at least a share of another PAC title for CWRU. The season finale is also the team’s “Senior Day.” This year, the team is graduating 13 players, including Phan and Spitalli. In order to earn an automatic bid for the NCAA playoffs, the Spartans need a victory in the Academic Bowl and a Waynesburg win over Washington & Jefferson. With Waynesburg moving down to a 4-4 record in the PAC, that automatic bid seems unlikely. Thus, the team will hope to earn one of the five at-large selections for the 32-team tournament.

second-year goalkeeper Lauren Metz, who had three of her four saves during the first half. In the second half, the Spartans answered back. In the 63rd minute, first-year forward Christina Hickson dribbled into the box and laced a ground shot past the defender and oncoming goalkeeper to score near the far post to tie the score at one. The goal added to Hickson’s impressive season, with her eighth goal and 17th point to lead the team. Carnegie Mellon answered five minutes after Hickson’s goal when third-year mid-

fielder Tara Durstewitz would net the eventual game winner. The Spartans ended the 2018 campaign with an overall record of 7-10 and a University Athletic Association record of 0-7. “Given the injuries we sustained, I think we fared very well. I, obviously, would’ve liked to have seen us get a result in our conference play, but we scored more goals in more games than we have in recent years,” Head Coach Tiffany Crooks said. “Had we been at full strength, I think we’re having a completely different conversation right now and might even be looking at a postseason berth.”

Looking forward to the offseason and the 2019 campaign, Crooks is optimistic about the team. “I’m always thinking ahead and trying to figure out what we need to do and become to get better. I feel very optimistic. We played so many young players this year, and they picked up valuable experience,” she said. “Our older returning players seem to have developed more energy and impatience in our results...so I’m hoping that turns into greater leadership and accountability in the offseason. Our 2019 recruiting class will be strong as well, so I’m looking forward to the offseason and next fall.”

Women’s soccer ends season on heartbreaker

Sanjay Annigeri Staff Reporter The Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team ended their season on a down note, suffering a 2-1 defeat at Carnegie Mellon University on Saturday, Nov. 3. Carnegie Mellon started off the scoring in the match with an early goal in the 10th minute by fourth-year forward Kaily Bruch. The rest of the first half was quiet, with the Spartans keeping the score in striking distance. The close game was mostly due to