Volume XLVII, Issue 13, 11/27/2015 by The Observer

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Case Western Reserve University volume xlvii, issue 13 friday, 11/20/2015

Observer Vigil for terrorist attacks, other tragedies moves from mourning to hope Aquene Kimmel News Editor On Monday, Nov. 16, over 50 Case Western Reserve University students, faculty and community members gathered to hold a vigil for victims of the terrorist attacks and tragedies that had occurred around the world the preceding week. At 6:30 p.m., the time when the event was set to start, students and faculty were still standing in uncertain clumps around a blank banner laid out on the ground in front of Kelvin Smith Library (KSL). A security officer walked through the crowd, stepping on the banner without looking down. “Oh,” said one student, surprised by the crunch of his foot on the paper. As a few stragglers arrived, the crowd gathered together in close rows, facing out towards the empty lawn of the KSL oval. Cheryl Toman, associate professor of French and advisor for the Middle Eastern Cultural Association, spoke first. She thanked everyone in attendance and encouraged those present to speak about the recent tragedies. “I know for a fact that there’s been talk that there hasn’t been enough attention paid to Beirut as opposed to what happened [to the Russian airliner in Egypt], but as long as there’s an awareness, as long as that increases, then somehow that’s a good thing,” said Toman. Toman then introduced Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Cyrus C. Taylor, who spoke about the many tragedies that had happened, specifically mentioning Af-

Photo courtesy Nabila Azeem A crowd of over 50 people gathered in front of Kelvin Smith Library to honor lives lost in recent terrorist attacks.

Angeline Xiong/Observer

Many people at the vigil called for unity in the face of the tragedies that had occurred around the world. ghanistan, Bangladesh, Chad, France, Israel, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. Ramez Islambouli, full-time lecturer of Arabic, spoke next. “Remember that when the terrorists blew themselves up, they didn’t care about the religion of their victims, didn’t care if they were Muslims, Christians or Jews,” said Islambouli. “They didn’t care if they were young, or children. They didn’t care if they were males or females.” “The terrorists did not care, but we care, and that’s why we are standing here today,” Islambouli continued. “We care for the human life that is being killed for no reason.” As the vigil continued, more faculty and students stood before the row of candles to speak to the attentive crowd. “There’re so many people in this world that are suffering on a daily basis, and it’s important to remember all of them,” said a student who was on crutches and couldn’t reach the edge of the lawn where most of the speakers stood. “Not one life matters

more than any other.” One retired French professor was struck by how young most of the terrorists were. “They probably were not welcome well enough [in France] if they committed such atrocities,” said the retired professor. “So beyond what happened, I think we have to look at the people who committed and change something. I don’t know if it’s the government, I don’t know who has to change, but something has to change.” Before the crowd broke up, Toman called for a moment of slightly delayed silence, after one that had been recognized around the world earlier that day. As the group stood in silence, some looking straight forward and some staring down, one student broke away from the front row, where she had been standing. Before the gathered group, she knelt and picked up two candles that had gone out, struggling to relight them from the others in the row. “I can’t do anything now for the people of Paris—it’s too far away, I have too little

knowledge of what people need,” said Susan McKay, the second-year student who broke the stillness to relight candles. “But if those candles mean anything for the people around me, they need to be lit. They need to be.” After the moment of silence ended, the crowd spread out. Some went over to write on the banner, while others gathered in groups to talk. Several children ran about through the crowd, laughing aloud after spending so much time standing quietly to hear each speaker. “The message really is to live with love and with courage and to carry on,” said Sarah Hartley. Leticia Dornfeld, first-year student, stood, holding a candle, and watched as people filled in the banner with messages of hope. For her, the takeaway of this is still uncertain; she hopes that France will respond to their recent attacks with peace, rather than with fear and escalating violence.

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CWRU students can better use activism to make a difference in the campus community see page 6

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Bernie comes to Cleveland

Spooky play at Eldred Theater

Holiday political correctedness

Basketball splits opener

news Threatening call leads to heightened security at Inamori Center Staff Report Those visiting the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence located in TVUC currently find themselves facing a sign outside its doors stating that all visitors must display a Case Western Reserve University ID to enter. The sign was put up on CWRU Police Department’s guidance after a man made a belligerent phone call to President Barbara R. Snyder’s office in October in an attempt to collect his $75 portion of a prize from a group essay contest that the Center held in 2011, which his group had won. The center’s financial records show that the prize money was paid out, but the man insisted that it wasn’t. The contest had been run by a post-doctorate who has since left the center.

He also believes he deserved $250, the full amount the winning group received, instead of the $75 each individual in a group would have received. The office administrator that spoke with the man became concerned and called security. The incident occurred early in October, but the man had previously been in contact with the center about the prize money. The center’s director, Shannon French, who was not part of center at the time of the contest, received an angry email from the man in the summer of 2014. “I would have been happy to pay that, if it would have appeased him, frankly,” she said. He then met with the current Student Office Assistant, Marie Bartinelli, at the center later that summer. The CWRU Police Department was

also notified of the emails, and found that the man had suffered from mental illness and had been homeless previously. The department also found angry messages from him online, with references to violence and an anti-female theme. French was advised to not remain in contact with him. Despite never actually meeting with her, she believes he holds her personally responsible for the allegedly unpaid prize money. In the phone call earlier this semester to President Snyder’s office, he mentioned her by name. The man had also been found attempting to enter campus again later in the summer of 2014. He was removed and told that he was not allowed on campus. “My prime focus, obviously, is security,” said French. “We have all these people who work here, we have classes in here and also generally the building has so

many people and we don’t want to have an individual who might actually be a threat.” According to French, the man attended Cleveland–Marshall College of Law. It is unknown if he graduated. The security desk at TVUC and all security officers have been provided a picture of the man. French does not know how long visitors at the center will have to show their CWRU IDs before entering. She plans to contact CWRU PD before making any changes and has been working closely with Sergeant Paul Owens. The CWRU Police Department did not provide a comment. “My heart goes out to [the man who had called Snyder’s office],” said French. “This is clearly someone with mental health issues who is not getting the care he needs.”

Bernie Sanders speaks to crowd of thousands in Cleveland Ashley Chan Public Relations Manager Thousands of supporters of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders f looded into Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Auditorium on Monday, Nov. 16, marking the Democratic presidential candidate’s first campaign stop in Ohio. “It was great attending my first rally,” said first-year CWRU student Naveen Viswanath. “I enjoyed being there to witness this speech and share opinions with a crowd that supported the same beliefs that I did.” Former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner, who recently switched her endorsement from Hillary Clinton to Bernie Sanders, introduced Sanders. In her introduction, she mentioned the working class, young people with debt, Americans deprived of health care, women deprived of the right to control their bodies, equal pay and the unjust justice system, affirming that enough is enough. “When I say feel, you say Bern,” fired Turner. To a crowd riled and geared up in Bernie 2016 signs and shirts, Sanders began his speech with condolences for the Paris attacks, calling for an international coalition including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait and Turkey. “Now is the time for developing a serious and effective strategy to destroy ISIS, now is not the time for cheap political talk or trying to take political advantage of this difficult moment,” said Sanders. Sanders continued demanding that the United States must not be involved in perpetual warfare in the Middle East. “It was the first time that Sanders spoke extensively about foreign policy at one of his rallies,” said first-year CWRU student Robert Harley III. “So it was very time relevant considering the recent attacks in Paris.” Sanders is differentiated from other

candidates by his refusal of super PACS and monetary donations from corporations and billionaires. He proudly noted that he has received about 800,000 contributions from American individuals to fund his campaign. “Our campaign is a people’s campaign … we will win this on our own,” Sanders said. Sanders discussed the issues of unemployment and incarceration and the need for greater investment in education, rather than jails. He spoke of the necessity for a living wage and called the current minimum wage a “starving wage.” Sanders continued, ref lecting on family values and how a mother and her baby should never have to be separated because she is not granted paid leave. He stressed on the need to create jobs, increase voter turnout and end institutional racism. “What this campaign is about is not just electing a president,” said Sanders. “It’s creating a political revolution.” Members from the club Bernie’s CWRU volunteered for the event and have been advocating for Sanders and his platforms. Co-presidents and second-year students Jaimee Miller and Paige Yepko had previously contacted Northeast Ohio’s youth coordinator from Ohio Democrats and Sanders’ head volunteer coordinator in Washington, D.C. as a part of their push to get Sanders to come to Cleveland. “We have been tabling to get the word out on Bernie and also to have CWRU register to vote—this campus is very politically inactive and we would love to see that change,” said Yepko. Bernie’s CWRU has been holding watch parties at The Jolly Scholar for every presidential debate. They hope to get over 500 CWRU students to register to vote by the general election and hold information sessions about Sanders’ policies and how they affect the younger generations.

Aquene Kimmel/Observer Many students and faculty members at the vigil called for unity in the face of the tragedies that have occurred around the world.

from VIGIL | 1 Celeste Engel, a French-American second-year student and a member of À La Carte, CWRU’s French club, wrote on the banner and then stood to talk with other students and professors. “Like I wrote on the banner, our unity is our strength,” said Engel. “I think when everyone gets together and mourns together, you realize how impactful some acts are and how hard times can make people unite. I think that when we unite we become more powerful and we can make a change.” As they finished writing on the banner and began to feel the call of homework and bed, attendees at the vigil began to disperse. Laura Nguyen, a fourth-year student, had arrived early to help set up, and now she remained to blow out candles and help clean up. “This is a cause that touches my heart,” said Nguyen. “Paris is a place that I hold near and dear, and I wanted to help as much as I could.” Toman, too, was working to tidy up after the event. She helped to pull the event together after she’d gotten an email the afternoon before from Professor of French and Humanities Marie Lathers suggesting that they hold a vigil that night.

Aquene Kimmel/Observer Students shared their messages of hope on a banner. Toman spends summers in Paris. In one of the terrorist attacks, 19 people were killed in a café where she had spent many daytimes working and chatting with the servers. She felt that this event needed to be held soon, before it lost its impact and its potential to help create change. As the last few attendees were walking away and Toman and Nguyen began to pick up the markers scattered around the banner, one student rushed forward, kneeling to quickly write on the banner in Arabic, one final message. “Freedom for everyone.”

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Class divide

Parallel courses taught at CWRU, in prison meet for discussion Anmol Nigam Staff Writer Students enrolled in USSO 290M waited early on Saturday, Nov. 14 for the bus to take them to prison. They were heading to the Lorain Correctional Institution, a state prison less than an hour’s drive from the Case Western Reserve University campus. Their class, titled “Impact of Race, Class and Education: A Dialogue on Current Issues,” is part of the SAGES curriculum instructed by Dr. Benjamin Sperry along with Steve Pinkerton, the writing co-instructor. Sperry wrote in his syllabus, “part of the SAGES mission involves engagement with the wider community.” The purpose of their visit was for the students to engage in “dialogue on current issues with another group of young Ohioans.” The other group of young Ohioans was made of prisoners. The Lorain Correctional Institution is primarily a receiving prison, serving as a waypoint for inmates ranging from minimum to maximum security. Once processed, the inmates are sent to other institutions. A small group of the incarcerated completes their full sentences in Lorain. They are called Cadres, and they help staff the facility. There are currently 124 Cadres, yet only the ones with the equivalent of a high school diploma were included in Sperry’s class inside the prison. Despite the different selection of students, both classes have nearly identical syllabi, reading similar books and discussing issues on societal injustice. This was the second visit like this to happen this semester. Both classes of students were prepared and eager to meet their counterparts. “It’s a memorable class,” said second-year student Reji Rouf. “It’s a highlight of my college experience so far.” “It informed me of a lot of things I didn’t even know about,” said Nate, an inmate. Corrections Specialist Carl Mansfield does not know of programs like this occurring anywhere else. He says that inmates en-

Anmol Nigam/Observer Students, both inmates and from CWRU, discussed social issues as a group. joy being in the college class. “It’s a mark of pride,” said Mansfield. “We want to show people we are doing good things in these walls.” The class started with a variety of icebreakers. “What was your favorite childhood possession?” asked Sperry. “My roller skates.” “My first car.” “My cat.” Gradually people started to open up as the series of questions progressed. From that point, the discussion turned more serious. Topics such as oppression, racism and discrimination were focal points of the small groups. One inmate said in the conversation, “America has come a long way, but its prison system hasn’t.” After ten minutes, each group was assigned a new question. “How do you try to stop oppression?” a student read off to the group. “I just ignore it,” replied second-year student Adrianna Harris.

Agreeing with her, an inmate said, “You have to turn your head, and say ‘thank God it isn’t me.’” The class lasted roughly an hour, and the students and inmates reconvened at the end to describe their experiences. “Racism and oppression, it goes on every day,” said one inmate, summing up what he learned through the course. Similar thoughts were echoed by students from both sides. “These are current issues, and it’s up to our generation to solve them,” said third-year student Alex Selwitz. “And we have to be as educated as we possibly can be to do it.” When asked about the class, Nate responded, “I came in here with high hopes. It was great.” “It’s challenging, but they were able to talk across their lines,” said Pinkerton. As he arrived back to the CWRU campus, Sperry described his efforts positively. “You’re gathering people from different circumstances across different barriers,” said Sperry. “It’s challenging, but there was great and enlightening conversation taking place.”

Student researcher aims to rebuild body movement When fourth-year student Benjamin Nudelman found out in the summer of 2014 that he had been selected to participate in Case Western Reserve University’s research program, SOURCE, he was elated. “I was really excited,” said Nudelman. “[SOURCE] is a really prestigious program, and I knew that [research conducted as part of] it was more likely to receive funding because it is much more well-structured [than other programs].” Nudelman’s particular area of interest— neuroprosthesis stimulation—is an advanced and quickly expanding field of study involving the use of high-tech devices to mimic the functions of biological organs, with the ultimate goal of restoring normal activity as much as possible in victims of serious physical impairments. His specific research involves working with spinal cord injury patients who are paraplegic, meaning they have lost the ability to move parts of their bodies, aiming to create a system that can relay electrical signals very quickly to approximate those which would be sent by the brain.

CWRU changing laundry machine notification systems Jeniece Montellano, Social Media Editor

Spotlight on research

Srivatsan Uchani Staff Reporter

“With the system, rather than relying on a walker, [the idea was] they would be able to move their arms or their legs on their own,” said Nudelman. Nudelman carried out his research at the Advanced Platform Technology (APT) Center in the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Cleveland, working under Dr. Musa Audu, Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case and Principal Investigator at the APT Center. Nudelman says he was first introduced to Audu by Dr. Ronald Triolo, professor of Orthopedics and Biomedical Engineering at CWRU and executive director at the APT Center, who was the first person Nudelman reached out to when he was beginning his research. Nudelman’s zeal and proactivity in pursuing his goals led to his being given his own complex assignment, crucial to Audu’s overall posture control system: modeling the results of neuroprosthesis stimulation on a computer. In order to do that, he first had to gather data, such as the mass and length of limbs. He then worked to create a database of that information, using previously established modelling formulae that he tested to make sure they

would work. “One of the best aspects of [the] research was that we were able to bring in actual subjects that had had treatment and see former paraplegics walk and regain control of their limbs,” he said. “The application of this research in real life was one of the most meaningful things for me. One of the main things motivating me was knowing that my research was instrumental in improving the quality of life of the patients, seeing with my own eyes the change in their lives.” He also felt that he learned a lot and was then able to share that knowledge with others. “Specifically for me, some researchers from the Case Alumni Association came in to see my research, and it definitely solidified the impact for me and helped me to show the alumni what direction current students at Case are going with their education,” said Nudelman. “And I don’t know if everyone gets to do that.” Nudelman would encourage other students to apply to be a part of the SOURCE program, as he sees the application process as a learning experience in itself. “There is so much to be gained from experiential learning outside of class,” said Nudelman.

The Residence Hall Association and the Department of Housing and Residence Life has announced that eSuds will no longer be the residence halls’ online laundry service. According to Loretta Sexton, the associate director of Residence Life and Services, Case Western Reserve University renewed its contract with ASI Campus Laundry Solutions, which included the switch from eSuds to LaundryView. The updated contract also included new machines for all the residential halls on campus. LaundryView is now up and running for every residential hall except the Apartments at 1576. The new system includes a 3-D set-up of each laundry room when viewed on a computer, with the machines in use colored in a gradient of red to indicate how close the cycle is to completion. It also includes almost all of the Greek houses, unlike eSuds. When viewing the website on a cell phone, users can click on the machine or machines that they’d like to use and input their cell phone number to receive a text message when the cycle has completed. They can also set up a LaundryView account on their computers to include their emails and phone numbers, and set up notifications for when the machines are available. eSuds did not have text message capability, and according to Acadia Fairchild, the executive vice president of residential relations, many students complained that eSuds’ email notification system typically did not work. Vice President for Campus Services Richard Jamieson says that the mobile platform for LaundryView has more capabilities, and students can keep track of the machines as well as report broken machines using the mobile website. QR codes will be on each machine to report any problems. RHA also plans on installing whiteboard walls in laundry rooms, as opposed to the old system of sticking whiteboards onto each individual machine, according to Victoria Robinson, executive president of RHA. This way, people can put their contact information under a machine number in order to improve laundry room etiquette. Additionally, RHA will be putting up signs about how to use the washers and dryers in each laundry room.

Darcy Martinez/Observer LaundryView will send students text notifications when machines are empty.

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Social Justice Institute hosts think tank From Thursday Nov. 12 to Saturday Nov. 14, Case Western Reserve University’s Social Justice Institute (SJI) held an Intergenerational Think Tank, titled Educating for Struggle: Social Justice, Empathy, and Social Transformation. The SJI had previously held think tanks in 2010 and 2013. This year’s featured a documentary screening, a speech by feminist and activist Angela Y. Davis, several plenary discussions and a closing performance by hip-hop duo Rebel Diaz.

Plenary discussions aimed to educate for struggle Makela Hayford Staff Reporter On Saturday the conference hosted three plenary sessions in Ford Auditorium focused on empathy, social justice and social transformation. Each session had a facilitator and several presenters who first spoke individually and engaged the audience’s questions collaboratively. The first session explored empathy and raised questions about empathy in business, empathy in doing research and empathy in criminal justice. Community activist Zoe Renee Lapin facilitated the session featuring Jaqueline Acho, CWRU sociology professor Timothy Black and Damian Calvert, a returning citizen and advocate for reentry. The second session, focused on social justice, was facilitated by Maxie Jackson III from 90.3 WCPM ideastream and featured CWRU Law professor Ayesha Bell Hardaway, Princeton University African American Studies Professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor and activist Carol A. Apaestegui who was a former undocumented child. Central to the discussion was the meaning of “citizenship,” specifically regarding reparations for African Americans, Black Lives Matter and the effects of America’s immigration policies and discourse. The last session, titled “Social Transformation,” featured journalist, author and

activist Bakari Kitwana. The focus of the session was on LGBT rights legislation, Workers’ Rights and Union Legislation and the current actions and demands for justice on behalf of Tamir Rice and those affected by the brutality of the Cleveland Police. The presenters were Nancy Marcus, Founding Constitutional Law Professor at Indiana Tech Law School, Yanela Sims, Northern Ohio Coordinator for the Service Employees International Union, Sandra Ellington and Julia Shearson, Executive Director of the Cleveland Chapter of CAIR-Ohio. Videos of the entire conference, including each of the plenary sessions will be available on the Social Justice Institute website.

“Finding the Gold Within,” film, screened in Strosacker Makela Hayford Staff Reporter The Social Justice Institute Think Tank commenced Thursday, Nov. 12, as about 100 people gathered in Strosacker Auditorium to watch Karina Epperlein’s feature-length documentary, “Finding the Gold Within.” CWRU Film Society and the Social Justice Institute transformed the large lecture hall to an intimate movie theater, selling snacks and greeting audience members as they entered. The documentary followed six black young men from Akron, Ohio: Brandyn Costa, Stacee Starr, Imani Scruggs, Tyler Jones, Darius Simpson, and Shawntrail Smith as they navigated their college experiences. The documentary also focused on their participation in the intimate circle of Alchemy Inc from sixth grade to the present. “Alchemy, Inc. and its leaders have been working in the school system in the Cleveland area, mentoring young black urban youth from middle through high school,” read the event’s program. “Exploring ancient stories from diverse cultures, as well as drumming and writing, this innovative program gives the youth a chance to grow into self-knowledge, discipline and confidence.” Three of the film’s protagonists, Simpson, Costa and Scruggs, who is a current social work student in the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, were present in the audience and hosted a question and answer session immediately after the film. During the discussion, the three men updated the audience on their lives and

Activist Angela Y. Davis speaks against state violence Anastazia Vanisko Copy Editor When Angela Y. Davis addressed the Case Western Reserve Community at the Church of the Covenant on Nov. 13, she spoke starkly about the struggles facing black people in the United States. “Over the last year or so, we have been very much opened on a persistent assault on black lives, from racial profiling and police violence to the racist, institutionalized violence …” Davis said. She immediately cited the deaths of Tamir Rice and Tanisha Anderson at the hands of police last November as examples of the “persistent assaults” faced by the black community. Rice, a 12-year-old boy, was killed when officers mistook his toy gun for a real weapon. Anderson, whose family reported that she was disturbing the peace and then agreed to let the police take her to the hospital for a mental evaluation, was killed when an officer knocked her to the ground while trying to handcuff her. “Of course these are not new, it’s just that the media has been paying more attention to these assaults over the last year in the aftermath of the Ferguson protest,” Davis said. According to Davis, our society experiences amnesia when examining racial conflict in our own country. Instead of eliminating the institutionalized racism and violence that slavery produced, the U.S. chooses a band-aid approach. Davis said that only the immediate problems, such as police violence, are addressed, while their historical depth is ignored. Another chronic problem that requires a more historically grounded solution is cycles of violence, which ultimately contribute to an economy of violence. “But why do we always assume that the … violence that comes from our communities is totally separate from the violence that comes down from … the apparatuses of the state?” Davis asked. “Where does this idea come from that encourages us to see violence as a solution?”

Expanding upon her question, Davis described how people don’t know how to solve conflict anymore. So they call the police. Then, they see officers use violent behavior to solve the problem, and people learn to continue the cycle of violence. For Davis, the epitome of our inability to solve conflict without violence is the prison system, or as she calls it, “the prison-industrial complex.” She points out that people often leave prison more violent than when they entered it, and that it unfairly targets black men. According to The New York Times’s Upshot, 1.5 million black men are “missing” from everyday life because they are either dead or in jail. For Davis, this demonstrates that they are victims of the economy of violence she is fighting against. Their families are collateral victims, especially as they are still just as likely to be the targets of state violence thanks to racial profiling and other forms of institutionalized racism. Calls for reform aren’t enough, though, said Davis. She wants demilitarization of the police, followed by the disarming of the police and eventually the disarming of everyone else, as well as the abolition of the prison system. “We call for the abolition of the constitution of the police as we know it, and new ways of imagining safety and security …” said Davis. “This is only the beginning of a struggle … to reinvent and recreate our society.”

Rebel Diaz performance concluded Social Justice Think Tank

Makela Hayford Staff Reporter

endeavors since the documentary was completed. It was clear that the film elicited strong sentiments of support for the three men and as they stood on the stage, Strosacker transformed once again, this time from a movie theater to a community support network. One woman in the audience commented, “Akron should be proud of you.” Another audience member added, “I appreciate that you are taking a stand to be yourself.” Other audience members offered the men advice, while some wanted to know how to help expand the Alchemy Inc program. As Costa, Starr and Scruggs candidly engaged with the audience, they drew examples from the myths they learned in Alchemy Inc, eagerly sharing the wisdom that had been once shared with them. The night concluded with an impromptu spoken word performance by Simpson titled, “Letter to My Unborn Son,” which received a standing ovation.

The Think Tank ended with a performance-talk from Rebel Diaz, a hip hop group with roots in Chicago, Chile and the South Bronx, NY. The music performance consisted of both visual and auditory components and layered relevant historical sound bytes underneath the live vocals of Rebel Diaz. Each musical performance was followed by a crash course in the historical context of hip hop given by the artists themselves. They discussed how hip hop was impacted by immigrant communities in South Bronx, housing projects, anti-gang loitering laws and many other factors. The vocal performances were interactive, as were the informational parts, and both connected many of the themes brought up throughout the Think Tank. When it was time for the final song, Rebel Diaz asked everyone to stand up and dance. It was at this moment that I decided to stop taking notes for this article. I had attended the entire conference and in doing so I became more than just an “observer.” As I got up and looked around, I saw a

kid and his mom dancing together, some older community members nodding their heads to the music, previous speakers from the conference swaying and clapping and many members of the Social Justice Institute dancing freely, with pure joy. At this point, I too joined in the dancing (in a socially awkward way that only I can pull off) and I smiled to myself wondering if there were any other contexts where this particular group of people would be together, dancing to hip hop and singing, “power to the people!”

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UDC, USG to host forum on need-aware admissions Julia Bianco Director of Web & Multimedia The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and the Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative (UDC) will be hosting a forum on the possibility of Case Western Reserve University switching to need-aware admissions on Monday, Nov. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in Strosacker Auditorium. Vice President for Enrollment Richard W. Bischoff will be there to give a

brief presentation on the current and possible policies and to answer student questions. Students can submit questions ahead of time via a Google form, and can also ask questions and give statements during the event. “The point of the forum is to make sure that admissions is aware of student opinions moving forward,” said Chippy Kennedy, USG president. The decision to move to need-aware admissions comes as part of a possible

Two lab accidents resulted in a minor injury, traffic inconvenience Hunter Overstreet Staff Reporter On Friday, Nov. 13 a Case Western Reserve University alert went out warning that vehicle traffic should avoid Adelbert Road, because the Cleveland Fire Department was responding to a chemical spill in Kent Hale Smith Building. The alert was due to an unattended experiment gone awry in the Macromolecular and Engineering Department, which had caused a chemical explosion that led to a fume hood being damaged. The chemical explosion was thought to have released bromine gas because of the brown cloud in the room. Within five minutes, a hazmat team was on scene to deal with this seemingly hazardous material, though they quickly discovered that they were not actually needed. What was originally thought to be bromine gas turned out to merely be a brown substance that had atomized upon explosion, turning into a brown cloud. Initially four people were taken to the hospital that should not have entered the room but did anyway. These people were screened for any issues, given a precautionary shower and released. “Had we known exactly what it was from the very beginning, hazmat wouldn’t have been called, and we could have been in there with sponges and paper towels cleaning up

the mess,” said Marc Rubin, the senior director of Safety Services and chemical safety officer for CWRU. Because the room was empty when the explosion happened, no one was injured. According to Rubin, even if someone would have been in front of the fume hood when the explosion happened, they would not have been injured, as the set-up was behind a shut fume hood with a blast shield. One day earlier, on Thursday, Nov. 12, a lab technician in Millis Hall was taken to the hospital with minor injuries from an exploded flask. No hazardous chemicals were released when the flask exploded, and because the individual was wearing eye protection and a lab coat, no serious injuries were sustained. “The biggest thing we had there was a little bit of blood because [they] had a couple cuts on [their] face,” said Rubin. “Just some blood on the floor.” By the end of the day, the individual was back to work in Millis Hall. Rubin has been working on campus for 23 years. While minor accidents such as broken bottles and the like are expected and happen relatively frequently, accidents as serious as these two are “extremely infrequent,” according to him. The fact that they happened within so short of a timespan is then even more strange. “I can count ‘em on my hand,” he said.

On the beat

Break time

We are approaching Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. No costumes to wear, gifts to buy or pretending to care about your fellow man—just overeating with family and friends and watching football on the couch in a semi-comatose state. Thanksgiving is followed by finals and Winter Break, so On the Beat will be signing off until 2016. Remember to lock your rooms, secure your valuables, unplug appliances and please (please!) clean out the fridge before you leave. We’ll keep the lights on until you get back. Before signing off I would like to respond briefly to some of the issues raised in the last Observer regarding campus safety. Campus safety is the Case Western Reserve University Police Department’s reason for existence, and we take it very seriously, are always seeking to improve and are interested in student and staff feedback. Campus safety will always be a cooperative effort between us and the campus community. We can’t be everywhere, and we need you to help tell us what is happening where on the campus. It is also a good idea to be proactive about your own safety—use the services provided by the university like Safe Ride, CWRU Shield and emergency phones. Stay aware of your surroundings and not too deeply buried

in your phones or electronics when moving around campus. You have the right to walk down a dark alley at 3 a.m. in a free society in the same way you have the right to swim in shark-infested waters coated in steak sauce if you choose, but that doesn’t make it a good idea. CWRU is an urban university, which can provide great benefits in terms of access to cultural institutions and a range of dinner options, but it also presents challenges. The campus is bordered by some statistically high crime areas that have been that way for a long time. The university has to balance its desire to be a good neighbor against that reality. CWRU PD is also bound by resource and jurisdictional boundaries that dictate where we can and cannot take action. So we will continue to strive to do our best to keep the campus community as safe as possible. Let’s all take a little break, have some eggnog and do it again in 2016. And let’s look out for each other. On the Beat is a weekly safety column written by Sergeant Jeffrey Daberko of CWRU PD. He welcomes questions, suggestions and gripes/groans/moans/complaints about campus life at policecolumn@case.edu.

move to the Coalition Application. The Coalition Application, which is a more individualized way of looking at applicants, requires private institutions to cover 100 percent of financial need. The discussion will be moderated by John Killings and Naomi Sigg from the Office of Multicultural Affairs. “Admissions has complete power to change this policy,” said Kennedy. “Whatever change they make will have pros and cons. Our goal is to make sure

that when admissions is making this decision they know how students feel.” Although there is no solid timeline for the decision, the university is aiming to have 100 percent need met in the next few years. Representatives from USG’s academic affairs committee and UDC will meet with Bischoff along the way. “We want to empower these people so they are aware of different student opinion and they can say how any decision will affect students,” said Kennedy.

Take a break with Thwing Study Over Anastazia Vanisko Copy Editor As classes come to a close, students will have the opportunity to take a break from studying and eat some free food at Thwing Study Over (TSO) on Sunday, Dec. 6 from 7-11 p.m. The food will come from a range of restaurants, some within walking distance and others much farther. Confirmed caterers for this year include Kenko, Dunkin’ Donuts and The Cheesecake Factory. “I think Thwing Study Over is a good way for students to get to try good food from around the area and destress before finals,” said fourth-year student

Freda Li, a member of the public relations committee for TSO. Entertainment for the event will include Zumba, yoga, an oxygen bar and a dunk tank. Student groups are also getting involved in the event through their own booths with either giveaways or activities, or they can volunteer at the event. For Li, TSO is an opportunity to escape the constant studying of finals. “I like that this event is a strong tradition at our school and allows people to mingle before break and before finals really hit,” said Li. “The event has always been fun, allowed me to see different people and get away from KSL or my room from studying.”

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Campus activism can succeed, but must tango with student workloads In the dusty yearbook archives of the University Media Board office, photos featured 1970s protesters thrusting picket signs into the air. This was a common occurrence in Case Western Reserve University’s history, but not anymore. However on Thursday, Nov. 10, the Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative (UDC) came close to that image. The organization brought students of all identities together through Facebook posts; students swarmed hours later at the wooden staircase in TVUC to support those at University of Missouri (Mizzou) and Yale University. This wasn’t anywhere near the scope of what happened at Mizzou, but for a new organization to accomplish this was a resounding success. The Editorial Board commends the students who chose to attend. However, we wonder if this turnout could be produced by activist organizations on campus without help from the outside. We’re not optimistic. The Editorial Board believes that CWRU students do not participate in enough community activism, let alone respond to campus concerns enough. This is especially seen when we compare ourselves to leading colleges at the forefront of current issues. Sure, efforts are made, but they only exist in small pockets. They never really engross the entire campus community.

This recurring theme of apathy from students is due to academic workload taking precedence; students aren’t able to engage if they are planning to be in the library past midnight. The reality is that building student and group interest in an issue would take a large amount of effort, if it is at all possible in the current campus climate. UDC provides some key cases to understand this obstacle, including their founding. In fall of 2014, race issues on campus came to light due to a student response to a #webelonghere protest. It wasn’t the protest, but instead it was how students anonymously belittled the protesters which led President Barbara R. Snyder to respond. It took a dire situation for campus leaders to have confidence in students to vote and form the UDC. UDC was one of a few visible successes in response to campus inequality issues. An additional example is Diversity 360, a training campus groups can request via the Office of Multicultural Affairs. The program was created by the Office for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity Resources and the Division of Student Affairs and all first-years went through it early this semester. UDC believes that this program’s purpose, in part, is to help raise awareness and battle a campus issue UDC has identified: microaggression. (This semester saw a professor tell a female group of students to ask for help in an engineering class,

Clarissa Cuevas/Observer because the professor knew they were already at a “disadvantage.”) Actions like these can be honest mistakes, but can be reduced by ensuring that everyone gets Diversity 360 training. This program has the potential to be successful because it is doesn’t simply scream into the void of the student body. Rather, it focuses on groups that already exist at CWRU such as student organizations, offices, departments and even the entire staff of colleges.

It is imperative that activist students on campus realize the benefits of this group-fixated strategy. Just like any campaign, building support by appealing to groups step-by-step is the way to make a difference at CWRU. Unfortunately, the student body as a whole does not react to attempts to engage them. As noted with Diversity 360, an important group to work with is the university administration. According to the UDC, the administration at CWRU has gone out of its way to hear students that see problems on campus. Instead of a barrier, the UDC sees the administration as the first contact when a problem is identified. In the editorial last week, we discussed how university administrators made an effort to engage students in a potential change to a need-aware and Coalition Application system. The Editorial Board believes that the administration is one group that is approachable and that can help activists on campus. UDC is the umbrella of student organizations that have existed for years. It was built on these values and can take advantage of their already established outreach and structure. We won’t see what happened in Mizzou happening at CWRU, but by looking at groups already in place and then building off them, we know activism can make a difference in our community.

Stand up against terrorism, do not fear it View from the press box J.P. O’Hagan, Sports Editor One cannot imagine the pain, the confusion or the terror of an attack like the one seen in Paris last weekend. I know that I will never truly understand how those directly affected feel. However we don’t need to have experienced the horror to have it permeate our lives. That is what the attackers want. They not only want to hurt and kill, they want us to be terrorized. They want us to fear what is behind every corner; to always be awaiting what may come next. Those who attack innocent bystanders for the purpose of terror are cowards. They fear the ideas, people and cultures which they attack. In other words, they choose the path where they are terrorized themselves.

These combatants hide and utilize the cover of surprise to feel brave. In reality they wage a war on the innocent, instead of a war on what they actually fear. We see this in all terrorist attacks but especially this week in Paris. Those involved attacked venues of no political importance. They attacked a soccer stadium, a rock concert and a restaurant. These are places where people feel safe, relaxed, comfortable. The goal of the terrorists was to take away that feeling and replace it with the fear that they have, imposing their fear on millions by killing hundreds. In the month of November alone there have been attacks on a produce market (Nigeria), a funeral (Baghdad), a residential neighborhood (Beirut), a mosque (Cameroon), a public water tap (Chad), and a hotel (Somalia). These places are ones where you should not need

The Observer is the weekly undergraduate student newspaper of Case Western Reserve University. Established in 1969, The Observer exists to report news affecting students and to provide 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. However, 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 observerads@case.edu. The Observer is a proud member of CWRU’s University Media Board. 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 10900 Euclid Avenue, Suite A09, Cleveland, OH 44106. For policy and guidelines related to the submission of Letters to the Editor, refer to observer.case.edu/submit-a-letter.

to fear for your life. President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, “The only thing you have to fear, is fear itself.” In the present, we have to still be afraid of fear, the fear of those who look to terrorize. Right now we need to stand with those who have been the victims of these cowards. However the question in the coming days and months will be, how do we respond? To allow this fear to engulf us is to take misguided actions ourselves. Instead we must take actions to show that we do not fear those who wish to hurt us. We should hunt them down in the shadows, we should expose them to the light and enact justice. We should attack the masterminds in the open, not through backroom deals and espionage. We should protect ourselves as best we can but we cannot cower behind that protection. We shouldn’t turn our backs

on refugees who need our help out of the instilled fear that one of the thousands may be looking to attack next. The question we are really asking is if it is okay to turn our backs on other humans beings because we are now too afraid? I believe we must stand up to the attackers and not allow them to threaten our peace. There may not be an obvious solution but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try. Stand strong in the face of adversity. Don’t allow the terror to overcome you. JP. O’Hagan is a third-year student and sports editor for The Observer. In the classroom he is “one of those” crazy BME and pre-med students. When he isn’t studying or contemplating and discussing life’s largest issues, he enjoys Netflix and watching Chicago sports.

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President Obama’s looming legacy Case Western Reserve United Josh Lehrer For someone who others allege is not a United States citizen, President Barack Obama has definitely left his mark in American history. When evaluating any presidency, it is best to wait for his tenure to be over before hypothesizing it. However I believe it is important to offer insight before the primaries begin for the 2016 elections. No president, even after eight years in office, can be expected to fix it all. And to be honest, the skeptics were, and in many ways are still, dead wrong. Obama’s successes have proven to have invalidated many predictions of his Republican opponents. The economy is indeed doing quite well (by which I mean much better) by most measures when compared to his ascension to office. This is due in large part to his economic stimulus policies in light of the Great Recession. The unemployment rate went from a soaring 7.8 percent in January of 2009 to the current 5.0 percent as of the most recent statistics. This was primarily done through the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Around 17 million Americans have gained health insurance coverage by way of President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, or “Obamacare.” Along that note, the uninsured rate for adults 18 and over has dropped from 18.0 percent in 2013 to 11.9 percent in most recent findings since the legislation’s key implementation phases. On domestic policy, it is hard to say that Obama has not helped the common American have the proper resources to rise up the ladder of achievement. On foreign policy, Obama has had his fair share of international affairs to deal with. Some scholars have already theorized the Obama Doctrine, accepted as emphasizing negotiation and collaboration before direct force and unilateralism in conductance of international affairs. Some see him as too weak on the foreign policy front, while others pro-

pose that he was too aggressive in certain domains. Under his administration, the Arab Spring took hold of the Middle East, and several countries saw democracy for the first time in their histories; Obama did his best to facilitate this, and ensured during instances, especially in Libya, the protection of many innocent civilians from missile strikes. The conflicts we were involved in during President George W. Bush’s tenure have remained difficult to mitigate. When pulling out tens of thousands of U.S. troops from Iraq by 2011, we left an unstable country with extremist factions still lurking in the corners. Our nation was tired of meddling in the geopolitics of the Middle East, and participating in a war that many considered futile and wasteful. However the combination of decreasing our presence in Iraq and lack of support during the Syrian civil war which started in late 2012, proved to some that the United States simply were pursuant of their own self-interests, and it is speculated that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) found its basis there. Our weariness to take action in especially Syria, where the government doused the innocent people with chemical warfare, particularly enraged the international community, who has in the past looked toward the U.S. to prevent such atrocities, or at least intervene in its aftermath. Obama succeeded in negotiating a deal with Iran so as to prevent them from developing nuclear weapon capacity. Because of this, and the inability to predict the future of the War on Terror, I feel that Obama’s foreign policies will be the most scrutinized; we cannot yet see from a historical lens how he did in this realm. Unfortunately, after 2010, Obama has struggled to formulate alliances across the aisle and bridge the brinkmanship between Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Congress. But if anything, I think Obama will be shown to have left a substantial mark on social policy. Under his administration, great

Clarissa Cuevas/Observer leaps forward for the LGBT community have been made, including the signing of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 and the milestone U.S. Supreme Court decision this past summer delivered in Obergefell v. Hodges, which declared it a national right for same-sex couples to legally marry. His support for progress under a particular policy hood has been manifested by activism and lack thereof. For example, his administration refused to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in the United States v. Windsor court case of 2013, which was subsequently repealed by the Supreme Court and served as a vital precedent to the aforementioned case of Obergefell v. Hodges. To claim Obama has not tried his hardest on criminal justice, immigration and common sense gun reform efforts would be false. The executive branch can only do so much and cannot directly change everything about our country. We have three branches of government for a reason, and the drafters of the U.S. Constitution did this purposefully. We

cannot expect any president, including Obama, to have fixed anything and everything at our beckoning call. In fact, I believe that Obama’s greatest legacy will be defined as spurring momentum on these fronts, particularly after recently releasing thousands of federal prisoners and seeking to help them reintegrate by incorporating the Ban the Box movement’s suggested changes to job applications for most federal employment agencies. In determining who we wish to support for the 2016 election, we should practice due diligence in analyzing Obama’s record. Do we want to move forward on some of his initiatives and successes, or maintain the status quo? Can we facilitate further progress without retracting all of what he worked to get done during his presidency? We shall wait to see I guess. Josh Lehrer is a fourth-year student graduating this Spring. He loves following up on the latest developments in policy-making and current events.

‘Politically correct’ really is about being respectful Recognizing differences does not equate to a “war on Christmas”

Thoughtful consideration Abby Assmus As the holidays approach, so does the media frenzy over them. Many stores are decked out in Christmas decorations and most places are already playing Christmas music even though it is not even Thanksgiving yet. This time of year is also famous for the “war on Christmas” issue, a conception by media outlets and others who believe that political correctness should not infringe on the celebration of Christmas, a traditionally Christian holiday. One specific example of this is the red cup controversy of the Starbucks Coffee Company. The controversy started because the holiday cups at Starbucks this year are printed in plain red instead of the the traditional Christmas symbols as in past years. However even these symbols from the past were not specifically Christian, such as reindeer or snowmen. The reasoning behind Starbucks’ plain red cups is to include all holiday celebrations, rather than singling out Christmas specifically with cups with Christmas trees or carolers on them. The company stated, “This year

we wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories.” I don’t see how this is an act against Christianity, when it is clearly an act of respect to all people and customers that might not celebrate Christmas. What is most outrageous about the “war on Christmas” argument is the fact that the holiday season does not just include Christmas, but other religious holidays. Despite the commercialization and the widespread celebrations of Christmas that many people might have despite one’s religion, it still originated as a Christian holiday, and not everyone is Christian. Not saying “Merry Christmas” to every person you pass is not about being politically correct, it is about being respectful of others’ differences. It is wrong to assume that every person celebrates the same holidays that our mainstream culture has decided are important. And even if people celebrate it, they might also celebrate their own cultural or religious holidays that have little to no representation in the media during this time of year. Just because Christianity is the dominant religion and our government has decided to

make a Christian holiday, Christmas, a national holiday, does not mean that every person celebrates it or wishes to. These wishes should be respected and tolerated, especially in a country where every person is supposed to have freedom of religion protected under the first amendment. I am not trying to create a “war on Christmas” or stop holiday celebrations. Simply, I want to point out how it is respectful to acknowledge that not everyone celebrates this holiday and should not be forced to. Everyone has the right to their own religion and the culture that goes along with it. Therefore it is rude to force greetings of “Merry Christmas” onto everyone and get angry when it’s not returned because it simply is not something that everyone celebrates. For a country that was supposed to be created with religious freedom in mind, it seems quite ridiculous that the idea of a “war or Christmas” is even a reality. It is important to realize that there are many cultural differences within America, and that none should be considered better than the other. No one is trying to take away Christmas, least of all Starbucks since they still have a coffee blend that is titled “Christmas

Blend” and have already started playing Christmas music in their stores. But more strategies such as the red cup one should be adopted by companies and people to respect the fact that not every American celebrates Christmas, that the semester break to many is not “Christmas Break” and that the holiday season is composed of multiple holidays that people celebrate. The term “politically correct” carries so many negative connotations because of the way politicians argue against it and claim they are just being honest. In reality political correctness is just about having respect for others’ differences, and not judging people or making assumptions about strangers that you don’t have any knowledge about. So during this holiday season, remember that everyone comes from a different background and as Starbucks says, has a different story. Make sure to recognize that. Maybe when we start respecting each other’s’ differences, there will be less violence and intolerance in the world. Abby Assmus is a graduate student as well as a writer for The Observer.

opinion

11/20/15

Tobacco-free policy: don’t include campus ban on electronic cigarettes Letter to the Editor To the editor, On Monday, the Faculty Senate is scheduled to consider a proposal to make the university a “tobacco-free” campus. While much of the proposal is eminently reasonable, the policy as drafted has a major problem, one that could actually undermine the university’s stated goals of reducing smoking and improving the health of the Case Western Reserve University community. If this policy is to be adopted, it needs to be revised. The central component of the proposal is a prohibition on smoking anywhere on campus. If adopted, we can finally say goodbye to the clouds of smoke around designated smoking areas and the trail of cigarette butts that line the paths to classroom buildings. Good riddance. Yet the policy goes beyond eliminating smoking on campus to embrace all designated tobacco products, including some that are not tobacco at all, such as electronic cigarettes (aka “e-cigs”). Therein lies the problem. The primary justifications for a smoking ban are the well-documented health consequences of smoking and the effects on other people. Smoking-related illness remains a leading cause of death in this country, and smokers affect those around them. Eliminating smoking on campus will improve the health of the CWRU

My message to El Salvador’s Minister of Justice Guest Column Jazmine Kirkland After suffering a rapid and unresting serious pain at work, Teodora del Carmen Vásquez suffered a stillbirth in 2007. According to Amnesty International, she was arrested by police in El Salvador while laying in a pool of blood and was later sentenced to 30 years for “aggravated homicide,” presumed guilty of “abortion” rather than the victim of pregnancy complications. The letter Amnesty International urges people to send to El Salvador’s Minister of Justice says “Teodora’s trial was flawed and lacking in due process. She was presumed guilty and, being from a poor family, could not afford an effective legal team to represent her … Teodora has already spent over eight years in jail and she is now applying for her sentence to be commuted.” Along with other students who attended the Write for Rights event on Nov. 13, I wrote to El Salvador’s Minister of Justice to express that her last hope is in his hands. In the letter, I asked that the Minister of Justice take action to ensure Vásquez is released and continue his action to release all other women incarcerated for pregnancy-related complications who have exhausted other legal remedies. I was told by the President of Amnesty International Case Western Reserve University, third-year student Sarika Uppaluri, that by writing this letter I was joining hundreds of thousands of others around the world in calling for human rights to be respected. By writing this letter of support, I was letting the El Salvador Minister of Justice know that I am taking their injustice personally. I asked a woman next to me what made her involved and she responded, “This is my passion, this is what I want to wake up and do everyday.” She told me that she was a political science major, pursuing a career as an international human rights lawyer. Her presence, along with the snacks and movie about the portrayal of women in media, made the Write for Rights event welcoming and efficient.

community and make the campus more pleasant for all. Banning e-cigs from campus, however, does none of those things and could actually make things worse. E-cigs are quite different from traditional tobacco products. For starters, they don’t contain tobacco. With e-cigs, nothing is burning and there is no smoke. Instead, e-cigs heat a fluid to create a vapor (hence the term “vaping”). Most e-cigs contain nicotine—which is part of their appeal—but low-nicotine and nicotinefree vaping fluids are also available. Because e-cigs don’t involve combustion, most of the substances that make cigarettes so dangerous and unhealthy are absent. There’s also no sidestream smoke, and no cigarette butts. Some e-cigs are designed to look and feel somewhat like cigarettes. Others— so-called vaping pens—do not. In either case, e-cigs are a way for smokers to feed their habit with much less risk to themselves and others. E-cigs are not risk-free, and remain the subject of intense study, but there is broad agreement among public health researchers that they are far less harmful than traditional cigarettes. A recent review of all available scientific and medical evidence on e-cigs conducted by England’s government health agency concluded that e-cigs are much safer than cigarettes because “most of the chemicals causing smoking-related disease are absent and the chemicals which are present pose limited danger.”

What about effects on others? The Public Health UK report found that ecigs “release negligible levels of nicotine into ambient air with no identified health risks to bystanders.” Smoking bans can be justified on the abundant evidence that smokers affect those around them. There is, as yet, no such evidence to justify banning e-cigs from campus. For a leading research university like CWRU, the absence of scientific evidence of any harm should be enough to reject a policy that would restrict what adults may do on campus, but there are even better reasons not to prohibit ecigs from campus. In economic terms, e-cigs are generally used a substitute for traditional cigarettes. This means that restrictions on e-cigs can have the predictable effect of increasing smoking rates (which is one reason why tobacco companies push for greater e-cig regulation). So by treating e-cigs like tobacco products, CWRU could discourage smokers from switching to a less dangerous alternative, undermining the university’s goal of helping smokers quit. Most e-cig users are current or former smokers, and many use e-cigs to reduce their cigarette consumption or as an aid in quitting. This is important because it is notoriously difficult to quit smoking. (Just ask a former smoker.) Some smokers find nicotine gums or patches helpful in quitting, but many more do not. For some, e-cigs are the answer. There is significant evidence that e-cigs

can help smokers quit, and they may be as—if not more—effective than alternative smoking cessation methods (again, at least for some smokers). By treating e-cigs like traditional cigarettes (while exempting other nicotine products), the proposed tobaccofree policy could have the perverse effect of making it harder for smokers to quit. That is the last thing the university should do. The proposed tobacco-free policy is well-intentioned. We all want to be part of a healthier campus community. Yet applying a campus-wide ban to ecigs is unjustified, and could actually undermine the goals of the tobacco-free policy. It is one thing to prohibit e-cigs from classroom buildings and the like, but prohibiting them from campus completely, indoors and out, goes too far. Such a prohibition is not an evidencebased policy, and could hurt members of our community that we should be trying to help. Jonathan H. Adler Johan Verheij Memorial Professor of Law Director of the Center for Business Law and Regulation at the School of Law. In 2014, Professor Adler co-authored a white paper on the political economy of e-cigarette regulation commissioned by NJOY, an e-cigarette manufacturer. Professor Adler has not maintained any relationship with NJOY since and the opinions in his piece are his alone.

Growing in college is a tale of talking emotions Motormouth Menon Arundhati Menon It all started last week when I picked up the syllabus to chart out a schedule to study for my chemistry final exam, and realized that I would be done with finals a little before halfway through December. The idea that I would be done with my first semester of freshman year absolutely scares me, and in my state of denial, I cannot comprehend how time has flown so quickly. The past three odd months are jumbled in my memory as a tangled web of stress, laughter and ice cream. When I graduated high school I thought I had done all the growing I could ever do as a person. Then I came to Case Western Reserve University. I’m sure you’ve been told several times that people are always going to surprise you: well, you will always surprise yourself—in more ways than one. For the past 18 years, I lived constantly surrounded by family and friends in an extremely sheltered environment. I was sure that moving away was going to be difficult, and I was going to be very difficult. I was quite shocked when I didn’t feel homesick because I was pretty sure that I would be. I let my parents convince themselves that I am though. If you told the 15-year-old me who quit classical dance out of boredom and frustration that I would fall in love with it in college and even join the team, I would have told you that you were out of your mind. It seems like a long time ago, I was that awkward girl who tried to avoid any form of social contact through the halls of my junior year. Now I’m the person who walks by a karaoke night and decides to jump on stage and belt out Taylor Swift. College has been absolutely nothing like I expected it to be. I probably wouldn’t have any adjectives to use to describe my time here. I’ve realized that everything I knew about myself for

Clarissa Cuevas/Observer the past 18 years has been completely untrue. I’ve been completely underestimating myself. It’s much easier to choose your flight instinct when you have a mommy and daddy at home waiting to correct all your mistakes, but it took them being in a different timezone for me to realize that I had plenty of fight in me: it just took a bad chemistry test, several all-nighters and a broken heart to realize it. Better late than never, right? Growing up in a traditional South Indian family, surrounded by other South Indians, I always thought a higher education was a basic requirement. Indians demand at least a graduate degree even for someone they’re looking to hire as an intern. I was extremely confused when people seemed to congratulate me here when I told them I was going to college. Maybe this is what the hype around college is. How unpredictable and unlike your wildest dreams your

experience turns out to be. The people who you probably thought were going to be your best friends could be the ones you would rather not be around. That girl in your SAGES class who seemed arrogant, or the boy who seemed boring are probably two of your 2 a.m. buddies. You may go from being someone who couldn’t stay up beyond 10 p.m. to someone who doesn’t feel sleepy till 2 a.m. Perhaps you never like loud parties in high school and felt absolutely alone, until you came to college and realized that you were one of many people who liked hugging stuffed animals and watching movies. It’s probably not going to be perfect, but if “Inside Out” has taught us anything, it’s that Joy and Sadness make the best memories. Arundhati Menon is a first-year majoring in computer science and economics.

arts & entertainment “The Addams Family” is dark and engaging Lars Torres Staff Reporter

Although “The Addams Family” is not pitch perfect, it does manage to be hilarious while showcasing bizarre characters and macabre musical numbers. The musical centers on the darkly eccentric Addams Family, which consists of suave Gomez (Brett DiCello), enchanting Morticia (Bridgette Garb), Gomez’s crazy brother Fester (Bradley Odhner), the young Wednesday (Bessie Bulman) and Pugsley (Brittany Stern), the ancient and insane Grandma Addams (Natalie El Dabh) and their towering servant, Lurch (Oliver Ruhl). The musical begins after Wednesday falls in love with an average boy from Ohio, Lucas Beineke (Zachary Palumbo). Their relationship disappoints Gomez, who is forced to keep the relationship between Lucas and Wednesday a secret in order to avoid an embarrassing confrontation with Morticia. It is this secret that leads to dire, ridiculous consequences for both the Addams and Beineke families, which includes the nononsense Beineke patriarch, Mal (Evan Bramberg), and his aloof wife, Alice (Sara Bogomolny). From there the plot takes many turns as both families clash on the way to a comedic climax. Most of the performances in both families are spot on, although Lurch,

Courtesy Katja Yacker

The eccentric but morose “The Addams Family” clashes with the normal world in the Theater Department’s current musical. Wednesday, Fester and Gomez shined brighter than the others. DiCello’s performance as Gomez was full of intensity and manic energy, with a strong accent and vocals to boot. Lurch was fantastic despite being limited to grunts, as each one was more effective and funnier than the last. The repeated appearance of Fester and his team of Addams Ancestors (Bradley Krapes, Paige Yepko, Sun-Mee Kasper and Matt Thompson) was entertaining, and the over-the-top perfor-

mances kept their appearance from feeling repetitive. Bulman’s Wednesday was also excellent in both dramatic portrayal and vocals There were some slight setbacks in the musical, including a rather rocky start with its opening number (“When You’re An Addams”), but it finally found its footing with Wednesday’s song about finding the one (“Pulled”). There were also some underdeveloped aspects to the musical, specifically the subplots about

Pugsley’s interference in Wednesday’s relationship and about Fester’s love for the moon. I would put this more at fault for the original musical version and not on the Eldred production, however. Audience member and first-year student Beca Dennis enjoyed the production, specifically how “amazing and spot-on the character of Wednesday was played, especially the overall demeanor and face of the character acting.” Overall there were some rocky moments in the opening numbers, and some performers did their best with the limited material they were given. Despite musical shortcomings in plot and character development (especially of the Beineke family), “The Addams Family” still manages to hit more often than it misses with an adequate set, good costumes and mostly terrific performances complemented by several good musical numbers.

Production: “The Addams Family” Directed By: Jerrold Scott Musical Direction: Brad Wyner Performance Dates: Nov. 13-14 and 20-21 at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 15 and 22 at 3 p.m. Rating:

Jurassic beasts take over history museum in temporary exhibit “The World’s Largest Dinosaurs” Maria Fazal Staff Reporter The Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH) has gone big with its current temporary exhibit “The World’s Largest Dinosaurs.” The exhibition, which was organized by the American Museum of Natural History in New York, opened at the CMNH with fortuitous timing—less than a week before the premier of summer’s biggest blockbuster, “Jurassic World.” As the CMNH Director of Communications Glenda Bogar pointed out, “[The exhibition] was a natural fit for our museum: Our museum logo is based on our own mount of Haplocanthosaurus delfsi, a sauropod dinosaur on display in our Kirtland Hall of Prehistoric Life. This is one of only a few sauropods complete enough to be mounted and was actually found by a team from our museum.” The exhibition likewise highlights the massive, long-necked and long-tailed sauropods and allows guests to come face to face with the giants. Before visitors even enter the hall, they are greeted by a replica of the head of an Argentinosaurus huinculensis, which is believed to have been the largest dinosaur at 140 feet and 90 tons. Past the massive doorman lies an arrangement of living animals, highlighting the biggest and smallest as we know them today. Visitors can see various animal specimens, a komodo dragon skeleton, an ele-

phant skull and a human skeleton. Towering above them all, though, are the pillar-like leg bones of a sauropod. The sheer size of these animals is outstanding, and the exhibition aims to tackle some of the tough questions surrounding their size. Many parts of the exhibit focus on how these animals got to such large sizes. There’s also a question as to why these animals grew so large. According to paleomammalogist and Darin Croft, a Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine department of anatomy professor, “There’s definitely an advantage to being large in terms of defense and for day to day variations in climate and seasons. Generally speaking, if you’re big, you’re better able to weather those. You also have a longer lifespan, which could allow certain advantages.” “On the disadvantage side, though, in an evolutionary sense, things that are big tend to go extinct more than things that are smaller,” said Croft. “So, it might be a good strategy in the short-term, but on the very long-term, it’s not.” Although these sauropods have been extinct for a long time, the exhibition offers a surprisingly fleshed out perspective on the perplexity of their mass. The true star of the show is a life-size replica of Mamenchisaurus hochuanensis. That’s 60 feet of dinosaur in one room. As visitors round the corner, they soon see there’s more to this giant than originally meets the eye. The dinosaur’s other side has been stripped of skin. A video projected on it

Clarissa Cuevas/Observer guides viewers through a sort of dissection, emphasizing how the sauropod’s unique circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems allowed it to reach such massive proportions. The video is thorough and detailed, which is unsurprising considering the amount of knowledge packed into the rest of the hall. This variety can be attributed to the team in charge of the exhibition, which Bogar says included persons in materials science, animal nutrition, sports medicine, biomechanics and paleontology. “I think there’s something for everyone in the exhibit,” said Croft, “depending on

what your interests are—and for a broad range of ages and for experience levels. You don’t have to be a biologist to find this interesting. You don’t have to be into paleontology to find it interesting.”

Exhibit: “The World’s Largest Dinosaurs” Location: The Cleveland Museum of Natural History Dates: Through Jan. 3, 2016 Rating:

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Spot Night returns with Neon Indian Sarah Lisk Contributing Reporter Last Friday night, hundreds of students flooded the basement beneath Leutner Commons to bask in the music of headlining electronic chillwave band Neon Indian and opener Explorer Tapes. Known for their 2011 hit “Polish Girl,” Texas-based Neon Indian released their third album, “VEGA INTL. Night School,” in mid-October. Despite coming off of two months of traveling and touring to promote the album release, the members of Neon Indian brought their signature exuberant energy to the packed basement. With the glass walls between L3 and The Spot removed to hold a larger capacity, the crowd splintered. A few exhausted students and their coats sprawled at L3 dining tables while a sweaty and dense crowd surrounded the Spot’s stage. The little-known but experienced Los Angeles-based group Explorer Tapes, a frequent opener for Neon Indian during their recent tour, drew applause for their set, and the crowd buzzed in anticipation as they waited in the dark of the lowceilinged Spot. When a white neon sign with the cursivescrawled phrase “Night School” blinked to life, groups of excited students pushed past their peers toward the low stage. For those fa-

Isaiah Ahn/Observer

Synthpop band Neon Indian plays at this month’s Spot Night. The event is being held more sporadically now after taking place on a weekly basis in previous years. miliar with their synthpop style, Neon Indian did not disappoint. The headliner, illuminated from behind by the neon glow, kicked off their show with the funky “Dear Skorpio Magazine” before segueing into the popular single “Annie.” The danceable music was interrupted only by a friendly back-and-forth with the crowd and

the occasional flickering of The Spot’s overhead lighting. The band also departed from their typical setlist to dedicate a celebratory and humorous rendition of “Happy Birthday” to their bassist. After a long set, Neon Indian retreated backstage before emerging for a lively encore for the diminished but passionate crowd of

students. After bringing down the house with the catchy “Polish Girl,” the band moved to the floor to mingle with students waiting for signatures and photographs. Fourth-year student Eddie Peng danced through the show. Before and after Neon Indian’s set, Eddie and his friends had fun chatting with and getting to know the downto-earth band members. University Program Board Concerts Committee Director Kapil Patki couldn’t have been happier with the turnout and the crowd, noting that “Neon Indian put on a great, high energy, positive show. Explorer Tapes was also excellent.” Indeed, for one night, The Spot boomed with its former energy. Despite the lack of alcohol and some technical issues, the charismatic Neon Indian and Explorer Tapes did not fail to impress the electrified student audience. Those who enjoyed Neon Indian can look forward to UPB’s spring Spot Night line up, which is currently being planned.

Bands: Explorer Tapes and Neon Indian Venue: The Spot Date: Friday, Nov. 13 Rating:

Concert calendar: A look at this week’s upcoming local performances Anne Nickoloff Director of Print

It’s a week of record releases, punk, post-hardcore and indie rock in Cleveland. But it’s also a week of cheap music. Before relaxing away Thanksgiving break, jam out in the city to some of the week’s best shows. For a head start on choosing your nights out, here are five upcoming Cleveland shows:

Date: Nov. 20, 7 p.m. Bands: Runaway Brother / Secret Space / My Mouth is the Speaker / Sunnyvale / Portage Venue: Mahall’s 20 Lanes Price: $6 What do you get when you mix a little emo, a little punk and a lot of do-ityourself style, then put together all that music in a basement? You get Runaway Brother, and great songs like “Blueberries” and “My Friends.” Check them out at this reasonably-priced Mahall’s show.

Date: Nov. 20, 9 p.m. Bands: So Long, Albatross / Erienauts / Golden Streets of Paradise Venue: Beachland Tavern Price: Free Since this show is free, you’re probably able to spare some cash and purchase So Long, Albatross’ latest record. After all, this is their record-release show, and it’s sure to be a good, easygoing Friday night. Rock on.

Date: Nov. 21, 9 p.m. Bands: These Knees / Kid Runner / The Whiskey Hollow / Murderline Venue: Grog Shop Price: $10 It’s a big week for new local records. Celebrate local band These Knees’ latest record release at this show, and consider picking up a copy of their latest and greatest. The band’s summery vibes have matched Cleveland’s strange fall warmth, but don’t let the weather fool you: You’ll need some sunny tunes to get you through the next few months.

Tim Arai/Facebook Local band These Knees are celebrating the release of their new album with a concert at the Grog Shop this week.

Date: Nov. 23, 6 p.m. Bands: The Menzingers / mewithoutyou / Pianos Become the Teeth / Restorations Venue: Agora Ballroom Price: $20.80-23 The Agora Ballroom is hosting a fourband show this Monday, featuring punk rockers The Menzingers. The band is no stranger to Cleveland, coming through a few times each year for energetic shows across the city. But they’re popular in Cleveland’s punk scene for a reason. Check them out this time around.

Date: Nov. 24, 6:30 p.m. Bands: Dance Gavin Dance / Slaves / A Lot Like Birds / Dayshell / Strawberry Girls Venue: House of Blues Cleveland Price: $17-20

Alyssa Giannini/Facebook Runaway Brothers will combine emo and punk into their signature sound this week at the Grog Shop. I can gush about Dance Gavin Dance but I won’t, because even though they’re still a great band without singer Jonny Craig (who left in 2012), Craig’s soulful vocals were what made the band originally pop, and their tunes during

his time with the band were, in my opinion, some of their best. Anyway ... Craig is off doing his own thing and Dance Gavin Dance is doing theirs, and they’ll be stopping by Cleveland this Tuesday.

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observer.case.edu

“HAIZ” is fun but fluffy Michael Wu Staff Reporter

When Hailee Steinfeld announced her intention to release her first single, I was extremely skeptical. I had somehow convinced myself that there was no way someone who had so firmly established herself in one industry (she was nominated for an Oscar at 13) could possibly display any significant talent in a completely different medium. At the tail end of this summer, Steinfeld released her debut single, “Love Myself,” and I suddenly found this perception shattered. “Love Myself” was in no way going to reinvent pop music, nor was it sonically interesting enough to distinguish itself from most of what’s currently being played on the radio. It was however, a joyous, undeniably infectious, hardly remarkable pop song. I downloaded the track immediately and listened to it for several consecutive hours. The appeal of “Love Myself” is consistent through much of“HAIZ,” Steinfeld’s debut EP. Over the course of four tracks, she creates a landscape that’s so slick, insanely catchy and mostly inoffensive, that it should spell future success for Steinfeld in the world of pop music. Another trait of “HAIZ” that should work in Steinfeld’s favor is that she seems to be, at least thematically, borrowing from more established artists in the genre. On the cringingly titled “Hell Nos and Headphones,” Steinfeld sings of being trapped at a party while she would rather be anywhere else. It’s a track cut from the mold of Lorde, Alessia Cara and other teenage artists currently dominating pop radio.

Steinfeld does, however, have some work to do vocally before she’ll be able to rival her peers. Her voice is often thin and limited in a way that isn’t surprising for someone who’s best known for acting, as well as being a part of Taylor Swift’s allencompassing friend group. “HAIZ” does, however, do a good job of compensating for any weaknesses in its artists’ vocals. On “Rock Bottom,” the track that demands the most from Steinfeld’s voice, she is hardly ever left without a propulsive, bouncy beat or heavily hyped drop to accompany her. Lyrically, “HAIZ” does allow Steinfeld to be a bit more subversive. While most of “You’re Such A” dances around the use of actual pejorative terms, it does contain the definitive 21st century kiss-off, “See you smoking those electronic cigarettes, are you joking?” “Love Myself,” while on its surface about self-empowerment, it’s not hard to decode the lines in the song that reveal it to be an ode to masturbation. “HAIZ” is, above all, fluffy, insignificant pop, but there’s a self-awareness that courses through these four tracks that ultimately make it a success, and a generally solid debut for a burgeoning pop star like Hailee Steinfeld. It’s music that carries no pretense or delusion, with no intention of doing anything but lodging these songs into your brain until you eventually forget about them.

Playlist of the Week Ellie Rambo Arts & Entertainment Editor

Although this single has the emotional lyrics and piano base common in Sara Bareilles songs, it has an unusual backstory. The song, as well as the others on her new album “What’s Inside: Songs from Waitress,” has been reworked from the score of the musical adaption of the 2007 movie “Waitress.” Some of the other songs on the album sound a little strange outside the context of the musical, but this soulful track has transferred well. The album is available from Epic Records, and includes songs that feature Jason Mraz.

“CeeLo Green Sings the Blues” - CeeLo Green

In this song off Green’s new album “Heart Blanche,” the soul singer feels unloved. Green, known for his work with Danger Mouse as well as his solo career, sings: “My name is CeeLo Green and I got the blues / don’t nobody appreciate me.” Forget love ballads, this is a song about exhaustion. And can’t we all relate to that?

“Mixed Drinks About Feelings” - Eric Church

Album: “HAIZ” Artist: Hailee Steinfeld Release: Nov. 13 Rating:

This country song includes a lot of things country songs typically do: whiskey, bad feelings and a troubled relationship. But even if you don’t usually like the genre, don’t count this song out—Church likes to defy expectations. The song, part of a surprise album that showed up in fan club members’ mailboxes early this month, combines Church’s twang with bright piano and the blues-y voice of featured artist Susan Tedeschi.

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“She Used to be Mine” - Sara Bareilles

“Evocation” - Anna von Hausswolff

Anna von Hausswolff’s soaring voice pairs well with the stately beat in this song until both dissolve into ambient organ noise. This song from a Swedish artist often compared to Kate Bush is all about clever distortion; at some points it’s hard to tell if you’re hearing von Hausswolff’s voice or an electric guitar. But weird things can be beautiful, as this calm but disturbing song demonstrates.

#TBT Track of the Week “Back in the USSR” The Beatles

Many of us are headed somewhere for Thanksgiving, and what better way to be welcomed home than by the Beatles? Whether the place you’re calling home this holiday is Miami Beach, Moscow or Cleveland, the fab four are here to remind you to be thankful for it. In this 1968 song parodying peppy Beach Boys tracks, Paul McCartney’s upbeat voice and bright background vocals show that any place looks like sunny California when you’re happy to be there.

Find all these tracks online with our weekly Spotify playlist at observer.case.edu. All photos courtesy of billboard.com, hiphop-n-more.com, theboot.com, stereogum.com, & npr.org.

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11/20/15

Past punk Andrew McMahon meets present punks New Politics

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Anne Nickoloff/Observer Andrew McMahon played to a sold-out crowd last weekend at the Cleveland House of Blues.

Anne Nickoloff Director of Print

A line worked its way outside of the House of Blues on Nov. 14 even though it had already been an hour since the doors had opened. Outside on the building’s sign, red “SOLD OUT” letters were displayed prominently next to the letters which spelled out the musicians’ names, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and New Politics. In the House of Blues line, security was tighter than usual; a guard was collecting Burt’s Bees chapstick in his hand. According to him, partygoers would use the chapstick to rub on their faces and get high. Just for a second, let’s diverge from this concert review: This activity is also known as “beezin” and it is considered to be, at least by every news article I’ve read, entirely false. In 2014 the trend was started when teens would try to enhance feelings of drugs and alcohol by smearing the chapstick on their eyelids. It turns out it only led to greasy faces, inflammation and embarrassing cases of pinkeye. Apparently House of Blues didn’t want to risk it, though, with all the teens in attendance. Anyway, back to the review: The demographic for the show was mixed. McMahon appealed to both current indie-lovers and older Jack’s Mannequin fans, while New Politics primarily brought out a younger audience for its pop-punk songs. While we missed opener LOLO, I made it for the end of The Griswolds’ set, when they performed both “Mississippi” and hit “Beware the Dog.” Soon the audience pushed forward, condensing near the stage for New Politics’ show. A series of selfies and a set change later, New Politics leaped up and started its performance. The band is known for its antics, and this show was no disappointment in terms of craziness. Singer David Boyd flipped around, took moments to breakdance and spun around on his head. At one point, guitarist Søren Hansen threw his guitar 10 feet into the air, catching it at the last second before picking up another riff of “Just Like Me.” But at other times, the performance was a little childish or boy band-like. Boyd played up his popularity with the young females in the crowd, at one point grabbing a front row crowd member’s phone and filming a long selfie video of him singing. At another point, he stepped out into the crowd, stood up on the hands and asked, “Whose arms am I falling into?” before being whisked away by hands back to the stage. At times Boyd’s kicks and punches bordered on beginner’s karate instead of dancing. However New Politics shows are an ex-

perience. They aren’t just about the quality of the music, because if they were, they wouldn’t be great—lyrics like “I’m bored with using technology/ Let’s go back to the way it used to be/ No need for all this psychology/ I can’t pretend no more” has the psych major in me shaking her head. That’s not what they’re about, though. After all, the strongest applause came when Boyd finally took off his shirt in the band’s last song, “Harlem.” Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness was a different story. His set started off relaxed and calm, with a small fishbowl bubbling on top of his piano and fake grass coating the sides of speakers and platforms. In the background, a large white backdrop completed the scene, with one word, “WILDERNESS,” centered in the middle. McMahon had a little bit of action on stage. At one point he stood on top of the piano, singing to the balcony audience. But usually, he either stood and sang or played his piano and sang. His energy came not from jumping or doing backflips, but from emotional lyrics and storytelling. For example, he told a story about dating a girl who liked punk rock, before playing an acoustic version of “Punk Rock Princess,” a hit song from his first band, Something Corporate. And as he played “Cecilia and the Satellite,” a top hit from his solo album, the entire audience sang along as confetti poured over bobbing heads. Really, the most unexpected part of McMahon’s set came during his last song, “Synesthesia.” As with many songs, he led this one with a story about being a child and, in gym class, playing with a large parachute. “You think you got one last dance party in you?” he asked, before tossing a large parachute to the front row crowd members. Soon the audience was popping the fabric over their heads before McMahon pulled the parachute back to the stage, hopped up to the piano, and wrapped it around himself. Standing there, with a white light blaring behind him, he looked like a king (albeit an unconventional one). And from the way his loyal crowd lost it in those final moments of the show, it was clear that McMahon reigned the night not with the excitement of a dance move, but with the power of his music.

Concert: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness / New Politics / The Griswolds / LOLO Venue: House of Blues Cleveland Date: Nov. 14, 2015 Rating:

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Jack of all trades, master of none Courtney Capra Contributing Reporter

Aziz Ansari may have gained fame for his portrayal as the fun-loving, somewhat childish entrepreneur Tom Haverford on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.” But throughout his career, he has demonstrated that he is far more than a recurring character with a few good one-liners. In addition to continually performing innovative standup material, Ansari recently collaborated with sociologist Eric Klinenberg to release “Modern Romance: An Investigation,” a book that examines the changing landscape of love and dating in our technology-driven society. Yet despite this well-rounded resume, the pinnacle of Ansari’s career is his new semi-autobiographical Netflix series entitled “Master of None,” which premiered early this November. Ansari proves to be a comedic powerhouse, as he produces, writes, directs and stars in the series. Even though “Master of None” is a comedy, it is unafraid to sacrifice potential jokes to instead share insights on life and dating, making it a satisfyingly fresh combination of poignancy and humor. The story centers around Dev, a 30-year-old actor in New York City, struggling to navigate through everyday

perils from dating to finding the perfect taco. Dev is supported by a group of wise and endearing friends and encouraged by his old-school parents (who are played by Ansari’s actual immigrant parents), yet he still grapples with his own indecision and tendency to over-analyze. In a world where the ability to shop for airline tickets, food and even romance is literally at our fingertips, Dev finds himself plagued by choices and paralyzed with the fear of missing out on other opportunities. He has a series of adventures, involving everything from bounce houses, to movie auditions, to the “honky tonk” joints of Nashville. Each episode of “Master of None” centers around a different theme, such as old age or fidelity, but the show as a whole follows a romantic comedy story arc. Although the show focuses on a theme, it feels more like stream-of-consciousness musings instead of preachy lectures. While the first episode of the show (“Plan B”) is fine, the series truly finds its groove in the second episode (“Parents”), which reflects on the diverse range of sacrifices immigrant parents make for their children. Comedic and contemplative, “Parents” might just inspire audiences to call their parents and thank them. For me, the most stunning scene of the series is the fig tree sequence

in the finale episode, based off of an excerpt from Sylvia Plath’s novel “The Bell Jar.” It is difficult to pigeonhole “The Master of None.” It is primarily a comedy, but it also satirizes the world of show business while utilizing a diverse cast. It depicts what it’s like to be a young adult in our society without relying on the tired “spoiled Millennial/these dang kids and their texting” trope. The show undoubtedly offers laughs, but it is not the kind of show to set up cheap jokes. The show instead delivers a sense of situational realism rarely found in comedies without feeling over-the-top or convoluted. It feels no obligation to deliver a perfectly resolved ending every episode. While finding criticism of this show is difficult, more continuity is necessary in the lives of the side characters. Hopefully these plotlines will be resolved in a second season. Which brings me to my second criticism: “Master of None” has not yet been confirmed for a second season, but hopefully audience demand will enable the show to be renewed. Other critics are displeased at the fact that the show is exclusively on Netflix as opposed to network television, yet I feel that even though this decision makes it harder to watch, it enables Ansari to have the creative freedom the show requires.

In my opinion, there is some obvious Netflix plugging, as the TV shows mentioned in conversation can be streamed through the service. Some of this advertising may even be subliminal, as the “Twin Peaks” theme can be heard playing in the background of a dinner scene. Actors from other Netflix shows appear on the show, like Danielle Brooks and Maria Dizzia from “Orange Is the New Black,” so either there is some sort of Netflix conspiracy occurring, or I watch too much Netflix. Possibly both. Regardless of any potential television monopolies, I would highly recommend “Master of None.” The show has received a rating of 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, which would likely bring our protagonist, Dev, a great deal of satisfaction. Aziz Ansari’s show offers up plenty of laughs, along with touching moments and insight delivered by an excellent cast. If you’re searching for a comedy with the total package, look no further than “Master of None.”

Title: “Master of None” Creator: Aziz Ansari Release date: Nov. 6 Rating:

fun

observer.case.edu

fun page | 7

Horoscopes It’s almost finals week, and students might start feeling fatigued. But don’t chicken out! The stars gave us a few jokes this week. Aquarius Why did the chicken cross the street? Because chickens have feet. Pisces What do you call mean poultry? Jerk chicken. Aries When chickens are mean, what do you call their emotional state? A fowl mood. Taurus Where do chickens go to work? The eggplant. Gemini Guess what? Chicken butt. Cancer Guess why? Chicken thigh.

Word search

Leo Guess who? Chicken poo.

Virgo Guess when? Chicken chin. Libra Guess how? Chicken eyebrow. Can you find all these words related to articles in this issue? Activism Admission Basketball Chemical Dinosaur Indian Jolly Lab McMahon Movement Neon Scholar Smoking Spill Steinfeld

Want to see the return of crosswords? We’ll bring them back with your help. Email observer@case.edu if you’re interested in making them for The Observer.

Scorpio What kind of egg joke would a chicken make? An eggcelent one. Ophiuchus What did the chicken egg say at the end of the show? That’s all, yolks. Capricorn What kind of date did the rooster get? A hot chick-en. Sagittarius What did the chicken feel before going to the fair? Eggcited.

observer.case.edu

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“Get Shirty” every Friday night. Want this holiday shirt for only $5? You’ve got to stop by tonight to pick up the design. 216.368.0090 mpv3@case.edu MTW RF Sat. Sun.

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Weekly Calendar Sundays: Campus & Cleveland Famous “Jolly Wing Day”: All you can eat boneless wings and fries for $9.99 Mondays: Football & Margaritas (7 p.m.) Tuesdays: Jolly Trivia Night Wednesdays: CWRU Family Feud (7-9 p.m.) Thursdays: Jolly Karaoke Fridays: Club Jolly Featuring $5 Forty’s Saturdays: Late Night Theme Night (Book with us tonight)

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Tap Takeover

It’ll be Ohio breweries vs. Michigan breweries this Saturday in honor of the Ohio State vs. Michigan State football game.

sports 16

sports

4/24/15

Sports Standings Conference

Football (UAA)

All

Conference

Volleyball

11/20/15

All

Wins

Losses

Percent

Wins

Losses

Percent

Washington

0.857

0.919

Emory

1.000

0.895

Case Western Reserve

0.714

0.758

Chicago

0.429

0.606

Wins

Losses

Percent

Wins

Losses

Percent

Carnegie Mellon

0.667

0.700

Carnegie Mellon

0.571

0.784

Washington

0.667

0.600

Rochester

0.286

0.485

Case Western Reserve

0.333

0.700

New York U.

0.143

0.471

Chicago

0.333

0.600

Brandeis

0.000

0.156

Conference

Football (PAC)

Men’s Basketball

All

Wins

Losses

Percent

Wins

Losses

Percent

Thomas More

1.000

Westminster

0.875

0.800

Washington and Jefferson

0.750

0.800

Case Western Reserve

0.750

0.700

Carnegie Mellon

0.750

0.700

Bethany

0.000

0.500

Saint Vincent

0.375

0.400

Waynesburg

0.250

0.300

Geneva

0.125

0.200

Thiel

0.125

0.111

Grove City

0.000

Calendar Varsity Team

Friday 11/20

Saturday 11/21

Men’s Basketball

Away vs Fredonia @ Allegheny 2:00 PM

Away @ Allegheny 5:00 PM

Women’s Basketball

Away vs Waynesburg @ Mount Union 5:00 PM

Away vs TBD @ Mount Union TBA

Sunday 11/22

Conference

All

Wins

Losses

Percent

Wins

Losses

Percent

Emory

0.000

1.000

Brandeis

0.000

1.000

Carnegie Mellon

0.000

1.000

New York U.

0.000

1.000

Washington

0.000

1.000

Case Western Reserve

0.000

0.667

Chicago

0.000

0.500

Rochester

0.000

Women’s Basketball

Conference

All

Wins

Losses

Percent

Wins

Losses

Percent

Brandeis

0.000

1.000

Carngie Mellon

0.000

1.000

Chicago

0.000

1.000

Emory

0.000

1.000

New York U.

0.000

1.000

Rochester

0.000

1.000

Washington

0.000

1.000

Case Western Reserve

0.000

Varsity Team Men’s Basketball

Cross Country

NCAA DIII Championships 11:00AM

Women’s Basketball

Swimming and Diving

Home vs. Gannon University and Grove City 1:00 PM

Cross Country

Wrestling

Comet Duals at Olivet College All Day

Monday 11/23

Tuesday 11/24

Wednesday 11/25

Thursday 11/26

Home vs. Denison 7:00 PM

Swimming and Diving Wrestling

2015 Season Football Score Predictions Week

Date

Opponent

CWRU-Opponent

Correct

Week 1

September 5

@ Chicago

21-17

30-31

Week 2

September 12

Week 3

September 19

St. Vincent

38-21

49-14

Week 4

September 26

@ Thiel

49-28

41-6

Week 5

October 3

@ Bethany

56-28

59-20

Week 6

October 10

Waynesburg

42-21

45-14

BYE Week

N/A

Week 7

October 17

@ Geneva

24-10

20-7

Week 8

October 24

Wash. & Jeff.

35-31

35-28

Week 9

October 31

Washington

31-28

34-16

Week 10

November 7

28-35

32-36

Week 11

November 14

Thomas More @ Carnegie Mellon

35-28

52-42

sports

observer.case.edu

Spartans struggle down the stretch 16 sports

4/24/15

Football closes season with loss to Carnegie MellonConference

Sports Standings Football (UAA)

Conference

All

Volleyball

All

Wins

Losses

Percent

Wins

Losses

Percent

Washington

0.857

0.919

Emory

1.000

0.895

Case Western Reserve

0.714

0.758

Chicago

0.429

0.606

Wins

Losses

Percent

Wins

Losses

Percent

Carnegie Mellon

0.667

0.700

Carnegie Mellon

0.571

0.784

Washington

0.667

0.600

Rochester

0.286

0.485

Case Western Reserve

0.333

0.700

New York U.

0.143

0.471

Chicago

0.333

0.600

Brandeis

0.000

0.156

Football (PAC)

Conference

Men’s Basketball

All

Wins

Losses

Percent

Wins

Losses

Percent

Thomas More

1.000

Westminster

0.875

0.800

Washington and Jefferson

0.750

0.800

Case Western Reserve

0.750

0.700

Carnegie Mellon

0.750

0.700

Bethany

0.000

0.500

Saint Vincent

0.375

0.400

Waynesburg

0.250

0.300

Geneva

0.125

0.200

Thiel JP. O’Hagan

Conference

All

Wins

Losses

Percent

Wins

Losses

Percent

Emory

0.000

1.000

Brandeis

0.000

1.000

Carnegie Mellon

0.000

1.000

New York U.

0.000

1.000

Washington

0.000

1.000

Case Western Reserve

0.000

0.667

Chicago

0.000

0.500

Rochester

Andrew Hodowanec/Observer 0.000 0 1 0.000

Football finished their season on the road against arch-rival Carnegie Mellon. The Spartans lost the game, falling to 7-3 on the season.

0.125wide right 1 8 the Tartans 0.111 enattempt to end drive which allowed the0.000 Spartans Grove CityEditor 0 8 suing 0.000 0 10 Sports to take over, a drive which was wasted The season ended in a very unchar- after failing to convert on fourth and acteristic way for the Spartans, who for seven at the 34-yard line, a risky move the first time all year lost their second which didn’t pay off. This turnover on straight game. downs allowed the setup of a 43-yard The Spartans, who were ranked 22nd touchdown pass for the Tartans as they heading into the final weekFriday of play, were retookSaturday the lead,11/21 14-7, with Sunday 3:19 left in Varsity Team 11/20 11/22 on the road to close out the 2015 cam- the first quarter. Away @ Allegheny Away vs Fredonia @ paign as they fell to arch-rival Carnegie The Spartans closed that gap with a deMen’s Basketball Allegheny 2:00 of PM fensive score 5:00 when PM the fourth-year CMU Mellon University (CMU) by a score Away vs Waynesburg 52-42. With the loss the Spartans lost quarterback Andrew Hearon was picked Away vs TBD @ Mount Women’s @ Mount 5:00 off by fourth-year inside linebacker Aaron both the Basketball 30th Academic Bowl Union but also Union TBA PM As- Weisberg at the 29 yard line. Weisberg reany share of the University Athletic NCAA sociation (UAA) football title. turned theDIII ballChampionfor the touchdown. Cross Country ships 11:00AM The Spartans were playing catch up The Spartans fell behind in the secGannon allSwimming game and and were unable to do so, never ond Home quartervs.when they allowed the TarUniversity and Grove holding the lead over the Tartans, anoth- tans two consecutive touchdowns, findDiving City 1:00 down PM 28-14 with a mere er unusual thing for the Spartans. CMU ing themselves Comet at Olivet scored on their first possession, needing 4:09 leftDuals in the half. CWRU looked Wrestling College All Day a mere six plays to move up the field for primed to start the comeback when they 79 yards and seven points on the board. scored with 1:48 left on the clock only On their first possession of the game to have second-year kicker Ben Carnithe Spartans were unable to have the ol’s extra point blocked. The Spartans same success, forced to punt it away af- were therefore forced to settle for six ter a failed 13-yard third down conver- points and had all momentum sucked sion at the Tartan 45-yard line. The resul- out of their play heading into the locker tant punt was fumbled by the Tartans and room for the half. recovered by the Spartans’ own secondThe Spartans came out for the second year strong safety Cody Calhoun on the half reenergized but saw an interception 10-yard line. This lucky break set up a by CMU turn into yet another touch10-yard run by second-year quarterback down for the Tartans, putting the SparRob Cuda to tie the game at seven apiece tans further in the hole. The pick was with a lot of football left to play. Cuda’s fifth in the season, after havThe Tartans’ kicker missed a 33-yard ing not thrown a single pick in the first 7

Calendar

Women’s Basketball

Conference

All

Wins Losses Percent Wins seven games of the season. The Spartans dents Gage Blair and Cuda.Losses Percent were Brandeis able to answer with a touchdown played tight end 0for all 1.000 10 0 0 Albers 0.000 3 of their own, but the third quarter saw games this season, catching 29 passes for Carngie Mellon 0 0 0.000 1 0 1.000 the two teams trade back and forth an- 576 yards. Albers also added five touchChicago 0 0 0.000 1 0 1.000 other pair of touchdowns to leave the downs and his 19.86 yards per catch Emory 0 0 0.000 1 0 1.000 Spartans’ deficit the same. placed him 32nd in Divison III. New York U. 0 0 0.000 1 0 1.000 The Spartans looked to come back Cuda, who was also named PAC Ofwhen Rochester they managed to score in the fourth fensive Player times 0 0 0.000 of the 1 Week three 0 1.000 quarter and complete the two-point conthis led the PAC in touchdowns Washington 0 0 season, 0.000 1 0 1.000 version. However Spartan defense with for 221.6 points Case Westernthe Reserve 0 0 28, was 0.000responsible 0 0.000 was unable to hold back the continuing a game and posted 2,631 yards in the air. Wednesday push of the Tartan offense andMonday gave up Cuda, who embodies the modernThursday runVarsity Team Tuesday 11/24 11/23 11/26 another 10 points in the final quarter of ning quarterback, also11/25 led the Spartans play, with CMU kicking a field goal to Home in rushing the ball with 715 yards and vs. Denison Men’s Basketball 7:00 eight PM touchdowns on the season. make the lead 10 points with only 1:46 another left to play. On the defensive side of the ball, SanWomen’s Basketball Cuda led the Spartans down to the didge, who started at linebacker, led all Cross one-yard line butCountry was unable to get the Spartans with 60 tackles on the season, ball into the end zone, the Tartan de- with two of those for negative yards. He Swimming and with Diving fense providing the final nail in CWRU’s also added a fumble recovery and an inWrestling coffin. As a result the Spartans were sent terception to help the Spartans to victory. home without the Academic Bowl and Finally Blair started all 10 games at with a 52-42 final. center for the Spartans, helping hold The game was the most points scored down an offensive line which allowed between the two teams since the first year for 4,684 yards of offense on the season. of the Academic Bowl, as the two squads The Spartans also placed five playcombined for 94 points. Despite the loss ers on the All-PAC second team, namely and the losing streak to close out the sea- Calhoun and Carniol, third-year defenson, the Spartans still had a strong 2015 sive back Nick Kwon, and fourth-year campaign and were a huge improvement student wide receiver Bryan Erb and deon last year’s squad. fensive lineman Dayton Snyder. As such the team was rewarded by In all, the Spartans earned a high level 20 All-PAC team nominations. Of those of success that they will look to build 20 players four earned first team nods; upon next season as they look to take the fourth-year students Ethan Albers and PAC and UAA championships, and make Gavin Sandidge, and second-year stu- it into the NCAA championship.

2015 Season Football Score Predictions

Andrew Hodowanec/Observer

Week

Date

Opponent

CWRU-Opponent

Correct

Week 1

September 5

@ Chicago

21-17

30-31

Week 2

September 12

Week 3

September 19

St. Vincent

38-21

49-14

Week 4

September 26

@ Thiel

49-28

41-6

Week 5

October 3

@ Bethany

56-28

59-20

Week 6

October 10

Waynesburg

42-21

45-14

Week 7

October 17

@ Geneva

24-10

20-7

Week 8

October 24

Wash. & Jeff.

35-31

35-28

Week 9

October 31

Washington

31-28

34-16

Week 10

November 7

28-35

32-36

Week 11

November 14

Thomas More @ Carnegie Mellon

35-28

52-42

BYE Week

N/A

sports

11/20/15

Spartans slow out of the gate

Editor’s Choice

Men’s basketball opens season with two wins

Women’s basketball drops first two games of season

sports

4/24/15 Volleyball Rochester CWRU

CWRU # Player K SA A Digs BS BA 9 A. Lu 0 1 0 7 0 0 10 H. Kauffman 1 0 0 0 0 1 12 S. Carroll 3 0 14 6 0 1 21 D. Witri 2 0 1 1 0 0 25 K. Pfaff 2 0 0 0 0 1 26 C. Bogart 4 1 0 12 0 0 4 J. Colaianni 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wolfen12 E.barger 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 L. Anderson 0 0 2 2 0 0 15 K. Bondelid 0 1 0 0 0 0 18 M. Barton 6 0 0 2 0 1 33 K. Best 0 0 0 11 0 0 Team Totals 18 3 17 41 0 4

1 25 12

1 25 14

1 25 17

T 1 3

Rochester # Player K SA A Digs BS BA 2 K. Reynolds 1 1 39 7 0 1 Observer Archives 4 G. Brumm 1 0 0 10 0 0 Women’s basketball dropped both opening games but looks to rebound this 8 C. Scafuro 1 1 1 10 0 0 week in 7Mt.4Union. 14 N. Gearhart 2 3 0 0 15 B. Arnold 2 5 0 8 0 0 Hellmann, who led the team with 36 17 M. Moroney 12 0 0 0 1 2 minutes, they certainly will be given ev3 B. Tannen8 0 0 4 1 0 baum ery opportunity to contribute. 13 M. Phillips 9 0 0 2 0 0 19 K. Byrne 0 2 Western 1 9 Reserve 0 0 University The Case Fourth-year student and guard Emily 22 K. Collins 0 0 0 women’s5 basketball team0 got1 their season Young came on strong for the Spartans Team Totals 46 13 43 53 2 4

Billy Heyen Staff Reporter

underway this past weekend. in scoring 13 points as one of the leaders The Spartans made the trip to Denison of the team, and second-year student and University to face off against the Big Red. forward Kara Hageman was able to douObserver Archives Denison is an experienced team with a lot ble up with 11 and 11. As these returners of talent, including a d3hoops.com pre- lead the way and the new players follow The men’s basketball team opened their season with a 2-1 record and plays at season All-American in Jordan Holmes. suit, the ladies should be in good shape for home on Tuesday night. Holmes lived up to that billing as she led having a good season. Heading into their eight assists in this one. When asked the Big Red to a 63-57 win over the Spar- game on Nov. 17 against Baldwin WalJacob Rayyan what part of the game needs improve- tans. Holmes put up a monster double- lace University Coach Reimer stresses Staff Reporter ment, Head Coach Sean McDonnell double, contributing 30 points and 21 re- the importance of defense. She said, “Our The Case Western Reserve Univer- said, “we need to play better defense bounds, to go along with a strong defensive team’s focus is defense. We are working sity Men’s Basketball team has gotten against players driving to the basket, presence with six blocks. to put together a solid pressure defense off18to a sports quick start on the season with and we need to have a higher percentage It is tough to overcome that sort of ef- 4/24/15 that will turn ball pressure into points on a 2-1 record through three games. The of our made baskets come from assists.” fort by an opposing player, and CWRU the offensive end.” team is currently 1-1 at home and won In the team’s third and final game Coach Jennifer Reimer agrees, saying “It’s While defense was the goal, the SparVolleyballin the past week, the Spartans squared their only road game. The team is shooteasy to see why she has been selected as a tans struggled in their execution as they 1 1 1 T ing the ball well overall, currently 46.8 off against Baldwin preseason All-American.” University. dropped their second game of the season. Rochester 25 25Wallace 25 1 CWRU 12 14 17 two 3 games, field goal percentage and just under 40 Unlike the team’s A quickly noticed statistic about the The Spartans played solid defense early previous CWRU Rochester percent from the three point line. Spartans’ play is a tough shooting perfor- keeping Baldwin Wallace to a mere 29 this contest was close until the end. # Player K SA A Digs BS BA # Player K SA A Digs BS BA game season, led the1 Spartans scoring for a mance, as CWRU shot just 30.9 percent points in the first half. However they were 9In the A. first Lu 0 1of the 0 7 0 0the 2 Holman K. Reynolds 1 39 in 7 Men’s 0 1 Basketball 10 H. Kauffman 1 0 0Goucher 0 0 Col1 4 second G. Brumm 0 0 this 10 time 0 scoring 0 CWRU 88 from the floor and 27.3 percent from slow out of the gate offensively, only scorSpartans overpowered straight1 game, 83 12 S. Carroll 3 0 14 6 0 1 8 C. Scafuro 1 1 1 Baldwin 10 0 Wallace 0 three. Some of that had to do with the ing nine points in the first quarter and only lege 79-58. The Spartan defense held 21 points and also adding four assists. 21 D. Witri 2 0 1 1 0 0 14 N. Gearhart 7 4 2 3 0 0 imposing inside presence of Holmes, and Goucher to only 222 0points in one was 13 in the second. The two sides kicked on CWRU CWRU 25 K. Pfaff 0 0 the 0 first 1 15This B. Arnold 2a battle, 5 0 as8 the 0 Spartans 0 # Player PTS AST REB BLKsaying, TO MIN“We see Player PTS AST Reimer is not worried, half Spartans themselves 19-8 the offensive power in the second half, 26 asC. the Bogart 4 1never 0 trailed. 12 0 The 0 # 17found M. Moroney 12 REB 0in a0BLK 0TOdeficit 1MIN2 early 1 Z. Brandy 6 2 3 0 0 19 2 J. Holman 21 4 1 0 1 36 4 J. Colaianni 0 0 0scoring 0 0 attack 0 great progress each day and know those Spartans had a balanced the game. as Kara Hageman led the Spartans, drop3 onB.inTannen8 0 0 4 1 0 14 M. Kaminski baum 0 0 1 0 1 19 11 M. Clark 17 2 7 0 1 28 Wolfen12 byE.second-year 0 forward 0 0 David 0 0 Black 0 M. Phillips 0 3 0 1 respond, 2 0 0 31 0 howshots are going led The Spartans ping a career high 26 points. However she barger 23 J. Hollinger 5 0 to 2fall.” 0 0 20 15 13D. Black 7 96 would K. by Byrne 13 L. Anderson 0 0 and 2 six2 rebounds. 0 0 21 19E. who tallied 13 points ever, finishing on0a 10-0 Early in didn’t get as much help as she needed, as 30 C. Kuhn 28 the 4 season, 1 0 it 5is not 30 uncomBlack 18 01 2the 5 1first 0 9half 1 0 23 K. Collins3 51 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 27 1 33 J. Fetherolf 15 1 15 K. Bondelid 0 1 0 0 0 0 24 22S. Boyd 1 4performances 0 26 Second-year student Eric Black grabbed run to take the lead. The onslaught conmon to see shooting like only two of the other four starters were Team Totals 46 13 43 53 2 4 18 M. Barton 6 0 0 2 0 1 Battle 5 0works 1 to0 get1 in the 9 rhythm 5 J.tinued Alvarezin the 7 second 1 4 half 0 0 open 15 seven rebounds to0 couple to a 210 J.this as a team able to score. Jageman, Jessica McCoy, 33 K. Best 0 0 with 11 his 0 eight 0 3 B. Gleim 14 2 1 0 1 28 10 C. Zucker 4 1 2 19 pointsTeam on Totals the night. point lead 10 with0 approximately 16 minof their offense. who finished with 16 points, and Hillary 18 3Overall 17 41 the0 Spar4 15 M. Peters 4 1 4 0 0 21 14 S. Sangree 0 0 0 0 0 2 tans’ largest lead of the night came on utes left in the game. While the Yellow Reimer6was0 not3worried about shot se- Hellmann who had 12,contributed most of 22 Z. Warner 2 0 19 32 M. Hartman 5 1 3 0 3 10 the game point with two minutes left Jackets would continue to2 make runs the scoring for the Spartans. As a result 25 R.lection, Walsh so0these 0 numbers 2 0 should 1 8 go up as 55 TJ Duckett 0 0 3 2 8 Totalssettle 83 into 10 new 29 roles 6 9in the rotation. when a layup by second-year student Team andTotals cut the18lead close0 as five, theTeam players the Spartans lost by a score of 72 to 63. 3 to17as 41 Colin Zucker put them up by 26. The Spartans were able to pull away in the She did emphasize that, “We have a young As the Spartans continue their seaSpartans had a dominant first show- final minutes by hitting timely shots team that … will continue to grow. Our son, with defense being stressed and ing as they looked to build on their win and hitting their free throws. McDon- first-year players are going to get game young players becoming comfortable in against Brooklyn College. nell commented on his team’s overall experience now that will pay off when we the team, they will definitely find sucAgainst Brooklyn, the Spartans were play by saying, “When we’ve played reach conference play in January.” cess. A loss in game one is no worry, unable to maintain their stout defense well, our guys have shared the ball ofAs new players are worked into the as it is a long and hopefully successful as they fell 92-79. The Bulldogs scored fensively and our defense has been suf- rotation there will be growing pains, season to go for CWRU Women’s Bas50 second-half points to eliminate any focating.” but the key is to be in sync by the start ketball. Their next game is Friday, Nov. chance the Spartans had to come back The Spartans play against Fredonia at of conference play, and with multiple 20 vs. Waynesburg University as part of in this win. Fourth-year student Jimmy Allegheny College in the Greg Richards first-year students playing big minutes the University of Mount Union TournaHolman led the team with 19 points to Memorial Classic this weekend before in game number one, including Hillary ment. Action starts at 5 p.m. go along with four assists. The Spartans, playing Denison University at home on overall, shot Tuesday. Men’s41.3 Soccerpercent to go with Women’s Basketball CWRU Rochester

1 0 0

2 0 1

Final 0 1

Men’s Basketball CWRU Shots 1 2 TotalBaldwin Wallace Case Western Reserve 4 2 6 Rochester 6 3 9 CWRU # Player # Corner Player BLK TO MIN Kicks PTS AST 1 2REB Total 1 Z. Brandy 2 Western J. Holman 21 44 2 1 6 0 1 36 Case Reserve 14 M. Kaminski 11 Rochester M. Clark 17 32 3 7 6 0 1 28 23 J. Hollinger 15 Assists D. Black 7 16 2 3 Total 1 0 31 Case Reserve 30 C. Kuhn 21 Western E. Black 18 01 1 5 1 0 1 23 33 J. Fetherolf 24 Rochester S. Boyd 3 01 0 2 0 0 1 27 2 J. Battle 5 J.Scoring AlvarezCWRU 7 1 4 0 0 15 A. Masciopinto 46:06 (M. 3 B. Gleim 10 C. Zucker 10 Zembas) 0 4 1 1 2 19 15 M. Peters 14 S. Sangree 0 Total 0 0 1 0 0 2 22 Z. Warner 32 M. Hartman 5 1 3 0 3 10 Shots on Goal 1 2 Total 25 R. Walsh TJ Duckett 2 8 Case 55 Western Reserve 03 01 3 4 2 Team Totals Team Totals 182 32 17 4 41 0 Rochester

Saves Case Western Reserve Rochester Fouls

1 2 3 1

2 2 0 2

Total 4 3 Total

CWRU Baldwin Wallace

88 83 CWRU PTS AST REB BLK TO MIN 6 2 3 0 0 19 0 0 1 0 1 19 5 0 2 0 0 20 28 4 1 0 5 30 15 1 1 4 0 26 5 0 1 0 1 9 14 2 1 0 1 28 4 1 4 0 0 21 6 0 3 2 0 19 0 0 2 0 1 8 83 10 29 6 9

# Player 2 K. Hageman 11 E. Young 22 J. McCoy 23 A. Roth 24 H. Hellmann 12 A. Amburgey Kreien42 D. berg Team Totals

CWRU PTS AST REB BLK TO MIN 26 4 8 2 4 36 0 3 4 0 7 33 16 5 7 1 4 36 0 3 6 0 1 38 12 0 10 0 6 29 5 1 2 0 1 17 4 63

0 16

2 39

1 4

1 24

# Player 5 K. Smith 21 M. Colombo R. Wom22 eldorf 23 C. Lemmon 25 S. Clark 2 K. Swanson 10 J. Feaster 13 A. Munro 14 A. Helleis 15 H. Fecht 32 A. Starr 33 M. Schubert Team Totals

63 72 CWRU PTS AST REB BLK TO MIN 16 1 4 0 0 25 6 4 2 1 1 26 2 0 1 1 0 20 3 2 7 1 3 31 19 3 7 2 3 33 2 0 0 0 1 4 18 1 1 0 3 23 0 0 2 1 1 10 0 2 1 0 0 4 0 0 1 1 1 11 6 0 1 0 1 11 0 0 0 0 0 272 13 27 7 14

sports

observer.case.edu

Volleyball completes historic season at national tournament

Left: Andrew Hodowanec/ Observer. Middle and Right: Stephanie Kim/ Observer.

Eddie Kerekes Staff Reporter In a small central Pennsylvanian town with a population barely over 7,000, history was made by the Case Western Reserve University volleyball team. The Spartans won their first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament match in the history of the school by defeating the University of Mary Washington on Friday, Nov. 13 in four sets, 25-20, 25-20, 19-25, 25-23. Friday the 13th wasn’t unlucky, though Saturday the 14th was, as the historic season came to an end in the second round at the hands of No. 3 Juniata College, with CWRU losing 12-25, 14-25, 17-25. “I think we were all pretty excited,” said fourth-year libero Katie Best (18 digs) in a post-game press conference, summing up the feeling of the team after the victory. First-year setter Shannon Carroll, who assisted on 39 kills during the win, added, “It’s surreal right now.” Fourth-year middle hitter Haley Kauffman (13 kills) and third-year outside hitter Marian Barton (12 kills) paced the Spartan attack. Earlier in the week, Kauffman was honored with an honorable mention to the Great Lakes All-Region team, after setting a school record

for highest hitting percentage in a season (.354). After the Spartans finished third in the University Athletic Association (UAA), she was also named to the AllUAA first team, and teammates Best and fourth-year outside hitter Carolyn Bogart were named All-UAA second team. Bogart was also named to the Huntingdon All-Region team following tournament play on Sunday. “This is the culmination of our season,” said Head Coach Karen Farrell, because the Spartans fought hard to close the first two sets against Mary Washington, just like they have done all season in tight sets and matches. The late surges go back to the very first match of the season, which Farrell calls the “turning point of our season.” Kauffman said in a post-game press conference, “In closer games, we’ll thrive.” It wasn’t just upperclassmen stepping up for the Spartans, as Carroll proved in the team’s final six matches. After a serious knee injury ended fourth-year setter Robyn Marks’ season early, Carroll became the team’s main setter. Farrell praised her play, saying, “We don’t get [to the NCAA tournament] without Shannon Carroll.” The first set against Mary Washington was tightly contested, with the score tied nine times, and neither team lead-

ing by more than four. CWRU pulled ahead for a good 20-16 after a 6-1 run, and an aggressive offensive attack held off a potential Eagles comeback giving the Spartans the set win. Following the excitement of set one came thrilling set two, which was very similar to its predecessor. An 8-1 CWRU run in the middle of the set gave the Spartans a four point lead, and the team was full of energy and confidence. This time though, the Eagles managed to tie the set at 20. However, a strong Spartans’ block helped to team to five straight points to close it out. 18 sports Set three saw the Spartans try to come back multiple times from five point defi-

cits, but the rallies were unsuccessful. A similar scenario unfolded in the beginning of set four as the Eagles held four point leads four separate times with the last one at 20-16. CWRU was energized by an unexpected wave of crowd support and took a 22-21 lead. “We just refused to let [the match] go,” said Farrell. The confident players kept the Eagles at bay and celebrated their first tournament victory a few points later. The school’s first NCAA tournament victory. Second most wins in school history. Third place finish in the UAA. A 10-0 start to the season. The best CWRU volleyball team ever? If this isn’t it, I don’t know what is.

Volleyball Rochester CWRU CWRU

# Player K SA observer.case.edu 9 A. Lu 0 1 10 H. Kauffman 1 12 S. Carroll 3 21 D. Witri 2 25 K. Pfaff 2 26 C. Bogart 4 4 J. Colaianni 0 Wolfen12 E.barger 0 13 L. Anderson 0 15 K. Bondelid 0 18 M. Barton 6 33 K. Best 0 Team Totals 18

0 0 0 0 1 0

A Digs BS BA 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 1 14 6 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 1 0 0 3

0 2 0 0 0 17

0 2 0 2 11 41

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 1 0 4

1 25 12

1 25 14

1 25 17

T 1 3

Rochester # Player K SA A Digs BS BA 2 K. Reynolds 1 1 39 7 0 1 4 G. Brumm 1 0 0 10 0 0 8 C. Scafuro 1 1 1 10 0 0 14 N. Gearhart 7 4 2 3 0 0 15 B. Arnold 2 5 0 8 0 0 17 M. Moroney 12 0 0 0 1 2 3 B. Tannen8 0 0 4 1 0 baum 13 M. Phillips 9 0 0 2 0 0 19 K. Byrne 0 2 1 9 0 0 22 K. Collins 5 0 0 0 0 1 Team Totals 46 13 43 53 2 4

New era begins

CWRU wrestling team returns to the mat under new head coach

-JP. O’Hagan, Sports Editor

Men’s Basketball 2015-2016 Home Schedule Date

Opponent

Time

Home/ Away

Nov. Wed. 18 Nov. Sat. 21

at Baldwin Wallace

7:00

Away

at Olivet College

All Day

Away

Nov. Sat. 21

vs. Trine University @ Olivet, Mich. (Olivet College)

All Day

Away

Nov. Sat. 21

vs. Adrian College @ Olivet, Mich. (Olivet College)

All Day

Away Away

Dec. Sat. 12

vs. RIT Invite @ Rochester, N.Y. (Rochester Institute of Technology) vs. Cleveland State Open @ Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland State Univ.)

Jan. Wed. 13

at Ashland University

Dec. Sat. 5

All Day

Away

All Day

Away

7:00 PM

Away

Men’s Basketball Jan. Sat. 16 vs. Will Abele Invite @ Collegeville, Pa. (Ursinus College) All Day Away88 CWRU Baldwin Wallace 83 Jan. Sat. 23 Muskingum College (Si Ostrach Tri Meet) 12:00 PM

Courtsey Observer Archives The CWRU wrestling team kicks off their season this week. Last season record: 6-10 overall in head to head Tournament places: 8 of 10, 9 of 12, 25 of 32, and 18 of 18 Last Season University Athletic Association (UAA) Standing: 3rd place Top Rival: University of Chicago Maroons Returning players: 11 Newcomers: 7 Season kickoff: Wednesday, Nov. 18, Away at Baldwin Wallace, 7:30 p.m. Home Opener: Saturday Jan. 23rd hosting Si Ostrach Tri Meet 12:00 p.m. Head Coach: Danny Song (1st season) Assistant Coach: Richard Dowdley Player Accolades: Nick Lees led the team with eight pins. Nate Lewis: five pins last season. Cito Balsells: posted three pins last season. Ryan Berg: won two matches at NCAA Regionals. Nick Tommas three pins last season.

Jan. Sat. 23 Washington 12:00 PM CWRU CWRU & Jefferson College (Si Ostrach Tri Meet) # Player PTS AST REB BLK TO MIN # Player PTS AST REB BLK TO MIN Jan. 29 vs. Pete Ill. College) 1 (Wheaton Z. Brandy 6 2All Day 3 0 Away 0 19 2 Fri. J. Holman 21 Wilson 4 1Invite 0 @ 1Wheaton, 36 14 M. Kaminski 0 0 1 0 1 19 11 M. Clark 17 2 7 0 1 28 Jan. Sat. 30 vs. Pete Wilson Invite @ Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton College) All Day Away 23 J. Hollinger 5 0 2 0 0 20 15 D. Black 7 6 3 1 0 31 30 (Univ. C. Kuhn 28 11:00 4 1 AM0 Away 5 30 21 Sat. E. 13 Black 18 of 1 Chicago 5 0 * @1Chicago 23 Feb. vs. Univ. Ill. of Chicago) 33 J. Fetherolf 15 1 1 4 0 26 24 S. Boyd 3 1 2 0 1 27 2 J. Battle 5 0 1 0 1 9 5 J. Alvarez 7 1 4 UAA 0 Championships 0 15 B. Gleim 14 2 TBD 1 0 Away 1 28 10 Sat. C. Zucker 10 York 0 4 1* @ 2Chicago, 19 Feb. 13 vs. New Univ. Ill.3 (Univ. of Chicago) 15 M. Peters 4 1 4 0 0 21 14 S. Sangree 0 0 0 0 0 2 UAA Championships 22 Z. Warner 6 0 3 2 0 19 32 M. Hartman 5 1 3 0 3 10 vs. NCAA Mideast Regional @ Williamsport, Pa. 0 25 R. Walsh 0 2 0 1 8 Feb. Sat. 27 All Day Away 55 TJ Duckett 0 0 3 (Lycoming 2 2 8College) Team Totals 83 10 29 6 9 Team Totals 18 3 17 41 0 vs. NCAA Mideast Regional @ Williamsport, Pa. Feb. Sun. 28 All Day Away (Lycoming College) Mar. Fri. 11

vs. NCAA Championships @ Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Cornell College)

All Day

Away

Mar. Fri. 12

vs. NCAA Championships @ Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Cornell College)

All Day

Away

sports Heads held high

A look back at the top 10 moments of the fall season

-JP. O’Hagan, Sports Editor Tournament bound

Homecoming victory

The final hour

Women’s Soccer stuns Denison

Spartans run to championship

The Spartan Volleyball team made program history as they were selected to compete in the DIII NCAA Championship Tournament this season. This was the Spartans’ second NCAA tournament bid in program history. The Spartans earned the tournament bid after finishing the season with a record of 25-8 overall and coming in third in the University Athletic Association (UAA). The Spartans bested Mary Washington University three sets to one in the opening round of the tournament for the program’s first ever NCAA tournament victory. They were unable to carry on, however, as they fell to #3 Juniata College in straight sets, finishing an outstanding season. The Spartans put in an incredible performance as the Case Western Reserve University campus celebrated homecoming. They crushed the visiting Waynesburg University team by a score of 45-14. In addition the game featured a “Game of Thrones” and “Dr. Who”themed marching band performance and the naming of Homecoming Royalty. However the real highlight was the game, as the Spartans followed the lead of second-year quarterback Rob Cuda, who was responsible for six touchdowns, and third-year cornerback Nick Kwon, who made an important interception, leading to the Spartan victory. The men’s soccer team closed out their season by playing host to arch rival Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). The Spartans battled the Tartans through the two halves of regulation without either side conceding a goal. Finally in the first overtime period and after 107:59 minutes of play, first-year student Noah Kleedtke broke through the CMU defense and found the back of the net to score the winning goal. The win allowed the Spartans to finish second in the UAA, and with a record of 11-3-3 overall. The highlight of the women’s soccer season was the upset of Denison University. Denison was ranked as the eighth best team in the country at the time. The two squads battled back and forth, neither able to find the back of the net in the first 90 minutes of regulation. The Spartan defense held fast against the Denison attack led by fourth-year student and starting goalkeeper Meghan Romelfanger to stopped all six shots on goal while Denison took 21 shots. This sent the game into overtime where Makenzie Best stole the ball at midfield and beat the keeper to stun Denison and give the Spartans the win in the 107th minute of play. The win also gave head coach Tiffany Crooks her 77th victory tying her for the program record, which she will gain with her first win next season. Following strong performances at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship the Spartans will be sending a pair of runners to compete in the 2015 NCAA Division III Cross Country championship. Fourth-year student Kelsey Aamoth will represent the women for the second straight year at the championship race after finishing in second at the Great Lakes Regional. Second-year student Sam Merriman will take his first trip to the championships after finishing ninth overall.

Volleyball kept on winning

Wet and Wild

MVP

Spartans earn accolades aplenty

Missed Title Grab

Road Trip

Excelling at the highest level

The volleyball team started their season with an incredible 10-game undefeated run. The streak was capped by a thrilling showdown against top rival number 18 nationally ranked University of Mount Union as the Spartans won in straight sets. Unfortunately the Spartans fell in game 11 as they lost the final set against local rival Baldwin Wallace University. The streak put the Spartans on the map. The Spartans narrowly edged out Presidents Athletic Conference rival Washington and Jefferson College in one of the most memorable victories of the season. While the fans huddled together under umbrellas and the press box, the two squads traded blows in the pouring rain. After neither squad was able to score in the first quarter of play, both exploded for 14 points a piece in the second half. The Spartans were playing from behind until the third quarter when they were finally able to take the lead at 28-21. The Spartans were able to hold on for the victory at 35-28. Men’s soccer midfielder and team captain Chris Cvecko earned the title of Most Valuable Player in the UAA, only the second such nod in program history. Cvecko led the Spartans all season scoring 10 goals and posting two assists. Cvecko’s best game of the season came against UAA rival New York University when he scored a hat trick against the Violets en-route to a 4-1 victory. A grand total of 32 CWRU student athletes have won post-season awards this fall season. Volleyball placed three Spartans on the 2015 All-UAA volleyball team. Men’s soccer had four additional All-UAA team nods in addition to Cvecko’s MVP award. Women’s soccer placed four of their own onto All-UAA teams. Finally the football team placed 20 members onto the All-PAC teams, including four first team selections for Ethan Albers, Gage Blair, Rob Cuda, and Gavin Sandidge. While this is a heartbreaking moment, it was an important part of this fall season in CWRU athletics. The Spartans hosted PAC rival Thomas More College to close out the home portion of the season. The game had added importance since both teams were undefeated in PAC play and thus the winner would earn first place in the conference, and the accompanying automatic playoff bid. The Spartans were unable to come away with victory, but put forth a memorable performance deserving of a top 10 moment. University Program Board, Blue CWRU and the first year experience teamed up to send three bus loads full of students to Pittsburgh to cheer on the Spartan football team as they battled their arch-rival the CMU Tartans in the 30th annual Academic Bowl. While the Spartans lost, there is still hope that such a trip will turn into a campus tradition. The Spartans pulled off a unique feat this season, as for a period of weeks every varsity team in competition were above the .500 mark on the season. While some teams made the playoffs and others narrowly missed, each squad was able to bask in victory rather than wallow in defeat. The Spartans proved that CWRU could excel in every way.

Photos 1 and 5: Observer Archieves. Photos 2,3,7,8,10 & HM1: Andrew Hodowanec/ Observer. Photo 4: Isaiah Ahn/ Observer. Photo 6: Stephanine Kim/ Observer. Photo HM2: JP. O’Hagan/ Observer.