Volume XLVII, Issue 15, 1/15/2015

the

Case Western Reserve University volume xlvii, issue 15 friday, 1/15/2016

Observer

Protestors, including CWRU community members, call for reforms after Tamir Rice ruling Anastazia Vanisko Copy Editor On Jan. 1, Clevelanders declared that it was a “New Year, No More.”

Over 100 people marched from Impett Park to the home of Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty to protest the non-indictment of Officer Timothy Loehmann for the shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice.

Members of the Black Lives Matter movement, six of the Cleveland 8 (the activists who filed the affidavit that led a judge to find probable cause in the killing of Tamir Rice), students and anyone else who wanted to join gathered in below-freezing weather to protest the ruling.

One woman held a sign reading “Centuries of Injustice,” while others carried a banner with “WE DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY #YearWithoutTamir” written on it. For

All photos courtesy Randy Blackford Top: CWRU professor Rhonda Williams participates in a Tamir Rice protest. Left: protesters gather at Cuyahoga County prosecutor Timothy McGinty’s home.

Right: Second-year student Eva Barrett joins the group of peaceful protesters. four minutes, protestors lay side-by-side on the ground—a die-in representing the four minutes that Rice was unattended by Loehmann and Officer Frank Garmback before receiving medical attention.

McGinty had told the grand jury review-

ing the Tamir Rice case that he didn’t believe it was possible to convict Loehmann.

This statement came more than a year after the shooting, which occurred on Nov. 22, 2014, and only after the release of enhanced surveillance video. Based on this

video, McGinty said it was “indisputable” that Rice was pulling his pellet gun from his waistband when Loehmann shot him.

Under these circumstances, Loehmann was potentially taking the reasonable course of action since the police dispatch had failed to inform both him and Garmback that the gun was most likely a fake.

Under the law, Loehmann only needs to prove that he was thinking as any other reasonable officer in his situation would. But reasonable means different things to different people. There were multiple facets of the case to view in the light of reasonability. Was it reasonable to drive the vehicle up to Rice at that particular speed and to stop so close to him? Or would it have been reasonable to try to deescalate the situation from farther away?

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Tobacco-free policy to be reconsidered after invalid vote, student reaction Celia Wan Staff Reporter Voted in by the Faculty Senate before winter break, the tobacco-free campus policy has now been recalled due to a lack of attendance at the last Faculty Senate meeting. At the same time, rising student attention to this policy has led to new developments in the decision-making process.

Attendees at the December Faculty Senate meeting voted for a proposal

banning all tobacco-related products on campus. However Faculty Senate later realized that the last two meetings have failed to meet a quorum, meaning that the decisions made in these meetings, including the tobacco-free campus policy, now must be reconsidered.

According to Dr. Roy Ritzmann, the president of Faculty Senate, the tobacco ban will be voted on again in the next Faculty Senate meeting on Jan. 21.

“Given the wide positive margin in the

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Donuts now on campus

original vote, I expect the issue to still pass, but one never knows,” said Ritzmann.

Following the December Faculty Senate meeting where this policy was voted in by the non-quorum assembly, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) General Assembly passed a resolution addressing the lack of student input in the policy.

Throughout the drafting, proposing and decision-making phases of the new tobacco-free policy, going back to as early as 2011, the tobacco-free proposal was

Voting could have changed Rice case

presented to USG several times by Vice President of Student Affairs Lou Stark, Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing Elizabeth Click, who helped create this policy, and Stan Gerson, M.D., director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. Students were asked to contribute their opinions in two surveys, conducted in 2011 and 2014 respectively.

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news This week a priority for sororities Formal recruitment brings in new members Anne Nickoloff Director of Print At the beginning of every Spring semester, Case Western Reserve University’s sorority sisters fill the Tinkham Veale University Center and Thwing Center for formal recruitment.

The four days of recruitment, spread out over two weekends, allow sorority members to interview new recruits and learn more about potential new members’ interests. Simultaneously, each recruit learns more about all of CWRU’s sororities.

“Recruitment is a mutual selection process,” said fourth-year student Megan Ramirez, who is the chapter president of Sigma Sigma Sigma. “The women going through recruitment rank all the chapters and in turn all the chapters rank the women going through recruitment. The different chapters on campus have different focuses when considering each woman because we are all made up of different values and personalities, and we have to keep that in mind when deciding who to invite back.”

Ramirez joined Sigma Sigma Sigma when the sorority had its start at CWRU, during the 2014 fall semester. This is the

second year Sigma Sigma Sigma will be involved in formal recruitment, in addition to the eight other sorority chapters at CWRU. Sorority formal recruitment is known for being a stressful but rewarding time for potential new members. To assist new students in their selection processes, some older sorority members remove themselves from recruitment and become Rho Chis. A Rho Chi is a mentor and advocate position, there to help new interested members.

Currently the Watchcare Representative for the senior class of Alpha Phi, fourth-year student Kya Sherman went through a year of being a Rho Chi during recruitment.

“As a mentor, they help guide the potential new members through the recruitment process with unbiased wisdom and advice,” said Sherman. “As a friend they are there to hear about every single amazing moment and inspiring conversation, and are there to be comforting for the disappointing moments or tough decision. As resources, Rho Chis know how recruitment works from both sides.”

After going through recruitment last year, second-year student Celeste Engel already holds a leadership position in Phi Mu as the Pytte Cup chair. She remembered the stress of waiting during the week between recruitment weekends to find out if she got into Phi Mu, and being scared that she wouldn’t be invited back.

Though Engel ended up in the so-

Editor’s choice

CWRU runs on Dunkin’

rority where she wanted to be, she still thinks some adjustments to the recruitment process could be made.

“I wish individuals could get over the more typical questions such as ‘Where are you from?’ or ‘What’s your major?’ I feel that there is so much more to a person than just the answers to these questions,” she said. “I remember going through recruitment and most recruiters only talked about my hometown.”

While the majority of sorority members join through formal recruitment, most fraternity members join through informal recruitment. Instead of speaking to every Greek house and following a series of predetermined steps to decide where the potential new member will placed, the individual new members have more freedom to choose the Greek houses that they want to know better.

Some sorority members think that formal recruitment could benefit from becoming more informal. Pi Beta Phi’s Vice President of Fraternity Development Verity Forsythe, a third-year student, thinks that the two weekends could include some informal events.

“However, part of the reason I do not want to change the structure and formality of formal recruitment is because it requires potential new members to meet members from every chapter, and not just the ones that they think they want to join from stereotypes that may exist,” said Forsythe.

Ramirez also thinks that recruitment

could change to be a little less stressful.

“I probably wouldn’t have the women going through recruitment meet every single chapter on the first day,” she said. “It was extremely overwhelming to talk to so many women and then decide, after talking with each chapter for only 20 minutes, who I liked best. I would rather have met all the chapters over the span of two days.”

Though Sherman agrees that formal recruitment is overwhelming, she prefers the formal aspect of it. Meeting all of the sororities allows for potential new members to narrow down their decisions and evaluate their options instead of choosing too quickly.

Although formal recruitment follows strict traditions, some sororities have broken away from customs. For example, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Sigma Psi and Kappa Alpha Theta will accept transgender women, whereas many sororities only accept cisgender women. Additionally, moves have been made to place less emphasis on feminine clothing during recruitment days.

Sherman, and many other sorority members, offer encouragement to potential new members going through recruitment.

“Recruitment isn’t just for people who have decided they definitely want to go Greek,” she said. “I had no idea if Greek Life was going to be for me or not, and when I went through, I found a group of women who have challenged me to be the best version of myself.”

Winter weather welcomes students back to campus

Jason Linn/Observer The new Dunkin Donuts is run by Bon Appétit, though it has the same menu as other Dunkin Donuts locations.

Adithi Iyengar Copy Editor Earlier this month, a full-service Dunkin’ Donuts opened next to the Case Western Reserve University Bookstore.

It replaced the Starbucks which had previously been there, less than half a mile from two other Starbucks locations.

Although it is run by Bon Appétit Management Company, the Dunkin’ Donuts has the same menu and services as other Dunkin’ Donuts across the nation.

The new location has also been updated with digital signs, the latest point of sales system, and state of the art equipment.

“It’s really chic and nicer than the one by my house,” said first-year student Katie McCormick. “It’s fully updated as all the other [Dunkin’ Donuts] are trying to be.”

“Everything that Dunkin’ has nationally will be here,” said Jim O’Brien, resident district manager of Bon Appétit. “We have so many franchises—everything from Starbucks to Peet’s Coffee & Tea—so we

were very excited to have this.”

The donut shop was built with students in mind. There is more seating and space to move around and there are more tables than before. CaseCash is also accepted, as it is in any store run

by Bon Appétit on CWRU campus.

“Business has been really good and a lot better than the Starbucks that was here,” said Assistant Manager Donald Spak. “Even in these days of snow and ice, we see students come in.”

“We have all the same items as all other Dunkin’ Donuts shops have, including the new and seasonal items,” said Spak. This includes the new Fudge Croissant Donut.

Students have been looking forward to its opening since last semester.

“We were really excited about it opening,” said first-year student Sierra Gray. “We saw the sign on the door last semester and started looking forward to it that day.”

Dunkin’ Donuts is open 5 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 5 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.

Lizzy Kalikasingh/Observer Students were welcomed back to campus with a layer of snow, as seen here on a morning walk to class. This follows an unseasonably warm December, which capped off the warmest year on record. The snow is expected to continue through next week.

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$17,000 think[box] windows boarded up Aneeka Ayyar Staff writer Case Western Reserve University’s premiere creation space think[box] recently moved to the Richey Mixon building, leaving a set of covered-up windows behind in a hallway in Glennan.

In February 2014, think[box] operations and the Case School of Engineering (CSE) spent $17,000 on fireproof glass to install windows in think[box] 1.0. These windows allowed tour groups to safely watch the think[box] creators without disturbing their work f low, but they have been covered up for much of the time since the institution moved.

The window covers allow confidentiality for proprietary research but are removed if the labs want to show off something.

One electrical engineering student who preferred to remain unnamed feels that the $17,000 used for less than two years was a wasted investment.

“The entire thing is pretty much facepalm worthy at the level of misspending,” he said.

This student feels that many other labs have interesting and state of the art research happening that they would love to showcase to other students. These labs could have immensely benefited from this

Family killed in house explosion Courtesy imgur The windows which once allowed visitors to see inside think[box] labs are now usually covered to protect confidential research. space in Glennan and allowed tours to see what they are doing. Instead, in that place, two labs were restored for mechanical and aerospace engineering.

“The real issue is who handed it to them and the fact that they [the labs in thinkbox 1.0] didn’t ask for the windows to be used or encourage the lab to use them,” he said. “The target for scrutiny should be CSE, not the labs.”

The university feels that the windows served an important purpose, validating their installation.

“It was important to raise awareness for think[box]1.0,” said a statement from David Conger, senior facilities officer with CSE. “Requiring users to turn off their equipment for tours would have been intrusive.”

Combusting scooters no longer allowed on campus

On Jan. 6, University Housing sent an email to all students living in university housing, announcing that hoverboard self-balancing scooters were banned on campus. Two days later, that announcement was sent out to the entire student body.

“The decision has been made to add these items to the prohibited items list under the university student conduct fire safety policy,” the email read.

This was a result of widespread defects in the toy, which caused them to catch fire or explode.

Objects being added to this list of prohibited items is uncommon. These hoverboards are the first thing to be added to it in George O’Connell’s, the director of the Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards, one and a half years with the university.

After seeing multiple reports from

from TAMIR RICE | 1 “There are a lot of reasonable officers who wouldn’t have come up as close to Tamir Rice as he did,” said Dr. Rhonda Y. Williams, founder and director of the Social Justice Institute.

In reference to the standard of reasonability, Williams said, “Just because something is in the law doesn’t mean it’s just.”

This sense of unjustness is what drove Williams to march at the “New Year, No More” rally, and it is what drove her and others to be involved in protests and reform efforts over the year since the Tamir Rice shooting, and even before then.

“A child being shot is frustrating and saddening,” said Amanda King, a second-year law student at CWRU and a graduate diversity coordinator in the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA). “I’m tired of the police looking at young, and even adolescent, African-American men as criminals.”

King went to a public meeting at Cudell Recreation Center, where Tamir Rice was

Cleveland catch-up Aquene Kimmel News Editor

Hover-banned

Hunter Overstreet Staff Writer

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news networks about the boards catching fire and seeing other universities and airlines ban these hoverboards, the Office of Environmental Health and Safety, Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards and the Office of Residence Life staff made the call to ban the self-balancing scooters from the inside of all buildings and “any outside university property.”

These talks began around Christmas, as news reports of the devices catching fire accumulated over the month of December.

The final decision to ban them was made early last week. The decision was made without any of the offices consulting student government, which is something that O’Connell says he regrets.

“I like to work with student government on things like this,” O’Connell said.

However, he felt that timing made that infeasible in this case.

Considering the possibility that a few hundred students might receive hover-

boards over winter break and wish to bring them back to campus, the various offices involved in the decision to ban the devices felt it was important to make that decision as quickly as possible.

“Anything that’s going to be a potential danger, especially considering how many people live in the residence halls, we’re going to err on the side of caution,” said O’Connell.

A defect in the battery of the devices can cause them to combust, and, according to Marc Rubin, the senior director of safety services and chemical safety officer for the university’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety, this problem does not seem to be specific to any sort of model or manufacturer.

According to O’Connell, there has been very little negative response to the hoverboards being banned on campus.

In fact, of all the responses he received about hoverboards being banned, he says that only three of them weren’t positive.

shot, that allowed civilians to speak with the police and public officials about their concerns a week after the shooting. She asked about police training—were police trained to know and identify special cases, such as one involving a child or mental illness?

The answer was no.

Williams and King were both appointed to serve as civilian members of the Cleveland Community Police Commission (CCPC). The CCPC was a result of the consent decree, which came from a Department of Justice investigation that discovered patterns and practice of excessive force within the Cleveland Police Department (CPD) and required that the City of Cleveland reform structural and systemic deficiencies in the CPD. The goal of the CCPC is to propose recommendations that, if approved and implemented, will update the CPD with 21st century policing tactics, such as de-escalation and bias-free policing.

The two women were sworn in to the CCPC on Sept. 8, 2015, along with eight other civilian appointees and three members of different police associations. So far, the

police voice on the commission has proven just how hard it may be to change what is, in reality, an entire culture of policing.

“The police officers aren’t letting go of their affinity for the blue,” said King. “[Change] is going to require police to be reform-minded,” said Williams. “Otherwise these [recommendations] could fall on deaf ears.”

Opportunities for education and involvement in activism related to the killing of Tamir Rice, however, have been occurring on campus since Spring 2015. The SJI organized a read-in of the DOJ report that led to the consent decree, along with many teach-ins regarding the various aspects of this issue—social movements in Cleveland, police brutality, etc. “[I] encourage students to come to OMA to discuss this case and the surrounding reactions,” said Assistant Director of the OMA Randy Blackford. “It’s an important situation in our country, not only our region, and for students to be aware and involved in something in our own town is an opportunity to be involved in history.”

A home in Northfield Center, Ohio, was aflame when firefighters arrived around 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 11, responding to reports of a gas explosion. A neighbor living across the street said the explosion was large enough to shake her house, according to reports from Fox 8.

Due to the large fire still going on, they were not able to immediately enter the building to search for its inhabitants.

Hours after the fire, a man’s body was found at the back of the house, and those of a woman and two children, eight and 12 years old, were found at the back.

State fire marshals determined that the cause of the fire was arson.

Man caught after sending police selfie Donald Pugh was wanted by the Lima Police Department on charges of arson and vandalism but found himself displeased with the quality of the photo of him being circulated.

So, he texted the department a photo of himself in sunglasses, a collared shirt, and a jacket with the caption “Here is a better photo that one is terrible.”

As the story gained traction on social media, Pugh was named radio station 104.9 Eagle’s “Idiot of the Day” and even called in to be interviewed by the station on-air, according to The Washington Post.

Made aware of the fugitive by his social media popularity, someone recognized him and reported it to the Escambia County Police Department in Florida, Cleveland Scene reports.

Pugh was then arrested.

Terminal Tower pays tribute to David Bowie Following the recent death of singer and actor David Bowie on Jan. 10, the top of Cleveland landmark Terminal Tower was illuminated in blue, according to Cleveland.com.

“Planet Earth is blue and so am I. RIP #DavidBowie,” read a tweet made by the building’s Twitter account.

Bowie died of liver cancer.

The tweet was a reference to Bowie’s 1999 song “Space Oddity,” which has the lyrics: “Far above the world/Planet Earth is blue/and there’s nothing I can do.”

Michael Symon restaurant Lolita catches fireo On Sunday, Jan. 10, Lolita caught fire, according to Cleveland.com.

Though there were no injuries or death, significant damage to the restaurant resulted, leading to a temporary close.

The fire seems to have started near an oven, and arson is not suspected.

In a Facebook post, Symon stated: “Damage to restaurant appears to be pretty significant but we will be back strong that I can promise you!”

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On the beat

Back in town The Case Western Reserve University Police Department would like to welcome back all our returning students, staff and faculty. While it was great to have the place to ourselves for a bit, it does get a little lonely here eventually. We get sick of looking at each other after a while, so it’s good to have you all back. As we settle back into some academic and living routines it is also worth settling back into some safety routines, so here are some reminders.

If the bracing the Cleveland wind wasn’t enough to remind you we are in the middle of winter here, the fact that it is pitch black outside by 5:30 p.m. should. So continue to use shuttle buses, Safe Ride, sticking to well-lit areas or just walking with friends as you move around the area, especially off-campus, until brighter days return. And they will, I promise.

We always seem to get a spike in alcohol-related transports in January, especially around long weekends. While you may not want to go outside and practice your Arctic survival skills, a trip to the hospital may not be the excitement you are looking for either, so a little moderation may go a long way.

While bicycle theft is normally not a problem in January the theft of unattended items from buildings is—try not to leave your backpack, cell phone or other valuables lying around unattended, especially in high traffic or common access areas like dining areas, lounges, lobbies etc. If you’re using an athletic facility put a lock on any locker you are using and avoid leaving valuables like wallets unattended by the side of a basketball court or track.

If you see something suspicious please contact CWRU PD right away at 216-368-3333 (emergency) or 216-3683300 (non-emergency). The University Circle area did have a number of robberies towards the end of 2015, so we need the help of the campus community as much as ever in keeping an eye on things. Let’s look out for each other and have a great and safe second semester.

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.

We’re hiring We’re looking for writers for every section. For more information, e-mail

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The divergence between USG and the administration arises on the issue of a referendum on the new tobacco-free policy. In 2014, based on a survey showing that 52 percent of students supported a tobacco-free campus, USG passed a resolution requesting a referendum to involve student input upon the completion of the policy. In another USG General Assembly in April 2015, the question of having a referendum was again brought up and the USG representatives were in favor of it.

In another USG General Assembly in April 2015, the question of having a referendum was again brought up and the USG representatives were in favor of it.

After Faculty Senate voted in support of the tobacco-free policy in December 2015, USG immediately voiced their concern on the ground that prior to the Faculty Senate vote, despite USG’s request, no referendum was held to collect student input.

“President Snyder thinks that the poll in spring 2014 already shows student support to the new policy,” said USG President Chippy Kennedy. “Representing the USG, I would say that, first of all, the poll was not about the policy, but about whether or not we should go tobacco free. Second, it might be fairer to have students look at the policy themselves. So President Snyder and I initially disagreed on the sufficiency of the 2014 poll.”

Now, with the recall of the Faculty Senate vote along with the USG resolution and growing student concern, the almost settled tobacco-free policy may

yet experience some changes.

“USG leaders long have indicated that they hoped to have a vote regarding the tobacco-free policy once a draft was completed, and we understand that USG plans to conduct such balloting this semester,” says a statement from the university. “University officials will consider the results of this polling, along with all other formal and informal feedback received from constituents, as they move closer to adopting a final policy.”

Cautious to not respond to the possible new policy impulsively, the USG General Assembly on Tuesday tabled a second resolution demanding more student participation in the implementation process. However it is likely that USG will move forward with a referendum, provided a positive vote in the next Faculty Senate meeting and USG General Assembly consent.

Although feeling the need for additional student input, Kennedy acknowledges the significant student-administrator interaction within the last five years.

“Whether it is tobacco-free or needaware, the power that students wield via the USG, or via being a student here, in the administration’s eyes, is incredible,” said Kennedy. “I don't think many other universities have that sort of heavy student input, but we do, which is why it's super interesting when students don't think they are given enough [consideration from the administration].”

Kennedy also hopes that the tobacco-free issue will renew administrators' attention to students’ opinions, and that it foreshadows a more active student-administrator dynamic.

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Spotlight on research

CWRU researchers make strides in 2015 medical breakthroughs Srivatsan Uchani Staff Writer Case Western Reserve University is known for its research, and in 2015, the school made many steps forward.

Researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine performed the first surgical treatment of coronary heart disease, the first genetic alteration of human cells in a laboratory and the creation of the first artificial human chromosome. The medical school is currently ranked number 24 in the nation for research, according to the U.S. News and World Report.

According to CWRU’s website, the university as a whole “consistently ranks in the top 20 private research institutions based on federal research/ development expenditures,” and it receives over $310 million annually to fund more than 1,600 research projects.

In 2015 CWRU’s abundance of research continued, especially in the field of medicine. Here’s a roundup of some of the CWRU’s most significant medical breakthroughs from the past year.

Ph.D. student recognized for groundbreaking research on bone fracture resistance Mechanical and aerospace engineering doctoral student Mustafa Unal received the highly prestigious Baxter Young Investigator award in late August 2015 for his work on how water is involved in the fracture resistance capability of bone. His research, which utilized a new laser-based vibrational technique built on Raman spectroscopy, allows for much more accurate estimations of bone fracture risk than had many previous methods.

Unal’s labor could have exciting potential for widespread and debilitating conditions such as osteoporosis.

Researchers discover further potential in already-known medicines Two experimental drugs previously used to treat athlete’s foot and eczema may also have the potential to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), according to the findings of a scientific study conducted at CWRU School of Medicine. The research team, led by Paul Tesar, associate professor in the Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences,found in April 2015 that the drugs miconazole and clobetasol were capable of repairing damage in mice to myelin cells destroyed by MS. MS, the most common neurological disorder among young adults, is a devastating disorder resulting from malfunctioning immune cells eliminating crucial myelin sheaths, which are essentially protective covers, around neurons in the brain and spinal cord.

Although much remains to be done before the drugs can actually be certified for human treatment, the efforts of Tesar and colleagues mark the most promising results so far in the fight against MS.

Colon cancer specialist becomes Distinguished University Professor On August 26, 2015, colon cancer researcher Sanford Markowitz, already a decorated scientist, was named a CWRU Distinguished Professor—one of the highest honors that the university has to offer—for his work on the genetic basis for colon cancer.

Markowitz had, over the past couple of decades, made some incredible contributions to his field, such as finding key colon cancer suppressor genes, creating a molecular inhibitor that promoted rapid regeneration of bone marrow and tissue, and serving as a leading member of the team that first sequenced the complete human cancer genome.

His award at the beginning of this school year marks the latest triumph in a long career.

glioblastoma multiforme.

Karathanasis and his team seem confident, based on successful trials with mice, that the magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles will also be able to destroy the majority of tumors caused in humans. This is due in part to the highly precise nature of the treatment: The nanoparticles attract one another through magnetism, linking together almost like a chain where chemotherapy medications then embed themselves.

The method is one of the most radical—but also most successful—treatments so far against brain cancer and could have huge implications if it is found that it works as well in humans.

Group of researchers awarded funding to develop digital technology to predict cancer A team of researchers led by biomedical engineering professor Anant Madabhushi was given a $3.16 million grant in early November from the NIH to create a special analytic software capable of sorting, annotating and analyzing digital pathological data obtained from cancer cells. The software, called “pathology image informatics platform” by the team, will be used to create a database of very high resolution cancer cells, which will be analyzed by computerized algorithms to provide a precise picture of the overall aggressiveness and likely prognosis of various types of cancer.

The project, conducted in tandem with the National Cancer Institute, could free doctors and researchers from having to manually analyze cancer images under microscopes and ultimately result in a unified standardization of digital pathology imaging across the country, something which could potentially affect a significant increase in the efficiency and accuracy of cancer diagnoses.

All graphics Clarissa Cuevas/Observer

Medical School scientists discover method to reduce damage from spinal cord lesion Scientists at the CWRU School of Medicine discovered in December that they can prevent the body from making matters worse in cases of spinal cord injury.

When the spinal cord is pierced by some external trauma, immune cells immediately initiate an inf lammatory response to prevent infection. However the immune cells (macrophages) that cause the inf lammation are rather imprecise, often destroying healthy spinal tissue as well as blood and foreign agents. This can result in significant loss of movement in the body.

The researchers, led by neuroscience professor Jerry Silver, found that special stem cells called multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPCs) have the ability to direct a more specific, less damaging immune response capable of sparing much of the healthy tissue that would be otherwise destroyed by macrophages. Preliminary tests with MAPCs in lab animals have been promising so far. If these results can be duplicated in human trials, spinal cord injuries could be potentially much less dangerous in the future.

Doctors discover genes that cause age-related macular degeneration

Biomedical engineer receives grant to construct highly precise brain tumor treatment Efstathios Karathanasis, a researcher working at the Case School of Engineering, received a $2.82 million grant this October from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to further develop a potentially revolutionary new brain cancer treatment. The treatment involves special nanoparticles that can carry chemotherapy drugs across the blood-brain barrier and “hurl” them at malignant tumors caused by an aggressive form of brain cancer known as

using a simple method of alleviating pain: increasing the intensity of electrical stimulation drastically. Such electrical treatment has been used for decades, but Kilgore’s team seems to have made progress by simply “upping the ante,” so to speak. The team has found no surprises in this method so far; voltage seems to be inversely proportional to amount of pain felt by patients.

If further results confirm this trend, then an extremely simple defense against chronic pain may have been found.

Scientists make progress in development of new pain relief technique This December medical researchers working at the Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center at the School of Medicine received a federal grant of $2.4 million to further study the prospect of utilizing high-voltage electrical stimulation of the spinal cord to minimize chronic pain.

The research team, led by professor of orthopedics Kevin Kilgore, has been

On Dec. 22, 2015, genetic scientists at the CWRU School of Medicine announced that they had identified 52 specific variations across the human genome responsible for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision impairment in people over 50.

The study, involving over 100 scientists and led by the CWRU School of Medicine professor of genetics Dr. Jonathan Haines, used extremely complex computerized statistical analysis of data obtained from over 30,000 participants, comprised of populations both with and without AMD, and representing over 12 million genetic variations.

The results, which were published in a recent edition of Nature Genetics, may signal an effective general treatment to combat AMD.

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arts & entertainment Samfox’s new EP “The Feels” gets emotional Anne Nickoloff Director of Print Samfox’s upcoming EP ‘The Feels’ is appropriately named. Filled with growling vocals full of anger, dance-happy guitar riffs and sluggish rhythms, the local band cycles through a range of emotions in the span of just six songs.

The band formed not too long ago, played a handful of shows at local venues like Happy Dog, Mahall’s and The Foundry, and after a few months of recording, they’re finally ready to put out their first collection of songs.

‘The Feels,’ starts off with “Charmagne,” a slinky piece full of pent-up energy. Cool, whooshing “ooh’s” behind singer Braxton Taylor’s aggressive vocals don’t do much to calm the tension, but help build drama as the song takes off in its bluesy direction.

Later comes the mysterious “Go and Get Gone,” which has singer Charity Cunningham howling out some soulful croons over Josh Montgomery’s pounding big band drums and cascading trumpet solos by Ran-

dall Hoyle. It’s the most musically powerful moment of the EP, with a crescendo that descends right back into the single repeated demand: “Why don’t you go and get gone?”

“Tired” breaks away from the rest of the EP’s songs, in that it actually sounds exhausted. The lethargic guitar lags behind a steady and driving beat, while the vocals get down into a murky kind of blues, tinged with anger.

“Hey Mama” is intense and aggressive, with lyrics that drive the rest of the sexy song forward. Meanwhile, the guitar gets into a sloppy kind of grunge that contrasts with precise horns and vocal backing.

All in all, Samfox’s new EP is full of wildly diverse songs that stand well on their own, and flow well in a compilation. The band’s freshness says more about their position than their ability; while they execute a brand of soulful rock well, they seem less certain about how to define that brand.

But then again, they don’t seem too concerned about fitting in. What’s wrong with mixing up genres, instrumentation and affect between each part of the whole?

Supriya Vuda/Observer Local band Samfox practices their punky, soulful tunes.

Through just six distinctly raw songs, you feel with the band, with each scratchy vocal and livid strum. Samfox’s ‘The Feels’ is an emotional experience that will take listeners along for a ride.

EP: “The Feels” Artist: Samfox Release Date: Jan. 30 Rating:

Samfox members discuss recording process Braxton Taylor and Randall Hoyle of the bluesy band Samfox were both excited to finish the group’s first EP titled “The Feels.”

“To finish [the EP] is really exciting,” said Hoyle. “Recording just gives a chance to do things with our songs that we haven’t been able to do in a live situation, so the songs really developed and matured in the studio.”

Recording the six songs on “The Feels” took about two or three months, said Taylor.

“For me, vocals were probably the most difficult thing. I pretty much redid every vocal track at least twice,” he said. “Aside from the labor and the time, it was a really fun experience.”

Off the tracklist, “Go and Get Gone” is one of Hoyle’s favorite songs, and he thinks that the musical climax of the album occurs when multiple trumpets come in after a solo.

“I think that’s one of the most dramatic parts

Editor’s Choice

David Bowie says goodbye with “Blackstar” Teddy Eisenberg Staff Reporter On the morning of Jan. 10, the world awoke in shock to learn of the death of David Bowie, popular music’s legendary chameleon, fashion icon and fearless innovator. Just two days after the artist’s 69th birthday, Bowie succumbed to an 18-month battle with liver cancer.

In his passing, the Starman leaves 25 albums and nearly five decades of music that challenged the beliefs of many and continues to shape the sounds and images of rock music.

The last of those studio releases, “Blackstar,” is an album made even more poignant by Bowie’s passing. Exploring the themes of his own mortality in seven atmospheric tracks, Bowie pushes the boundaries of his glam rock sound in the direction of free jazz and ambient electronica.

Nowhere is this more evident than on the record’s title track. From the beginning of “Blackstar,” the listener is made uneasy by the song’s cold textures, which eventually weave into the luxurious, layered crooning of Bowie’s voice in its second half.

His voice has aged well, and this album as a whole sees Bowie embracing

of the whole EP.” On the other hand, Taylor enjoys “Charmagne” and its grooviness. “That song is so easy on the ear,” he said.

Samfox itself isn’t slowing down after the EP. On “The Feels,” Taylor did most of the songwriting work, but in the future, the group hopes to create a full-length self-titled album.

According to Taylor, it will feature songs written by all members of the band. “If we’re go-

The further adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer

Lars Torres Staff Reporter some of its stranger qualities on tracks like “’Tis A Pity She Was a Whore” or the cracked refrain of “Girl Loves Me.” “Lazarus,” one of “Blackstar’s” singles, also proves to be a highlight.

Melding a funky bass line with sultry saxophone, it is the lyrics of this track that are the most striking. “Look up here, I’m in heaven,” Bowie sings, “I’ve got scars that can’t be seen.” In what may not be a simply fortuitous line, the rock icon seems to be foreshadowing his death to the world.

With “Blackstar” and chance timing of its release just two days before his death, David Bowie has managed the ultimate artistic statement, turning even his death into something stunning and compelling.

The loss of Bowie is not a tragedy because we knew him personally. If anything, “Blackstar” and his countless other masterpieces prove that we shed tears at his death because his music helped us to better know ourselves.

Album: “Blackstar” Artist: David Bowie Release Date: Jan. 8, 2015 Rating:

ing to name our album ‘Samfox,’ why not have everyone’s songs?” he said. “I want to work on other songs, and by other members of the band.”

He continued: “We’re building this show around having a good old time for 2016.”

Samfox will be headlining a release show at Mahall’s 30 Lanes on Jan. 30.

-Anne Nickoloff, Director of Print

If you’ve ever wondered what the classic literary characters Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer would be up to today, the answer comes in the form of independent comedy “Band of Robbers.” The movie places these two characters in the modern era as they, alongside their friends, engage in a small-time heist for big-time rewards.

The film follows Finn (Kyle Gallner) and Sawyer (Adam Nee, also co-director with brother Aaron) who have been friends since childhood but reunite on opposite sides of the law. Finn is now a recidivist criminal and Sawyer is a police officer working in the shadow of his more successful brother, Detective Sid Sawyer (Eric Christian Olsen). Since childhood, Finn and Sawyer had one major goal: to find the long-hidden treasure stash belonging to legendary robber Murrel. But they failed at every turn, and only years later does Sawyer have a breakthrough in the search for the fabled treasure.

Sawyer decides to recruit Finn into his band of thieves which also consists of Ben Rogers (Hannibal Buress) and Joe Harper (Matthew Gray Gubler) and reluctant partner Tommy Barnes (Johnny Pemberton). There is a plot to rob a pawn shop that supposedly holds the treasure, but the heist enters a nosedive when Sawyer is assigned a partner, Becky Thatcher (Melissa Benoist). After the pawn shop turns

out to be controlled by ruthless criminal Injun Joe (Stephen Lang), everything could change forever for both Finn and Sawyer as they attempt to recapture their childhood spirit.

There is a great deal of energy and quirk that moves the film along, and the Nee brothers’ enthusiasm in both writing and directing is obvious. In terms of performance, everyone does a good job, but the story, while good, is slightly generic. Keeping Sawyer and Finn as the main characters elevates the story material, especially the friendship and chemistry between them.

There are also several set-pieces of note, including a tense stand-off in a hotel that acts as the climax, while the pawn shop heist is pure comedy gold. However, the ending to the film does leave more to be desired, as it did seem a bit rushed and abrupt.

Although the story may seem a tad cliché and generic at times, the performances are fantastic and the chemistry between them is fun to watch. Lang portrays a good, albeit underused villain, and most of the movie moves along nicely. There could have been a better ending, but overall, it does not sap enjoyment from the film as a whole.

Film: “Band of Robbers” Directors: Adam and Aaron Nee Release Date: Jan 15, 2016 Rating:

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“Colony” reunites “Lost” star and co-creator for a twisty new drama

Playlist of the Week Anne Nickoloff Director of Print

David Bowie, “Lazarus”

Just a few days after the release of his latest and last album “Blackstar” on his 69th birthday, David Bowie passed away this past Monday after a battle with cancer. “Lazarus” is the third song off the release, and Bowie’s lyrics and music video appear to be aware of his imminent death. The video shows scenes of Bowie in a hospital bed, dancing in a room, and hurriedly scrawling words in a notebook. The somber “Lazarus” ends on the notes “Just like that bluebird, oh I’ll be free, ain’t that just like me?”

By Light We Loom, “Clouds Will Cover Us”

Courtesy USA

By Light We Loom’s latest EP, “Caught in the Tide,” is a musical treat, full of sugary pop tunes like “Clouds Will Cover Us.” The song bops back and forth with an energetic bouncing rhythm, balanced by singer Shanna Delaney’s flowy, sweet vocals. There is more to come from the indie pop duo, formed from members of folk-rock band Bethesda.

In Colony, Josh Holloway plays a father struggling to keep his family together in a dystopian future.

Julia Bianco Director of Web & Multimedia Carlton Cuse, Josh Holloway and aliens may just be the trio the bleak winter TV landscape needs, reigniting the imaginative spark that “Lost” had in its pilot with the premiere of new USA drama “Colony.” “Colony” centers on Holloway and his family as they try to survive in Los Angeles after an alien occupation. (Warning: spoilers lie ahead.)

Holloway is, as always, charming as Will Bowman, an ex-special forces operative who has been keeping his past profession a secret to avoid persecution by the new militaristic regime. After a failed rescue mission for his missing son, Charlie, who he was separated from during the occupation, he is recruited to work for the new government to help take down the resistance against them.

Will is a quiet and reserved protagonist, but Holloway manages to show Will’s passion and commitment to his family and to getting his son back. Holloway clearly knows how to command attention, something which he proved on “Lost,” but in “Colony,” he proves he can do it without being the loudest guy in the room.

Sarah Wayne Callies is equally good as Will’s wife, Katie, who is revealed to be a part of the resistance that Will has been recruited to fight against. The two have great chemistry, and it’s clear that they truly love each other. However they both have very different ideas of how to get Charlie back, and their position on different sides of the war for Los Angeles is sure to create strain in their strong relationship.

Their other two children are one of the weaker points of the pilot. While younger daughter Grace (Isabella Crovetti-Cramp) doesn’t get enough screen time to be annoying, Alex Neustaedter as their son Bram is stiff and lacking, and even his lone few-minute scene couldn’t keep my attention. (And yes, for any ABC Family fans out there, Grace Bowman was also the name of a character on “The Secret Life of the

American Teenager.”)

What, exactly, has led to this dystopian future isn’t clear after the pilot.

While there are vague mentions of the alien invasion and intimidating guys with guns riding on tanks (because there are always intimidating guys with guns riding on tanks), it isn’t clear how exactly the world became this way. It’s hard to truly instill a sense of fear in the audience when they don’t know what it is they are supposed to be afraid of.

The only authority figure from the order who we are truly introduced to in the pilot, Proxy Alan Snyder (Peter Jacobson), also feels declawed. His most dramatic moment involves surprising Will by showing up at his house with bacon—not exactly supervillain material. It seems as though the writers are trying to play good cop/bad cop with him, and just forgot to write in the bad cop parts.

The pilot was slow and dragged at points, taking the entire time to reach its destination without giving viewers a true sense of what the rest of the series will be like. The pilot spent its entire 50 minutes on Will’s recruitment to work for Snyder to take down the resistance, but the resistance is still something we know hardly anything about. How big is it? How far does it reach? How difficult will it be for Will to complete his mission, and what will it entail?

The show probably would have been better served by condensing the action of the pilot into just the first 25 minutes and using the rest of the time to show Will’s first steps towards infiltrating the resistance, to give a better feel of what viewers can expect from the rest of the season. Still, the pilot episode did what it was intended to do; I will definitely be tuning in to “Colony.”

Show: “Colony” Created By: Carlton Cuse and Ryan J. Condal Airs: Thursdays at 10 p.m. on USA Rating:

Samfox, “Go and Get Gone”

Soul rockers Samfox recently released their EP “The Feels,” and the collection of songs can certainly be felt.

“Go and Get Gone” shows off singer Charity Cunningham’s powerful, biting croons, over a big-band sound. A great song for winter blues.

Ottawa, “Random Lights”

On Jan. 15, Ottawa will be headlining a local show at the Beachland Ballroom.

“Random Lights,” off their 2014 album of the same name, shows Ottawa at their glimmery-est, with energetic, boppy melodies and a dancey drum beat.

TBT: David Bowie, “Space Oddity”

Yes, it’s the second Bowie song in this playlist. But let’s remember how long Bowie was around. And let’s also keep it somber; there are always some great sad Bowie songs floating around. “Space Oddity,” released in 1969, presents a Major Tom character who adventures in space. And it ends with the lyrics “Far above the moon, planet earth is blue and there’s nothing I can do.” Bowie, you will be missed.

Find all these tracks online with our weekly Spotify playlist at observer.case.edu.

All photos courtesy of nydailynews.com, clevescene.com, Samfox, listentoottawa.com, & amazon.com.

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Nominees, winners and bedlam at the Golden Globes Lars Torres Staff Reporter

The 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards were bitingly comedic and lengthy. Celebrating the best in film and television of 2015, the Globes were hosted by veteran comedian Ricky Gervais after lending hosting duties to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler the previous two years. As usual with Gervais, all of Hollywood was the target for jokes and snarky witticisms including Caitlyn Jenner, Mel Gibson and others. However the awards proceeded quickly, as television and film awards were now intermixed and given in nonlinear order.

Shows that had multiple nominations included “Fargo,” “Mr. Robot” and “Wolf Hall.” The award for Best Miniseries or Television Film went to “Wolf Hall,” while overall Best Television Drama Series went to “Mr. Robot,” which was followed up by the Best Musical or Comedy Series win for “Mozart in the Jungle.”

For performance awards, Jon Hamm of “Mad Men” and Taraji P. Henson from “Empire” won the top drama awards, while Gael García Bernal of “Mozart in the Jungle” and Rachel Bloom from hit “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” also got the top Musical or Comedy acting awards. Oscar Isaac won a performance award for his miniseries “Show Me a Hero” and Lady Gaga received the top miniseries award for her acting in “American Horror Story: Hotel.” Actors Christian Slater and Maura Tierney received wins for their supporting turns on “Mr. Robot” and “The Affair,” respectively.

On the film side, films such as “Carol,” “The Big Short,” and “Room” were nominated multiple times. For Best Animated Film, “Inside Out” took the top prize against steep competition from “Anomalisa,” a more adultoriented animated film. Best Foreign Film

Courtesy 20th Century Fox “The Martian” took home a few awards, including the Best Picture Musical or Comedy award. went to Hungarian holocaust drama “Son of Saul” as expected.

Sam Smith’s polarizing theme for James Bond’s 24th installment, “Spectre,” won best original song, followed by Ennio Morricone’s long-deserved win for scoring the music of “The Hateful Eight.”

As the night went on, Alejandro González

Iñárritu won Best Director for “The Revenant” and Aaron Sorkin followed suit with his Best Screenplay win for “Steve Jobs.” Joyously, 40 years since his last appearance as a nominee at the Globes, Sylvester Stallone won the award for Best Supporting Actor for his seventh turn as iconic film character Rocky Balboa in the spin-off “Creed” and was met with a standing

ovation. Leonardo DiCaprio also received an ovation following his deserved Best Drama Actor win for “The Revenant” and Denzel Washington after receiving the honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award for his extensive body of work.

Kate Winslet, who received the first award of the night, was named Best Supporting Actress for her role as Joanna Hoffman in “Steve Jobs.” Nearing the end of the night, and accompanied by a number of edgy jokes from Ricky Gervais, Brie Larson was named Best Drama Actress for her performance in “Room,” where she also thanked her co-star, Jacob Tremblay, stating that he is half of the award that she received.

Jennifer Lawrence was definitely joyful after receiving the award for Best Comedy Actress for her performance in “Joy,” and Matt Damon followed suit with his win for Best Comedy Actor in “The Martian.”

By the end of the night, two categories remained: Best Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy and Best Motion Picture—Drama.

“The Martian” took home the award for Best Picture—Musical or Comedy. While its designation as a comedy may be contested by some, it was still a well-deserved win. At the end, it was “The Revenant” that took home the award for Best Picture—Drama, some saying that it was deserved, some still believing that the win should have gone to favorite “Spotlight” or the genre outlier “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Regardless, that was definitely a hard category to decide.

Overall, this was a relatively predictable, although at-times curve balling show, with the hosting duties of Ricky Gervais being the highlight of the whole show. This awards season still contains the BAFTAs and the Oscars, which will surely be entertaining and exciting to see.

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Horoscopes In honor of David Bowie Aquarius You can be a king. And you can be a hero, just for one day.

Pisces This is Ground Control to Major Tom- You’ve really made the grade, and the papers want to know whose shirts you wear.

Now it’s time to leave the capsule if you dare.

Aries Let’s put on your red shoes and dance the blues. Let’s dance to the song they’re playin’ on the radio.

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Taurus It doesn’t matter what you wear, just as long as you are there.

Gemini We like dancing and we look divine.

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

Blackstar Breakthroughs Browns Congress Donuts Hoverboards Magicians Playlist Recruitment Robbers Samfox Sorority Thinkbox Wrestling

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.

Cancer You have never done good things, you have never done bad things. You have never done anything out of the blue. Want an axe to break the ice, wanna come down right now.

Leo You’re sitting in the chestnut tree, who the f***’s gonna mess with you?

Virgo Time may change you but you can’t trace time.

Libra You want eagles in your daydreams, diamonds in your eyes.

Scorpio Sailors fighting in the dance hall.

Oh man look at those cavemen go, it’s the freakiest show.

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Capricorn You ain’t got no money and you ain’t got no hair, but you’re hoping to kick, but the planet it’s growing.

Sagittarius Your brain hurt like a warehouse, it had no room to spare. You had to cram so many things to store everything in there.

opinion Tamir Rice case highlights why all elections, even primaries, matter Editor’s note Mike McKenna, Executive Editor Over the past year, Cleveland as a community has had to come to terms with the shooting of 12-year old Tamir Rice by police officer Timothy Loehmann.

Not only has this black child’s death frustrated the city’s populace during a time this country is grappling with race relations and accusations of police violence, but the prosecution, or lack thereof by Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty, has been a second slap in the face to individuals distraught over the shooting.

McGinty recommended that the grand jury not indict Loehmann. Common criticisms of grand juries include that they often rubber stamp the prosecutor’s recommendation and their secretive nature doesn’t allow for proper accountability.

However it should be noted McGinty released an unprecedented amount of information from the investigation.

Unsurprisingly, the grand jury did not indict. Loehmann will not face criminal charges.

The case is so nuanced and complicated that I do not have strong feelings either way on if McGinty should be removed from his position. But something I think that has been lost in this discussion is that McGinty was not appointed to his post, the people of Cleveland put him there in 2012.

He is up for reelection this year, so if you do not like him, vote him out. And do that as early as the Democratic primary. Otherwise, you probably will miss your chance.

Due to Cuyahoga County’s strong Democratic support, winning the general election is often merely a formality after capturing the Democratic primary. McGinty, for example, won close to 80 percent of the two candidate general election vote after capturing the Democratic primary with 35 percent of the vote (the next candidate had around 20 percent with the remaining three hovering around 15 percent each).

Only 41,451 individuals voted for McGinty in the primary. Those 41,451 votes may have changed how the Tamir Rice case was prosecuted. That three percent of the Cuyahoga County population voting four years ago may have decided if a family got justice.

cade as a Cleveland police officer. While her previous employment may have complicated matters, she ran on the pledge to prioritize community feedback, fix “broken down” relationships between community members and police, and require cultural sensitivity training for both prosecutors and police.

Another minority candidate finished third as well. Subodh Chandra, who according to The Plain Dealer had served as Photo courtesy of Randy Blackford the law director of Cleveland from 2002 Protesters marched to Cuyahoga until 2005, where he slashed spending on outside legal counsel by 90 percent, County Prosecutor Tim McGinty’s house after the police officers who shot grabbed 20,269 votes. He was a former federal prosecutor who ran with the Tamir RIce were not indicted. pledge to de-politicize the office and help Would another candidate have made address crime through preventive coma difference in this situation? There is munity agencies. always the chance that a different prosWhat does Chandra do now? He’s curecutor could have reached the same rently representing Tamir Rice’s family in conclusion. But examining the second their civil suit against the city. (He also and third place finishers, I feel that the represented Law School professor Raygrand jury indictment may have played mond Ku when Ku sued Case Western out differently.

Reserve University in 2014).

The second place finisher was StephaOnly 21,183 more votes in 2012 and nie Hall, a black women who, according Chandra would have been sitting on the to The Plain Dealer, had spent over a de- other side of the Rice suit.

Recruitment is changing from bad to better Guest column Taylor Moran I didn’t have some fairy tale recruitment. It was bitter and it sucked. I hated nearly every second of it and no one could pay me enough to repeat the four days of pure emotional hell that was.

However now that I have gone through recruitment as both a Potential New Member (PNM) and an Active Member, I have gained some perspective on the process.

As much as I love the end result of getting amazing new members, I will never stop feeling uneasy about the entire ordeal.

We as Greek women want to believe that recruitment isn’t shallow, but on some levels it very much is. We care so much about making sure the PNMs dress a certain way on each day that there is a specific pre-recruitment event for that. On the other side, each and every Active Member has to get their outfits and accessories approved by whoever is in charge of their recruitment process and the Greek Life Office has to approve all the decorations and activities done at the parties.

Additionally both PNMs and Active Members are coached to keep the conversation on topics that relate to our values.

We want to hear buzzwords like “sisterhood,” “community” and “service” and don’t really stray from those tried and true topics. We want to hear about all the fancy activities the PNMs do to make sure they are “involved.” There is a model of a perfect PNM, one who has a great GPA and balances four clubs and two jobs while volunteering on the weekend.

But here’s the kicker. The reason I love my sisters isn’t because of how involved they are but because they will be the ones consoling me on a bad day and passing me tissues when I cry during “The Lion King.” I love my sisters because they are weird and make my day better every time I see them. Recruitment doesn’t help you get to know the quirky things about a person that makes them a great sister. Short conversations don’t have to be shallow ones.

Let’s add some more interesting topics to the mix.

Recruitment isn’t a perfect process, but I will give every Panhellenic Vice President of Recruitment ever all the credit in the world because not one of them ever stops trying to make the process better.

And there is no shortage of women in the Greek community trying to do the same thing.

Sigma Psi has leveraged their unique

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position as a local sorority to become the most inclusive Greek chapter on campus.

Because they have no Nationals or Headquarters to report to, they are free to make their own choices about who to welcome into their sisterhood. Sigma Sigma Sigma is another group that allows transgender women in their chapter. While this doesn’t seem like a huge deal, there are plenty of chapters on campus that disallow transgender women from joining on the national level, my own chapter included. While it is easy to complain, let’s first appreciate the fact that the chapters that do have the power to change their policies have done so.

The Northside sororities are having fall open houses to allow PNMs to see Greek life in a less terrifying setting, and it can be so comforting to walk into a recruitment party and recognize even one face. And while some may disagree, I absolutely love that sororities delay recruitment to spring semester here. It allows people to find their identity as a person before they join such a structured group. Fraternities should do that as well.

I see no reason for the difference in recruiting systems. Having two completely separate systems for fraternities and sororities just promotes sexist ideas about Greek life and perpetuates stereotypes about how

shallow the sorority recruitment system is.

Additionally we say there is no other way to do recruitment because informal doesn’t work for sororities, but some of the finest members of my sorority have come out of informal recruitment. I know so many amazing members of the Panhellenic community that wanted to drop out after formal recruitment and it was through getting to know a few sisters really well that they made the choice to stay, myself included. That sounds remarkably like informal recruitment. I know that isn’t something that can be changed easily, but delaying fraternity recruitment for first years to the spring would be a great first step.

Recruitment isn’t a beast that can be slain in a year, so I know that any problem I presented here isn’t necessarily one that can be fixed before spring 2017. But as a proud woman in Greek life, I want the community to be conscious of the fact that just because this is the way things are done now, doesn’t mean that they have to be done that way in the future. We are proud to say we have one of the best Greek communities in the country, so let’s do our best to get recruitment up to that standard.

Taylor Moran is a third-year student and a proud sister of Pi Beta Phi.

the observer

established in 1969 by the undergraduate students of case western reserve university executive editor & publisher MIKE MCKENNA director of print ANNE NICKOLOFF director of web & multimedia JULIA BIANCO director of business operations TAYLOR MORAN advertising & marketing manager JACK WEBB news designer CHRISTINA CHENG a&e designer MATTHEW ZYLE opinion designer ALEXANDRA GOLDBERG sports designer AMANDA LI graphic designer CLARISSA CUEVAS pr manager ASHLEY CHAN video editor SAI SUPRIYA VUDA social media editor JENIECE MONTELLANO photo editor LIZZY KALIKASINGH

news editor AQUENE KIMMEL a&e editor ELLIE RAMBO opinion editor KUSHAGRA GUPTA sports editor JP. O’HAGAN web editor JOE SATTERFIELD copy editors ADITHI IYENGAR ANASTAZIA VANISKO advisor BERNIE JIM

opinion 13

observer.case.edu

Enough is enough: Congress Over break, must stop hurting Americans longing for CWRU

Case Western Reserve United Josh Lehrer In case you didn’t see the news this past week, the Republican-led Congress—that is, both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives— passed a bill almost exclusively across party lines to defund Planned Parenthood for a year and to repeal most of the components of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—sometimes referred to as “Obamacare”. It was in large part symbolic, to show the hard-right voters that these folks “mean business.”

Listen, I’m not going to start out by professing my love for the ACA. It needs to be improved and enhanced for sure.

However the facts are that now around 17.6 million people have gained health coverage via the parts of the law that have been implemented via the exchange markets, Medicaid expansion and so on.

Since the main phase of the law was implemented, the rate of uninsured Americans has dropped from 18.0 percent to 11.4 percent after Quarter 1 of 2015.

But to me, the more disturbing aspect of this action was that the GOP leaders were giddy with these accomplishments.

Essentially, I feel they’re saying, “We just got rid of parts of this law, and we’re going to strip most of newly-insured Americans and their families because we do not like it.”

While they have “talked the talked,” they have utterly failed to “walk to walk.” Despite voting to repeal Obamacare 62 times, the Republicans have yet to propose fullfledged, comprehensive pieces of legislation to ensure that healthcare is still accessible to a substantial amount of Americans.

Simply put, it was not before the ACA. This law has survived an election, and two U.S. Supreme Court cases; to run on a campaign still, after almost six years, of repealing Obamacare is not only illogical, I’d go so far as to argue it is callous and stupid.

The saddest thing that most Americans do not realize is that the ACA is rooted in Republican and conservative think-

ers. Even I did not know (as most don’t) that the passage of this the federal health care reform bill was substantially rooted in early Republican efforts. Most policy proposals started as early as 1993-94, in trying to offer a GOP-alternative to the Clinton efforts to develop a nationalized, universal health care system. Later, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, championed it during his tenure.

Thus, not only is the Republican’s fixation on repealing a law that has helped so many Americans upsetting, it is quite hypocritical to say the least.

And aren’t the Republicans supposed to be budget-savvy and want to clamp down on federal spending? If the ACA was to repealed, analyses done by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) now project that it will be economically detrimental; it actually defies some major GOP tenets, because doing so would raise our

and families across the country. And the fact remains: while three percent of services provided at Planned Parenthood are abortion-related; the rest is dedicated to cancer screenings and prevention, sexually-transmitted infection testing and treatment and contraceptive education and resource allocation.

Right before the end of 2015, Congress surprised America with a bipartisan compromise to ensure that there would be funding for highways, infrastructure and medical research via a much-needed spending bill, as well as a law seeking to get rid of the increasingly burdensome amount of testing for our children in K-12 through education reform legislation.

There was hope. But, I believe it has all but been forgotten. Whereas President Obama kicked off the new year with a very powerful and moving speech the steps he’ll take via executive action to curb gun violence,

However the facts are that now around 17.6 million people have gained health coverage via the parts of the law that have been implemented via the exchange markets, Medicaid expansion and so on. deficit and debts by nearly $353 billion.

Another thing. President Obama and the Democrats wanted bipartisan support, and stalled the passage of the legislation as a result until March of 2010. So, to say this law, which has now helped so many Americans five years after it was passed, was “jammed down Americans throats” and did not represent the majority is hard to grasp.

And let’s not forget the defunding of Planned Parenthood. To claim this is not an attack on women’s reproductive rights, health and well-being would be unsound. The videos released this summer, which showed Planned Parenthood staff selling fetal tissue, have been refuted time and again. Planned Parenthood is a vital resource for not only women, but romantic partners, married couples

the GOP greeted it with gleefully pushing through legislation that effectively would hurt many Americans—not help them.

Thank you, President Obama, for not backing down in ensuring that the average American has a basic level health coverage and that women and couples across the nation have access to helpful services involved in family planning.

Moreover, shame on you, Republicans in Congress, for being so obsessed with gutting a law that has indeed predominantly worked.

In case it was not obvious, Josh Lehrer has a burning passion for policy issues related to health care reform. He feels that in a country as rich and powerful as the United States, every American has a right to health coverage and access. He is a fourth-year student.

Letter to the editor

Vice president Stark reponds to smoking ban article, says students were included in creating policy To the editor, I was disappointed to see the frontpage story in the Dec. 4 issue of The Observer claiming a lack of student input on a proposal to make the campus tobaccofree. I rarely respond to articles in the student newspaper, but when facts are ignored and an article is misleading, it is necessary to set the record straight.

Here are the facts: 1) The review process for this idea began with students. During the 2011-2012 school year, President Barbara R. Snyder asked Undergraduate Student Government (USG) leaders if they could help her get a sense of student attitudes on the subject before the process of developing a proposal even began. USG conducted a survey showing that 59 percent of students supported a smoke-free campus; its Student Life committee recommended that the university continue to explore the

issue. (The survey results appeared in the Nov. 16, 2012 edition of The Observer.)

2) When a draft policy began to take form in 2013, campus wellness leader and faculty member Elizabeth Click presented it first to USG in March of that year. She returned again in 2013, in 2014 and in 2015.

3) In 2014, as part of student voting in USG elections, the organization also asked students to cast non-binding ballots regarding going tobacco-free. This time, 52 percent of students supported the idea, 34.5 percent opposed. As reported in the April 4 issue of The Observer, roughly 13 percent were neutral or had no opinion.

4) During the 2014-2015 academic year, several subcommittees were formed to work on pieces of a proposed policy. Both undergraduate and graduate students served on these subcommittees.

5) This fall Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Director Stan Gerson, MD, met with USG to provide information on the scientific basis for the policy.

6) Opportunities for input have not been limited to undergraduates: Graduate students also have received multiple briefings, as has the Faculty Senate and the Staff Advisory Council.

If the university ultimately adopts a tobacco-free policy, President Snyder and I remain steadfastly committed to including students in the implementation process. I look forward to seeing future coverage in The Observer of this issue return to the high standards demonstrated over the past few years.

Lou Stark Vice President for Student Affairs

Student mind Brian Eckert Looking back on winter break, I hope everyone enjoyed spending time with their family and reconnecting with old friends.

Personally, I was ready to come back to school on Dec. 26. I fulfilled my family obligations and was ready to return.

As break dragged on and on, I realized how much I love being here. Sure there are times when it makes me want to drop out and become homeless, but this is truly my home.

As the days were winding down to come back here, I found myself answering the question “When do you go back to school?” with “I go home on the seventh,” without even realizing that I was at the house that I previously always considered home.

I love being here at school, and that feeling of belonging is important at college. In order to find the right place, you have to let it grow into home; becoming comfortable with your surroundings is probably the best way to focus on the task at hand, which for those our age, is school. If you’re constantly worrying about the environment around you, your focus will stray from your studies.

I love it here and I think that now that I’m more comfortable, I will be able to better focus on my school work and extracurriculars. Case Western Reserve University is truly my home and after being home for break, I don’t think I ever want to leave again.

I love school, working, writing for the paper and spending time with my friends. These things are what has made CWRU home to me. Without my friends and the community around me, I don’t think I would be here after this coming semester.

Because of the people I’ve met and the relationships with faculty I’ve built, CWRU has become the place I miss. I don’t want to go home because I’m already here.

Personally, my break was sub-par. I ran out of things to do after about three days and ended up just sleeping my time away. I live in a small town and there’s absolutely nothing to do. For fun, my friends and I drive to Walmart and just do laps in the store. Then we go get food and come back to Walmart. (The nearest Walmart is a 40 minute drive.)

So after spending my mandatory time with family, I ran out of things to do in a very short time. Most nights I ended up playing old video games in my basement and then sleeping until 1 p.m. the next day, which gets boring after the first two weeks. I was hoping to have a job over the holidays, but the restaurant I worked at over the summer closed, so I was out of luck there also.

Regardless of the quality of my break, I’m home now and that’s all that matters. I’ve heard the saying “Home is where the heart is” and read it way too many times on artsy home decor, but now I finally realize how true it is.

Cleveland is the first city I’ve ever lived in, and as much as people complain about pollution, crime and the lack of excitement, I love it. I love the school and my friends and the environment because I finally found somewhere I fit in.

Brian Eckert is a first-year finance and economics double major.

14

sports

1/15/16

Point/Counterpoint

Should PED users make it into the MLB Hall of Fame?

Welcome to a new column that we call point/counterpoint. This column will consist

JP. O’Hagan (Sports Editor): Play ball. Baseball has long been a game that puts an emphasis on skill and reveres greatness. In the 90s and early 2000s we saw an era of excitement with bigger personalities, faster pitchers and longer homers. Then we learned that this wasn’t skill or handwork, it was created. Why should those players be remembered alongside the greatest to play the game when they probably wouldn’t have been if it wasn’t for the PEDs? Billy Heyen (Sports Writer): I would argue that many of the men suspected or even est our game has ever seen. I’d put them in the Hall if their numbers show they should Estimates on the low end say 40 to 50 percent of the players in the era used steroids. If we can’t even know the full effect that had on ers? Early on in the steroid era, most substances in question weren’t even against the rules of baseball. Without enough knowledge on how numbers and games were changed, I say put these guys in if their numbers and contributions show they should be in.

JP: The “if their numbers show it” is a popular argument and I do understand the reasoning behind it. However I would ask, how an advantage. While the stat value of that advantage is not perfectly understood, it is still there. If it wasn’t the players would not have taken the steroids. How can you trust the numbers if the numbers don’t make sense?

Billy: Baseball, historically, has been a numbers game. More than other sports, there are milestones that seem to mean something to the common fan: 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, 300 wins. I understand that there may home runs to his career with steroids, or he may have added only two. All I know is that I grew up watching Bonds hit balls into McCovey Cove. I watched A-Rod become one of the best hitters in the league from the time he was 19. Roger Clemens continued to get batters out with his dominating arsenal even as his velocity declined. I cannot tell you that these are the most honorable men. All I can not imagine bringing my kid to Cooperstown in 25 years and not being able to show them the plaques of all these great players I saw growing up. By no means are those who took they were legends, and in my eyes, that is what Cooperstown is for. It needs to house the history of the game, good and bad, and to leave JP: Perhaps here is where we really boil down to the essence of the question. What is the purpose of the Hall of Fame? It is a museum to tell the history? Or rather is it a place to honor the greatest men to ever step on a baseball diamond? You argue it is to tell the history. I would argue that induction should be reserved for the honor of those who we wish to immortalize for their pursuits. Why would we want to honor and uphold those who cheated, tarnishing the game for a decade? There is a part of the Hall of Fame that tells the history of the game. Often called the greatest play Monday running over and saving an Ameri-

burn it during a game at Dodger Stadium. The story is in Cooperstown, but Rick Monday is no hall-of-famer. He hit .264 batting average and 241 home runs. The same can be said for Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose, two of baseball’s greatest, who are kept out for tarnishing the game, mentioned but not inducted.

It is possible to tell the history without also having to induct PED users. That is an honor that should be saved.

Billy: If we are honoring the greatest men to step on the baseball diamond, one of the most racist men ever, Ty Cobb, would have to be left out. In their era, these players were the best. The Hall of Fame is not a history of great men, rather a history of great ball players. Watching Bonds and Clemens and Mark McGwire, you knew you were witnessing great ballplayers. I’m not saying I like what they did, but I do think they were and are Hall of Famers. If you leave out the best players of an era, it does not paint the full picture. In an era in which the sport may have been tainted, these men were the best. We cannot live an alternate past.

JP: Lets move beyond players like Bonds and Clemens. What about the players who wouldn’t be in the hall of fame consideration but got a bump due to PED use? I’m talking about guys like Todd Hundley, David Justice, José Canseco, solid guys that may have gotten looks for the Hall on numbers alone, but probably shouldn’t because they are linked to steroids. Or on other side, how do you address players like Fred McGriff, Jim Edmonds or Alan Trammell who are at the same level and yet probably won’t make it in because their numbers are a little too low especially comyou tell those guys?

Billy: Those steroid players you named have not gotten much of a look at all. I think the bigger problem the Hall has is a crowded ballot and an outdated voting process. I have monds is a Hall of Famer, and the reason he fell off the ballot is because it is too crowded with steroids players who get some votes but not enough to get in. I wish that they would to vote players who used steroids in then they should be in, out of the way, and allow for time to assess players such as Edmonds.

JP: It is true that they haven’t been strongly for the Hall but they haven’t because they are linked to steroids. I will agree that the Hall needs to make up its mind. However to have the voters approach elections as a team is a lofty will always be people who vote for the wrong people for a stupid reason, or don’t vote for people (like the insane three voters who didn’t vote for Ken Griffey Jr. this year) but some sense of unity when approaching PED users is a goal that I can agree with. I obviously want them to agree on a different direction but it’s good to Billy: In closing I will go back to what I said earlier: the best players in the game I grew up watching and loving should be in the Hall, “clean” or not. Junior made it, and and I would hope one day I can show my kid his plaque, with all his past, good and bad.

We will never know if some players used, we know some did, and we highly presume that some did not. At the end of the day a Hall of

Editor’s Choice

Browns’ head coaching search begins and ends with questions Noah Crowley Staff Reporter After another disappointing season for the Cleveland Browns ended this year, three wins and 13 losses. As has become ing the head coach, Mike Pettine. Not as common—but also a needed overhaul— it meant the end of the line for former General Manager Ray Farmer.

The search was on to replace these important positions and move the organization in a better direction. Specifically the search for a new coach was underway, wrapping up on Wednesday with the hiring of Hue Jackson. For better or for worse this is the direction the Browns are heading. Here is a look at the options the Browns pursued and an overview of the man chosen to take the helm next season.

Browns looked into for in the coaching position was Doug Marrone, the assistant coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Marrone already has plenty of experience as the head coach of an NFL team after his time as head coach of the Buffalo Bills.

He also serves as the offensive line coach for the Jaguars, which could have been a quent breakdowns that the Browns’ line suffered this season.

Looking at possible coaches who are more specialized at setting things up on the other side of the scrimmage line, the Browns took a look at Jerome Henderson, who is currently working as the Dallas Cowboys defensive back coach. Henderson is a former NFL player himself, and has played in two Superbowls—once with the Bills and then with the New England Patriots. Another interesting line in his resume is that he had already worked with the Cleveland organization for two years and helped Joe Haden improve his game, work that has still helped the team.

The Observer thought that the Browns should look for a recently successful person to take over the role, and one in a coordinator position. The top choice on the defensive side of the ball, we felt it would be wise to look toward a man who lead his team to only lose

one game over the regular season this past year. Sean McDermott, the defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panhas been working consistently on the defensive end of the field since before the turn of the century after he started working with the Philadelphia Eagles, switching between different defensive positions until he eventually reached the position of defense coordinator there.

He has been the defensive coordinator for the Panthers since 2011. His strategies for how to stop offenses has proven to be incredibly successful and he may be the best option available for the Browns to have a chance at success, especially defensively. However since the Panthers are still in the playoffs, he was not available for interviews yet. It also looked like McDermott has been leaning more towards taking a position back in the City of Brotherly Love in Philadelphia because of his past there, and is now looking more likely.

Looking closer to home and at the offensive side of the ball, the Browns considered and rushed to hire Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackleague leading different parts of each team rience, having a stint as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders under his belt.

The idea of taking an offensive coordinator from a divisional rival and also of taking a guy who knows so many different aspects of running a football team seems very appealing. The Browns also seem to need more help offensively, especially as the future of quarterback Johnny Manziel with the club is up in the air. It was an uphill battle to get him to stay in the Buckeye State, though, as he was also the front-runner for the position with the San Francisco 49ers, and was also courted at the last minute by the New York Giants.

Many other options were still available for the Cleveland Browns to select but they seemed eager to make the decision. Jackson will start out walking on eggshells, as has been the tune with coaches in Cleveland for a long time. win season next year, the team’s rebuilding stages may at long last be working.

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15

Swimming and diving Wrestling team looks to put first one in win column looks to carry momentum into second half

The Case Western Reserve University wrestling team struggled as they ended 2015 and took time to regroup over break. up of the new year on Wednesday with a dual meet against number 19 in Division II, Ashland University, and will return to the mat in the Will Abele Invitational at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania on Saturday. the season saw the Spartans take on Division I competition in a tournament hosted

by Euclid Avenue neighbor Cleveland State University. The Cleveland State Open saw the Spartans’ four wrestlers who attended struggle against their competition and fail to capture any team points. The Spartans sent Luke DiMuzio in the 125-weight class, second-year student Connor Gordon at the 157 level and both second-year student Nick Tommas and third-year student Nick Lees to compete in the 174 pound class.

The Spartans sent out their best wrestlers but none were able to overcome the stronger competition. Despite the struggle, the team can look to the tournament as a learning experience as they start 2016.

Looking into the new year the Spartans will look to overcome their 0-4 start in dual

matches for the season. The Spartans will be relying on Lees who has the only winning record on the season so far, posting a 7-6 record this season. Gordon has helped boost CWRU as well with four wins of his own and a pair of pins in the 157 level. Finally Tommas, who has competed more at the 164 class than in the 174 class where he was for the Cleveland State Open, and pair of victories to their name. ing from break was late on Wednesday after The Observer went to print. Look for an overview of the match online at observer. case.edu. The next match for the Spartans will be on Saturday at the Will Abele Open against Amherst College, College of Mount van, University of Maryland—Baltimore Military Academy and College, University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire and, of course, host Ursinus. The tournament will also be a little bit of a scouting trip for the Spartans as they will face Washington and Jefferson College, who they will hosting next week in the Si Ostrach Tri Meet.

Look for the Spartans to begin turning around their season this week as they prepare for the University Athletic Association Championships in February.

Observer Archives The Spartans return to competition this weekend as the number 18th men’s team and 23rd women’s team in the country.

Veijay Raj Staff Reporter season, the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams look to continue their success in a tougher second semester schedule.

With only one loss in eight dual meets this season, both teams ranked in the top 25 in NCAA Division III swimming prior to the new year.

Ranked 18th in the most recent College Swimming Coaches Association of America poll, the men’s swimming and diving team ended their 2015 schedule with a big win in the Wooster Invitational. The men demolished the competition, tallying 1,775.5 points and outscoring second place by over 500 points.

In the nine team meet, the men had numer-

Second-year students Logan Smith and Aaron Pang followed behind with second and third in the same event. The Spartans also claimed top three in the 1,650-yard freestyle with secthird-year student David Merriman in second, in third. Fourth-year diver Connor Farrell continued his unbelievable season with a win in the three-meter dive.

The women performed in similar fashion to the men’s team. After tallying a 1,563 point Men CWRU John Carroll

achieved a 23rd place ranking in the national NCAA Division III poll. The women dominated as second place Gannon University lagged over 300 points behind.

First-year student Suhan Mestha led the way for the women, winning the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:04.61. In addition fourth in the 1,650 yard freestyle. On the diving side of the meeting, second-year student meter dive to add to the women’s team score.

Head Coach Doug Milliken attributed the team’s impressive showing to the team’s depth and explained, “If you look through the results, we had so many people score and up.” In addition to winning both the men’s and women’s meets, the Spartans collected six NCAA standard ‘B’ cuts.

CWRU’s swimming and diving teams continued their training over the winter to set the stage for the second half of the season. In addition to training at home, Milliken said, “The week before school started, we went to Florida for our annual training trip” and added, “It’s a tough week, but I was very pleased with how they did.”

The Spartans kick off their second semester meet schedule this Saturday with a dual meet at Allegheny College. Both teams hope to move to 8-1 and add to a six meet win streak.

Swimming and Diving Women 209.5 CWRU 68.5 Baldwin Wallace

187 98

Women’s Swimming Events Event Winning Time Winner School 200 Yd. Medley Relay 1:50.71 Team A John Carroll 1000 Yd. Freestyle 11.36.36 J. Verdi John Carroll 200 Yd. Freestyle 2:02.46 J. Eurich CWRU 50 Yd. Backstroke 30.09 C. Laios CWRU 50 Yd. Breaststroke 33.21 B. Cain CWRU 100 Yd. Butterfly 1:03.41 C. Ashbaugh Baldwin Wallace 50 Yd. Freestyle 25.50 I. Moore CWRU 100 Yd. Freestyle 56.53 J. Eurich CWRU 100 Yd. Backstroke 1:03.41 C. Laios CWRU 100 Yd. Breaststroke 1:15.73 C. Manuck CWRU 500 Yd. Freestroke 5:31.18 T. Johnson CWRU 50 Yd. Butterfly 27.6 I. Moore CWRU 200 Yd. IM 2:18.16 C. Ashbaugh Baldwin Wallace 200 Freestyle Relay 1:45.61 Team A CWRU Event 200 Yd. Medley Relay 1000 Yd. Freestyle 200 Yd. Freestyle 50 Yd. Backstroke 50 Yd. Breaststroke 100 Yd. Butterfly 50 Yd. Freestyle 100 Yd. Freestyle 100 Yd. Backstroke 100 Yd. Breaststroke 500 Yd. Butterfly 50 Yd. Butterfly 200 Yd. IM 200 Freestyle Relay

Men’s Swimming Events Winning Time Winner School 1:38.16 Team CWRU 10:08.98 J. Hisnanick CWRU 1:49.95 B. Gerber Baldwin Wallace 26.22 D. Weibel CWRU 27.4 T. Thompson Baldwin Wallace 55.33 D. Kizek CWRU 22.41 O. Hudgins CWRU 47.77 A. Tam CWRU 54.71 O. Hudgins CWRU 1:00.32 T. Thompson Baldwin Wallace 4:56.23 A Hennings CWRU 24.71 C. Allen CWRU 2:01.29 E. Haufler CWRU 1:33.81 Team A CWRU

Event 1 Meter Dive 3 Meter Dive

Women’s Diving Events Winning Score Winner 158.85 M. Fortune 221.95 M. Fortune

School Baldwin Wallace Baldwin Wallace

Event 1 Meter Dive 3 Meter Dive

Men’s Diving Events Winning Score Winner 179.85 C. Farrell 277.50 C. Farrell

School CWRU CWRU

sports Men’s basketball kicks off UAA play with big win Staff Reporter The Case Western Reserve University men’s basketball team scored two big wins as they opened up the University Athletic Association (UAA) competition.

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) 94-81.

The Spartans also beat Muskingum University 106-101 to start a two game winning streak. The team is now 8-4 including 4-1 in the offense was locked in as there were six players with double-digit point totals, led by second-year forward David Black and conference play, the Spartans prevailed. forward added to his impressive game by also registering four blocks.

Fourth-year guard Matt Clark played a well game all round with 11 points, seven rebounds and a career-high seven assists.

The Spartans would need all the help they would get as they attempted to hold off Muskingum’s Joshua Keyes, who poured in 36 points along with an incredible 21 rebounds to keep the Muskies in the

game throughout. The teams were nearly identical in shooting percentage with the Spartans at 48.8 percent and the Muskies at 48.7 percent. The key difference maker in the game was the turnovers. The Spartans forced 20 Muskingum turnovers and scored 23 points off those turnovers. Fifteen of those turnovers were steals in a season-high effort for the team.

When asked about the team’s effort on the defensive end, Head Coach Sean McDonnell said, “Our players gave a great effort during our games over winter break. The Muskingum game was a great example of guys playing incredibly hard and picking one another up when teammates were in foul trouble.”

Opening UAA play, the Spartans faced CMU at home. The Spartans were rarely challenged throughout the game, pulling having a lead smaller than eight games throughout. Despite the success, the Spartans had a poor shooting average at only 41.9 percent for the game, quite a bit lower than the Tartans’ percentage of 45.6 percent.

Once again the Spartan defense prevailed, forcing 18 Tartan turnovers and scoring 26 points off of those turnovers.

Third-year guard Javier Alvarez led the scoring for the Spartans with 24 points

All photos Stephanie Kim/ Observer Spartan point guard Jimmy Holman drives the lane for the bucket earlier this season. Holman and the Spartans sit atop the UAA heading into this weekend. and Clark scored 20 in the second half to

go, and New York University. The Spartans play big games against Washington University in St. Louis and University of Chicago. When asked how the team would prepare, McDonnell said, “ Our goal is to play to the point of exhaustion while being aggressive at both ends of the floor.”

The action kicks off at 8 p.m. against Washington University in Horsburgh Gymnasium.

had a 17-0 advantage in the fast break category to help cover their poor shooting percentage. Despite the offensive struggles, the team was able to pull ahead.

The Spartans started off conference play with a win over CMU. The team is now tied atop of the conference with observer.case.edu Emory University, University of Chica-

Men’s Basketball CWRU Carnegie Mellon

# 15 21 24 2 11 5 10

Player D. Black E. Black S. Boyd J. Holman M. Clark J. Alvarez C. Zucker

44 J. Lavis

CWRU Carnegie Mellon PTS AST REB BLK TO MIN # Player PTS AST REB BLK TO MIN 27 0 8 3 0 27 12 J. Serbin 13 0 6 2 5 31 24 0 4 1 2 28 15 B. Chasen 8 0 5 2 1 18 21 0 6 0 0 31 33 C. Shkil 19 1 2 5 0 26 30 4 1 0 1 23 3 R. Maha 13 2 2 0 2 35 28 3 6 1 2 27 24 J. Sebak 2 1 1 0 4 29 21 1 1 1 1 15 5 T. Cook 0 1 1 0 1 5 21 2 2 0 2 19 21 K. Dincer 6 0 5 0 3 21 12 2 3 0 1 2 22 P. Ehland 14 2 3 2 2 20

55 TJ Duckett 16 0 Team 200 12 Totals

observer.case.edu

Left: Guard Javier Alvarez searches for the open man. Right: Matt Clark beats his defender inside.

94 81

7

1

0

38

7

9

8

Men’s Basketball CWRU Carnegie Mellon

34 J. Ormond 6 Team 81 Totals

2

8

3

0

9

33

14

18

15

94 81

Spartans drop UAA opener to arch-rival Carnegie Mellon Staff Reporter It has been a long layoff for The Observer, and therefore a long time since you heard about the Case Western Reserve University Women’s Basketball team.

This article will serve as a quick recap and then a look ahead to what faces the team next. The Spartans currently sit with a record of 5-7 on the year.

The previous game was the team’s conference opener as the Spartans took on undefeated archrival Carnegie Mellon University, who remained undefeated, time to get back into it as the season progresses, which the ladies will surely try to do. Next up on the docket is a home game this Friday against Washington University at St. Louis. shelf would be a good turnaround for the At this start of conference play, we can look at who the key contributors will be for the Spartans if they hope to make some noise in the University Athletic Association.

Leading the team in points per game

is second-year forward Kara Hageman at 15.8, followed by third-year guard Jessica ary Hellmann at 12.3. Hellmann, Hageman and McCoy lead in rebounds per game as well, at 7.3, 7.2 and 6.3 respectively. Hageman has been key defensively, averaging 1.7 steals per game and 1.1 blocks per game, both tops on the team.

One other player not to be overlooked is third-year student Alex Roth, a guard with a 3.1 Assist to Turnover Ratio, who takes care of the ball very well for a player who averages 3.6 assists per game. These are four of the leaders of the team as they head into conference play.

The Spartans stay on campus this weekend as they take on Washington University. It will be a great opportunity to go out and support the ladies on Friday night.

Following that will be a Sunday afternoon game in which the Spartans welcome the University of Chicago, and then trips next week to the University of Rochester and Emory University. With a young into their own, these next few conference games should be an exciting chance to push that record back over .500 and start making some noise in the conference.

# 15 21 24 2 11 5 10

Player D. Black E. Black S. Boyd J. Holman M. Clark J. Alvarez C. Zucker

44 J. Lavis

CWRU Carnegie Mellon PTS AST REB BLK TO MIN # Player PTS AST REB BLK TO MIN 27 0 8 3 0 27 12 J. Serbin 13 0 6 2 5 31 24 0 4 1 2 28 15 B. Chasen 8 0 5 2 1 18 21 0 6 0 0 31 33 C. Shkil 19 1 2 5 0 26 30 4 1 0 1 23 3 R. Maha 13 2 2 0 2 35 Women’s Basketball 28 3 6 1 2 27 24 J. Sebak 2 1 1 0 4 29 CWRU 21 1 1 1 1 15 5 T. Cook 0 Mellon 1 1 0 1 5 Carnegie 21 2 2 0 2 19 21 K. Dincer 6 0 5 0 3 21 Carnegie Mellon 12 2 3 0 1 2CWRU 22 P. Ehland 14 2 3 2 2 20 #

# Player PTS AST REB BLK TO MIN PTS AST REB BLK TO MIN Otto 0 13 0 2 27 0 1 2 622 2 2 8 L. 3 34 J.2 Ormond 15 4 4 11 L. Murphy 33 0 13 0 4 32 2 3 Team 0 2 37 81 9 33 14 18 22 L. Poss 17 1 5 0 0 26 2 1Totals 1 2 38 23 J. Mayberger 4 11 6 0 2 37 J. McCoy 11 1 3 1 0 31 24 J. Hudepohl 13 4 8 0 4 35 A. Roth 9 1 2 0 0 30 12 A. Novak 5 1 7 1 1 26 A. Amburgey 6 0 2 0 1 15 42 N. McKoy 0 0 0 0 3 5 H. Hellmann 14 0 3 0 1 31 22 Z. Zawisa 0 0 4 0 2 12 D. Kreienberg 0 1 1 0 2 6 Team Totals 85 21 47 1 14 Team Totals 61 7 17 3 10 Player

55 TJ Duckett 16 0 2 7 K. Hageman 1 0 8 13 43 L. Mummey 5 Team 200 12 38 7 9 Totals 11 E. Young 3 22 23 12 24 42

Observer Archives The women’s basketball team looks to regroup after dropping their UAA opener to Carnegie Mellon.

Women’s Basketball CWRU Carnegie Mellon

# 2 43 11 22 23 12 24

Player K. Hageman L. Mummey E. Young J. McCoy A. Roth A. Amburgey H. Hellmann

CWRU PTS AST REB BLK TO MIN 13 0 2 1 2 22 5 2 3 0 2 37 3 2 1 1 2 38 11 1 3 1 0 31 9 1 2 0 0 30 6 0 2 0 1 15 14 0 3 0 1 31

42 D. Kreienberg 0 Team Totals 61

1 7

61 85

1 17

0 3

2 10

6

61 85

Carnegie Mellon # Player PTS AST REB BLK TO MIN 2 L. Otto 13 4 4 0 2 27 11 L. Murphy 33 0 13 0 4 32 22 L. Poss 17 1 5 0 0 26 23 J. Mayberger 4 11 6 0 2 37 24 J. Hudepohl 13 4 8 0 4 35 12 A. Novak 5 1 7 1 1 26 42 N. McKoy 0 0 0 0 3 5 22 Z. Zawisa 0 0 4 0 2 12 Team Totals 85 21 47 1 14