Volume XLV, Issue 24: April 4, 2014

the

Case Western Reserve University volume xlv, issue 24 friday, 4/4/2014

Observer

The birds…

& the bees The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is hosting an exhibition describing the nuances of animal romance.

see pg. 12

Meredith Dykehouse/Observer

Two years after his two-year wait, sophomore looks back on receiving exclusive scholarship It was two years before sophomore student Sylvester Amponsah could attend Case Western Reserve University: Two years of being unable to work or to move onto college with the rest of his Northland High School graduating class, 730 days of trying not to give up hope on the scholarship he spent his entire high school career working for…17,520 hours of waiting.

Despite the time, however, the news comes anyway. A month after he applies

to the Gates Millennium Scholarship program for the second time, a big envelope arrives for him in the mail. And immediately, he knows. *** Sylvester Amponsah is a soft-spoken young man. You wouldn’t be able to tell from talking to him that he once took it upon himself to study philosophy, reading books like “The Dream of Reason,” and “The Ascent of Man” in his spare time. Nevertheless, beneath his mixed accent (somehow clipped and Cleveland-y at the same time) and hesitant de-

meanor beats the heart of a scholar.

Amponsah heard about the Gates Millennium Scholarship in his freshman year of high school, from a friend of his older brother. The scholarship, which is awarded to a 1,000 students each year, is a full “good through graduation scholarship” that can be renewed after an individual’s undergraduate career to pay for continuing education.

“The scholarship was gonna cover the friend for 10 years,” Amponsah said, “till the friend got her Ph.D. I was like…woah.

Ten years, you know, what did she have to do to get it?”

Amponsah spent all of high school trying to get that scholarship. He joined his school’s STEM (science, engineering, technology, math) club, and participated in both FIRST Robotics and Mock trial.

He was able to advance to the finalist stage of the scholarship, but ran into a problem his senior year. Because Amponsah had moved to Ohio from Ghana, his citizenship status was still kind of ambiguous—he was still waiting on the paperwork to be processed.

News

A&E

Opinion

Sports

pg. 2 Violations force re-do in COC race

pg. 9 Merendino at TEDxCLE

pg.15 Why don’t we care?

pg. 19 Mens’ Tennis serves

Jasmine Gallup Staff Reporter

11111 Thwing Ave, Cleveland, Ohio

to Gates Scholar | 2

news Write-in candidate captures most votes in COC presidential race, doesn’t win election Grassroots effort overcomes balloted opponent, but violations force re-vote Julia Bianco Staff Reporter On March 26, first-year student Gabriel Murcia announced via press conference (in his room to five people) that he would be running as a write-in candidate for the Class Officer Collective president of the class of 2017. He wouldn’t let not being on the election ballot stop him.

Murcia, whose campaign was immortalized in a YouTube video set to the tune of Kid Ink’s “Money and the Power,” missed the application deadline for ballot recognition. However, through some intense campaigning, helped by his friends Ari Lewis, serving as his “chief of staff ”, Adam Collins, “campaign manager” and Phillip Gruber, “personal assistant”, Murcia secured the most votes in last week’s COC class of 2017 presidential election.

But he still wasn’t elected president.

According to member’s of COC’s election committee, the organization will have to hold new elections for the post next week, since both Murcia and another write-in candidate who also gained a significant portion of the vote and whose name the committee would not disclose, were found to be in violation of several election bylaws.

The race will be between the two write-in candidates and incumbent Gabriel Diaz de Leon who was on the ballot in the first election. According to election commissioner Kaleigh Judson, de Leon did not break any election rules.

However, both write-in candidates did not attend a meeting before they began their campaign efforts, and continued to campaign through the voting period. Candidates are allowed to begin campaigning after they attend an election preparation meeting and before the voting period begins.

Letters of intent will be resubmitted and an election meeting held Monday April 6. After that meeting, candidates will be allowed to campaign until voting

from Gates Scholar | 1 “I was requested to provide my social security number,” Amponsah said. “But I wasn’t completely legal because my documentation was still in progress. I couldn’t provide it.”

He was forced to withdraw his application, and as graduation came and went, he was still waiting.

Amponsah spent those two years between high school and college not giving up hope. Despite the fact that he wasn’t going to school, he nurtured a thirst for knowledge.

“I joined this group called High Rise Academy, which prepared high school students for the ACT, SAT and AP tests,” Amponsah said. “I couldn’t work or do stuff like that so I spent most of my time during those two years reading as many books as I could.” ***

Arianna Wage/Observer Gabriel Murcia (second from left) received the most votes in the class of 2017 COC presidential election, but was not declared the winner due to violations from his write-in campaign. Above, Murcia is pictured with his “campaign manager” Adam D. Collins (left), his “chief of staff” Ari Lewis (second to right), and his “personal assistant” Phillip Gruber. begins Thursday at 8 a.m. The polls will remain until 11:59 Friday night, and the winner will be announced Saturday night.

Gabriella Chandra, the current executive president and president of the class of 2014, says that COC has never had this issue come up before over its ten year history, and that the group will be taking a serious look at COC’s bylaws so that this doesn’t happen again.

Both Chandra and Judson admitted that the two write-in candidates may have been confused about the election process, so they didn’t want to just disqualify both of them.

“He [Murcia] put forth a lot of effort so we wanted to give everyone a fair chance,” Chandra said.

They did say though that the write-in vote was intended as a way for students

to elect classmates they wanted to run but didn’t submit a letter of intent; not for students to run an intentional campaign through.

Murcia’s video showcases various campaign efforts, including going around and meeting freshmen in the dorms, the dining hall and the library.

“My main goal was to get the word out, and let people know that I was running as a write-in candidate,” said Murcia.

Murcia served as class president in high school, and he knew that he wanted to get involved on campus.

“The first thing I did on campus was become the student assistant of the varsity tennis team,” said Murcia. “My coach really encourages us to give back to the campus and to be active members of the school.”

Murcia’s campaigning style is unusual at Case Western Reserve University, where many election candidates run unopposed. In the COC races, every position open for the three classes had only one candidate on the ballot.

“Campaigning shouldn’t be an extraordinary event,” said Murcia. “Hopefully I can set a precedent for this type of activism to occur more often.”

The YouTube video, which ends with Gandhi’s quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” was posted to the class of 2017 Facebook page after the election had closed.

“At that point we were still waiting on the results, but we were confident that we had accomplished our mission,” said Murcia.

-additional reporting by Mike McKenna, News Editor

Only minority (African American, American Indian, Asian & Pacific Islander and Hispanic American) students are eligible for the Gates Scholarship.

The program’s goal, as their website states, is to “increase the representation of these target groups in the disciplines of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health and the sciences, where these groups are severely underrepresented.” Reasonable.

There are a lot of programs like this. But after talking to Amponsah, even the determinedly clear language of the Gates Millenium Scholarship program’s mission statement seems inadequate to describe the true scope of the situation.

When asked how many other nonwhite students are in his electrical engineering classes here at CWRU, Amponsah laughs. “Uh…not many,” he says, still chuckling. “Not many, especially in the

electrical program specifically. I think I’ve seen about three other black students.

I guess, you know, there’s more room for diversity.”

Amponsah doesn’t really think about it that much, he says. After a short and contemplative pause, however, he continues. “Yeah, I sort of expected it, coming to a small private school like this, so, I wasn’t surprised.” He’s not wrong.

Though CWRU is on par with its peers in terms of diversity metrics, there is still work to be done in higher education as a whole. In Amponsah’s chosen field of study this past fall, electrical engineering, there were only four African American students out of a class of 79 individuals, a mere five percent.

When asked about the difficulties he faced during the transition from high school to college, however, Amponsah’s answer isn’t that different from the an-

swers of other newly-minted college students.

“I sort of came here with some naivetes,” he said, “I was sort of naïve about my own abilities. At first, I was very challenged, there were some classes that I struggled in, that were quite overwhelming. But as time goes on, I’m catching up a bit, so now is not as overwhelming as it was last year.”

It’s the same story most first-year CWRU students will be telling a year from now. An anticipated change followed by unexpected challenges. The exact same story. And if there was still any doubt about his deserving admittance to CWRU, Amponsah makes it clear with his next statement that regardless of race, he really does belong here. “I enjoy the challenge,” he says.

“I mean, it is for this reason that I came here, so…I love it.”

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CWRU Social Justice Insitute empowers East Cleveland through storytelling project munity projects through SJI. Residents are not always given detailed plans on Jeniece Montellano what the future holds for their city, but Staff Reporter outside investors often are. SJI wants to East Cleveland has a voice, and it is fix that. no longer falling on deaf ears.

Dr. Rhonda Williams, foundThe Case Western Reserve University er and director of SJI, hopes to inform Social Justice Institute is working hard GUCI of what the residents want and to get the residents of East Cleveland to need. SJI wants to include the commuenvision what they want their city to be- nity in discussions, instead of GUCI and come. In 2011, SJI started the Voicing and investors making decisions without conAction Project (VAP), a series of life nar- sulting the people of East Cleveland. ratives of the people of East Cleveland.

The researchers conducting interviews

VAP does more than tell the stories with the community are trained once a of East Cleveland and its people: It exists to month. A large portion of the VAP is to empower the residents to build trust and help do the work that will lead the researchers and to responsible economic “Hopefully these interviews SJI become a part development. Research- will go out to the people of the community. ers that work with SJI In 2011, Williams talk to members of the who want to develop the began by developcommunity and ask them ing a mutual trust community.” to imagine what would with the prominent happen to their city as a result of the Greater community figures, as well as finding reUniversity Circle Initiative (GUCI). The ini- searchers that already lived in the comtiative aims to expand East Cleveland through munity. Then, she trained them in oral life its future relationship with University Circle, narrative collection methodology. Today, developing the city economically and creating her team is a mix of both residents and new properties and sources of income. non-residents of East Cleveland, all made

East Clevelanders can attend possible by gaining the community’s trust.

“We’re in the stage of our series that is educational workshops on voting and titled ‘Let’s talk about Visioning,’ and it the community, as well as work on com-

is a documentary that is played one Satur- fronted with are because of the systems day a month,” says Williams. “Hopefully and rules in place that have continued to these interviews will go out to the people perpetuate certain injustices.”

To Letson, the community is transformwho want to develop the community.”

Williams hopes to bring about “a more ing because of SJI, and she truly believes just society,” and she believes the role of that the project has become empowering for the residents. the youth and the She is grateful for next generation “These people are invested VAP and the opis critical. To her, this generation in- and have pride in themselves portunity it has provided for rescludes the social change agents that and their community, they want idents to share have the power to to develop East Cleveland and their stories and develop a different make a difference have a vision for the future.” narrative for how and create new others perceive communities.

Ndeda Letson, a resident of East Cleve- East Cleveland. The interviews provide a land, believes that the VAP has helped her chance for others to see all the different realize that everyone has a role to play in aspects of the community.

“I think that the project itself has providthe development of the city.

“It’s changed a lot of my thinking. I’ve ed a vehicle for mobilizing us,” says Letson. often looked at the video [of me], and it “But it’s us who are doing the mobilizing.” was an experience. The education contin VAP’s ultimate goal is to have a susues for me,” says Letson. “The segment of tained and ongoing impact on East Cleveland. telling my life story and then asking about “It’s exciting to work with people racial inequalities at the time―beyond who want to see transformation in their acknowledging I’m a woman, I’m black, I community, who want to see positive live in East Cleveland, my name is ethnic, change,” says Williams. “These people I didn’t go to Ivy League school and I live are invested and have pride in themon my property—I was cognizant of those, selves and their community, they want but it didn’t directly occur to me that some to develop East Cleveland and have a of the challenges that we’ve all been con- vision for the future.”

Peace mediator, CWRU graduate named Vice President for Research and this year’s commencement speaker Technology Management to Adithi Iyengar Staff Reporter Case Western Reserve University graduate Mohamed Ibn Chambas, joint chief mediator overseeing the Darfur peace negotiations for the African Union and United Nations, has been named the speaker of this year’s commencement.

Chambas graduated from the law school at CWRU in 1984. He served as an international mediator who helped resolve the Liberian Civil War as well as the Ivory Coast Civil War. In 2007, he was appointed the first president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Chambas was also named secretary-general of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), where he aided the

ACP’s economic recovery and helped them agree to join the European Union in 2020.

Chambas has also served as a successful academic. He was Ghana’s minister of education from 1997-2000. During his tenure, Chambas oversaw policies and accreditation of five universities and 10 polytechnic institutes.

With his years of accomplishments, Chambas will offer lessons taken from some of the world’s most difficult issues and speak in front of about 5,400 people at the Veale Convocation Center, including 2,000 graduating students.

President Barbara Snyder said that she is proud to welcome Chambas back to the campus for graduation and that his work represents the university’s mission for increasing knowledge and deepening understanding in the world.

Italian Film Festival enters seventh year Rebekah Camp Staff Reporter This year’s Italian Film Festival USA of Cleveland will be held from April 3-24, 2014.

The festival is sponsored by FIAT, the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago and Case Western Reserve University’s Italian Section of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.

These organizations collaborated with CWRU’s very own Film Society and the Italian club, La Dolce Vita, to put on this year’s festival.

The seventh annual Italian Film Festival will show four films: “Teorema Venezia,” or “The Venice Syndrome,” on Thursday, April 3—7:00 p.m.

A documentary about tourism in Venice and how the 50,000 tourists affect the 48,000 (and dropping) residents and their way of life.

“Viva la Libertà,” or “Long Live Free-

dom,” on Tuesday, April 8—7:00 p.m.

A political drama about a missing politician and his identical twin brother.

“The Women Workers’ War” on Tuesday, April 15—7:00 p.m.

A documentary about two women: one who leads a sit-in and another who operates a cookie factory.

The director of this film will be present for a Q-and-A session after the film.

“Bianca Come il Latte, Rossa Come il Sangue,” or “White as Milk, Red as Blood,” on Thursday, April 24—7:00 p.m.

A drama about a 16-year-old student who is encouraged by a new philosophy teacher to follow his dreams.

All films shown during the festival are free and open to the public.

The screenings will be held in Strosacker Auditorium on CWRU’s campus.

Please visit www.italianfilmfests.org or email Denise Caterinacci at dmc7@ case.edu for further information.

leave CWRU at year’s end

Julia Bianco Staff Reporter Robert Miller, the vice president for the Office of Research and Technology Management, will be leaving Case Western Reserve University at the end of this academic year to become the senior associate dean for research at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at George Washington University.

“He’ll be missed,” said Provost William “Bud” Baeslack. “He did a wonderful job in all the roles he’s played here.”

Before taking over the position of Vice President in 2011, Miller served five years as the medical school’s vice dean for research. Prior to that, he served as the director for the Center for Translational Neurosciences, a professor in the Department of Neurosciences and the Allen C. Holmes professor of Neurological Diseases.

“He is very much a university citizen,” said Baeslack. “He’s a collaborator, and he really respects cross disciplinary work.”

As vice president, Miller’s achievements have included creating the Distinguished Research Award for faculty, bringing back the annual Research Showcase event and increasing undergraduate research opportunities.

the

Miller has also made a number of research breakthroughs during his time here, particularly in multiple sclerosis treatment. Through his work with the Myelin Repair Foundation, Miller made a 2012 discovery which led to a Phase I clinic trial involving mesenchymal stem cells.

He plans to continue his research at GWU. The university is currently looking for a replacement to fill the vice president position.

“We’re moving forward with some plans that will be announced shortly,” said Baeslack. “It’s a very important position, and it’s very important to the university.”

Miller’s move to the East Coast comes after his wife, Alison Hall, also a former faculty member here in the Department of Neurosciences, accepted a leadership position at the National Institute of Health in 2012, which is headquartered in Maryland.

“I am excited about this opportunity to enhance and expand existing research and also work across the university to grow interdisciplinary collaborations,” said Miller in a statement. “I am grateful to all of the mentors and colleagues who made my time on this campus so intellectually rewarding.

Many of them became dear friends, and I will miss them, and this place, very much.”

Miller was unavailable for further comment as of press time.

f cwruobserver @CWRUObserver observer.case.edu

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news

4/4/14

USG election results VP of Student Life

61.89%

33.16%

(838 votes)

(449 votes)

Jacob Ma

Mary Kate Macedonia

President` Taylor Gladys: 77.04 percent Abstain/Write-In: 22.95 percent

VP of Finance

58.07%

37.26%

(759 votes)

(487 votes)

Chippy Kennedy

Ali Mahmoud

Meaghan Fenelon: 79.77 percent Abstain/Write-In: 20.21 percent

Vice President of Academic Affairs: Xiaoyu Li: 1st Place (Initial total: 45.57 percent) Arjun Gopinath: 2nd Place (Initial total: 29.39 percent) Nishant Uppal: 3rd Place (Initial total: (25.04 percent) Vice President of Information Technology:

Vice President of Public Relations: Andrew Torres: 79.51 percent Abstain/Write-In: 20.47 percent Chief Judicial Officer: Adam Younger: 1st Place (Initial total: 51.37 percent) Kerrick Woyshner: 2nd Place (Initial total: 36.86 percent) Xiaoyi Ren: 3rd Place (Initial total: 11.77 percent)

COC election results -Daniel Kim, Treasurer -Priya Nandy, Secretary -Michelle Djohan, Marketing & PR

Class of 2015: - Colin Worden, President -Shruti Shah, Vice President -Amanda Herring, Treasurer -Ryan Uriarte, Secretary -Claire Slusarz, Marketing & PR

Class of 2017: -Presidential race delayed: see page 2 -Evan Ostrowski, Vice President -Tyler Li, Treasurer -Lisa Li, Secretary -Nia Forbes, Marketing & PR

Class of 2016: -Rachel Sosnowchik, President -Kassie Stewart, Vice President

USG elections poll says majority of students support tobacco-free campus However, vote was close, campus remains divided on issue dents said they were neutral or had no opinion on the subject In response to the feedback received, In last week’s Undergraduate Student current members of the USG student life Government Elections students were giv- committee are drafting legislation which en the opportunity to vote on whether they they will present at their general assembly would support a tobacco-free campus. meeting on Tuesday April 8 at 7 p.m. in the Such a policy is being drafted by univer- Toepfer Room of Adelbert Hall.

According to third-year Taylor Gladys, sity officials. Currently Case Western Reserve University permits smoking in 15 newly elected USG president and former vice president of designated areas The USG student life com- student life, the scattered throughout the campus, mittee is drafting legislation legislation did not but the proposed which they will present at their take a stance in direct support or changes would prohibit the use of general assembly meeting on opposition to the all tobacco prod- Tuesday April 8 at 7 p.m. in the proposed policy. ucts, including Toepfer Room of Adelbert Hall. Instead, it will request that the unicigarettes, chewing tobacco and e-cigarettes on campus versity administration put the decision to property and University Hospital grounds. go tobacco-free to a university referendum So how do undergraduate feel about go- if the proposed policy moves forward.

The resolution will most likely also state ing smoke-free?

The votes are in, and the results are that the university should create a committee mixed. A majority (52.15 percent, 764 of undergraduate students to help amend the votes) of students said they would support current proposal. It is also expected to supa tobacco-free policy, compared to about a port stricter enforcement of the current polithird (34.53 percent, 506 votes) who voted cy, and will support the idea of CWRU giving two semesters of notification to students against making such a decision.

Around 13 percent (195 votes) of stu- if a new tobacco free policy were to pass.

Mike McKenna News Editor

CWRU undergoing renewal of accreditation process Tara Tran Staff Reporter Case Western Reserve University doesn’t only give out tests. Sometimes the institution has to take them as well.

CWRU is currently undergoing a process of accreditation under the Higher Learning Commission, an independent body focused on two main purposes: to continue advancing the quality of universities and to assure quality still exists. More specifically, CWRU falls under the North Central Region of the Higher Learning Commission, which consists of 19 states, including Ohio.

According to Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Donald L. Feke, CWRU being accredited is vital to receiving financial aid from the state and federal government and having recognizable transfer credit which could be used at other universities. Feke spearheads a committee here to ensure that the university stays accredited and up to par with the Higher Learning Commission’s standards.

The process occurs every 10 years. The university’s last accreditation occurred in 2005, meaning it is quickly approaching our due date for another.

Traditionally, in year six of the 10 year cycle, there is a check-up, similar to real accreditation. For CWRU’s check-up, along with the last strategic planning activity, the committee made several recommendations for the university to move forward, including focusing on building interdisciplinary alliances. This came with the plan to create new research collaborations and new academic programs.

Specifically, there is a new social justice collaboration, involving a variety of different faculty programs. There are numerous courses developing and even a minor in social justice.

The difficulty behind the accreditation process derives from its all-or-nothing type grading, with a variety of parameters set forth. However, if a school fails one parameter, it fails them all. The Higher Learning Commission looks at a variety of questions

when determining an institution’s accreditation: Does the university have an identifiable mission? What about integrity? When students are recruited, is CWRU being truthful in what it advertises?

Feke seeks to examine other vital questions which students may often overlook as well, such as how does the university deal with student complaints?

Does CWRU take them seriously? In terms of financial aid, is the university using it and awarding it properly?

All these facts about the integrity of the university must be compiled into an “assurance argument,” a composition that proves CWRU has in fact satisfied all the core components of the Higher Learning Commission and federal compliance regulations.

After the “argument” is created and submitted, a team of independent reviewers of the Higher Learning Commission will look at this document and visit the campus April 13–14, 2015. These reviewers are here to hold open forums and meet

with faculty, staff and students. Ultimately, they check the evidence presented in these arguments.

At the end of the day, Feke is interested in being transparent and open to what the rest of the campus has to say.

His end goal is to look for students interested in giving their feedback. The report will hopefully be available by the end of this year, ready for student and campus comments.

This is a big project with a big process. It started in the 2011–2012 school year with gathering documents. The spring and summer of 2013 were spent looking at areas where CWRU needed to produce more reports. The next endeavor of the committee will be synthesizing this information and really putting together the assurance argument.

When asked about the ultimate goal of the accreditation, Feke noted, “If all goes well, we stay out of headlines, our students get their degrees and these degrees will be meaningful.”

New! Leadership Minor Starting in Fall 2014

Weatherhead School of Management

For more information or assistance declaring the minor, contact Weatherhead UG Services at WeatherheadUG@case.edu Website: http://weatherhead.case.edu/degrees/undergraduate/academics/minors

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APO raises money for research of rare Marfan syndrome Talia Gragg Staff Reporter This past week, Alpha Phi Omega hosted its annual March for Marfan Fundraiser, seeing its second largest participation, at 91 students.

APO sends all proceeds from this event to the Marfan Foundation, which is working for awareness and research into a cure for the disorder. The combined efforts of the participants, volunteers and donors raised about $1,750 at the Saturday, March 29 event.

Marfan syndrome is a serious genetic disorder affecting connective tissue. The most serious symptoms involve heart complications that can prove fatal, but also include problems with the lungs, eyes, the spinal cord,

the skeleton and the hard palate. While a diagnosis of Marfan syndrome used to be a death sentence, modern medicine makes the disorder manageable. Failure to diagnose and treat symptoms is still fatal, however. Research into discovering a cure is currently underway.

APO has hosted the March for Marfan since 2006. The event was started at CWRU

by APO member Maya Brown-Zimmerman, who had Marfan syndrome. The March consists of either a 5K run or a 3K walk by community members as well as APO members. Any interested community member is invited to participate. Community donations help APO host the event every year. These donations include raffle prizes provided by the Cleveland Browns, Lake Erie Monsters and Mama Santa’s.

The Blotter: March 18 to April 1 March 18—Damage to and theft from vending machine, North Residential Village House Two. March 21—Strong arm robbery of CWRU staff member, East 120 RTA stop. Security alert issued.

March 24—Petty theft—Laptop taken from office, Robbins Building.

March 25—Bicycle taken from rack, Bingham building April 1—Robbery—Cleveland Institute of Music student punched and robbed of cell phone by two juvenile female suspects on 11310 Juniper Rd. One suspect arrested on scene.

On the Beat can be contacted at policecolumn@case.edu.

5

On The Beat

Up in Smoke Since the start of the academic year, the Case Western Reserve University Police Department has dealt with a number of cases of marijuana use in university buildings. While this is nothing especially new, the number of these incidents seems to be on the rise lately, and, like alcohol abuse, something we here at CWRU PD have had to deal with more frequently.

This article is not intended to be a debate on the pros and cons of marijuana use, but rather to focus on the law and the policy here at CWRU. It is worth noting however, that like alcohol and tobacco use, studies have found that there are potential consequences for your health that go along with marijuana use as well—something to think about.

First off, in case the lack of mountains has not clued you in, we are not in Colorado here.

Marijuana is still illegal in Ohio to possess, grow, use or sell. Possession of small amounts is typically a misdemeanor offense, possession of large amounts by weight or having marijuana that is packaged for sale are felony offenses. Felony offenses can definitely put a crimp in your graduate school or future

employment plans. It is also a violation of university policy.

Marijuana often gives off a distinct odor that is easily detectible in places like residence halls and tricks like stuffing towels under the door don’t work. And like on airplanes, disabling smoke detectors is illegal and generally a bad idea, and will be detected.

And on a different but related subject, like any place with a population of several thousand people, CWRU has a lot of people on prescription medication. Prescription medications need to be kept in the bottle they came in with the name of the doctor and the patient on the front.

Mixing multiple prescriptions or dosages in one bottle, and certainly selling medications to someone for whom they were not prescribed is also a bad idea and illegal. Something to keep in mind.

On the Beat is a weekly safety column written by Sergeant Jeffrey Daberko & Officer Mark (The Crossing Guard) Chavis of CWRU PD. Send feedback to this or other columns at policecolumn@case.edu.

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fun

6 | fun page

Clock Tower

by Kevin Yong

Crossword Puzzle Across 1. Backside 5. Anagram of “Space” 10. Aquatic plant 14. Anger 15. Stomata 16. Gladly (archaic) 17. A preacher 19. Humdinger 20. Not used 21. Corrosives 22. Pools 23. Insecticide 25. Homeric epic 27. How old you are 28. Excluders 31. Amount of hair 34. Prisons 35. Regret 36. Breezy 37. Fastidious 38. Observed 39. Caviar 40. Trainee 41. Explode 42. Engravings 44. Put clothing on 45. Clan emblem

46. Durations 50. Nursemaid 52. Growing old 54. Best seller 55. Away from the wind 56. Letterhead 58. Catholic church service 59. To make known (archaic) 60. Bit of gossip 61. At one time (archaic) 62. Performed 63. Gentlewoman Down 1. Sporting venue 2. Stream 3. Dishes of shredded cabbage 4. Poetic dusk 5. Coins 6. Infant’s illness 7. Desiccated 8. Skeptic 9. Eastern Standard Time 10. Borne on the water 11. Clothes cleaner 12. Decorate with gold leaf

COMICS

Librarians: Don’t expect any leniency on late fees, though.

By xkcd

13. Rectum 18. Mobs 22. Quarries 24. Not difficult 26. Easter flower 28. Fertile areas 29. Regrets 30. Dispatched 31. Container weight 32. Violent disturbance 33. Verticality 34. Judicious 37. A temple (archaic) 38. Vocalized musically 40. Large town 41. Hand drum 43. Truthful 44. Turned down 46. Flexible 47. 8th Greek letter 48. Employed 49. Hinder 50. What a person is called 51. Winglike 53. General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 56. Calypso offshoot 57. Zero

4/4/14

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8 | fun page

4/4/14

Philosofish I trolled the Hackers Discuss list with a phony programming request this week.

Kate Hart Ray Krajci

Horoscopes

Oh?

Aries

You’re covered this week.

Not by ObamaCare, but by the loved ones around you who have surprisingly strong immune systems.

Taurus

Vague, cheap, the works!

You should have seen the flames!

Now you figured out that it’s much less of a hassle to do laundry when you take the elevator, you should start planning your morning commute around the Commuter Shuttles.

Now, to incorporate the two lessons into one day of slightly more saved time.

That doesn‛t sound like you, Brandon.

April 1st brings out the rabble-rouser in me.

Gemini

You’re in for a rough one this week, since you forgot about the many projects you have coming up and this is the week after Greek Week. Sleep first, study later, or something.

Cancer

Of course, now I have to lay low for a while....

It’s time to wind down as the semester comes to a close. Sadly, your syllabi are saying differently.

Cognitive dissonance will throw you off this whole week.

I think you can probably turn your computer back on in May.

[108 NEW MESSAGES]

Leo

PhilosofishComics@gmail.com

xkcd

Subliminal

Now that the weather is a bit warmer, you can finally get away with rolling around in the grass without looking like you’re deranged.

Virgo

You will not drink beer during Greek Week. You will not drink beer during Greek Week. You will not drink beer during Greek Week.

Libra

When you look into the future, you find yourself staring into a deep, dark hole. Monsters don’t dwell down there though: only fairies and disillusioned rainbows.

Once you see it, you can’t help seeing it every time. Until your body finishes metabolizing the mushrooms.

orbs outside pare personality phase proper pumpkin retch roach sate scheme school service shower stall thank truth weaves week whine

Wordsearch

barbecue blessing clock coil daily despair dill diner elder great guess hump invitation light line local lure meets monument neon

Scorpio

Something’s in the air this week, and it’s calling your name. Oh, wait, it might actually be a skunk…

Sagittarius

You think you’re upset by the last HIMYM episode? Talk to Ted Mosbey, the kid who’s been the brunt of every HIMYM joke since the series began.

Capricorn

You could have noticed that your neighbors are causing quite a ruckus, and they didn’t invite you. Take this as a sign to stay in and eat your way through your Girl Scout cookie stash.

Aquarius

Yeah, you didn’t know that Survivor is still a television series. But next year when you apply, you’ll get a new surprise you would’ve never seen coming.

Pisces

This week, a great life lesson will become very clear. When you ask yourself “another coffee?” seven times, and the answer is always “yes,” you should really just sleep for seven hours.

arts & entertainment How did Angelo Merendino talk about his wife’s cancer?

A couple’s struggle and one man’s way of getting by

Courtesy Angelo Merendino Angelo’s wife Jenny Merendino floats in water after going through chemotherapy. Angelo documented their journey when they found they couldn’t talk about possible death with loved ones.

Editor’s Choice Maureen O’Reilly Contributing Reporter In 2006, Angelo Merendino packed up his car in Cleveland, and he and his two cats drove to Manhattan. There, the love of his life, Jennifer, was waiting along with her two cats.

Something neither could see was waiting, too.

Fast-forward past Angelo’s proposal on the first night they moved in together in Manhattan. Speed through a wedding, five months of marital bliss and stop, right here, as Angelo picked up the phone. It’s Jennifer, calling from her doctor’s. Angelo froze as Jen relayed the diagnosis: breast cancer.

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s website, approximately one in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Of the over 200,000 breast cancer diagnoses in 2010 (the last set of available data), the Center for Disease Control reported greater than 40,000 deaths, at approximately a 20 percent mortality rate.

Jennifer survived the first round of cancer, but in 2010, a routine scan of seemingly healthy Jennifer showed cancer that metastasized, spreading to her bones.

Each cycle of Jennifer’s chemotherapy lasted 8-12 weeks, ending with a PET scan. A scan without new cancer meant that Jennifer repeated the cycle. New cancer introduced the Merendino’s to a different type of chemo, a new pill routine and unfamiliar side effects.

New cancer or not, Jennifer continued to die.

To the Merendino’s, the hardest part was not deciphering clinical information about cancer drugs or long nights in the hospital, Jennifer grimacing in untreatable pain. Instead, at the second round of cancer, friends and family melted away when it became clear that Jen was going to die.

“It was really hard to watch the people you thought would be there and watch them fade away,” Angelo said.

“Not only were we open to talk about [our] experience, but we wanted to talk about it, we needed to talk about it,” Angelo said in an interview late last year. The Merendino’s informed loved ones of the signs that highlighted Jennifer’s worsening condition: She could no longer exercise or work.

“These are things that people didn’t understand…they would tell us to stay optimistic and not think bad thoughts,” said Angelo. Her condition was beyond that: “People [were trying to tell us to] put a band aid on a knife wound.”

When the Merendino’s delved into top-

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Then you’re in luck. With our new icon system, locating articles related to your interests just takes a glance.

ics of death and mortality, many of their friends and family shut down. According to Angelo, some told the Merendino’s, “I just don’t do well dealing with this.” Angelo said, “Well...wow. It was if a bomb has been dropped on us and they were complaining about the aftershock, miles away.”

“I understand it was difficult for them.

I was never mad. [We] were just frustrated and desperate that people wouldn’t listen.

We knew it was hard for other people, but it wasn’t as hard for them as it was for us.”

Angelo acknowledged that death and mortality are hard topics to discuss. Particularly in the U.S., Angelo said, which regularly discards difficult topics, untouched. He felt that our society’s inability to talk about mortality made it harder for friends and family to relate to Jennifer’s sickness, and, for some, to be around her.

“It’s easy to get stuck in this moment and not want to talk about mortality because, if we don’t talk about it, then it’s not going to happen. [Then] you can just be happy,” Angelo said.

Before Jennifer’s diagnosis, Angelo was like that too. “Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, five months after our wedding and Jen [gets breast cancer]. It was such a blindside,” Angelo said.

If people talk about mortality, it doesn’t

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mean that dying gets any easier. Angelo said, “I don’t want to die, I’m still afraid of death, but, in pushing to accept my own mortality, it has pushed me to embrace that I am alive.”

The confusion and frustration of Jennifer’s illness pushed both of the Merendino’s to start blogging. Jennifer started hers when she started having side effects, like certain sensations and emotions, which her doctors said were not medication side effects. With her blog, Jennifer had hoped to make nonclinical information available for those who were interested in her experience with treatment. Angelo blogged about his life: the feelings and lifestyle as a caregiver and a husband of a cancer patient. But still, the couple felt distanced from others.

Frustrated with the couple’s isolation, Angelo picked up his camera and began to shoot.

A photographer by trade, Angelo had always photographed the couple’s lives together.

These pictures pierced into the couple’s daily life for their distanced network of loved ones to see what it was like to live with cancer.

Angelo captured the nuances of their relationship—the trust in Jennifer’s eyes reflecting into the bathroom mirror as one of Angelo’s hands holds a camera, and the other, a

to Merendino | 13

Shopping

Writing

Theater

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4/4/14

Local library promotes National Poetry Month Maria Fazal Staff Reporter It’s April, which means that National Poetry Month has officially kicked off. The yearly event was created in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, who was inspired by the success of month-long celebrations like Black History Month and Women’s History Month.

The tradition has turned out to be exceptionally successful, even on an international scale. National Poetry month spread to Canada in 1999 and to Great Britain in 2000. Similarly, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization declared March 21 as National Poetry Day, in order to “give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements.” It is no surprise then that National Poetry Month has become unprecedentedly popular in the United States.

Each annual celebration results in an influx of poetry thanks to booksellers, publishers, libraries and other literary organizations.

The real beauty of the event, however, is that everyone—from amateurs to professionals— can partake in the verbally aesthetic craft.

Cleveland certainly doesn’t fall short in celebrating National Poetry Month and is bustling with innovation. In fact, an opportunity to participate in National Poetry Month is readily available close to home.

The Cuyahoga Public Library has a new poetry microsite with the listserv “Read + Write: 30 Days of Poetry.” The site launched on April 1, and those who sign up will receive daily emails throughout the month.

According to the website, “Daily posts will include poems to read, poems to write, online resources and books to check out.”

More specifically, with each day comes a new poem from an area poet, a writing prompt to assist those who have committed to writing a poem a day for the month, a different poetry site to visit and a featured poetry book available at the library.

Additionally, users will be entered in a drawing for a chance to see poet Robert Pinsky at Writers Center Stage, with which Case Western Reserve University is an academic partner.

Pinsky’s performance lands at the Ohio Theatre on April 8 at 7:30 p.m. Pinsky has been remarkably successful in his poetry career and been able to invoke such incredible enthusiasm in poetry that the Library of Congress appointed him United States Poet Laureate an unprecedented number of three times. Moreover, he is the author of 19 poetry and prose books.

Pinsky’s visit was partly what encouraged the Cuyahoga Public Library to create “Read + Write: 30 Days of Poetry.” According to the library’s Reading Communications Specialist Laurie Kincer, “We wanted it to be dual purpose—to encourage reading poetry and writing poetry. And we wanted it to celebrate and incorporate, in particular, Northeast Ohio’s poets, past and present.”

Kincer teamed up with Diane Kendig, a Canton native and proliferous poet who has taught for over 40 years and authored several poetry collections, to design the ingenious project. Kendig was able to contact several local poets, and in conjunction with the library, she created the website material.

Thanks to Kincer and Kendig, students need not look far to begin participating in National Poetry Month. To sign up for the mailing list, simply provide an email at the “Read + Write: 30 Days of Poetry” website.

think : study abroad

APRIL

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Webinar: CWRU in London at RADA Study Abroad Spring 2015

Summer Study Abroad Apps Deadline

11

INFORMATION SESSION

Winter Break Study Abroad

Tomlinson Hall (1st Floor Conference Room) 12:45pm – 1:30pm

Friday April 4th 12 – 2 p.m.—Marjorie Agosin: “The Poetics of Memory and Identity,” Flora Stone Mather Center for Women Conference Room, Thwing third floor (FREE with registration) 4 – 6 p.m.— CWRU Music Colloquia Series: Patricia Shehan Campbell: “The Phenomenon of Children’s Musical Cultures,” Harkness Chapel (FREE) 7 p.m.—Spring Poetry Slam Night, Clark Hall Room 309 (FREE) 7:30 – 9 p.m.—Ad Hoc Orchestra Performance, Harkness Chapel (FREE) 5 – 9 p.m.—MIX: Ideation, ft. DJ Rekha, Cleveland Museum of Art (Tickets $8 ADV, $10 DOOR) 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 12 a.m.—CWRU Film Society presents “Alien,” Strosacker Auditorium (Tickets $4)

Saturday April 5th 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.—International Club presents International Dinner, Thwing Ballroom (Tickets $10) 7 p.m.—Islam Awareness Dinner, Muslim Student Association, Carlton Commons (Tickets $5) 7 – 9 p.m.—Dhamakapella Spring Invitational, Harkness Chapel (Student Tickets $5 ADV, $7 DOOR; Graduate Student Tickets $8; GA $10) 8 – 11 p.m.—WRUW presents Punk Prom, ft. Shannon and the Clams, Mahall’s 20 Lanes, 13200 Madison Ave. (Tickets $10 ADV, $12 DOOR)

Sunday April 6th 1:30 p.m.—Poetry in the Museum: The Nature of Nature, Cleveland Museum of Natural History (FREE with online registration) 3 – 4:30 p.m.—Early Music Singers; Case/CIM Baroque Orchestra; Baroque Chamber Music Ensembles Concert, Harkness Chapel (FREE)

Monday April 7th 4:30 p.m.—Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities presents “What’s on TV?” lecture by Nicholas Brown, Clark Hall Room 309 6:30 – 9 p.m.—CWRU/University Circle Symphony Orchestra Performance, Church of the Covenant (FREE) 9 p.m.—Trivia Night, Happy Dog, 5801 Detroit Ave. (FREE)

2014 FRI

cAlEndar

Tomlinson Hall (1st Floor Conference Room) 1:00pm – 2:00pm

FRI

4

Tuesday April 8th 12:00 p.m.—Thwing Tuesday, UPB, Thwing Atrium (FREE) 12:15 – 12:45 p.m.—Tuesday Organ Recital, The Church of the

Covenant (FREE) 7 – 9 p.m.—Italian Film Festival Screening of “Long Live Freedom,” Strosacker Auditorium (FREE) 8 – 10 p.m.—Trivia Night, The Jolly Scholar (FREE)

Study Abroad Information Table Nord Hall 12:45pm – 1:30pm

Spring Semester 2015 Applications are Open Winter Break Study Abroad Applications are Open

Must Attend! www.case.edu/studyabroad studyabroad@case.edu

THU

10

Wednesday April 9th 7:30 p.m.—Cleveland Play House presents “Clybourne Park,” Allen Theater, 1407 Euclid Ave. (Tickets $15-$60) 8 p.m.—Tim Matson, Jody Getz & Friends, Barking Spider Tavern (Price TBD)

Thursday April 10th 6 – 7:15 p.m.—Larissa Szporluk Poetry Reading, Clark Hall Room

206 (FREE) 6:30 p.m—Hillel Foundation presents “Campus Super Stars,” Nighttown, 12387 Cedar Rd. (Tickets $100) 8 – 9:30 p.m.—CWRU Lecture-Recital: Elena Mullins, Harkness Chapel (FREE) 8 – 9:30 p.m.—Mather Dance Collective Spring Concert, Mather Dance Center (Tickets $5)

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Pass the suds from…

Great Lakes BrewingCompany

Courtesy Mike Suglio Great Lake Brewing Company bottles and brews a variety of beers. Good thing their brewery is in Ohio City, a short RedLine ride away from campus.

Mike Suglio Staff Reporter I entered a large and packed pre-prohibition style brewpub on a Thursday evening in Ohio City. The hostess led me to my table with historic Cleveland brewery memorabilia adorning the walls of the pub to guide the way.

In the late 1800s, Cleveland was filled with breweries. By 1910, Cleveland had 26 breweries in the city. Unfortunately, by the early 1980s, all of these breweries had closed their doors. It was not until 1988 that brothers Daniel and Patrick Conway opened Great Lakes Brewing Company and restored local craft brewing to Cleveland.

From the back of the restaurant, I noticed posters of Great Lakes’ flagship beers. I have

drank these beers numerous times, but as a Cleveland resident, it is easy to forget that Great Lakes is a tourist destination for many.

Great Lakes beers are distributed through a lot of the east coast, midwest and the southern states. In the same way I travel to many other breweries in the United States, other beer fanatics travel to visit Great Lakes.

I decided to tackle their seasonal and brewpub exclusive beers before I had the five yearround beers. I started off with the seasonal favorite, Conway’s Irish Ale. Many confuse this beer with a red ale, but unlike a red, it is very toasty, malty and rather light. Replacing the infamous Chillwave was the new April seasonal, the Rye of the Tiger India Pale Ale. This beer is dry and has a pine and citrus taste to it. It is also very hoppy and I must say that I thought this year’s batch was much improved

from last year.

The next three beers were exclusive to the brewpub and absolutely phenomenal.

The Ohio City Farmhouse was the best Saison I have ever had. Saison is French for “season,” and this type of beer usually has a lot of carbonation and strong fruit flavors.

Brewed with ingredients from Ohio City Farm, this beer also had the taste of ginger and lemongrass. Truly exceptional, and it was my favorite beer of the visit.

The other two brewpub exclusive beers were also exceptional. The Wolfhound Stout was a dry Irish Stout, but was not too dry, as other Irish stouts usually are.

It retained a coffee taste, and was incredibly smooth. The other exclusive beer, Hop Madness, was a fantastic IPA with a strong hoppy taste in every sip. Despite the hoppiness, it was a rather drinkable IPA and was not bitter or dry in any way.

The last of the non-flagship beers I tried was the Triple Dog Dare. This beer was a small batch limited release and some bars in Cleveland still have it on draft. This was my second favorite beer of the night and may be one of my new favorite Great Lakes beers.

The Triple Dog Dare is an amazing Belgian beer that is crisp and flavorful. Despite its high alcohol by volume and international bittering units, it is a perfectly well-balanced beer.

I decided to try one of Great Lakes’ most popular food entrée and a Cleveland staple, bratwurst and pierogies. I was served two large bratwursts with spicy mustard on the side. They were perfectly cooked and juicy.

The three pierogies were served with sour cream and were cheesy and gooey. All of these delicious entrees were served on top of traditional red cabbage. It was a very Cleveland dish.

The flagship, or year-round beers, were good but not as diverse as the brewpub exclusive beers. The Dortmunder Gold Lager is much better than any American domestic beer, but is not very flavorful.

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However, it does seem to taste much better during the summer.

The Eliot Ness Amber Lager and the Burning River Pale Ale are good, but average beers in their categories. Eliot Ness is a solid amber ale, as is Burning River as an American Pale Ale, but both lack flavor and diversity amongst other American Pale Ales.

The Commodore Perry IPA is a great IPA for beer nerds. Most IPA’s are rather hoppy and hard to get into when you are first trying them. This beer is a well-developed, mediumbody IPA still tinged with hops and fruit, but is not so dry that it would turn away first-timers.

If you are trying to break away from American domestics, I would highly recommend trying this beer.

My favorite by far of the year-round, flagship Great Lakes beers is the Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. This multi-award winning porter is a perfect example of how a porter should be. It has hints of coffee and chocolate, but not enough to make the beer either too sweet or too coffee- or chocolatetasting that it no longer has a beer taste. My favorite aspect of this beer is probably the roasty finish to it. A great beer year-round and perfect with barbeque, campfires and any other fun, outdoor summer activities.

On the weekends and weekdays in the summer, Great Lakes Brewing Company offers free tours of their facility; this also includes a free sampling of their beer.

The tour is a wonderful free service for Clevelanders, seeing that most breweries charge patrons to tour their facility. In my opinion, it is one of the best brewery tours in the country. The knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide shows you the entire facility. Tours usually fill up one to two weeks in advance, so I suggest you plan ahead.

The food and beer were all reasonably priced and rather affordable for dining at one of the most popular hot spots of Cleveland. I highly recommend everyone take the tour and stop at the brewpub while they are in town.

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4/4/14

Fashioning for Formals Allison Duchin Staff Reporter Did you think the days of worrying about getting the right dress, doing your hair just right, spending hours on makeup or trying to find shoes that are comfortable but also look great ended with senior prom? Sorority girls continue to face many, if not all, of these problems now that formal season has begun.

However, doing formal on a budget is easier than many think.

Some girls, like those who have never attended a Greek formal before, have had difficulties discovering what exactly formals are and how you are supposed to prepare for them. Although some girls have felt pressured to buy a new dress, there is no need to worry: There are many ways to get around formal without forking up the cash. Don’t be afraid to look into your closet one more time, and find a dress that you like to wear. It’s the first time these other girls are seeing it.

Simplicity is a major trend this season, so find a dress that fits a minimalistic style and pair it with some statement jewelry. Simple

from Exhibit | 1 Ellie Rambo Staff Reporter Inside the temporary exhibit hall at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the walls are draped with black fabric and red lights to create a honeycomb pattern on the carpet. The red and black theme continues throughout the room, from the specimen cases to the sign near the door that states

dresses eventually get the most wear, making them the most valuable. Don’t be afraid to ask around friends’ dorms for new accessories that will make your outfit unique.

If your closet does not have a dress that can be updated for formals, borrowing dresses from friends is also always an alternative.

“I love wearing dresses, but sometimes I get bored of my own. Borrowing is a cheaper way of mixing it up,” says Karen Zoeller. She is correct, borrowing is definitely cheaper than buying, and the friend you borrow from will hopefully have all the necessary accessories for the outfit.

If, however, you still are in desperate need of a dress and simply cannot find one within your own closet or a friend’s, you are in luck, because formal season is also right within seasonal crossover, meaning stores are having sales to get rid of their older inventory. Urban Outfitters changes inventory on a regular basis and has recently moved a number of their items to the sales category; the dresses on sale rarely reach over thirty dollars. Other places that typically have fast turnover rates for their inventory and affordable pricing include Tobi. com and H&M. This, however, presents a ma-

jor issue: online sizing.

When ordering online, there is always the chance that the item will arrive and not fit properly. Here are some tips to avoid this problem. Always read the sizing guide; each manufacturer has a slightly different sizing strategy, so know an idea of your measurements. Make sure to read consumer reviews of the product; many people talk about the quality of the product and sizing discrepancies.

Ask the advice of your friends when online shopping. If you are truly stuck between two size options, ask two of your friends for sizing advice. Dress shopping doesn’t have to be scary or stressful, because as Case Western Reserve University students, there is already plenty of other stuff to stress about.

Don’t be afraid to ask around about formal dresses and the event, and not just for borrowing purposes. Taking advice from girls on campus who have already gone through the formal process is also an important aspect to take into account, as many of the unspoken requirements for formal attire change with each year.

Some girls say their first formal remind-

ed them of their high school dances and they imitated what they wore then. However, junior Tina Rozman said that she had seen the formal process evolve over her years at CWRU. Through her own experiences and watching other friends throughout the Greek community, Rozman has noticed that formal is now much more relaxed.

She describes a dress code that is loosely related to cocktail party attire, but “over the past three years, the dresses have gotten progressively shorter and tighter, the heels higher and the level of work put into getting ready has declined.”

This isn’t saying that as girls attend more formals, they care less about how they look.

Instead, as the CWRU student’s life gets busier and busier, people have less time to get ready for formal. Rozman provides her own thoughts about preparing for formal now: “How fast as possible can I make myself look as cute as possible?”

The dress is only important because of the girl wearing it. Make sure you are comfortable with yourself, because it is the people you spend formal with that will make a larger impact than whatever you end up wearing.

simply in glowing script: “Sex.” Sex is the subject of “Nature’s Mating Games: Beyond the Birds and the Bees,” the traveling exhibit currently on display in Cleveland. The exhibit focuses not only on sex itself, but also the mating rituals, physical anomalies and evolutionary results of sex in the animal world.

As the title promises, the exhibit’s scope extends beyond traditional examples of animal sexual behavior. Beyond the sign at the door that asks visitors to “leave your baggage at the door,” footage of bono-

bos mating in a distant jungle appears on a large screen while Isabella Rossellini’s series of short films “Green Porno” plays throughout the room. Everything from a taxidermied emu to a two-foot walrus penis bone is on display here, including live animals like the colonies of naked mole rats that scurry through a series of tubes.

Informational plaques and videos accompany the specimens, along with telephones that play mating songs.

The displays feature examples ranging from sweet to disturbing. Penguin couples

huddle over fluffy chicks on one side of the room, while a female praying mantis eats her partner on the other. Although this exhibit is more risqué than traveling exhibits of the past, if visitors follow the advice at the door and enter with an open mind they will learn about an aspect of life often left out of a museum’s collections.

“Nature’s Mating Games: Beyond the Birds and the Bees” will be on display until April 20. The exhibit is recommended for ages 13 and up, and there is a five dollar fee to enter.

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“Coherence” A far cry from keeping in line Winston Eng Staff Reporter The ticket holders were getting more and more restless as they learned that the previous film’s Q-and-A session had run a little longer than expected. The time was 11:35 p.m., and as someone who had been waiting in the front of the line since 10:15 p.m., I was starting to feel the strain as well.

After all, these were the last few hours in the penultimate day of the 38th Cleveland International Film Festival. With many accolades including “best screenplay” from multiple festivals, “Coherence” had set itself up to be a successful twist on the sci-fi thriller genre, and I truly hoped that its execution would be well worth the 80 minutes spent waiting in limbo. Within 20 minutes, volunteers ushered us into the theater, and we found our seats. After a few apologies from an organizer at the podium up front, he introduced us to writer and director James Bykrit who wanted to give a few helpful words before the screening.

“I just would like to preface this showing by telling you that what you are about to see is a puzzle.” He paused. “Some of you might get ahead of it at some points, some of you might temporarily get lost, but do not worry, as the story will pick you up from where you are and guide you to the end. Enjoy.”

The seriousness in the tone of his voice reverberated with the crowd. Eventually, the dull roar drowned out to an occasional whisper as the lights dimmed and the first shot hit the screen. Few would be prepared for the devilish details they would soon see.

Nothing spoils a lovely evening more than an unexpected guest. For Emily, it’s the last minute mention that her boyfriend’s ex, the saucy vixen Laurie, will be making an appearance at the dinner party she is currently en route to. This guaran-

from Merendino | 9 buzzer to her scalp; a partial silhouette of Jennifer, bald, painting her toenails; the radiating warmth of Jennifer’s smile as the sun hits her face, her hands gripping a walker. Another shows a handful of abdomen as Jennifer gives herself an injection; there’s a selfie of the couple with Angelo holding the camera and an oxygen tube laced under Jennifer’s nose.

Lastly, there’s a neatly made, empty bed in their apartment living room.

After Jennifer’s death in December 2011, Angelo felt numb, lost and exhausted. “For the better part of four years I watched a good woman suffer and die,” Angelo said. “Everything I thought I believed in was challenged.”

Photography drove Angelo’s life; it forced him out of his apartment each morning, the camera morphed into his defense mechanism.

Behind the lens, the world shrunk into smaller, manageable pieces where Angelo could focus his attention. Surrounded by reminders of “what we faced,” photography, Angelo believed, prevented his depression from becoming overwhelming and unmanageable.

After a while, Angelo revisited the photographs of Jennifer. He spent two years living with the photographs—looking, thinking, feeling and adapting to their changing meaning. The photographs were integral to his healing: They prevented him from running away, they allowed him to feel pain and confront memories that he didn’t have time to

tees a certain degree of awkwardness for the rest of the night.

Amongst the rest of the crowd present are the comedic actor and his hostess wife, the new-age guru and her gritty husband, Emily’s boyfriend who is just a little too quiet for her liking and the guy obviously getting lucky with Laurie. In stark contrast, the setup for the meal is simple, yet refined: wooden mixing bowls filled with fanciedup mixed greens, a plentiful assortment of wines, a potluck variety and expensive chinaware all complement each other quite beautifully. For good measure, a home remedy of herbal blend mixed with watereddown ketamine is present in the kitchen just in case things get a little too intense.

Despite the conversation starting casual and clawless, it soon becomes apparent through the banter of current careers and future aspirations that even light-hearted jokes cannot alleviate the tension that seems to be building.

A small reprieve from this friction stems from a look of disdain on Hugh’s face when he unexpectedly faces a sudden loss of cellular service. Though he later brushes off the incident as happenstance, Hugh explains to his friends that his brother, a theoretical physicist, had asked Hugh to contact him if “anything strange” were to happen that very night. Emily then chips in with information regarding Miller’s Comet, an astronomical anomaly which is set to pass over the house some time that evening, and asserts that its presence should have something to do with the unresponsive cell towers. Just as the group facetiously questions the legitimacy of Emily’s statement, the power abruptly goes out.

The events that subsequently develop set forth a chain reaction of tests which questions the importance of interpersonal communication and conditions necessary for the development of trust amongst peers.

Doubt, anxiety and paranoia run rampant

throughout this sci-fi thriller as the characters begin to question not only the events unraveling before their eyes but also the validity of the company each person keeps.

Whimsical, thought-provoking and effectively cerebral, “Coherence” strikes a tale of caution and inquiry into what are perceived to be understated truths often taken for granted. Furthermore, it is the seamless integration of immersion that “Coherence” slips into the audience that really makes it shine.

Witnessing the group, with only limited lighting from their glow sticks, desperately attempt to navigate their way outside through what can only be described as inordinate darkness was quite unnerving to say the least. Revelations are made every step of the way which plant seeds of doubt and mistrust amongst the group, and it is thoroughly exhilarating to be kept guessing the whole way through.

It is a story that challenges its audience to have fun and try a hand at “playing detective” alongside the group to solve its bewildering puzzle where common sense sometimes does not apply. I found myself catching hints of what was to come, but often times I was not able to put myself a step ahead of the characters. This mind game provided a simple trick that coerced me into feeling as engaged, as threatened and as vulnerable as the personas on screen.

Overall, the film is unrelenting in its momentum, and when the credits start rolling, you will want to consider a second viewing.

Those familiar with Shane Carruth’s “Primer” should find “Coherence” to be within the same vein of the thought-provoking, low-budget sci-fi film and should draw similarities to Nacho Vigalondo’s “Los Cronocrímenes” (“Timecrimes”) and Christopher Smith’s “Triangle” with slight hints of “Mumblecore” presented in the lightly scripted, heavily improvised dialogue.

process as a full-time caregiver.

The photographs became part of a project that began organically, with loose thoughts and unclear intentions, Angelo said. The photographs of Jennifer’s illness were joined by pre-cancer photographs, which Angelo structured into a photo documentary.

Angelo attributes the poetic feel in part to the ebook’s composition: the photos are not in chronological order. Instead, the book opens with a shot of the Manhattan skyline on the George Washington bridge, taken from the inside of a car: Angelo’s return to the city, after Jennifer’s funeral. A few pages later, there’s Jennifer on the couple’s honeymoon. But at its core, Angelo said, “the photo documentary is a love letter from me to Jen.” In March 2013, Angelo and his two cats moved back to Cleveland. (Jennifer’s two cats had died of old age.) He still works as a photographer, doing portrait work and weddings. He even covered the trial of Ariel Castro and the demolition of Castro’s house for Getty and Corbin.

It’s still been a hard transition home: “It’s like what happened to those years…[Jennifer dying] seems unreal, still very much a foreign thought. I’m not in denial that [she died], [but the bad times in NYC] took the best thing in my life and it’s a struggle to believe that it all happened.”

Recently, Angelo’s been making strides with the nonprofit he started after Jennifer’s death. The Love You Share provides direct

financial assistance to women with cancer undergoing treatment. The idea of direct aid came from the couple’s aversion towards the pink ribbon. The pair felt that donations to giant organizations like Susan G. Komen are thoughtful and kind, but, in their experience, the couple preferred direct support. For them, direct support—whether it was an “I’m thinking of you” text message from a friend or an act of random kindness—felt beyond the “superficial level” of walking miles for research.

Instead, The Love You Share aims to alleviate part of the burden of current patients and their families with a model that provides a sense of community. The nonprofit received its status from the IRS in 2013.

All in all, Angelo doesn’t consider himself a spokesperson for caregivers or families of cancer patients, just someone who can share his story. But, that is arguably the most important thing he can do. “If we don’t talk about [mortality and experience], we’re hurting ourselves, we’re not going to grow.”

Angelo hopes that his experience encourages dialogue, “Not just about breast cancer, but about facing challenges, about finding something good in difficult situations, about listening more to other people.”

And if you want to listen to his story in person, Angelo will delivering a TEDxCLE talk in on April 4, as a part of the independently organized TED event. Tickets for the simulcast are still available at TEDxCLE’s website.

The Observer’s Playlist of the Week

Teddy Eisenberg Staff Reporter “Sprinkles” — We Are Scientists With a name like We Are Scientists, these indie rockers might as well be Case students. “Sprinkles” sports a hook that you’ll be humming after just one listen, complete with a bright, harmony-laden melody. We Are Scientists will be at the Grog Shop on April 23, promoting their latest album “TV En Français.”

“So You Know” — Bleeding Rainbow Originally named Reading Rainbow, this noise pop group from Philly changed their name to gain a little more notoriety. Now two albums into their already stellar career, “So You Know” is a song that has all the urgency of a great punk record mixed with a fantastic pop sensibility. For fans of My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth.

“She Used to Love Me a Lot” — Johnny Cash In the now familiar tradition of dead artists releasing new albums (thanks, Hendrix) comes “Out Among the Stars,” a record of previously unreleased material that Johnny Cash recorded in the 80s. “She Used to Love Me a Lot” is everything you could want from The Man in Black: his deep baritone narrating a tale of heartbreak. This is country worth listening to. “Out Among the Stars” was released on Legacy Recordings last Tuesday.

“Spinners” — The Hold Steady Building on the huge sound they conjured on 2010’s “Heaven is Whenever,” the Hold Steady are back with “Teeth Dreams,” released last Tuesday. Craig Finn’s signature talksing drawl is utterly charming as he fumbles his way through the lyrics of “Spinners.” “Teeth Dreams” is a record that rocks from start to finish, but not without feeling laid-back and accessible. This album is highly recommended study music; it’ll make homework much more interesting.

“Sex Machine” — James Brown Tate Taylor, director of “The Help,” is bringing the Godfather of Funk to the big screen this summer in “Get On Up,” a biopic starring Chadwick Boseman. The lyrics of “Sex Machine” inspired the film’s title, and the excellent new trailer features this song. Can ya dig it?

Retro Pick of the “Somebody To Love” — Jefferson Airplane

Week:

Folk, rock, and psychedelia meet in “Somebody To Love,” a slightly offbeat pop gem. A Top 5 hit in 1967, Grace Slick’s wailing vocals soar over percussive, echoing layers of guitar. “Surrealistic Pillow” is one of the quintessential albums of the 60s. Jefferson Airplane never made a better album, and few other artists from the Woodstock era did either.

14

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opinion Editorial

Is our give-a-damn busted?

Digging into CWRU’s uncontested student elections

For the average person, March Madness is equated to college basketball. But this year at Case Western Reserve University, it also represented the Undergraduate Student Government election process, which kicked off March 3 and ended March 28. Did you notice? Did you care?

While the number of votes varies by race, approximately 1550 undergraduate students submitted a ballot. But of the seven executive positions up for grabs, three—including the position of president—were uncontested. For as often as students seem to complain about CWRU and the student experience here, one would expect these races to be as crowded as Grad Night at the Jolly Scholar. Instead, they were as empty as the Case Club at 2 p.m.

USG is not alone in the fight to create fights for executive positions. After all, the Class Officer Collective elections, which occurred at the same time as the USG elections, had just one contested race—and that’s being generous. The aforementioned shooting match was only between two write-in candidates, who both violated COC’s campaign policies, and the incumbent.

Across the pond, none of the University Media Board’s executive committee positions were contested. Although UMB votes for its leaders internally, the apparent disinterest among board members to fill the organizations’ voids is disheartening. (Editor’s note: UMB is the umbrella organization under which The Observer falls.)

Other universities do not seem to have the problem CWRU currently faces. The most senior and visible leadership roles are warzones for ideas, policies and promises. But here, students seem to shy away from confrontation. And thus the cycle of caring is broken.

How can UMB, USG and COC expect the full buy-in of their constituents after exhibiting such relaxed and lackluster elections? Put simply, if their existing members don’t care enough about the organization to fight to lead it, then why should the average student care enough to join it?

And let’s not forget that the CWRU student culture does nothing to aid the situation. Spartan students tend to be scholars first and everything else second. It’s hard to convince a double major in Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry that his or her time in the USG office is comparable in importance to the time spent pursuing his or her academic career.

A culture shift needs to occur. Students who shy away from being a campus leader because it conflicts with their academic pursuits must come to realize the value in experiential learning. After all, these are the same students who fight for research opportunities because they provide hands-on experience but forgo leadership roles because they “don’t have the time.”

Running an organization is just as important and rewarding as conducting research in a laboratory. Rather than reinforce a principle of chemistry or biology, leadership roles teach students how to communicate, think strategically and problem solve. What employer or graduate program wouldn’t appreciate these skills alongside the ability to titrate?

More importantly, qualified students who keep their name off of a ballot are failing to contribute to the Case Western Reserve community. They are nothing more than warm bodies with a propensity to complain in hopes that someone else translates their words into actions.

It is hard to change the overall mentality of the undergraduate student body from the current culture, but that does not mean we should not try. The Office of Student Activities and Leadership has made some attempts, especially for first-year students. SAL hosts multiple programs and workshops with the purpose of coaxing out the inner-leaders of CWRU students.

One of the more impressive workshops helps students pinpoint their talents by using an online identification tool called StrengthQuest.

The tool aims to focus a student’s unique talents for the greater good as a campus leader. This is exactly what all students at CWRU should do: learn their skillset and find a way to leverage it for the betterment of our community.

We need more students to participate in activities where the word “leader” entails something more than a title to brag about on graduate or professional school applications.

And those who feel that their place isn’t at the head of an organization need to recognize their power and responsibility to ensure that elected leaders are truly serving the student body by participating in elections and forums created with this intent. Because while academics are invaluable, the ability to evoke change is insurmountable.

The Observer is the weekly undergraduate student newspaper of Case Western Reserve University. Established in 1969, The Observer exists to report news affecting and/or involving students and to provide an editorial forum for the university community. Unsigned editorials are the majority opinion of the senior editorial staff. For advertising information, contact The Observer at (216) 368-2914 or e-mail observerads@case.edu.

The Observer is a proud member of the CWRU Media Board.

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Take a stance What do you think is the main reason for the lack of student involvement in SEC organizations’ leadership positions, for example, USG and COC? A) Time constraints.

B) The existing organizations are ineffective.

C) Students are not passionate about campus issues.

D) I don’t think there is a problem.

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16 opinion

4/4/14

The characters You, Me and the Opportunity Corridor of CWRU Un-sCWRU your lifestyle Theresa Smetona To put it lightly, Case Western Reserve University students are an eclectic group. Yet while it would be impossible to capture all the personalities that flavor our campus, there are several types that surface more frequently than the rest and deserve the attention of the remainder of this article. The ensuing descriptions are not meant to offend or pigeonhole, but due to the fact that CWRU students tend to walk around with their eyes glued to the sidewalk, a short introduction to the student population might be useful for informational purposes.

1) Male CWRU athlete/male who works out a lot. Generally is accompanied by another male athlete or gym junkie. Walks with a distinguishing swagger that results from being proud of having muscles, which, to be fair, is not the norm on this campus. Common topics of conversation may include: number of reps executed while doing bench press, the need to rage and the dearth of attractive girls on this campus.

However, they are not to be dismissed as typical or obnoxious jocks, because under all their muscle they generally have soft hearts and impressive GPA’s.

2) Hipster, aspiring hipster or hipster in denial. The differences between the three are sometimes hard to distinguish. The male variety is easier to spot, and in contrast to the athlete described above, is often slender, has a Euro haircut and wears tight-fitting pants finished off with carefully chosen shoes or boots that are neither athletically oriented nor Timberlands. Hipsters, and closely related non-hipsters, may be found coolly sipping a cup of hot tea in Algebra Teahouse, listening to indie music or strongly endorsing political or social movements. They are an intriguing bunch and deserve a pat on the back, if only for being better dressed than the majority of campus.

3) Males with somewhat wild looking beards who carry walking sticks. You know what I mean.

4) Peppy sorority girl. (This is not in any way to suggest that all sorority members are peppy.) She may be wearing a bow in her hair, and her book-bag is sure to be decorated with buttons supporting various philanthropies and organizations. On a rainy day,

she will probably wear bright, adorable rainboots that alternately make you feel happy, jealous and disgusted.

5) Tense pre-meds obsessed with their pre-med status. Despite the fact that they are always busy and stressed out by their incredibly challenging course load, they are always looking to run for a leadership position in any of the 16 organizations they belong to. If you would like to have a conversation with one of these about something other than GPAs, research positions, the MCAT or other pre-meds’ stats and resumes, forget it.

6) Girl in tears in KSL. The duration and violence of the crying varies.

Her hair is disheveled and she probably hasn’t showered in days, but unlike some who glory in their filth, she loathes her current condition and curses the unsolvable homework set that has led to her demise. Around midterms and finals, this type multiplies at an alarming rate.

7) Token student running frantically. Interestingly, these sprints generally occur at off times like Sunday afternoons, and often the runner doesn’t seem to be headed toward a concrete destination. Regardless, it is refreshing to see someone engaging in exercise, even if it is unintentional.

8) Token girl with umbrella.

An umbrella is always necessary. In rain or snow, an umbrella keeps you safe and dry. Cloudy skies in Cleveland, or for that matter, blue skies in Cleveland, don’t mean that a downpour isn’t imminent; thus, by carrying an umbrella in non-inclement weather, you recognize the capricious authority of the sky, and potentially avoid a retaliatory burst of apocalyptic weather. It’s about covering your bases.

In violent winds, an umbrella gives you a chance to practice flying, and when it inevitably turns inside out, the struggle provides you with some much needed excitement. When the sun is shining, an umbrella shades you from dangerous UVA rays and helps to prevent sunburn. Finally, an umbrella shields you from judgmental stares or unwanted contact with strangers. The world is a scary place, look out for yourself and carry an umbrella.

Theresa Smetona is a senior majoring in Spanish and English. In her free time, she likes to drink coffee and consider the possible benefits of her future unemployment.

The senior inquisition Sheehan Hannan Outside of the Civil Engineering department, building roads is probably not the first thing on the average Case Western Reserve University student’s mind. In fact, it’d be news to them that there were plans to build a brand spankin new one that ends right in our neighborhood.

It’s called the Opportunity Corridor—a name so Orwellian it might as well be the Happiness Highway. Or the Big Brother Biway.

The $331 million dollar project will connect the stubby end of I-490 with University Circle by way of E 105th Street – extending a highway that currently dumps drivers unceremoniously at a stoplight on E 55th St, staring straight at a junkyard.

The project has been in the works for over a decade and is being spearheaded by the Greater Cleveland Partnership, our region’s favorite consortium of local business groups. In short, it promises to connect one of Cleveland’s most vibrant neighborhoods (University Circle) with the southern stretch of the freeway system. Proponents of the expansion also promise economic revival along the roadway, a method of improving an area dubbed, in another Orwellian twist, the Forgotten Triangle. Indeed, a study by Allegro Realty Advisors conducted released in 2011 predicted 2,339 permanent jobs along with 3,368 temporary positions.

The Corridor has also received plenty of press coverage and institutional support. Terrence Eggers, the grand poobah of The Plain Dealer, sits as the co-chair of the project’s steering committee, and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is solidly in the pro camp.

Of course, the project also has its detractors. Clevelanders for Transportation Equity is just that group. They aren’t fans of the idea, to say the least, arguing that it reinforces car dependence while current trends point in exactly the opposite direction—toward greater use of public and alternative transportation.

They also say it is a poor investment of a sizable chunk of taxpayer dollars that could be used for something that is, as their name suggests, more equitable to the area’s current residents and Cleveland as a whole.

Taking both sides into account, there is a case to be made for the dangerous nature of the project’s gentrification factor. Building a large-scale road from the highway to University Circle probably isn’t the most effective means of investment for the Kinsman neighborhood, and painting it as such is more than a little disingenuous. Additionally, a solid 40 percent of residents in the area don’t have ac-

cess to a car, and investment in a roadway that isn’t especially focused on public transit options is an odd oversight. Really, it best serves the folks in University Circle whose commute in from their neighborhoods along the southern Outer Belt will soon get a little easier.

However, as someone who commutes from University Circle to downtown on a regular basis, an alternate means for suburban commuters to come and go to their jobs in the Circle could take some pressure off Cleveland’s notoriously pothole-stricken surface streets. On the flip side, as Angie Schmitt, a transportation blogger, activist and outspoken critic of the project pointed out to me, there is a very real chance that the Opportunity Corridor could actually make traffic worse by providing an incentive to drive.

But let’s take a second for some realpolitik. The Opportunity Corridor seems like a done deal. Barring any unforeseen technicalities, it will be constructed, completing a glaring gap in the region’s highway system.

It remains to be seen whether or not it will actually help the people it’s advertising to.

Perhaps more worrying is the trend for which it is a prime exhibit—building highways as a permanent transportation solution.

The Opportunity Corridor serves the Cleveland of the ‘90s well, ferrying suburban workers to and from their jobs at the city’s employment nuclei. It will most likely still serve the Cleveland of today fairly well. Northeast Ohio is still a region spread wide (including Akron, Cleveland, Kent and Youngstown) and is still constructed around car-based travel.

But how well will it serve the Cleveland of 2030? What about the Cleveland of 2050? The national trend among young people is moving away from car ownership, and the Cleveland of the Tremont crowd is exactly what the city is now selling itself as.

Just take a quick peek at the new Positively Cleveland campaign, resplendent in its hipster-grit tourism bureau glory.

When I first moved to the Midwest, people told me a joke; the kind that gets repeated over and over until it’s intensely dull. “If something happens on the coasts, wait 10 years, then it will finally get here,” it went.

The Opportunity Corridor fits that bill, on the tail end of one trend and yet not quite counter to the new one, coming in the awkward lag between the two.

Maybe give it 10 years.

Sheehan Hannan is a senior English major.

He was formerly the Director of Print for The Observer and the Chairman of Media Board.

His writing has also appeared in Cleveland Magazine and Inside Business Magazine. By his count, there was only a single grandma in Positively Cleveland’s tourism video.

The student organization of the month: Alpha Phi Omega SLJC awards

activity and mission.

Organization of the Month

Q: What outreach activities/programs does APO hold for CWRU and the community?

A: “APO holds five weekly events on or near campus (Hope Lodge, Children’s Museum, Botanical Gardens, tutoring and the Food Bank). We also hold about a dozen special events each semester, from working with the Girl Scouts and local charities in need to putting on our March for Marfan philanthropy event…” [This event occurred last Saturday, March 29.]

SLJC is pleased to announce this month’s student organization of the month: Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity (APO).

APO’s mission is summed up by their core values of service to the campus, community, country and chapter. The group aims to bring together students across all ages, backgrounds and disciplines to make Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland better places to live and work.

We talked with the chapter president, Hirsch Singhal, to find out about APO’s

Q: How does APO promote leadership and fellowship internally to all of

its members?

A: “The LEADS (Launch, Explore, Achieve, Discover, Serve) courses are an integral part of APO’s “Leadership, Friendship and Service” motto. LEADS courses are designed to teach brothers and pledges how to become better servantleaders for their chapters and communities. Our chapter in particular has an abundance of executive positions designed to help grow new leaders. Our culture promotes leadership from within, so that everyone feels like they can have a say in the chapter. In addition to our executive positions we also have brothers [who] volunteer to organize bigger service events like Relay for Life and Thwing Study Over.”

Q: How many active members are in APO? What types of majors do they have?

A: Including pledges, our chapter of APO has approximately 150 students involved. Their majors range across all disciplines quite evenly, so chapter can be a nice break from a stuffy engineering classroom.

Q: How can students become involved with APO? A: Come to some rush events at the beginning of each semester or just find someone in APO and ask about it. We’re a very welcoming group that’s always happy to meet new people.

opinion

observer.case.edu

17

What being abroad taught me about drinking From CLE to Cape Town Heather O’Keeffe My past weekend in Cape Town was marked by the celebration of two 21st birthdays. Each birthday girl was American and each tried their hardest to celebrate the occasion as if they were back in the States.

One girl even hunted down red solo cups for the evening’s festivities.

While we tried to keep turning 21 a big deal, in reality it wasn’t. The drinking age in South Africa, like much of the world, is 18.

So turning 21 in South Africa is like turning 19, there is no milestone involved besides the celebration of another year.

In high school I studied abroad in Australia and turned 18, which meant for a few months I was above the minimum legal drinking age. Now, at 20 in South Africa, I will be above age during the entirety of my stay. All in all I will have spent nearly 1.5 years above the minimum drinking age before I turn 21.

This unique situation has offered a reflection of the often-debated topic amongst adolescents: Should the minimum legal drinking age in the U.S. remain at 21 or should it be dropped back down to 18?

For many Americans in Cape Town their drinking habits have changed: they

drink more often but drink less when they do. Since arriving in Cape Town, my habits have definitely differed and many of my friends here have noticed similar changes.

Here, I’m more likely to have a beer with dinner or try a cool cocktail and less likely to binge-drink.

In my eyes the core of the 18 vs. 21 arguments is not the consumption of alcohol but the manner and quantity of which it is consumed. If the minimum legal drinking age is lowered to 18, will more immature college freshmen drink copious amount of alcohol, putting themselves and others at risk?

Many females at CWRU hardly spend any money on alcohol. Some guys are too chivalrous to ask girls to pitch in money and many are eager to have more ladies than guys at their party. In contrast, Cape Town bouncers and bartenders don’t care if you wear a bra or boxers: Everyone pays the cover and the price on the menu is the price you pay. It’s a lot harder to live indulgently when your wallet is getting lighter.

It only takes a couple nights with just a few coins remaining in your wallet to set the road straight. Going to bars and clubs is expensive; between taxis, covers and drinks I can’t afford to get out of control (and South Africa is a relatively cheap country!).

Here, I feel less safe heavily drinking at clubs and bars. Maybe it’s the fact that being a female in South Africa after dark is not

the safest situation, but I am conscientious of keeping my wits about me in new situations surrounded by strangers. As alcohol lessens inhibitions and impairs judgment, I feel more comfortable saying “screw it” at a friend’s house party or dorm. So when I do go downtown for the night here, I drink less because I have to spend more and also so I can control my night and have fun rather than put myself in a vulnerable position by drinking. In a lot of respects, ordering exactly what you want at a licensed establishment is also much safer than drinking a mysterious concoction at some party.

Cape Town has a vast public transport system, but one should never, ever use it after dark, ever. Instead everyone has several cab numbers programmed in their phones. Cabs are cheap in South Africa but Cleveland has a convenient public transport system, especially for CWRU students. If a cab is too steep, then the Healthline is perfect and free! Who needs drunk driving? I’ve never even considered it as an option and I would think many others of my generation think similarly, and I’m from Wisconsin, a state notorious for its laxity in regards to DUI’s.

Finally, I think it really is true that drinking isn’t as big of a deal in the rest of the world. Drinking is an unattainable fruit you’re only allowed to have when you’re 21. But rather than surviving years of teenage angst and waiting to come of age, young

people find ladders and chainsaws to eat as much forbidden fruit as possible.

People will always want what they can’t have; lowering the drinking age won’t stop 17-year-olds from going through their parents’ liquor cabinet. But changing the legal age would allow 18-year-olds to be treated like adults, at least in this small way.

Being of age has by no means defined my time in Cape Town but trying craft beers and going to a wine festival certainly has been nice. Drinking is objective and situational: It depends on the person. We all know someone who refuses to try a drop until they are 21, and someone at a state school who goes hard three times a week.

However, I reckon that no matter what the minimum legal drinking age is, at CWRU, “Club KSL” will still be busier than the Jolly Scholar on any given night of the week.

But if the legal drinking age was lower in the U.S., maybe after a busy Tuesday of studying, roommates would share a bottle of wine rather than hold off until Saturday to break open a fifth.

Heather O’Keeffe is a second-year student studying biomedical engineering and sports medicine and studying at the University of Cape Town. She spent more time in the library at UCT studying for midterms than she has ever spent in her life at Club KSL; this statistic is very concerning to her.

Stop, look and listen The meaning of Spartan life Jacob Martin It’s that time of year again. Spring break ended, classes resumed their normal operating pace and finals loom right around the corner. However, every year at this time there always seems to be a brief lull in day-to-day homework but a surge in stress.

So today I take a break from criticizing the administration and renouncing student apathy to reflect on the title of my column, the meaning of Spartan life.

Why do we continue to subject ourselves to overwhelming stress by way of overextended activity involvement, overloaded course schedules and overlooked emotional and physical wellness?

Why do we take on so much? Are we all masochists?

There are 168 hours in a week. No matter how you allocate those hours, it never seems like there is enough time.

I often find myself questioning this reality and desiring a boxing match with Father Time. He usually grants me 10 rounds and I can hold my own for a few of them. We trade winning rounds but no matter how many I win, he always lands a knockout punch sooner than later.

When I come to and realize what’s happened, I’ve then lost other battles in

the form of unfinished homework, bad performance in class and failings with other people. I usually decide to get back on my feet, shake hands with the formidable Father Time and resolve to follow his rules, but every now and then I just want to lie on the mat and not get up.

This time of year is one of those instances of despair and discouragement.

Aside from being less than a month away from the end of classes and the finals frenzy, real life still oversees college life.

I was in Nevada for spring break.

I went to thrift shops in Reno, hiked around Lake Tahoe and gambled in Las Vegas. When I returned home, I buried my aunt who passed while I was away, discovered a potential medical issue and realized I had classes to attend and homework to finish, among other things I do not wish to write in this space.

The purpose of highlighting these things isn’t to ask for sympathy or simply vent my problems. Rather, my purpose is to demonstrate the importance of never giving up.

I could insert any number of appropriate quotes from literary giants, philosophers or otherwise inspirational people in the hopes that their words would be a comfort to you if you’re stressed out, disillusioned and ready to quit like me.

From the many people around campus I’ve talked to, this feeling seems to be

the general consensus.

Sometimes the best medicine is a dose of radical self-expression. Wear what you want, spend time doing something you love, take a moment away from those things which are pushing you to the brink of insanity. Be yourself without any barriers.

Personally, my mind doesn’t shut off.

Metaphysical questions generate at the sight of something as seemingly insignificant as a tree, existential awareness hits as the sunset kisses the tops of campus buildings and my senses overwork themselves attempting to observe everything going on around me.

Because of this, I’ve learned that in order to keep moving forward and successfully complete daily tasks like homework, I must quiet my mind. So I run. A lot. I meditate, listen to music and don’t mind taking a moment to sit on the Guilford porch and watch the Mather Quad for 15 minutes. I also enjoy talking about the thoughts I get. Yet no matter what I do, I always remember that I’m blessed to be here at Case Western Reserve University as a student because I could be a lot worse off.

I like soul music. In fact, I list it under the hobbies and interests section of my CV or resume. It’s one of those things that brings me inner peace and makes me smile. There is an intense vitality to it

that encourages being content with what you have, thinking positively, love and togetherness. But the unifying theme of soul music is the notion of going through some difficult ordeal and knowing that things will get better.

Whenever I feel like saying ‘I can’t,’ I listen to soul music. You don’t need to have a girlfriend to hear Ray Charles sing, “I’ve got a woman, that’s good to me” or Wilson Pickett yell, “I found a love” and feel urged close your eyes and grin. And hearing Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions say, “It’s alright, have a good time, ‘cus it’s alright” or Otis Redding whistle at the end of “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” make me feel like everything really will be alright.

When you’re feeling like you can’t go on and there is no meaning of CWRU life, do something you love. Listen to the words of Sam Cooke when he says, “It’s been a long time coming, but I know a change gonna come.” Know that things pass just as each grain of sand falls through the hole in Father Time’s hourglass. The past is gone, the future uncertain, so don’t worry about them. Embrace the moment. Embrace now.

Jacob Martin is the senior opinion columnist. He hopes everyone took advantage of Mother Nature’s April Fool’s joke on Tuesday.

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18 | sports

4/4/14

Womens’ tennis shows promise Katie Wieser Director of Print The Case Western Reserve University women’s tennis team has moved to .500 so far in the spring season as the ladies get ready to head into the last month of their season with outdoor play. Facing off against six nationally ranked opponents in their last nine matches, the team has been tested since opening the season 3-0 in February. The ladies were challenged with matches versus Johns Hopkins University, Skidmore College and the University of California, Santa Cruz in Fredericksburg, Va. during the Blue/Grey Invitational on the weekend of March 28.

The Spartans kicked things off on Friday with their match against the Banana Slugs from UC Santa Cruz. The team started off slower than usual, winning only one of the doubles matches against the traditionally tough opponent from the west coast. But the ladies had a great day in singles, taking five of the six match ups for a 6-3 win. Taylor Sweeney and Michelle Djohan were the winning doubles team and also won their separate singles matches. Joining them in victory was Marianne Bonanno, Sarah Berchuck and Surya Khadilkar.

Saturday brought an even tougher challenge for the Spartans as the No. 27 team faced off against No. 19 Skidmore. The ladies got off to a great start with the doubles portion of the day, taking two of the three matches. But the team hit a wall during singles as the Skidmore team took two

early matches to bring the Spartans lead to only one match. It all came down to two three-set matches in the second and third courts with Sara Zargham and Sweeney trying to win a final match to clinch the win for the Spartans. Unfortunately, both ladies lost in their third sets; bringing Case their fifth loss.

Despite the late night on Saturday, the ladies were back on the courts at 8:00 a.m. to face off against the top-ranked Division III team in the country, Johns Hopkins University. Sweeney and Djohan brought home another doubles win to start the day, but the Spartans weren’t able to get much else going. The sole singles win came at the hands of Khadilkar with the rest of the ladies struggling against the tough Blue Jay squad. The Spartans lost 7-2.

Coach Kirsten Gambrell was happy with the weekend overall, but was disappointed that the team still hasn’t had their breakout win against one of these challenging opponents. “I think we gave it all we had,” said Gambrell. “We’re still beating all the teams we’re supposed to, we just haven’t been able to beat the teams that are ranked a little bit higher than us.

It’s fine, but we’re still looking for that breakthrough win.”

The team is hoping to play outdoors later this week and are scheduled to face off against No. 9 Carnegie Mellon University and Ohio Wesleyan University outside on Case’s own Carlton Courts on the weekend of April 5. The team is hoping the home energy and more relaxed schedule will bring them their first win against a Top 10 opponent.

Play Ball!

Indians seem well prepared to build on last season’s success David Hoffman Staff Reporter The Indians returned this week from a pleasantly surprising season that saw them win their last ten games in the regular season to nab home field advantage for the American League wild card game. Unfortunately, last season’s run ended in that wild card game as they fell to the Tampa Bay Rays. Entering this season, pundits have been mostly bearish on the Tribe, pegging them as a .500 team.

The Indians made a couple of adjustments to the roster over the offseason, particularly in the starting rotation. Gone are veterans Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir, both of whom pitched surprisingly well for them down the stretch last season. Instead, the Tribe intends to roll with a much younger rotation this season, save for veteran ace Justin Masterson.

Masterson pitched well for the Indians last season, but after getting injured on Labor Day last year relegated him to the bullpen during the season’s final month.

This year he will be pitching for a new contract, as his current one expires at the end of the season. He should be motivated and locked in for the Tribe, which would bode well for them.

The exciting player to watch for this season is Danny Salazar, who possesses an electrifying fastball and impressed scouts and fans alike in his brief stint in the major leagues last fall. He was so impressive, in fact, that manager Terry Francona chose him to start the wild card game. From pundits to fantasy baseball players everywhere, all eyes will be on Salazar whenever he takes the mound this season. Rounding out

the starting rotation are Corey Kluber, Zach McAllister and Josh Tomlin.

Offensively, the Indians bring back mostly the same lineup that finished tied for fourth in runs last season in the American League. The only notable change is the position shift for Carlos Santana, who will be playing third base to start the season. However, most observers expect Lonnie Chisenhall to eventually take back his starting role. That would force Santana back to his previous shuttle between first base and designated hitter. Starting catcher Ian Gomes signed a six year, 23 million dollar contract extension, to stay with the tribe, and Jason Kipnis has cemented his status as one of, if not the, best second baseman in the major leagues. After leading the team in RBIs last season, he will be counted on to once again be the focal point of the lineup. Even though the team has deep and balanced roster, their offense will ultimately look to Kipnis drive in runs.

Finally, the Indians acquired a new closer over the offseason in John Axford.

Axford replaces Chris Perez in the ninth inning role, which should strengthen the bullpen this season. The loss of sink baller Joe Smith in free agency stings a little, but the Tribe has enough bullpen depth to withstand the loss.

With the Detroit Tigers still heavy favorites, especially with the 10 year $288 million dollar contract for Miguel Cabrera, and the rising young talent of the Kansas City Royals, the Indians will have to be even better this year just to remain competitive in the AL Central Division. The pieces are there for a return trip to the playoffs, but can Francona utilize those pieces effectively? Only time will tell. It’s time to play ball, Tribe fans.

observer.case.edu

sports | 19

Sunshine on a From one court Cloudy Day to the other Track team shines despite poor Editor’s Choice

Men’s Tennis teammates volunteer at Inner City Tennis Clinic

Katie Wieser Director of Print Student-athletes here at Case Western Reserve University are experts at time-management. On top of practice and long road weekends, athletes still find time to keep up with rigorous academic schedules and involvement with other campus organizations. Surprisingly, many of these students have also found time to get involved with their community. Several members of the varsity tennis team dedicate themselves to a community service organization and put in their time with the Inner City Tennis Clinic in downtown Cleveland.

ICTC is a non-profit organization with a mission to provide urban youth in Cleveland with after-school programming and instruction in tennis. The organization, founded in 2010, continually receives support from Case students, with university tennis coach Todd Wojtkowski serving as a member of the board.

He challenges students to get involved with the community and help contribute to the sport that has given many a sense of accomplishment. He attributes that obligation to be the main reason students volunteer to help. “I think it’s just giving back. Tennis provides so many opportunities, I think they’re just looking to pass that on,” said Wojtkowski.

Adam Collins, an electrical engineering student, recognizes ICTC as a chance to learn more about the city outside of the quad and residence halls. “I think it’s important to give back, but more important, I think, for kids to get outside of Case Western….just to see another side of Cleveland, it’s a city that has a lot to offer,” said Collins. Wojtkowski also recognizes the value of community involvement in the lives of Case students.

“They see how hard the ICTC kids have to work to even get into college, it definitely gives perspective for coming back to campus.”

Collins tries to get to the clinic a couple of times per week and enjoys spending time teaching tennis to the group of regular students. An especially satisfying feeling for Collins is the experience of watching the children improve. “I personally enjoy working with people. It’s really satisfying when you see improvement and knowing that you helped somebody get better.”

Collins is part of the team of volunteers who is dedicated to tennis instruction. However, tennis is only a small part of the clinic’s mission. The clinic began as a summer program which offered free breakfast and lunch to their participants along with activities based on five key components of literacy, fit-

the

ness, poetry slam, wellness and tennis.

The tennis serves largely as an incentive for the children and their families, providing the chance to learn the sport and be active during the summer. Brian Smallwood, the executive director of the clinic, knows that tennis plays a critical role in getting children to sign up. “Kids are definitely more interested in a tennis camp than a help-you-with-math camp,” said Smallwood.

During the past year, ICTC has expanded to include the Tennis and Tutoring after-school program, providing a valuable service to parents and children in urban areas of the city. Along with a need for tennis instructors, the program had a desperate need for volunteers to help with schoolwork. Case’s students have filled this role well. “A good number of the kids have donated time, not only with the tennis aspect, but also with tutoring,” said Smallwood. “It’s good because they’re young and full of energy and they tend to be pretty good at math and science as well. We try to utilize their passion as much as we can.”

Collins has reason to be passionate about volunteering since he has seen the positive effects tennis can have on a child first-hand. One of the earliest lessons learned in tennis is self-control.

It’s necessary for players to keep their plan in mind and stay calm in the face of challenging circumstances. “Tennis is something when you have to be in control of yourself all the time. If you get mad, you’re never going to play well so you have to learn how to control your emotions. I think that can really translate to life. If things aren’t going your way you can throw a tantrum or you can think it through and try to find a way to move forward and win the match. It’s a way to overcome adversity” Collins believes that this is a critical lesson for all young people and is glad to be a part of a program which teaches these life skills.

The athletes from Case not only help as tutors and teachers, but also contribute with fundraisers to assist the clinic. Several ICTC participants were in attendance when the Case team hosted the National Indoors Championship in February. The attendants learned about playing tennis on a collegiate level from both members of competing teams and regional tennis leaders.

The partnership helps both ICTC and the team acquire skills needed to develop and grow as members of their society.

Wojtkowski recognizes the role these experiences has in the development of the team. “If you’re never forced to help others, you don’t know quite how to work well in a team. It makes you a better person and a better teammate.”

@CWRUObserver The Observer observer.case.edu

Observer

weather conditions at meet

Skyler Phillips Staff Reporter It was a rainy day at the Don Frail invitation this past Saturday, but only in the literal sense of the word. Figuratively, the sun was shining for the Spartans’ track and field team; both the men’s and women’s teams had one competitor place first and at least three place in the top five. This all happened despite the chaos from the rain, the changing of event orders and the eventual move indoors.

For the men, Harry Weintraub placed first again in the hammer throw with a toss measuring 174 feet 10 inches.

Fellow senior David Leishman competed in the same event, and placed fifth with a mark of 146 feet, 4 inches.

Galen Caldwell and Chippy Kennedy placed fourth and fifth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, with times of 9:57.69 for Caldwell and 9:58.35 for Kennedy.

On the track, David Dixon finished in

fourth place for the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:12.65, and Joe Ledger came third in the 800m with a 2:01.92 Concerning the women, Kelsey Aamoth came in first for the 1,500-meter run with a career best of 4:49.51. Three other Spartan women placed in the top five places for their events: Christen Saccucci, McKenzie Braun and Brooke Simpson. Saccucci tied for fourth in the pole vault, clearing the bar at 10 feet two inches. Simpson also placed fourth in her event, the 400m hurdles, with a time of 1:15.90. Meanwhile, Braun ran a 13.43 in the 100m dash, crossing the line fifth.

The Spartans have one more invitational next weekend (the Marv Frye Invitational, at Selby Stadium in Delaware, Ohio) and then comes the AllOhio Outdoor Championships, one of their biggest meets for the year. The meet will span April 26–27, and will also take place at the Selby Stadium.

Good luck Spartans!

20 | sports

4/4/14

sports

Weather cools off previously red-hot Spartans Baseball wins two, drops two JP O’Hagan Sports Editor The Spartans were unable to play their weekend games against Allegheny in the expected home opener, but despite not being able to step on their own turf at all this season, the Spartans continue to roll.

The Spartans now stand at 15-5. They are still waiting for the weather to allow them to come home. Unlike many times, the Spartans have still managed to strive on the road, a testament to their dedication and work ethic, as they are ranked 21st nationally for Division III. On Thursday, the Spartans split the doubleheader against Heidelberg. In the first game, the Student Princes were able to hold the Spartans to only two runs in a single inning, when the Spartans tied the game in their half of the sixth. Heidelberg scored in the bottom of the seventh and managed to hold on for the one-run victory. Ray Kelly the Spartan starter took his first loss of the season in the opening game.

The second game, however, was a complete turnaround from the opener as the Spartan starter John Fortunato worked a full nine innings. Fortunato gave up five hits and only a single run, a long ball sent over the wall by Heidelberg’s Derek Hug. In contrast, the Spartans had back-toback multi-run innings early in the game to blow it wide open, scoring three in the second and two in the fourth to go up 5-1.

The Spartans tacked on an insurance run in the ninth, which was not needed, as the Student-Princes were unable to touch Fortunato’s pitching, leading to a strong 6-1 win for the Spartans.

On Tuesday, against University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, senior Andrew Frey knocked in four runs and was three of five

Third baseman Andrew Gronski connects with a pitch in a game at home last season. in his trips to the plate. Frey hit two doubles, the second of which knocked in all three base runners. Frey was helped offensively by third baseball Andrew Gronski and designated hitter Noah Sherman who both sent long balls over the fence.

Kevin Johnstone picked up the win on the mound to improve to 3-1 on the season.

He gave up only three runs and fanned six in his seven innings pitched.

On Wednesday the Spartans headed

across town to play Baldwin Wallace. The Spartans bats were relatively silent, as they managed a mere one run in the loss. The Spartans had seven hits but were unable to capitalize and Baldwin Wallace knocked in two in both the fifth and sixth and in addition to opening the scoring with a run in the first and put a final nail in the Spartan coffin with another run in the eighth.

The Spartan starting pitcher, Fortunato picked up his first loss of the season pitch-

Courtesy Case Sports Information

ing only five innings. He managed to strike out five despite giving up the first three Baldwin Wallace runs.

The Spartans will be looking to extract revenge quickly as they played Thursday afternoon in their home opener, after The Observer went to print. They will continue their first home stand of the year playing against a double header against Westminster on Saturday and a double header against nationally ranked Marietta on Sunday.

Softball sparkles with the return of the sunlight Spartan women win five of six

David Hoffman Staff Reporter As the season progresses, the Spartans softball team continues to step up its game.

The team finished the past week with three wins in four games, with a couple of wild finishes thrown in for good measure. At the individual level, shortstop Makenzie Lein is on the precipice of school history; she has now scored 110 runs in her collegiate career, just three runs shy of the Spartans record held by Carla Kinyon.

The Spartans began the week with a visit to Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. The Westminster Titans had an impressive start themselves, entering the doubleheader with a 10-4 record. The Spartans were completely unfazed, as they proceeded to sweep the doubleheader with ease.

They stormed right out of the gate in the first game, scoring four runs in the first inning, and building up a 7-2 lead by the third. Pitcher Annie Wennerberg took it from there, surviving a three run scare in the fourth to secure a complete game victory. The second game was never in doubt for the Spartans, with a five run outburst in the opening frame setting the tone. By the fourth inning the team had built up a 13-0 lead and invoked the varsity run rule when

Westminster failed to score in the fifth, completing the doubleheader sweep.

Over the weekend the Spartans hit the road again to play Marietta College in another doubleheader, splitting a pair of thrilling games. The first game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when Marietta broke through for two runs. After scoring one run in the fifth to cut the deficit in half, Wennerberg helped her own cause at the plate with a two run double to give the Spartans a 3-2 lead. The Spartans scored another run in their half of the seventh, pushing their lead to 4-2 with three outs left to go. Unfortunately Wennerberg couldn’t contain Marietta’s bats as they rallied for three runs, highlighted by a walk-off two run triple by Kelsey Kallenborn, to win the game.

The second game featured more of the same in terms of late inning drama. Although the Spartans struck first, Marietta pushed across two runs in the third inning and two more in the fourth. The Spartans were still down 4-1 when they came to bat in the sixth, but they were far from done. An RBI single by Ashley Parello cut the deficit to 4-2, and the Spartans completed their rally with two runs in the seventh. Rachel Komar delivered the tying hit, plating pinch runner Kristen Klemmer with a triple. Only one extra inning would be required, as the Spartans

Courtesy Case Sports Information Spartan catcher Amy Taylor awaits pitch during a game last season. exploded for five runs in the eighth. Komar delivered once again with a three run single.

Although Marietta threatened to rally in the bottom of the inning, pitcher Rebecca Molnar induced a double play grounder with the bases loaded to end the game.

After all of the craziness, the Spartans now sit at 15-9 on the season with plenty

of action just on the horizon. They hope to squeeze in their home opener this Saturday at Mather Park against The College of Wooster, weather permitting. The Spartans played a double header against Mount Union on Wednesday winning both by scores of 8-1 and 6-3. Full recaps can be found on observer.case.edu.