CLEVELAND continued from pg. 11

But my biggest beef with the city of Cleveland is its roads. I’d truly like to have a talk with whoever designed the roads here because absolutely nothing about them makes sense. Who decided that three-way and six-way intersections were a good idea? Why did no one change them? That, paired with the random structure and winding nature of roads make for absolute chaos when driving—especially for those who are unfamiliar with the area. Even within University Circle, the driving pattern baffles me. I’ve seen a number of vehicles park on the side of the road and just block off a whole lane, instantly backing up traffic for minutes at a time. To top it all off, there is the issue of the quality of the roads; for instance, the number of potholes is ridiculous. Overall, driving in Cleveland is simply a nightmare. Even though there aren’t too many places to go to in Cleveland, getting around to those places can be difficult if it’s in unknown areas.

There’s no one singular solution for this city—or, at least, none that we can individually act on. However, there are two direct options here in terms of how to cope with it. Option one is to leave while you can. Go back to your hometown or explore a different place, whether that be within the U.S. or outside of the country. Most places will be a level up from here, so it’s a great setup for experiences after your time at CWRU is over. But the other option is to find things to love about Cleveland. The one promise I made to my friends in my third year was that I’d give the city a chance by exploring the surrounding areas—finding if there were things I liked to do or food I’d like to get. I followed through on tine’s Day is a severely flawed holiday. It causes people—both in and out of relationships—to feel pressure, and can be isolating for others. It is a holiday associated with heavy spending, yet it does not seem to bring the joy one would hope it would. that and it honestly made Cleveland a bit more bearable of a place to live in. Whether it be Tremont, Beachwood, Shaker Heights or the myriad of areas outside of Uptown, there are a few places that make the area a bit more fun, even when it takes a bit of an effort to get there.

Valentine’s Day needs to be reframed in a more positive manner that better acknowledges the realities of the 21st century. Instead of focusing so heavily on couples, it could be more inclusive of other types of love. Love of family. Love of friends. Love of self. It could acknowledge the holistic range of relationships people enjoy, instead of focusing so heavily on romantic ones. It could shift away from marketing a specific image of what Valentine’s Day should look like, and instead be about individuals doing what makes them happy. Moreover, open dialogue about expectations for Valentine’s Day should be encouraged. For people in relationships especially, talking with their partners about how they want to spend Valentine’s Day could help make the day less stressful and prevent unnecessary spending on gifts or extravagant dates neither necessarily want. As a whole, Valentine’s Day is due for an overhaul of what its focus is.

Being in Cleveland has definitely been a wild time. But I’ll admit, the city has grown on me over the years. But just because Cleveland has developed a special place in my heart, it doesn’t mean I won’t continue to criticize all the weird parts of living here.