The Observer, Volume LIII, Issue 22, 3/18/22

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Dream season for men’s basketball comes to an end in NCAA Round of 16

After only having a scrimmage match in spring 2021, the Case Western Reserve University men’s basketball team made it all the way to the Round of 16 in the 2022 NCAA Division III Championship, exceeding expectations with their record-shattering season.

The Spartans narrowly slipped into the NCAA tournament after defeating conference rival Carnegie Mellon University in the regular season finale. Doing so, they also set the best overall record in program history at 18-6. CWRU then pulled out tight victories in the first two rounds of the tournament against the University of Dubuque in overtime and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Ultimately, the glorious season ended in a hard-fought overtime battle against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in the sectional semifinal.

CMU—Feb. 26

The first basket against CMU represented yet another milestone. Graduate guard Griffin Kornaker broke the school record for assists in a season after setting up fourth-year forward Ryan Newton for a 3-pointer. Kornaker finished the game with 11 assists–his fifth game this season with double digit assists–on top of 7 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. For the season, Kornaker tallied 156 total assists, surpassing Jim Fox’s 25-year record of 145 assists.

The rest of the first half was forgettable. The Spartans’ abysmal defense and lackluster offense resulted in a 4535 lead in favor of the Tartans, who shot 50.0% from the field.

The Tartans pushed their lead to 12 after a jump hook in the paint to open the second half. Third-year forward Cole Frilling quickly responded with back-to-back 3-pointers, initiating an 11 point run. The Tartans went on a run of their own to take a 6-point lead,

but a 3-point play and layup by Newton put the Spartans up 58-54.

Third-year guard Robert Faller and Frilling took over the game and scored 19 of the Spartans’ next 23 points, including five combined made 3-point shots. Facing a 81-64 deficit with four minutes left, CMU desperately tried to close the gap. They mustered up a 10-2 run with two minutes remaining but it was too little too late. The Spartans polished their lead with some free throws and closed out CMU 92-83.

Frilling led the team with 23 points on an impressive 61.5% from the field to go along with 4 rebounds, 2 steals and a block off the bench. Graduate guard Mitch Prendergast contributed an additional 21 points on 7-of-13 from the field while Newton added 16 points. The Spartans finished the game shooting 46.3% from the field and 46.4% from beyond the arc thanks to their explosive second half, where they shot 59.4% overall and an elite 69.2% from 3-point land. CWRU notably had the advantage in assists (2013) and bench points (34-15).

“We have guys sitting on our bench here that work hard every day,” said Coach Todd McGuinness about the team’s effort this season. “It’s about our whole program. We have very good players.”

The Spartans also celebrated “Senior Day” prior to their victory over CMU to honor graduating players Newton, Faller, Kornaker, Prendergast and graduate forward Brian Hines for their remarkable careers with CWRU men’s basketball.

University of Dubuque—March 4

CWRU rode their regular season momentum into the first round of the playoffs. On March 4, a go-ahead 3-pointer by Newton with 6.6 seconds remaining in overtime secured the 9187 win over the University of Dubuque to advance to the second round. The

victory marked the first postseason win in CWRU program history.

CWRU opened with a disappointing first half and shot just 34.3% from the field, which allowed Dubuque to take an 11-point lead at the half. Yet for the second straight game, CWRU rallied back from a double-digit deficit.

Dubuque’s lead grew to 13 with 13 minutes left in regulation, but CWRU struck back. Halfway through the second half, Newton capped off a 9-0 run with a dunk, cutting the deficit to 4 points. Both teams went back and forth until a layup from Faller followed by free throws made by Cole Frilling set the score at 81-79 with 1:26 left. Hines and Frilling blocked two consecutive shots and ultimately set up Newton to hit the game-tying free throws with 12.8 seconds left. Dubuque had the chance to take the win with a quick jumper, but Frilling blocked the shot, sending the game into overtime.

Frilling opened the overtime period with a layup, but Dubuque responded with a 3-pointer and two free throws to take the 87-85 lead. The Spartan’s stellar defense held Dubuque scoreless for the rest of the game. Newton hit a jump shot to tie the game at 87. On the next possession, second-year guard Luke Thorburn snatched a clutch offensive rebound and dished it to Newton for the dagger 3 to finish off the game 91-87.

In a post-game press conference, Coach McGuinness reminisced over Newton’s performances throughout his career.

“Ryan [Newton] has a history [of clutch performances]. We beat Carnegie Mellon this year and he tipped it in at the buzzer to win the game. [Against] Brandeis three years ago, he hit a half-courter to send it into overtime. Whenever it comes down to the stretch, I let him shoot. I just think he is going to make it.”

Newton’s postseason performance

earned him the UAA Athlete of the Week and Spartan Club Athlete of the Week honors.

This victory was truly a team effort, with six players recording double-digit points. Frilling led the team with 19 points, 13 of which came in the second half. Newton led the bench with 17 points, including five clutch points down the stretch in overtime. CWRU led their opponents in field goal percentage (44.3-42.3%), rebounds (4644) and assists (16-10), in addition to recording the greatest number of blocks in a game in 20 years (15).

UW Oshkosh—March 5

The men’s team continued their championship pursuit against thirdranked defending champion University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh on March 5. Prendergast opened up the scoring with a three-pointer, but the Titans went on a 12-2 run to take the 12-5 lead. CWRU struggled from the three-point line, shooting 1-for-11 in the first half while also committing 8 turnovers. The Titans took advantage of the Spartans’ miscues and scored 6 straight points to finish off the half leading 41-27.

The Spartans quickly found themselves facing a 16-point deficit to open the second half. However, second-year forward Hunter Drenth and Newton answered the call and took over for the next eight minutes. Newton kickstarted the barrage with a layup. Drenth followed with a pair of free throws and a three-point jumper to trim the gap to single digits, 49-40. The duo made four straight layups and cut the Titans’ lead to 51-48. For the final nine minutes, the Titans and the Spartans went back and forth without letting either team get a solid lead.

Ajeet Kalepu Contributing Writer

Second-year forward Hunter Drenth (#3) shoots a 3-pointer in the recent home game against CMU in a string of victories that ultimately led to CWRU’s first postseason win. Chris Heermann/The Observer

Puneet Bansal Sports Editor

CWRU drops mask mandate

Nihal Manjila Staff Writer

On March 16, Case Western Reserve University administration gave an update regarding the university’s COVID-19 policy. Administration members Carolyn Gregory and Lou Stark reported the university’s positivity rate as less than 1%—a significant drop from 5% a month ago. Gregory and Stark also reported Cuyahoga County’s positivity rate as slightly more than 2%. Cuyahoga County’s daily new cases had peaked in the middle of January and have, for the most part, been gradually dropping since, with the Cuyahoga County, Ohio Covid Case and Risk Tracker run by the New York Times showing daily new cases as low as 50 on March 15. Cuyahoga County has a population of roughly 1.26 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Since coronavirus positivity rates have been very low for over two weeks, Gregory and Stark informed the university community that beginning on March 21, there will be several new policies.

First, masks will be optional for students, faculty and staff with three exceptions: students in learning spaces, individuals in clinical settings and those using university transportation.

Surveillance testing will also become optional, unless an individual’s religious or medical accommodations require continued testing. Lastly, COVID-19 vaccination and booster compliance will be required for all members of the university community. Currently, the CWRU COVID-19 Dashboard shows 99.8% vaccination compliance for students and 99.9% vaccination compliance for faculty and staff, with a 64.3% vaccination rate for the overall population of Cuyahoga County.

One possible risk to community safety is the new BA.2 sublineage of the omicron variant, but this variant has not caused any significant positivity rate spikes in the United States thus far. It seems unlikely that many new variants will develop and proliferate in the short term due to the current decline in spread.

This is the latest of several COVID policy changes since the beginning of spring 2022, when CWRU administration announced the implementation of policies in an effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19 amongst the university community for the semester, especially with the Omicron variant running rampant across the United States since the

Starbucks on Euclid joins national unionizing effort

start of winter break.

First in an email on Jan. 20, Peter Poulos, Gregory and Stark announced that university community members with a CWRU ID could pick up six KN95 masks from four locations around campus. The email also detailed a plan for biweekly surveillance testing for undergraduate students and continued indoor masking requirements. Lastly, the administration relaxed the procedure for approving campus events with less than 50 attendees given that no food or beverages are provided.

Then on Feb. 14, Poulos, Gregory and Stark sent an email to the university community regarding updates to COVID-19 policies. They began by citing a significant drop in the number of cases on campus, which allowed for policy modifications that would go into effect two days later on Feb. 16. The updates included a lift of the masking requirement in residence buildings for fully vaccinated students, as well as relaxed guidelines for events and gatherings. Biweekly surveillance testing remained a requirement for undergraduate students living on campus. To further support these policy changes, the email cited the Cuyahoga County

positivity rate dropping from roughly 26% a month prior to roughly 5% at the time of the email. It also reported that 95% of eligible students, faculty, and staff at CWRU were both vaccinated and boosted.

As spring break approached, there were concerns regarding the effect of travel on campus positivity rates. An email from Gregory and Stark on March 3 expressed their optimism that despite students traveling to and from their spring break destinations, the decreasing positivity rate across many regions would limit COVID-19 spread. This theory will be confirmed or rejected after analyzing results from baseline tests required for undergraduate students and recommended for graduate students, faculty and staff. Gregory and Stark stated that future updates to university COVID-19 policy will be informed by these results.

Now it seems that even though the baseline tests have not been completed, the aforementioned drop of the mask mandate will still take place. As the situation with the virus has continued to evolve, the university’s response has continued to change as well. Hopefully there will be no need for a reversal of policy in the coming weeks.

Despite its immense popularity, coffee chain Starbucks has recently come under fire for its negligence and maltreatment of employees. Various shops across the country have begun the unionizing process, starting at a location in Buffalo, New York.

As of Feb. 28, more than 100 locations across 19 states have started to unionize, with demands including a minimum wage of $25 per hour for baristas and improvements to mental health care plans for employees. The first store to approve the union was in Mesa, Arizona, with three shops in Buffalo following suit.

However, Starbucks corporate has reacted negatively to unionizing efforts, claiming that a union would come between the employeremployee relationship. Starbucks has since been denounced for such anti-union tactics, especially after being accused of firing employees in certain stores in retaliation for even thinking of unionizing.

This has not stopped this new wave from entering our beloved Cleveland, however, with a recent addition to the Starbucks unionization movement on Euclid Ave. in University Circle. The Euclid Starbucks follows three other stores in the Cleveland area: the W. 6th Warehouse District Starbucks, the shop on Clifton Blvd. and the Cleveland Heights store on Mayfield and Lee.

Those working at the Euclid Ave. store have claimed that fluctuating hours and poor pay drove them to join the movement and hope that Starbucks’ corporate sector will recognize and meet their needs. Along with the other three Starbucks locations in the Cleveland area that have similarly filed for union elections, Starbucks corporate could voluntarily recognize the union, though it is unlikely to do so. What is more likely to occur is the National Labor Relations Board holding a vote, with a simple majority of the location’s workers then required to formalize the union.

Workers at the Starbucks on Euclid, a favorite for CWRU students, have filed for a union election, as hundreds of locations across the US do the same. Chris Heerman/The Observer

Grace Johnson News Editor

Tapping alumni connections

above) leads a class like no other at Sears think[box], with class discussions involving startup culture, Silicon Valley and how CWRU students can find a place in the future. Courtesy of the Case Alumni Association dents’ minds to these possibilities.”

Sunshine and startups are on the horizon for some Case Western Reserve University students, who will soon be heading to Silicon Valley as part of a new one-credit course that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of startups and technology companies.

VEAL 333: Technology Management Class and Startup Trek, a partnership between the Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship, Case School of Engineering, and Post-Graduate Planning and Experiential Education, aims to help students learn about startup culture (in the classroom and in California) before one day putting it into practice themselves.

This course, designed by Weatherhead School of Management Associate Professor Michael Goldberg, is geared toward helping students find success in the tech sector through classroom discussions and networking. Goldberg, who is also the executive director of the Veale Institute, said he sees a chance to connect students with business and technology opportunities in the Bay Area and to strengthen alumnistudent ties. “We have amazing alums. They want to do more with our great students,” he said.

The course is like no other offered at CWRU, as it provides a view of startups and tech giants from people who have succeeded in the field.

For example, the lead instructor for VEAL 333 is Ram Fish, ‘95, M.S. ’95, a renowned entrepreneur and change agent in the tech world. Fish earned two computer engineering degrees from the Case School of Engineering. He went on to lead digital health strategy at Samsung, where he helped to build Simband, the world’s leading platform for wearable health sensors. He has also played influential roles at Apple, Nokia and Openwave.

In the seminar sessions, Fish and Goldberg invite students to discuss the highs and lows of startup culture, engage in conversations with industry experts and research current companies and their employees—all before they will meet some of them in-person in California.

Twelve students were selected from across CWRU’s academic schools for the debut class. Since then, they’ve met several times in person and via Zoom to prepare for the upcoming allexpenses-paid trip to Silicon Valley, scheduled for March 23-26.

Fish said he is thankful for his CWRU education and sees the class

as a way to “pay it forward” by sharing his experiences with the new generation. He lives in Menlo Park, Calif., where he runs startup 19Labs, a medical device company seeking to bring state-of-the-art emergency medical care to remote corners of the globe.

“I want to help students get recruited,” Fish said. “That’s half the battle of the tech industry, so Michael (Goldberg) and I are leveraging our networks to create the best experience for our students.”

That networking opportunity may be the class’s most rewarding feature, Fish said. He added that he enjoys the discussions with CWRU students and that he’s always wanted to teach, so he’s thankful that his alma mater is making that dream a reality.

His main goal as an instructor and mentor, according to Fish, is to inspire students to broaden their horizons and to think outside the box of traditional professional paths.

“When I went to [CWRU], the idea of going off and starting a company anywhere outside of the Midwest was not something kids thought about,” he said. “This bubble of ambition was what people’s minds were set on. But there’s so much more that you can do once you realize there are no limits and other possibilities. I want to open stu-

Goldberg said Fish’s real-world experience complements faculty knowledge, making the class dynamic especially unique.

“The tech industry isn’t exclusive to Silicon Valley,” Goldberg said. “Tech looks different in Cleveland, but it’s here, too. So students having a deep look into the industry and getting startup insights from someone who is in the hub of the technology world is an unparalleled experience.”

Students of VEAL 333 couldn’t agree more.

Max Pennington, a fourth-year studying chemical engineering, took the class to learn how to lead a tech company. He has his own startup, CLEANR, which works to minimize microplastic pollution through smart filters on washing machines.

“Mr. Fish not only listens and answers our questions during class through the seminar, but he has been willing to take time out of his day to listen to our personal questions for advice with our own companies,” Pennington said. “It is not very often that you get the opportunity to pick the brain of people with as much experience as he has, and this is another great reason to take the class.”

Students outside the realm of engi-

neering and business are also finding VEAL 333 to be a valuable learning experience. Margaux Johnstone, a firstyear medical anthropology and international studies major, found the class to be influential in shaping her mindset around areas outside of the tech world.

“The best piece of advice from the class that I’ve gotten so far is ‘Fall in love with the problem, not the solution,’” she said. “If you have tunnelvision on one solution, you can’t adapt to the needs of the consumer and you will ultimately struggle to succeed.”

Students interested in being a part of this new academic partnership can look forward to more classes like it being offered in the future. Goldberg hopes to expand the program across all CWRU’s academic schools and has already packaged this course into the new Veale Snyder Fellows program, which will launch in the fall.

This will provide students with a range of domestic and international entrepreneurial education and experiences, he said, from credit-bearing courses to a summer internship program.

Learn more about VEAL 333 and the Veale Snyder Fellows program at case.edu/entrepreneurship/ or email Goldberg at michael.goldberg@case. edu.

Hannah Jackson Contributing Writer

Ram Fish, ‘95, M.S. ’95, (pictured

In a new series of classes, alumni superstars share their startup savvy with aspiring entrepreneurs

Michael Goldberg (pictured above), associate professor of design and innovation at the Weatherhead School of Management, designed the course to give CWRU students a taste of Silicon Valley startup culture. Courtesy of the Daily

Check out “Neon Genesis Evangelion” for its complex psychological themes

Streaming recommendation of the week 3/18/22

“Neon Genesis Evangelion,” while not for the faint of heart, is certainly worth a watch through. Courtesy of Gainax

TJ Disabato Staff Writer

Over winter break, I took the time to watch my first anime: “Neon Genesis Evangelion.” Perhaps this wasn’t the best choice for a beginner, since it left me feeling as if nothing else could ever top it. I would still like to know if any other series could surpass the traumatic psychological potency delivered by this one, but I also know I should be careful what I wish for. After finishing the 26-episode series, I watched the film that goes along with the last two episodes of the series, “The End of Evangelion.” Although I didn’t quite understand what I was watching through a majority of the series and for most of the movie, I do know that I enjoyed every minute of both. The film centers around something called The Human Instrumentality Project— which is touched on towards the end of the series—but that’s not essential to know about if you are a newcomer to the show. If you are new to anime or are someone who is looking for something different to watch, look no further.

The series centers around Shinji Ikari, who is recruited by his estranged father, Gendo Ikari, at NERV headquarters. Ikari pilots a robot called an Evangelion (Eva) with the goal of defeating evil attackers known as Angels. The series takes place fifteen years after an event known as the Second Impact, where the first angel—Adam— was awakened during an experiment, which resulted in the Antarctic ice caps melting and a shift of the Earth’s axis. In order to prevent a third impact from occurring, Gendo places the future of

humanity on the shoulders of his son, whom he has not talked to since he was a child. Once arriving at NERV headquarters, Shinji is assigned to pilot Eva Unit-01, and meets with fellow pilot Rei Ayanami (Eva Unit-00), future roommate Misato Katsuragi and Ritsuko Akagi. Rei is very close to Gendo, and it is revealed later in the series that Rei was designed as a clone of Shinji’s mother with the hopes of being a great pilot for Eva Unit-00. Later in the series we are introduced to another pilot, Asuka Langley Sohryu (Eva Unit-02), who often argues with Shinji, indicating their potential romantic spark. Also introduced is Kaworu Nagisa, who substitutes for Asuka in Eva Unit-02 and is responsible for stirring up deep feelings in Shinji.

I am not even sure that a graduate student studying psychology could properly explain this show, so I will go light on the analysis and just urge you to experience it for yourself. The show displays all of the characters being tortured by each other, most of which stems from Gendo—although even he has a brief moment of catharsis toward the end of the movie. The series starts off very slowly, and it isn’t until around the 16th episode that we dive deep into what drives each characters’ behaviors. The first few episodes feel quite repetitive, as each episode features Shinji defeating a different angel. These different angels symbolize different stages of Shinji’s life, and also represent not only his battles in the quest to save mankind, but his own quest to discover why his life is valuable. He lets two

of his classmates, Kensuke Aida and Toji Suzuhara, get close to him only to eventually pull away from them getting to know him.

After Asuka shows up in the eighth episode, the focus shifts from the unspoken relationship between Shinji and Rei to the tumultuous melodramatic relationship between Shinji and Asuka, both of whom live with Misato. This heated relationship is observed in the following episode, when Shinji and Asuka must dance with one another to increase their synchronization rate, enabling them to successfully take down the angel when piloting their respective Eva. Initially, I couldn’t stand Asuka as she seems like a loud, obnoxious brat. But, like so many other things in this show, her personality and upbringing were brutally explained in depth later in the series, making me look at her with a kinder eye. While growing up, she was tormented with the necessity to be perfect to please her mother, with their relationship stunting her emotional growth. To make matters more complicated, Asuka clearly has feelings for Shinji. Rei’s cool and cryptic personality, which is amplified around Shinji and Asuka, leads Asuka to believe Shinji finds Rei attractive, or at least more than tolerable. This conflict between Asuka and Rei creates even more division among the three pilots, with everything having to be resolved before the attack of the next angel. Despite running away from NERV and vowing to never come back, Shinji returns when the alarm signals in Tokyo-3—the remains of Tokyo from

after the second impact—for the emergence of another angel.

I think I will leave the back-half of this series for you to appreciate on your own. It is not an easy watch, and certainly not one you can watch halfheartedly. I would recommend experiencing it with a friend or at least during a time where you feel mentally strong. I saw a meme that compared this show to “The Sopranos,” calling the hit HBO series “Evangelion for Americans.” While I am not entirely sure it is a 1-1 ratio, I definitely think some parallels exist between the worlds of post apocalyptic Japan and New Jersey. The last ten episodes depict psychoanalysis in a fashion that Freud could only dream of. The introspection found within is extremely effective at not only prompting the viewer to analyze the characters, but also themselves. I was often left pondering the meaning of my own life while watching it, and this feeling was only heightened while watching “The End of Evangelion.” For those who will watch the corresponding movie, you may find it hard to believe that the first scene is one of the more tame parts of the film. If you feel emotionally overwhelmed after watching the series or the movie, just know that within an hour after I finished the movie, reports came out that Betty White died. I was truly a broken man; it had all come tumbling down. So if you’re in for an emotional yet awe-inspiring time, grab a blanket and a box of tissues, gather some friends, get a copy of the DSM-5 and get ready to deconstruct the human condition.

“The Batman” returns the character to his detective roots

Shreyas Banerjee Executive Editor

Batman is perhaps the most versatile character in all of popular fiction. Over the course of the character’s 83-year career, Batman has traversed genres like no other. Starring in comic book adventures of globetrotting galavanting, gothic horror, romantic epics, scifi wackiness, blockbuster action, crime thrillers and everything in between, there’s no type of story that Batman can’t fit in. The sheer adaptability of the character has allowed the character to survive and thrive, making him one of the most popular superheroes today. However through all these interpretations over the decades, certain core elements of the character have always been retained since the very beginning. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane in 1939, the crusader exploded onto newsstands, cloaked in darkness and fighting a war against crime, all while wearing a mask and cape that resembled a bat. It wouldn’t be much longer until the essential trauma of Batman’s past was established, along with the inherent duality between Batman and his billionaire alter ego, Bruce Wayne. While these core ingredients of Batman have remained through the years, some aspects of the character’s origins have fallen to the wayside, namely Batman’s pulp detective roots.

“Batman” co-creator Bill Finger was a huge fan of the pulp magazines that were popular in the early 20th century. The successors to penny dreadfuls, dime novels and the like, pulp magazines drove several genres to huge popularity, including detective stories. As a cheap medium made from inexpensive wood pulp, stories of any kind could find their way into the magazines, no matter how lurid or exploitative. This made it the perfect place for noir stories of the night to make their way into the public scene. Also inspired by pulp novels of the past, noir films have been a staple of Hollywood for decades. People love hard-boiled detective stories, showcasing the gritty side of urban America and all the mystique that comes along with it. Classic film noirs like 1941’s “The Maltese Falcon” set the format of the genre, adapting the lurid nature of the original pulps to a tee, and neo-noirs since like “Chinatown,” “Taxi Driver” and “Seven” have captured audiences by expanding on the concepts and delivering deeper commentary on what our fascination with these exploitative scenes says about us. As the decades progressed, super-

powered adventurers started making their way into pulp magazines, taking the roles of traditional detectives and adventurers while noir took new flight in film. As this transition occurred, adventurers that would end up inspiring Batman found their home in the pulp medium including Doc Savage, Flash Gordon, Zorro and, the most direct inspiration, The Shadow.

The first Batman stories were published under the comic line “Detective Comics,” if that gives you any more indication of the character’s roots. The very first Batman tale, published in “Detective Comics #27” and titled “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate,” plays out explicitly as a detective story with Batman unraveling the causes of several related robberies and murders until finding and dispatching the true mastermind. These early stories were some of Batman’s darkest, with most of the tropes of superhero stories not having been invented yet. As such, Batman was firmly grounded in the horror, violence and darkness of the pulp era, as he dispatched serial killers, crime bosses and jewel thieves in an often lethal manner. However as times changed and the sensational nature of early comic books gave way to more lighthearted adventures, these aspects of the character were dropped and never quite returned.

While Batman would return to darker and more psychological tales decades later—starting in the 1970s and 1980s under the penmanship of writers like Denny O’Neil, Steve Englehart and Frank Miller—the noir aspect of the character was eventually all but extinguished as following creators gravitated towards other facets of the character and his mythos. There have been Batman detective stories here and there, such as 1992’s “The Last Arkham,” 1996’s “The Long Halloween” and 2011’s “The Black Mirror,” but it isn’t the core feature of the character that it once was.

This has similarly been reflected in Batman’s adaptations in other media through the years. There have been many Batman movies and all have been very different from each other yet still reflecting the times. The 1966 movie captured the camp and comedy found in the light-hearted ‘60s comics. The 1989 film, directed by Tim Burton, showcased a more stylized, gothic Gotham and featured a dark avenging angel of the night on the screen, cement-

ing in the public consciousness that Batman was a character to be taken seriously. Though there have been reversions to camp with 1995’s “Batman Forever” and 2017’s “The Lego Batman Movie,” the franchise continued its march into darker aesthetics with Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” films, which came out between 2005 and 2012. Though ostensibly a superhero movie, these films felt more like crime films responding to the new post-9/11 American paradigm as we grappled with issues such as public corruption, terrorism and authoritarianism. None of these were particularly about the central tenets of the Batman character despite being of very high quality. Since then, the Batman film franchise has mostly tread water, as the character featured in crossover movies in DC’s failed attempt to build a cinematic universe. Now after ten years, Batman has returned to the big screen with a new solo film unlike any of its predecessors. And it does this by returning the character to his roots. Just as the original Batman comics took inspiration from the pulp novels, now “The Batman” draws from noir films. The new film delivers a true detective story, giving us the Batman as he was originally intended.

The tone is set from the very beginning as Batman (Robert Pattinson) narrates his internal monologue as the rain comes down hard. The BatSignal lights up the sky, striking fear into the hearts of all the criminals running around the cesspool of Gotham City. The city itself is almost an urban hell, with dark alleys, broken down streets and an omnipresent darkness set across the entire scene. As a group of muggers attack an elderly man, out of the shadows comes our hero himself, younger and more inexperienced than most adaptations of the character. Despite this, he’s dedicated to his war on crime above all else, even his own wellbeing and the legacy of his family. As the plot progresses we learn of The Riddler (Paul Dano), a Zodiac-Killeresque serial killer who is murdering high-profile corrupt public officials in an attempt to show Gothamites “the truth” about their city. All the while, Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz), a woman with an agenda of her own, ends up on Batman’s doorstep to help unravel the conspiracy. So, we have a grimy, raindrenched urban backdrop, a deeply disturbed main character, an enthrall-

ing mystery, a devious villain and a femme fatale. Sounds like noir to me. Of course, the superhero aspect of the film comes out from time to time, though more sparingly than you might expect, with only a few large setpieces. Otherwise, this is a slow-burning, character focused mystery film that has Batman going between crime scenes, interrogating suspects, collecting clues and coming up with theories. And honestly, for a film like that to come out in the current cinema environment, where the Marvel Cinematic Universe reigns supreme, is honestly a shock.

Though the format and aesthetics of the film is killer, the performances are what drives the movie. Robert Pattinson’s Batman is a man obsessed, detached from any semblance of a normal life and socially inept to the point of not being able to maintain any form of conversation unless it is regarding crime and vengeance. This is definitely the most grunge Batman we’ve seen, but also the most fleshed out. For once, Batman is the main character in his own film and has an actual character arc. Starting from a place of disillusionment and anger, Pattinson’s Batman gradually finds the true purpose of a hero and discovers what sort of impact he can truly have. Kravitz’s performance as Selina Kyle, or Catwoman, is equally engrossing, with Kravitz delivering the perfect combination of flirtatiousness, deviousness and charisma. The chemistry between the two is perhaps the most overtly sexual we’ve seen in a superhero film in a long while, but it works insanely well. Paul Dano’s performance as The Riddler is utterly psychotic as well, though I’ll leave the character’s true nature and the resulting commentary on our current societal ills a surprise.

All in all, “The Batman” is a triumph. Despite being almost three hours long, the film never dropped my attention once. Unlike any other superhero film, it manages to truly envelop itself into its genre while still delivering the requisite action and adventure. It doesn’t hurt that this is perhaps the most beautifully shot superhero film in the last ten years due to the superb direction of Matt Reeves and the stellar cinematography of Greig Fraser.

Batman has been many things over many years, but perhaps its best adhering to what made him originally popular in the first place—well, at least until the next reinterpretation.

Robert Pattinson (pictured) is just the latest to play Batman, but his portrayal of the character stands out due to the film heavily delving into the pulp magazine and noir source material. Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Student guide to helping those affected by the Russia-Ukraine War

Christie Lanfear Life Editor

I still can’t get used to those around me using the word ‘war’ in reference to Europe, and not in the past tense.

The situation in Ukraine is rapidly changing, and it is certainly hard for us all to watch. Whether you read the news on the shuttle when commuting to class or listen to news podcasts while getting ready in the morning, it’s hard not to feel helpless. None of us imagined it would come to this point. But here we are.

On Feb. 24, Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, the world has been watching, hoping, waiting for a glimmer of a ceasefire and a chance for peace. Sadly, it seems that the end is not in sight just yet.

Thus far, almost three million people have fled Ukraine. They have left behind their jobs, homes and lives in an attempt to stay alive.

I wanted to write this article for a bigger purpose than simply bringing attention to the situation. I hope to provide students with a useful resource they can use if they wish to get involved and help those impacted by the war in Ukraine. There are some amazing organizations dedicated to providing aid during these times and it is truly inspiring to see the impact they are having.

First we have the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). This organization has been around for almost 80 years and is now active in over 190 countries. UNICEF is dedicated to providing children around the globe with the resources they need to get the chance at life they deserve. Their operations include child protection, survival, education, emergency relief and innovation. In Ukraine, UNICEF has been working tirelessly to provide aid for the massive number of children that have fled the country. Thus far, their efforts have included providing medical supplies, safe water and protection services. There are multiple ways to support UNICEF. The main impact you can have is with your wallet. On their website you can donate money to support UNICEF’s efforts to protect the children in Ukraine. As well as donating directly, you can also start your own fundraiser through their website.

This both spreads awareness and supports the organization in their efforts, all while providing an opportunity to get your family and friends involved. The second organization is closer to home for us students at Case Western Reserve University. Located just over a 10 minute drive from campus, MedWish International provides students with an extremely accessible resource if they wish to get involved. MedWish International is committed to aiding those in need around the world regardless of political party, religion or race by providing those in need with repurposed medical supplies and equipment.

In addition to monetary donations, this organization is always looking for willing volunteers. They have various volunteer positions available, including packing and sorting medical supplies to be sent over to places such as Ukraine. The organization’s website makes signing up for a volunteer shift easy. For more information and to sign up if you are interested, visit their website at https://www.medwish.org.

But you can always take things in your own hands. In this digital age, students can create their own fundraising events, and raise donation money, clothing or supplies, etc. As college stu-

dents with a large amount of resources, the impact we can have is huge and we should definitely take advantage of it. Even just utilizing social media to raise awareness of local volunteer positions can have a big impact.

For those of you who are interested in getting involved, I encourage you to utilize the organizations mentioned here and also to do your own research! Giving your time and effort to a cause such as this is so fulfilling. I hope that you get to experience the feeling of pride that comes with playing your part.

Is de-stressing during and after exams impossible? I think not.

Christie Lanfear Life Editor

Whether you are still mentally recovering from an exam-packed week prior to spring break or are preparing for upcoming exams, trying to relax and prevent the infamous burnout can be difficult. Most times, it’s impossible to know where to start or what will actually succeed in calming your nerves.

Well, luckily for you, this article contains some helpful tips and tricks that will uncover your inner “zen”. Even if you are not stressed yourself, recommend some of these to your stressed-out friends or family, I am sure that they will greatly appreciate it. Take care of your body and mind and practice some self love, you deserve it!

Recognize stress

This might seem obvious, but it is so important in terms of self-preservation. Sometimes, we don’t even realize that we are stressed. Even little things such as insomnia or feeling extra achy can be red flags. So, whether you recognize your stress or your friends and

family point it out, definitely consider doing something about it. I promise, you will feel all the better for it.

Listen to some music

Whether you listen to one of the amazing playlists from The Observer website or put on your own favorite collection of tunes, taking some time for yourself with only your music as company does wonders. Music can calm you down, lift you up and give you motivation. Even just putting on your headphones when walking to class is a step in the right direction.

Eat good food

This is another rather basic tip, but it is too important not to include. Eating the correct quantities and types of food in college is a struggle. With the constant temptation of fried food and sweet treats at our disposal, maintaining a healthy diet is hard. But in times of stress, fueling your body and mind is more important than ever. Your mind works much more efficiently and you

will feel more awake and productive if you take the time to watch what you eat and make sure to get in your ‘five a day’ of fruits and vegetables.

Read a book

I know what you’re thinking—people only read for fun in the old days. But don’t knock it! Sitting down with a good book works wonders for relaxation and de-stressing. And even better, The Observer website has some great book recommendations if you are unsure where to start.

Make your bed every morning

This is something that takes maybe 60 seconds to complete, but can still have a monumental impact on your day. By completing this small task, you are starting your day off on the right foot and will have successfully accomplished a goal before even leaving the room. Especially if you have an exam or lots of studying to get done, it really helps you start your day off strong. Also, it makes your bed even

more comforting when you get to the end of your day.

Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

I know, I know. Who has time for that? But honestly, it’s worth trading in an hour of studying for that little bit of extra sleep. Besides, it’s sleep that lets your brain recharge and enables it to run on full power. I promise, you’ll do better on that exam or be able to get your homework done faster, allowing you more time to relax afterwards.

Obviously, everyone is different. The things I mentioned above might do absolutely nothing for your stress levels. But, I promise that it’s worth a try because letting yourself stay wound up will get you nowhere. All it will do is pull you down the rabbit hole of unproductivity, leaving you more stressed than ever. At the end of the day, taking the time to destress is vital to your success. Make the time. You owe it to yourself.

While the blue and gold stripes like at the Student Advocacy Wall (pictured) popping up across campus are a good start, students can do more to support Ukraine by engaging with aid organizations. Shreyas Banerjee/The Observer

fun

Tarun’s LOLs

Horoscope

The signs as spring flowers

Aquarius

Fritillaria

Pisces

Primrose

Aries

Daffodil

Taurus

Pansies

Word Search: Spring Activities

SPRING CLEANING WALK AROUND

HIKING

PICNIC

VISIT ART MUSEUM

FARMERS MARKET

GRILL OUTSIDE

GARDENING RUNNING

SOFTBALL

BIKING

FOOTBALL

FRISBEE

Gemini

Sweet Alyssum

Cancer

Lenten Rose

Leo

Forsythia

Virgo

Tulip

Libra

Wisteria

Scorpio

Hyacinth

Capricorn

Wallflowers

Sagittarius

Galanthus

Sudoku

Very Hard Medium

Crossword by Kurtus Mastandrea

ACROSS

1 Faith denoted by a nine-pointed star

6 A droplet

10 Throws

14 60 minutes after noon

15 Erie, Huron, Superior, Michigan or Ontario

16 Bills of the lowest denomination in USD

17 Ancient fabler

18 Since

19 Require

20 Governor famous for other roles

23 Frat founded @ Illinois Wesleyan; members include Ronald Reagan and Terry Bradshaw

24 Stan, of Marvel

25 Action star who may do missions deemed “impossible”

27 Animal companion

28 Small bit

30 Car theft, for short

31 One who films

35 “Real Time” host

37 Encourage to commit a crime

38 Possessed daughter in “The Exorcist”

40 Small, fixed payment: abv.

41 All-out brawl

43 Thermal underwear

45 Electroretinogram: abv.

46 Permanent body art, informally

48 British-American insurance company

49 Veggies that can be red, white or Spanish

51 US office dealing with minority health: abv.

52 Indie subgenre famous in the ‘80s; includes

“Less Than Jake” 55 President known for hunting vampires

59 Condition also known as “combat fatigue”

60 Former shortstop, once engaged to J-Lo

61 Antagonist of 007’s “No Time to Die”

62 (In Japanese)

Act or Deed

63 A bird, tropical fruit or a New Zealander

64 Relating to bones

65 Notre Dame QB

66 Alleviate

67 Persistently annoying

DOWN

1 Brag

2 “Won by _ _”

3 _/him : _/her

4 An abducted soldier

5 Vlad’s title

6 What fire does

7 Absence of difficulty

8 “Smack That” singer

9 Imperfection

10 Vowel in the word “rude”

11 0.125, as a fraction

12 German mug with a lid

13 Alternative to a hard drive: abv.

21 To pave a road again

22 Metric unit of

mass

26 Brothers Virgil, Wyatt and Morgan

27 SNL cast member dating Kim K

28 Belonging to the main antagonist of “Othello”

29 Second son of Judah

31 Common role for 24-Across

32 Aide to MLK

33 Star of “Braveheart,”

“Lethal Weapon”

34 Grilled cheese with extra ingredients

36 One male child

39 15-Across in Botswana

42 Active volcano in Sicily

44 Actor whose nickname may be igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic

47 Trembling

50 “Do _ _”

51 “It’s an _ but a goodie”

52 Consonant in “gentle” and “giant”

53 Strong light used on movie sets

54 Pester

56 Director of “Hereditary,” “Midsommar”

57 Cuts the lawn

58 “Home,” to a Spaniard

59 Handheld Sony gaming device

A Day in My Life

by Mulan Ma

Editorial: Is CWRU easing too many COVID-19 restrictions too soon?

On March 16, the Case Western Reserve University community received an update on the new COVID-19 protocols. Due to the current university positivity rate being below 1%, CWRU loosened COVID-19 regulations on campus, especially regarding our long-standing mask mandate. Now the university will no longer require masks except for when students are in class, CWRU transportation services and clinical settings. While it is uplifting that positive COVID-19 cases have been declining, the rapid change in protocols might be a bit sudden and preemptive.

First, it’s important to acknowledge that this pandemic is not completely over. COVID-19 will continue to be a part of our “new normal” and the United States hasn’t reached herd immunity yet. Luckily, most of the CWRU community is vaccinated and is compliant with regulations. However, there are immuno -

compromised people on this campus along with those who are not able to receive the vaccine due to medical reasons. Therefore, it’s critical that we remember to be mindful of our daily activities and actions. Although as of March 21, we will not be required to wear masks on campus, we can still be considerate. For example, if you have exposed yourself to large groups, especially off campus, consider taking extra precautions and wear a mask, regardless of the new protocol. We shouldn’t wear masks just for the sake of wearing masks, but rather, we should remember that despite us being done with this pandemic, this pandemic is not done with us.

Furthermore, since surveillance testing is no longer a requirement, it will be more difficult to discern who has COVID-19 and who is suffering from some other ailment. Of course, if anyone is symptomatic, they should get tested for COVID-19; however, if

they have mild symptoms, they might not want to go to University Health Services (UHS) to get checked out or might think it’s unnecessary to take a rapid COVID-19 test. It’s easy to ignore or rationalize symptoms, whether it be by attributing feelings to a common cold, sleep deprivation or a lack of self-care. That being said, we should shift to a mindset where we stay home if we are sick, regardless of our COVID-19 status. No one wants to go into isolation even if they know it’s for the best, especially if they live on-campus and could end up in dingy isolation housing. Further, if students don’t voluntarily test themselves for COVID-19, it will be increasingly difficult to mitigate the spread on campus, possibly leading to all these mandates coming back in full force. So if you think you might have been exposed, or are just feeling a bit off, just take a rapid COVID-19 test. CWRU is providing them across campus, and for students who don’t

want to get tested through the university, the federal government is also distributing free rapid tests at COVIDtests.gov.

While it makes sense that with lowered case counts the university would want to ease restrictions— as we have discussed in a previous editorial—CWRU isn’t known for consistency in their rules. We are all tired of the pandemic and as much as it would be easy to pretend that low COVID-19 numbers means we can go back to “normal”—whatever that means these days—new dangerous variants could still arise. So, as CWRU’s community continues to navigate these new protocols and test freedoms, let’s continue to be careful—whether that is through masking or going to UHS when we feel unwell. However, at the same time, let us be grateful that COVID-19 seems to be receding and let us hope that it won’t rise once again.

The Observer is the weekly undergraduate student newspaper of Case Western Reserve University. Established in 1969, The Observer reports news affecting students and provides an editorial forum for the university community. Unsigned editorials are typically written by the opinion editor but refle ct the majority opinion of the senior editorial staff. Opinion columns are the views of their writers and not necessarily of The Observer staff. For advertising information, contact The Observer at (216) 302-4442 or e-mail observer-ads@case.edu.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be e-mailed to observer@ case.edu or submitted on our website at observer.case.edu. Letters can be mailed to Thwing Center 11111 Euclid Avenue, Suite 01, Cleveland, Ohio 44106. For policy and guidelines related to the submission of Letters to the Editor, refer to observer.case.edu/submit-a-letter.

The Observer is a proud member of CWRU’s University Media Board. Follow The Observer on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @cwruobserver.

executive editor & publisher SHREYAS BANERJEE

director of print SARA KHORSHIDI

director of digital media HANNAH ALLEN

director of design VINAYAK MATHUR

development editor BEAU BILINOVICH

engagement editor MULAN MA

news editor GRACE JOHNSON

life editor CHRISTIE LANFEAR

opinion editor KARUNA LAKHIANI

sports editor PUNEET BANSAL

social media editor SOPHIA POPKIN

photo editor CHRIS HEERMANN

web editor COLLIN WONG

copy editors JOEY GONZALEZ, RITIKA DEVARAKONDA, JULIA FENG-BAHNS & SHIVANGI NANDA

layout designer TARUN SEPURI

business managers NIKKI D’COSTA, PHUONG NGUYEN

Editorial Board

EDITORIAL

the observer

established in 1969 by the undergraduate students of case western reserve university

Kinstler: Sometimes life just sucks

Ethan Kinstler Staff Writer

Picture this: your friend’s dog recently passed away. What do you say to console her? Do you try to cheer her up? You might tell her, “Everything happens for a reason.” A good approach, right? Wrong! Sometimes, things suck, and it’s okay to let them be that way.

The mindset that everything has to always be pleasant, and that there is a silver lining to every unfortunate situation is known as toxic positivity. It’s a way of responding to your own or someone else’s suffering that dismisses negative emotions instead of affirming them and could come from a place of discomfort. Though you may mean well, telling someone that “it’ll get better” after their grandmother dies or losing their source of income to pay rent is not only extremely unhelpful, but also comes across as unempathetic.

Toxic positivity often stems from not knowing the proper way to react when

someone shares a difficult piece of information. Certainly, you do not want to exacerbate their fears and anxiety, but you also don’t want to shut them down— which is often the outcome of being toxically positive. If someone opens up to you about a difficult situation, and you immediately jump in with a “what doesn’t kill makes you stronger” sentiment, you’ve created a rift where the other person can no longer work through their anxiety with you. Additionally, if the person cannot immediately attach the positive outlook you suggest to their extremely unfortunate situation, they may feel like they are not healing correctly. Thus, you may leave your friend feeling more isolated, hindering their growth rather than helping them grow.

Sometimes, life is unfair, and bad things do, in fact, happen to good people. Sometimes you need a good cry, scream into a

pillow or shout expletives from the roof of a parking garage. Instead of pacifying a grieving friend when they try to engage in these coping mechanisms, cry, scream or shout with them; in other words, work on being empathetic. Empathy requires us to feel what someone else is feeling, which can be difficult. We may not have the lived experience to fully understand what someone is going through. It can make us feel helpless, not knowing exactly how to help our friend, even if we desperately want to. In these moments of helplessness, when your friend is inconsolable, and you just don’t know what to say, toxic positivity, understandably, starts to look really promising. But, the secret is that if you don’t know what to say, you don’t have to say anything. Sometimes the best form of empathy is providing a shoulder to cry on, a warm hug and silence. Your support,

unmarred by trite words and affirmations, can be enough.

Next time your friend comes to you and tells you about some distressing situation, don’t try and cheer them up; instead, affirm their feelings. The phrase, “Wow, that sounds really tough, but you’re so brave in how you are handling this situation,” demonstrates that you have listened to your friend, and you support them in their healing process.

You don’t have to have the answer to make a situation better because sometimes you can’t. If your friend loses their grandmother, nothing you say will bring them back. When wounds are new, you don’t have to have some amazing revelation for them in these instances. All you need to do is listen to their feelings and aim to create a supportive environment where they can breathe and cope in whatever way they deem necessary.

Popkin: Clothing brands are becoming more size-inclusive…but are they really?

Sophia Popkin Social Media Editor

Over spring break, I went on a much-needed, fun-filled vacation to Chicago with a group of friends. We spent the week eating delicious food, going to the many museums around the city, navigating the CTA bus system and, of course, shopping for new clothes. As someone who has been considered plus size for the majority of my life, I have always hated shopping for clothes in-store with my friends (the majority of whom are straight size). In middle school, I started having to shop in the matronly and unfashionable plus-size sections of stores like Kohl’s and Macy’s because most popular stores only carried up to a size L, or sometimes a tightfitting XL.

But, thanks to the popularity of the body positivity movement in recent years, many clothing brands have finally started to extend their clothing sizes or offer a separate plus-size section. I finally have clothing options from the same stores my friends shop at. That’s a win for the plus-size community, right?

Unfortunately, I have to disagree. First of all, a large portion of brands that are now offering “extended sizes” only go up to a size 18 or XXL in their straight-size sections, which should not be considered size-inclusive at all—it’s the bare minimum. For example, Victoria’s Secret has recently been praised in the media for extending its in-store PINK line’s sizes to an XXL. They have also been applauded for hiring Remi Bader, a curve model and new brand ambassador who has amassed a big following on TikTok for critiquing the inconsistent sizing of larger clothes from popular fashion brands. Of course, I’m happy that more people will be able to find their size in-store, as Victoria’s Secret is a famous brand. However, championing Victoria’s Secret as a sizeinclusive brand is simply ridiculous. Brands should, at the bare minimum, carry up to a size 24 or 3X in order to be considered size-inclusive. VS PINK carrying a tight-fitting XXL is nothing for the brand to be entirely proud of—especially considering the fact that Victoria’s Secret’s primary lingerie line still only goes up to an XL in most stores and up to an XXL online, with a very limited number of styles available in those sizes.

Another gripe I have with the fashion industry’s so-called recent “size inclusivity” is that most retailers offering these extended or plus sizes don’t make them available in the actual store. I finally get to shop at a brand

with fashionable clothing, but I can only buy it online? Sure, it’s slightly easier to return ill-fitting items since I don’t have to mail clothing back to online-only stores anymore. But I still can’t go to a store with my friends and have the early-2000s dressing room montage of my dreams. Some brands are even taking steps backwards: my local Forever 21s no longer carry their plus-size section in-store. Oftentimes, only the huge, urban brick-and-mortar stores, like the ones on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, offer extended or plus sizes. It feels as though many brands decided to abandon the “trend” of body positivity because they decided it was no longer worth it.

Many clothing brands don’t even try to expand their sizing. These billion-dollar companies should have more than enough money to buy a little extra fabric and at least extend their sizes to a 3X, so why don’t they? It all comes down to aesthetics and the “look” that the brand wants to portray. Most of Urban Outfitters’ women’s clothing does not go past a size L—or XL if you’re lucky. This is not because the company can’t afford to extend their sizing or because there isn’t a market for larger clothing; it’s because they have decided that fat people don’t fit into their aesthetic choices. Even worse are brands like Brandy Melville, which only carries one size: XS/S. For many brands, the aesthetic of a flat stomach and a thigh gap is more important than making clothes that fit the average person’s size—which, for American women, is 16 to 18; 67% of women in the U.S. are considered plus size.

Additionally, within the brands that do market themselves as size-inclusive, a thick, seemingly impenetrable layer of fatphobia remains. For instance, it’s incredible that VS PINK has hired Remi Bader as a brand ambassador; I love what she does on her social media platform to advocate for better sizing from popular clothing brands. However, she is not representative of the plus-size community as a whole; she still has a relatively flat stomach, a smaller chest and an hourglass figure—she is plus size, but not too plus size for VS PINK. She still fits well within the beauty standard.

I know this article might read as “fat woman complains about the fashion industry for several paragraphs because it caused her a little extra middle school trauma” (which, to be fair, is a little bit close to what I’m doing), but I’d like to think that it’s doing more than just that. If you

are also a plus-size person, I’m sure you already understand the struggle of trying to find a fashionable, sizeinclusive store, as well as the embarrassment of having to explain to your thin friends that the store they all want to go to doesn’t even carry your size. But, to any straight-sized person reading this, I implore you to consider a couple things before the next time you buy new clothes. Shopping at size-inclusive brands supports the companies that are making an effort, which might

encourage more brands to follow suit. Giving your money to stores that only cater to thin people inherently contributes to the fatphobia that plagues the fashion industry, regardless of how many #girlboss #bodypositive Instagram stories you repost. So, while some progress for plus-size inclusivity has been made in the fashion industry, especially in the last decade, I think it’s time that we all encourage clothing brands to do more.

CWRU Film Society

Friday, March 18, 2022

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Rated R (97 min.)

Director: John Hughes

With Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald

Cosponsored by USNA - Undergraduate Student Nursing Association

They were five students with nothing in common, faced with spending a Saturday detention together in their high school library. At 7 a.m., they had nothing to say, but by 4 p.m., they had bared their souls to each other and become good friends. To the outside world they were simply the Jock, the Brain, the Criminal, the Princess, and the Kook, but to each other, they would always be the Breakfast Club.

Saturday, March 19, 2022

7:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Rated R (99 min.)

Director: Wes Anderson

With Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric Cosponsored by The Observer

This movie recounts the adventures of M. Gustave, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune—all against the backdrop of a suddenly and dramatically changing continent.

Vetter: Welcome to the national housing crisis

Milo Vetter Staff Writer

As you are probably aware by now, recently, the Case Western Reserve University administration announced that campus housing only has space for 83% of upperclassmen that apply for the on-campus housing lottery due to over-enrollment. They have since reversed that decision and claimed that they can now accommodate 100% of students, but only time will tell if that promise will be kept. Either way, I imagine this announcement, combined with the upcoming deadline for housing applications, has made most upperclassmen seriously weigh the option of off-campus housing.

And what an option it is. It’s probably a universal experience among upperclassmen at CWRU to have gone on Zillow and been absolutely flabbergasted at the unreal housing prices near University Circle. According to Zumper, the median rent in Cleveland has now reached $1,225 per month for a one-bedroom, a 7% increase from last year. Of course, this trend is not unique to Cleveland. Housing prices, especially in cities, have been skyrocketing over the past couple of years. Unfortunately, wages have not been rising, so housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable for even the middle class, let alone college students that live on ramen if they aren’t on the meal plan. For those of you who have considered or are currently living off-campus, you’ve received your first taste of the American housing crisis.

However, before I talk about our current crisis, let me briefly go over the 2008 financial crisis; it has a few key similarities and differences that help us understand the current situation. Starting around the 1990s, the United States experienced a large shift from traditional investment to debt-based investment. One reason for this is that debt can be viewed as an investment; only instead of being paid by the profits of a business, a creditor is paid by the interest of the debt they own. As an aside, this debt shift is a large part of why massive student debt is so common. But the

big sector affected by this debt shift was the housing sector—where financiers jumped on mortgage loans because of how safe mortgage loans are for creditors.

However, the problems started when the money tree of housing loans started giving diminishing returns. This led to financiers starting to back riskier loans—meaning the debtor is unlikely to be able to pay off the debt. However, there became a critical point where the rate of people defaulting on their loans was so high that investing in housing debt was no longer profitable. At this moment, the housing market was revealed to be what economists call a “bubble.” An economic bubble is a phenomenon where so much money is invested in something that its value is artificially inflated. Eventually, that thing must come back down to its real value, and everyone invested in it will lose tons of money. That’s what happened at this critical point in the housing market. The price of risky housing debt was inflated so high that eventually, the bubble popped.

Now, one key difference between 2008 and today is that the price of housing is being driven up by speculation instead of loans. Speculation, as it relates to housing, means buying a house to later sell it to someone else at a higher price because of an assumption that housing prices will continue to rise. This means that as long as housing prices keep rising, more and more houses will be vacant and owned by speculative investors instead of residents. This creates scarcity for those who want to actually live in a house, and since the demand for housing remains the same, the housing price will rise. The result is a horrifying feedback loop that rewards speculators and people who already own houses at the expense of anyone not affluent enough to buy a home.

Now, a question you may be having is, will the bubble pop? The answer is that this time, it’s not a bubble. This is good for speculators and

anyone invested in the stock market, but it’s bad for anyone trying to buy or rent. The unfortunate reality is that housing prices will continue to rise. And that’s not all—I haven’t even talked about Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Essentially, a REIT is a company that buys up real estate (commercial and residential), and collects rent to give to its investors. Imagine a landlord, but instead of a person, it’s a company. As housing prices continue to rise, real estate will likely start to gravitate away from individual owners (even landlords) and towards REITs. So not only will you pay exorbitant rent when you graduate, you may even end up fighting a corporate bureaucracy over broken plumbing instead of just a landlord.

So, what can be done about this mess? Well, any federal action is a complete nonstarter. The gridlock in the Senate is so complete that senators can’t even agree on infrastructure repair, let alone reforming the housing market at the expense of rich people. Action by executive order is also a nonstarter; by refusing to provide student debt relief by executive order, Biden has shown an unwillingness to help people with the presidential pen. Our most feasible option is local legislation.

For any of you interested in local politics, there are two main ways that this housing crisis can be alleviated at the local level. Firstly, the supply of housing must increase to meet the demand. Dense, multi-family housing must be built as quickly as possible—which means both changing local zoning laws that favor singlefamily homes and fighting NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard-ism) whenever it crops up in response to dense housing development. And secondly, the incentive structures currently in place must be changed. There are multiple complicated ways to do this, but I favor “vacancy taxes.” A vacancy tax is exactly what it sounds like—when one is in place, anyone or any company who owns a property but does not reside in it or

meaningfully use it has to pay (hopefully extremely high) taxes in order to keep it, or the local government will auction off the property.

And for those of you less interested in local politics, let’s talk about how you, as an individual, can navigate your way through this increasingly hostile market when you graduate. As a brief aside, some critics of my argument will say that housing prices are not insane everywhere, only in dense cities. This argument doesn’t have merit since the housing price in an area is directly related to the job opportunities in that area. Sure, you can rent a decaying apartment for $400 a month in a dying Appalachian coal-mining town, but good luck finding a job while you’re there. However, this argument does have a grain of truth to it; given the opportunity, you should absolutely choose a cheaper place to live if possible. Let’s say that you have two job offers: one in Seattle and one in Paducah, Kentucky. In that scenario, it’s probably worth taking the offer in Paducah, just for the lower rent prices. Also, consider roommates. You will almost definitely need a roommate or several roommates to chop up whatever rent you’ll pay once you make it to the real world.

Finally—and this sounds depressing—be prepared for the possibility that you’ll have to move back in with your parents after college. The mere thought of doing so might make you feel embarrassed, but the practice is becoming more and more common. Even before the pandemic, a Pew Research poll found that a staggering 47% of young adults (aged 18-29) in the U.S. lived with one or both parents. By July 2020, that number shot up to 52% due to people relocating because of the pandemic.

I know that for many of you, financial independence might be your American Dream, but we all have to play the hand that we’re dealt in this housing crisis, even if it means living with six roommates or living with your parents at age 30.

Women’s basketball falls to CMU in season finale

Abbey Lawrence ends CWRU career with a bang

In their 2022 season finale, the Case Western Reserve University women’s basketball team was outplayed by Carnegie Mellon University in a 71-56 loss. But it was fourth-year guard Abbey Lawrence who outshined them all.

CWRU celebrated “Senior Day” in the Horsburgh Gymnasium and honored Lawrence, their star player whose season was unfortunately cut short due to an ACL tear. In her 20 games this season, Lawrence led the UAA with 19.1 points per game on 43.0% shooting with a team-high 32.1% from beyond the arc while going 87.9% from the free throw line, which was the second-best mark in the conference and the sixth-best in the nation. She also averaged 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. Her 45 points against Waynesburg University on Nov. 16 was a program record and tied most for a Division III game this season. Additionally, she was named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association DIII National Player of the Week on Nov. 23.

After a back-and-forth exchange for the first six minutes, third-year forward Isabella Mills converted a 3-point play after being fouled on a made layup to put the Spartans in front 15-11. This lead wouldn’t last as the Tartans came roaring back to take the 19-15 off of three straight layups. CWRU tried to cut into the lead by getting to the free throw line, but CMU finished off the quarter with the 21-17 lead.

The Tartan offense fell into a sweet rhythm as they repeatedly penetrated the paint for easy scores at the rim. Their lead exploded to 27-19 with about six minutes left in the first half. The Spartans, meanwhile, couldn’t take the lid off the basket and continually settled for fruitless jumpers. In the last 30 seconds, however, third-year guard McKenna Gross hit a 3-point jumper to cut the Tartan lead to 36-31 to end the half.

The Spartan defense continued to crumble in the second half as the Tartans started hitting jumpers, taking the 40-31 lead less than two minutes in. Second-year guard Sarah Mitchell and second-year forward Kayla Characklis combined for nine straight points to trim the deficit to 42-40 and the Spartans seemed poised to make a comeback. Unfortunately, the Tartans held the Spartans scoreless for the rest of the quarter. CMU took advantage and went on a blazing 16-0 to finish the quarter with the commanding 58-40 lead.

It was a similar story for much of the fourth quarter, as the Tartans maintained a 71-54 lead with less than a minute left. With the game out of hand, Head Coach Jennifer Reimer subbed in CWRU legend Lawrence for one last minute in a CWRU uniform on the floor.

Off a missed CMU layup, Lawrence, who was playing cautiously having not completely recovered from her injury,

grabbed the rebound. She immediately surveyed the court, dribbled down to the right elbow and took a jump shot with four seconds left.

Swish.

The crowd was the loudest it had been all game. Lawrence’s family celebrated, overjoyed with a perfect walkoff moment for Lawrence.

“I was running on pure adrenaline at that point,” reflected Lawrence on the poetic moment. “I could hear people in the stands yelling at me to take it easy, but that’s something you really can’t say to an athlete. Once the ball fell into my hands, I just took off and hoped for the best. I really wasn’t expecting to score or having someone from the other team actually play defense. But that’s what made it all the more better—it wasn’t a pity point or play. It felt game-like and realistic.”

Lawrence also noted the magnitude of that experience combined with her “Senior Night,” saying, “It honestly was a fairytale ending. Despite what happened, I wanted to make sure that I ended my career on my terms, not my ACL’s. And that was me being on the court one last time with my teammates, in some capacity. A lot of people doubted the fact that I was going to step out onto the court, because it’s so unheard of to play, let alone walk, on a complete ACL tear. But I made sure to work hard and defy those odds. It was amazing having my closest friends and family in the stands supporting me and experiencing this with me.”

In the 71-56 loss, Characklis posted a game-high 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting to go along with a team-high 10 rebounds. Mills tallied 14 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists while Gross and Mitchell each added seven points.

Mills was chosen as an honorable mention for the All-UAA honors for her impressive season in which she averaged 12.6 points, 2.4 steals and 6.2 rebounds.

Lawrence finished her career with 987 points, the 16th highest amount in program history. Lawrence was also named one of the 11 finalists for the prestigious Jostens Trophy, which honors DIII basketball athletes for excellence on and off the court. Lawrence was also selected to the All-UAA Second Team, the second time in her career that she received that honor.

“From freshman to senior year, I feel that I have matured both as a person and as a player. Everything I’ve accomplished would not have been possible without the help and support from my family, friends, teammates and coaches,” Lawrence said. “I feel I’ve left my mark on this program because of the way I’m wired as a player. The records and accolades are nice, but I want to be viewed as the ultimate competitor—someone who unapologetically left it all out there every single practice and game.”

Puneet Bansal Sports Editor

Second-year forward Isabella Mills (#21) was an honorable mention for the All-UAA Honors after averaging 12.6 points, 2.4 steals and 6.2 rebounds this season. Chris Heermann/The Observer

Spartans men’s tennis reign supreme as 2022 ITA National Indoor Champions

tans entered the finals with an utter determination to raise the elusive ITA Indoor National Championship trophy.

“I think it’s important to have nerves in such an important match,” said Shah regarding his mentality towards the championship round.

On the other hand, veteran Diego Maza displayed a calmer attitude. “It was more of a feeling of excitement rather than nerves. I think we all knew what we were capable of and were ready to show it out on [the] court.”

According to Shah, Head Coach Todd Wojtkowski and the veterans emphasized that the last match is only “a match against Chicago, nothing more.”

The men’s tennis team raises the ITA championship trophy after defeating the University of Chicago 5-1. Courtesy of CWRU Athletics

The Case Western Reserve University men’s tennis team entered the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Indoor National Championship with high expectations. Not only were they the No. 1 seed in the tournament, which consisted of perennial Division III powerhouse Emory University and the Claremont Colleges’ highly ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team, but they had also boasted the No. 1 national recruiting class in 2021, with multiple four-star recruits and one fivestar recruit. Meeting these high hopes, the men’s tennis team delivered stunning performances in both their doubles and singles matches throughout the three-day tournament.

The Spartans decimated eighth-seed Gustavus Adolphus College with an 8-1

victory. Then, CWRU swept the singles matches against Adolphus, with hardfought victories from first-year phenom Ansh Shah in third singles and fourthyear Chaitanya Aduru in fifth singles. Third-year James Hopper, the No. 6 singles player in Division III, defeated the No. 33 singles player in first singles after effortlessly winning both sets 6-0 and 6-0. The Gusties’ only point came from a 8-6 win in the second doubles match against second-years Vishwa Aduru and Sahil Dayal.

The Spartans found similarly successful results in the semifinals after thrashing the Trinity University Tigers 8-1. However, the overall score does not do justice to the Tiger’s tenacious fight against the Spartans, especially in the

Dream season — contd. from pg. 1

With just 30 seconds left, the Titans went up 74-70 after nailing two free throws. Prendergast came to the rescue on the ensuing possession and drew a foul on a 3-point attempt. The season was on the line but Prendergast didn’t let the moment get to him. He swished all three attempts to bring the Spartans within one point. CWRU pressed full court for the final 24 seconds and forced a turnover. Newton saw an opportunity and shot a layup but missed. Frilling was in the right place at the right time and collected the offensive board for the go-ahead basket, putting the Spartans back on top 75-74.

CWRU played nine seconds of stellar defense, with Prendergast coming up with a steal and being immediately fouled by the Titans. Prendergast hit two more free throws to seal the comeback victory for the Spartans 7774, advancing CWRU to the sectional semifinals.

“Crazy man, we … have no idea what just happened,” said Newton about the CWRU locker room atmosphere in a post-game interview. “Down 14 at halftime, that’s honestly where we’re pretty comfortable at. We come out, we have a pretty good sense of urgency and then we just chip away, chip away … Just … a lot of energy.”

When asked about his dominant play on the floor, Prendergast pointed to the team’s chemistry and playmaking synergy.

“[It’s] the confidence we have in

each other … You can’t double when you have five scorers on the floor, and when Ryan [Newton]’s scoring like he does and giving that energy and we get offensive rebounds like we do, we’re a really good team.”

Strength in numbers was key for the Spartans as the bench, led by Newton and Drenth, poured in 40 of the team’s 77 points. Newton notched 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting to go with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks while Drenth tallied 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting with 5 rebounds. Prendergast added 15 points, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

UMHB—March 11

The Spartans returned home and set their eyes on the sectional semifinal matchup against the sixth-ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The historical game tipped off in front of a sold-out crowd in Horsburgh Gymnasium on March 11.

The Spartans pounced to an 8-2 lead following a 3-pointer from Prendergast, sending the crowd into a roaring frenzy to start the game. The Crusaders climbed back to tie the game, but CWRU answered with a 7-point lead following a 3-point shot from Drenth.

The two teams settled into a backand-forth game, with neither side letting the other take a double-digit lead. With 1:37 remaining in the first half, Newton flipped in a layup to give the Spartans the 39-31 lead. UMHB responded with 6 straight points and cut

singles matches. Though every doubles match resulted in 8-4 wins for the Spartans, the singles matches saw Hopper, first singles, fall against the No. 7 singles player in the country in the tiebreaker, 10-9. Meanwhile, second singles Vishwa Aduru, ranked No. 32, faced stiff competition against Hao Nyugen, ranked No. 29, with his singles match being decided in a close tiebreaker set favoring Aduru 1-0. Chaitanya Aduru did not allow his opponent to win more than two games in both sets of the fifth singles match. These dominating performances helped the Spartans secure a ticket to the ITA Indoor National Championship Finals against the University of Chicago Maroons.

With home-court advantage and momentum from their victories, the Spar-

their deficit to 2, but Drenth slipped in a quick layup just as the half expired to put the Spartans up 41-37 going into the break.

CWRU’s fiery offense propelled them to a 49-37 lead at the start of the second half. The Crusaders never lost confidence and slowly clawed back in the game, eventually taking the 62-61 lead with 8:24 left.

The Spartans remained in a tight match, with the lead changing hands eight times until the final five seconds. Prendergast went to the foul line and split the free throws, giving the Spartans a 75-73 advantage. On the final possession, UMHB hit a pair of clutch free throws to tie the score and send the game into overtime.

Prendergast scored 5 points to put the Spartans ahead 84-82 but the team simply ran out of gas. Suffering multiple defensive breakdowns, the Spartans let the Crusaders go on a 7-0 run to close out the game 89-84.

Though the loss marked the end of CWRU’s postseason run, it also concluded the best season in program history with a 20-7 overall record and a program-best No. 2 ranking in the conference standings.

Prendergast delivered a record-setting performance, tying his career-high with 32 points on 9-of-18 shooting and setting the single-game program record with eight three-pointers. Additionally, Prendergast’s season will go down in the CWRU record books as one of the best individual performances ever, as he set the program record in free throw percentage (93.2%) and

With doubles matches commencing the finals, Chaitanya Aduru and thirdyear Michael Sutanto handed the Maroons their first defeat, 8-2. Shortly after, the Spartans had a commanding 3-0 overall lead following solid wins from first doubles, Hopper and Jonathan Powell, and second doubles, Vishwa Aduru and Dayal. Needing only two more wins to become champions, the Spartans displayed their prowess under pressure in the singles matches. The two wins required came from Shah in third singles and Powell in sixth singles.

“It felt surreal,” said Shah following his victory, which placed the Spartans only one win away from becoming champions. “The main goal in any match is to contribute to the team … and to be able to do that in the national finals was an experience I’ll never forget.”

Though the Spartans fittingly ended their flawless tournament performance with a 5-1 win over the University of Chicago Maroons, they know that there is still work to be done in order to take home the trophy at the 2022 NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Championship later this spring.

three-pointers made in a season (78). He was named the UAA Athlete of the Week for the second time in his career for his stellar performance in the sectional semifinal.

This Wednesday, Prendergast was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 7 First Team and the D3hoops.com All-Region 7 First Team. Frilling was also honored by D3hoops.com, being named to the All-Region 7 Third Team.

Newton added 13 points off the bench to go along with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and a block. Frilling poured in 12 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and a block while Drenth tallied 11 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds.

When discussing the team’s camaraderie and underdog mentality through the season, Prendergast said, “I think that this whole year, we’ve just come so close as a team and even off the floor. From the beginning, we knew that we could do this [but] we got picked in the middle of the conference. Nobody really believed in us and we proved them wrong.”

The NCAA DIII Championship semifinals are slated for March 18 at Fort Wayne, Indiana. Elmhurst University, who defeated UMHB in the sectional finals, will face Wabash College while Marietta College will battle against Randolph-Macon College to make it out of the Final Four into the championship game. The tournament finale will take place on March 19 at 6:00 pm.

Sidharth Ranga Contributing Writer

No. 1 ranked men’s tennis team continues its strong performance on the road

Vicario and Kanam each had dominant victories of their own as well.

Against Southwestern, the Spartans yet again swept their opponents with a 9-0 victory. Starting with doubles, Hopper and Powell won 8-3, Vishwa Aduru and Dayal pulled away with an 8-5 victory and Chaitanya Aduru and Sutanto secured an 8-1 win. In singles, Hopper won a hard-fought match 4-6, 6-0, 10-6. Vishwa Aduru and Sutanto both swept their opponents 6-0, 6-0. Shah, Chaitanya Aduru and Powell each won their matches to complete the sweep.

At the end of the trip, it was announced that the CWRU men’s tennis team was ranked No. 1 in the latest ITA DIII Men’s National Team Rankings. It was the first time in CWRU athletics history that a team reached the top rank.

Over spring break, men’s tennis became the first CWRU athletic team to be ranked No. 1 nationally. Courtesy of CWRU Athletics

Kyle Grover

While most students were relaxing during a much-needed spring break, the Case Western Reserve University men’s tennis team traveled to Orlando, Fla. to compete in six matches in a span of just four days. The 2022 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) national indoor champions went into the trip boasting three nationally ranked players and a 7-1 record. Third-year James Hopper, firstyear Ansh Shah and second-year Vishwa Aduru are currently ranked No. 6, No. 10 and No. 32 respectively in singles. With two matches unable to be played due to rain, CWRU went 5-1 last week to improve to a 12-2 overall record.

The Spartans started the week off strong with a convincing 9-0 victory over Hampden-Sydney College last Tuesday. The doubles teams of Anthony Kanam and Chris Provenzano, Diego Maza and Max Vicario and Daniel French and Yuvraj Narang gave CWRU an early 3-0 lead with their swift victories.

First-year Ajay Mahenthiran led the way in first singles with a 6-2, 6-0 victory

followed by first-year Casey Hishinuma with a 6-2, 6-1 victory. Kanam, Provenzano, Maza and Vicario continued with decisive victories of their own in singles to conclude the Spartans’ sweep.

The team’s next two scheduled matches—which were supposed to be on Tuesday against Wesleyan University and on Wednesday against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute—could not be played due to extreme weather conditions.

Even with stiffer competition, the team’s success continued with another sweeping 9-0 victory against No. 14 Carnegie Mellon University on Thursday. This time, the doubles teams of Hopper and Jonathan Powell, Vishwa Aduru and Sahil Dayal and Chaitanya Aduru and Michael Sutanto paved the way for CWRU’s early 3-0 advantage. Hopper, Vishwa Aduru, Sutanto, Powell, Mahenthiran and Shah all also had quick victories in singles to complete the sweep.

Unfortunately, the Spartans did not fare well in their second match of the day against No. 21 Division II Wayne State

University. Of the six single matches, only Powell and Vicario came away with victories. Maza and Kanam were the lone doubles team to secure points as Wayne State defeated CWRU 5-2.

Despite this loss, the Spartans rallied to defeat DI Sacred Heart University for their third consecutive match of the day. CWRU started off by securing two out of the three doubles points. Hopper and French prevailed 6-4 at second doubles, while Shah and Provenzano won 7-6 at third doubles. In singles, Vishwa Aduru, Shah and Kanam secured victories to clinch a CWRU victory of 4-2.

CWRU finished their spring trip last Friday with crushing victories over No. 40 Haverford College and No. 23 Southwestern University. Against Haverford, the Spartans swept doubles with an 8-0 victory from Hopper and Powell, an 8-1 win from Vishwa Aduru and Dayal and an 8-5 victory from Chaitanya Aduru and Sutanto. In singles, Hishinuma started off with a 6-0, 6-2 victory followed by Sutanto with a 6-0, 6-3 victory. Maza, Shah,

“It feels great, but we know it’s only halfway through the season,” said Shah on the ranking and the approach for the remaining season. “We have to keep preparing for the new challenges that lie ahead for our upcoming competitions. I think our mindset has always been to not look too far ahead, so if we stick to our process and only focus on what we can control, the results will follow.”

Vishwa Aduru added, “I think it’s a great milestone for [CWRU and CWRU athletics], but we still have a long way to go to be where we want to be at the end of the season. It hasn’t affected our preparation much, since we know that every team we play will be playing their best tennis and want to beat us. We are just taking it one day at a time, doing whatever we can at practice to get better. We hope to continue this success for the rest of the season, and we are preparing for whatever is going to come our way.”

Since returning to Cleveland, the Spartans have begun preparing for their next set of matches, as five of their next seven opponents are currently ranked. CWRU will face No. 10 North Carolina Wesleyan College on April 2, No. 21 Kenyon College on April 3, No. 2 University of Chicago and No. 25 Kalamazoo College on April 10 and No. 14 Carnegie Mellon University on April 16.

Christian Eriksen returns to soccer marks a promising leap forward for medical devices

Gaurav Hardikar Staff Writer

Last June, Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen walked onto the pitch for his country to face Finland in the group stage of the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship in Copenhagen. Little did he know that his life, along with the lives of many others, would be forever changed by this match.

The match remained tied at 0 with less than three minutes left in the half. As a teammate targeted Eriksen on a throw-in, Eriksen made contact with the ball and suddenly collapsed. Confusion quickly turned into panic, with both Danish and Finnish players surrounding Eriksen and frantically waving the medical staff over as thousands of fans stood in disbelief.

Eriksen had suffered a cardiac arrest and was administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). He was proclaimed to be dead for five whole minutes before an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) gave his heart a jumpstart. With his heart finally pumping blood again, Eriksen was rushed to the hospital for immediate surgery. The match, meanwhile, was suspended.

The match was eventually resumed and Finland won 1-0 after forward Joel Pohjanpalo scored in the 60th minute. However, the real victory belonged to Eriksen, who was in

stable condition following a surgery where doctors installed an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) to address Eriksen’s arrhythmia. The small medical device serves an important role in resetting the heart following a cardiac arrest.

However, Eriksen’s professional future looked bleak—ICD recipients are generally advised to stay away from most cardio-intensive sports. Fortunately, Eriksen knew that his former teammate, Ajax’s Daley Blind, had been given a similar device and yet was still playing soccer professionally. Eriksen contacted Blind for advice and planned his road to recovery.

Hope grew for Eriksen, as he was

inspired by the story of a 71-year-old man who received an ICD and went on to participate in 12 marathons. Furthermore, a 2017 study by the Yale School of Medicine disputed the general consensus around physical activity for those with ICDs. The study selected patients from 61 research sites—42 within North America—and monitored them every six months over a four-year period. The study ultimately concluded that any risk from ICDS to athletes was exceedingly low.

As Eriksen prepared for a return to the pitch, he received disheartening news. His club, Serie A’s Inter Milan, was forced to terminate his contract since ICDs and other certain medical devices are not legal in Italy. Eriksen then signed with Brentford FC, marking his return to the English Premier League (EPL).

On Feb. 26, Eriksen’s long-awaited return to professional soccer finally arrived. The 30-year-old started the game on the sidelines as Brentford hosted Newcastle. Eventually he was substituted in for Mathias Jensen in the 52nd minute. Welcomed by thunderous applause, Eriksen played the rest of the way through, though, the opposing Newcastle walked away with a 2-0 victory.

Fast forward to March 12 and Brentford was looking to secure their

second straight victory following the previous week’s 3-1 win over Norwich City. This match, however, came down to the wire, as Burnley FC put up a great fight until the 85th minute. Eriksen recorded his first Premier League assist in over 800 days with a pass to striker Ivan Toney, who put Brentford up 1-0 with just five minutes remaining in regulation.

Though it was an emotional moment for Eriksen, the lead was still slim as Burnley fought for an equalizer. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Eriksen found Toney again for what might’ve been another assist. Toney was instead fouled by Nathan Collins and awarded a penalty kick. Thankfully, he nailed it and sealed the much-needed 2-0 victory for Brentford. Their next EPL match will be one on the road, with a trip to No. 12 Leicester City.

With Eriksen officially back in action and making waves, Brentford’s chances of moving up in the EPL standings are better than ever. On another note, Eriksen’s story is a momentous win for medical devices, as ICDs have proven that they can keep the heart going with even the most strenuous of physical activities. Hopefully, Eriksen’s story will inspire athletes and scientists alike to keep pushing, no matter the challenge ahead.

Contributing Writer

Christian Eriksen impressed in his second game back to action with Brentford FC following his lifethreatening cardiac arrest.

Courtesy of CNN