The Observer, Volume LIV, Issue 3, 9/9/22

New $300 million research building to replace Yost

President Eric Kaler has made clear that his goal as president of Case Western Reserve University is to ex pand the research capabilities of the university. In order to do so, the uni versity plans not only to increase the student population on campus, but to also build a new research facility on the Case Quad.

Over the course of the past aca demic year—Kaler’s first year at CWRU—major changes were an nounced to substantially increase the amount of students being admitted to campus, thereby increasing the inflow of tuition and allowing more funds for research purposes. These plans included the housing controversy last spring, where the president and his ad ministration announced that housing would no longer be guaranteed for up perclass students due to the size of the incoming class of first-year students. Though the changes to housing policy were walked back, the plans regard ing increased enrollment remained the same.

Plans for two new residence halls in the South Residential Village (SRV) also went into motion last year after delays due to the COVID-19 pandem ic, now with an expected completion of fall 2024. While these were origi nally planned to take the place of a number of older residence halls for second-year students, they are now planned as a supplement to preex isting buildings due to the increased campus population.

With these plans in place, new re search buildings are also in the works, including a $300 million project in the place of Yost Hall, which was origi nally built in the 1950s as residential space for the Case Institute of Tech nology. Yost is currently being used for administrative offices and class room spaces and while some offices are expected to be moved to Adelbert Hall, it is unclear whether all staff will

move there or if other spaces will be retrofitted, especially during the up coming construction.

This new building, announced at an alumni philanthropy event, would be around 250,000 square feet—far larger than the current 50,000 square foot Yost. This new research center, originally envisioned and outlined in the CWRU master plan in 2018, was only to be around 170,000 square feet, but, with growing numbers of students and a renewed push toward research across all disciplines, that building plan has doubled.

Further, funding has grown quicker

than originally anticipated, so plans for its expansion are much more fea sible. The Cleveland Innovation Dis trict, a stimulus plan created by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, has been a major proponent in this budget expan sion. The university’s own Next Gen eration HealthCare Initiative has ben efited greatly from the district’s funds, given CWRU’s history of medical breakthroughs.

This building was also chosen by the Clean Energy Smart Manufactur ing Innovation Institute (CESMII) to be a hub of clean energy. This program is funded by the U.S. Department of

Energy and works to increase the usage of data and more advanced sensors to make manufacturing more efficient. One of the reasons this location was chosen is because of the historically scientific nature of the Case Quad, as it used to be the home of CWRU’s predecessor, the Case Institute of Technology.

There is no current timeline of when this project will break ground and even less information on when it will be completed. For now though, the CWRU community is excited to see further improvements to the Case Quad and surrounding areas.

CWRU responds to new DACA ruling

Following the new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) rul ing, President Eric Kaler and Provost Ben Vinson III have stated Case West ern Reserve University’s approval and dedication to uphold this matter. The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new proposed ruling comes in the wake of a July 2021 court deci sion by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

DHS’s final ruling will be placed into effect on Oct. 31, 2022. Until then, the U.S. District Court’s deci sion will remain law. As a result, DHS is still currently unable to grant new DACA requests. In the court’s ratio nale for the injunction, Judge Andrew S. Hanen explains that, although new requests cannot be fulfilled, current DACA recipients would not be im pacted right away; they would still be able to continue residing in the coun try, as well as renew their DACA pro tections.

The DACA policy, which has been

in place since 2012, has allowed ap proximately 825,000 people to le gally continue residing in the U.S., and many people who still receive deferred action came to the country before the age of five. Currently, those who depend upon DACA report that this employment authorization helped them secure a new or higher paying job.

Allowing the District Court’s rul ing to continue to impact those that require DACA protections will cause harm to a large number of individu als. As long as the DHS is unable to fulfill new applications, “Dreamers” will be unable to be granted work au thorization that allow for immigrants to better support themselves and their families as well as contribute to the economy of the country.

President Joe Biden himself sup ports the need for this policy to be put place, commenting “DACA reflects a judgment that these immigrants should not be a priority for removal

based on humanitarian concerns and other considerations, and that work authorization will enable them to sup port themselves and their families, and to contribute to our economy, while they remain.”

In the new policy guidance, DHS decided to maintain the same criteria for DACA requests. Additionally, the process for those seeking work autho rization is to remain the same. There fore, those who were eligible to apply before the District Court ruling will still be eligible once this policy goes into effect. Moreover, DHS reiterated that receiving DACA protections is not a form of “lawful status.”

Instead, it means that recipients are simply “lawfully present” in the country.

Kaler and Vinson shared their wholehearted support for the rein statement of DACA. They stated that, “[CWRU] has seen firsthand the ex ceptional benefits of the growing in ternational nature of our campus. We will continue to increase our global

engagement and embrace all people.”

In response to the ruling, Kaler and Vinson restated some of CWRU’s commitments to the student body. They explain that regardless of actual immigration status, all students are welcome to be a part of the university. All student records regarding immi gration are to be kept confidential un less required by law.

CWRU’s discrimination policy fol lows this same line of reasoning. The discrimination policy is as follows, “[CWRU] does not discriminate in recruitment, employment, or policy administration on the basis of race, re ligion, age, sex, color, disability, sex ual orientation or gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, or status as a dis abled veteran or other protected veter an under U.S. federal law.” According to these promises, students that are immigrants, legal or otherwise, will be welcomed into the CWRU com munity.

Grace Johnson News Editor

CWRU’s 2018 Campus Master Plan shows a view of the Case Quad and the university’s proposed new research center (center right) replacing Yost Hall. Courtesy of CWRU

Sarah Karkoff

Saul-utations: Vince Gilligan Signals the End of an Era

On Aug. 15, fans of the hit televi sion series “Breaking Bad” immersed themselves in the harrowingly realis tic and deeply poignant universe that Vince Gilligan constructed nearly 15 years ago for one final time. The pre quel series “Better Call Saul,” lauded by some critics as the greatest pre quel series ever made, and possibly better than its groundbreaking parent series “Breaking Bad,” carved out a path in television that will likely never be seen again.

Detailing the rise of attorney Jim my McGill (Bob Odenkirk), eventu ally working under the name Saul Goodman, “Better Call Saul” allows fans to reconsider “Breaking Bad” because it gives them something new to chew on. The titular char acter longingly lingers in the shad ows of his successful older brother Chuck McGill (Michael McKean); his awe-inspiring performance gets lost in the mix of excellency around him. Chuck McGill is a member of the firm Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM), along with Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian). Jimmy starts out in the mailroom at HHM, while earn ing his degree from the University of American Samoa Law School. It is while working in the mailroom that Jimmy meets Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), an attorney at HHM. Eventually Jimmy and Kim start dat ing and form a relationship that is al ready considered to be in the canon of tragic television love stories. Af

ter getting his law degree, Jimmy is not given a position at the firm, caus ing Jimmy to go out and pursue his own business, along with Kim. Af ter seeing his future success, How ard invites Jimmy back, and it is this act of goodwill by Howard that sets in motion many of the key events that cause a tumultuous downfall of many characters in the final season.

Fans are also introduced to Nacho Varga (Michael Mando) who, despite starting off with a crowd of cartel members—including Tuco Salaman ca (Raymond Cruz), from the origi nal series—finds his way working alongside Jimmy, and makes the ulti mate sacrifice to protect himself, his father and his reputation. In the lat ter half of the series, Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) plays a key role in the plot, making plans against Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), before getting floored by the fried-chicken slinging, methamphetamine kingpin. The audience also welcomes back some familiar faces from “Breaking Bad,” including Gus Fring, Tuco, Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis) as well as fan favorite Mike Ehrman traut/Finger (Jonathan Banks). Brief cameos are also made by Bryan Cran ston and Aaron Paul, reprising their illustrious roles as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, respectively.

Throughout the series, viewers bear witness to the rise of Jimmy Mc Gill and, more profoundly, the rea sons for his actions as Saul Goodman

in “Breaking Bad.” Upon first watch, I viewed his character as nothing more than comedic relief and disre garded his character in the scheme of the rest of the story. However, upon a second watch of “Breaking Bad,” and watching “Better Call Saul,” I can only applaud Odenkirk’s choices as an actor. The sentiment should also be extended to Vince Gilligan for writing such a tragic charac ter and presenting him as the sharp antithesis of one. Jimmy lives in a constant state of trying to impress Chuck, even attending law school at the University of American Samoa in an attempt to be more relatable. This ultimately fails, as the house-ridden Chuck, struck with a disorder known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), still takes his brother to court and suffers the first judicial misstep of his career. As a result of Chuck’s disrespect, Jimmy starts practicing law under the name Saul Goodman because he wants to break free of the psychological stronghold Chuck held over him, and to be seen as his own person, not “Chuck’s brother.”

The prequel series defied all pre dictions of how it would end. Rather than focusing on Saul’s eventual run in with Walter and Jesse, the show focuses on Saul’s life following the events of “Breaking Bad.” After be ing caught, Saul receives another new identity, Gene Takovic, and works as a manager of a Cinnabon inside an Omaha shopping mall. It is

a sad decline for the character, who earlier in the series saw a meteoric rise through his toxic manipulation of those closest to him. In the final episodes, we see him take advantage of an elderly neighbor, Marion (Car ol Burnett) who delivers a stunning act of dramaturgy. I will not spoil ev erything here, but the show ends on a satisfying note—not one necessarily of high or low standing, but one that completes the story of a universe that left fans reeling for a decade and a half.

In today’s digital landscape, with an ever-increasing number of origi nal series put out by streaming ser vices tailored to more specific niches of society, “Better Call Saul”—and “Breaking Bad” before it—shows audiences the unequivocal feeling of connectedness and relatability of prestige television. It did not pan der to its audience and did not take their intelligence or consumption in vain.

Rather, it rewarded viewers for giving the show a chance. As execu tive producers, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould and Thomas Schnauz aimed to create a story containing a realistic narrative, and with a streaming ser vice’s 90-second preview for a 15year long saga, much can get lost in translation.

“El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” as well as the first five sea sons of “Better Call Saul” can be viewed on Netflix, and the latter can be enjoyed in its entirety on AMC+.

TJ Disabato Staff Writer

The series finale of “Better Call Saul,” the prequel to “Breaking Bad,” was released on Aug. 15, providing fans of the 15-year saga the conclusion that they’ve been waiting for. Courtesy of AMC

Cleveland Curiosities: A bizarre start to your spooky season

Joey Gonzalez Life Editor

It’s no secret that Lakewood has its fair share of unique stores, from crystal and rock shops to bookstores with entire sections dedicated to mysteries and the occult. As a fan and frequent visitor of these kinds of shops, I spent my week end exploring and spending my way through a few. And while each of them had a little something to add to my col lection, there was one that stuck out to me as my new personal favorite, a store that is both equally intriguing and unset tling: Cleveland Curiosities: Antiques & Oddities.

As the name suggests, the store car ries one-of-a-kind items ranging from taxidermied animals, skulls and even bones to antique medicine bottles, stat ues and more. The items available for purchase are only half the charm of the store, as just browsing for an hour left me finding artifacts that my eyes had missed even by my fourth time around. Covered in taxidermied animal heads as well as antique photographs, paint ings and posters, the walls of the shop transform into visually stunning dis plays of their eclectic selection of goods. The coffin shaped shelves—several of which are for sale—house other oddities like candles, antique books, skulls and too many other items to list. A few of the cabinets, which can be opened with the help of the worker, hold some of the more gruesome items that might not be for the faint of heart. In one there were several animals preserved in jars, from a disfigured piglet to an isopod. Though the artifacts were unsettling, I still couldn’t help but examine each cabinet with the awe of a kid in a candy store.

Human and animal skulls, old medical journals and taxidermy figures littered the shelves like a quasi-science lab.

Cleveland Curiosities carries too many items to name in this article, but I’d like to highlight a few interesting pieces. The store has a ton of antique jewelry, including Victorian lockets, necklaces, brooches and rings of all

sizes. The jewelry varies in style, me dium and gemstone. Additionally, they carry a vast collection of antique books, including the aforementioned medi cal journals, natural world textbooks, Boy Scout pamphlets, old-school stage magic manuals and much more. Antique perfume bottles and old medical tools also drew my eye. While these weren’t exactly my cup of tea, I was also drawn towards the statues and figures that were scattered around the store. From Greek gods to Christian saints, the store has an extensive collection of figures for any shelf. And if you aren’t buying for your self, the store is the perfect place to shop

for “that hard to buy for person on your list.”

The taxidermy that covered the shelves and walls also made for an in teresting aesthetic, with samples ranging from the traditional deer head to more intriguing medical mysteries. On one wall hung an upside down opossum, who seemed to be chugging a Busch Lite, while another hung from the ceil ing by its tail. Sitting on top of a shelf was a cyclops lamb, with one eye cov ering its entire face. In a different part of the store, there was a two-headed calf who sat facing the entrance.

Cleveland Curiosities also sells their

TWICE’s New Comeback: Between 1&2

Two weeks ago, TWICE made their comeback with “Between 1&2.” It has finally caught on for me and has been a mini-album that I have been playing on repeat since its re lease. After listening to each song— way too many times—I can say that I am thoroughly impressed with the quality TWICE put into their latest comeback.

For those who are not aware, TWICE is a nine-member South Ko rean girl group formed under JYP Entertainment. They debuted in 2015 and have become one of the most suc cessful groups in the K-pop industry, going on to win numerous awards and performing sold-out shows around the world. More recently, TWICE has begun to expand their audience by releasing tracks sung in Japanese and English.

Their comeback begins with the ti tle track: “Talk That Talk.” In all hon esty, I couldn’t see the appeal of this song at first, but it eventually grew on me. “Talk That Talk” is just under three minutes long and mixes many styles of music, including disco and pop. Several things about the song had me sold. The clear, strong vocals of each member helped to keep me fully engaged. The flawless trade-off of lines between members gave the song a clean finish. I couldn’t detect too much autotune with each mem ber, which really showed off what each member was capable of. The simple melody is also easy to sing or hum along to. While I am not a huge fan of the rap section of the song,

they balanced the pre-chorus and chorus sections wonderfully.

In regards to the music video that accompanied “Talk That Talk,” it was utterly stunning, as usual. There is a fierceness to each of the member’s vi suals that complements the fierce na ture of the song. In addition, there are both blue and white color schemes as well as red and black, which bridges their former cute theme with their current, more mature style. I enjoyed the mix between the ‘90s and modern trends in the video, as well as refer ences to previous songs like “YES or YES.” There is even a QR code at the end of the video that takes fans to an old Instagram photo announcing the name of their fandom—ONCE.

As for the choreography of “Talk That Talk,” TWICE did not disap point. Their movements were filled with energy and the group’s synchro nization was on another level. One part that I really enjoyed was the free style section at the end of the third chorus. Moments like these really highlight the message of the song. It is also a perfect break for individual members in large groups to stand out.

Moving to the remaining tracks of the mini-album, I would say that TWICE produced a versatile set of songs to listen to. “Queen of Hearts” takes a balanced approach to poprock and pop-metal with a great buildup, but it isn’t my taste in music so I would say it was my least favor ite from the mini-album. “Basics,”my favorite of the B-side songs, has a flirty, sparkly beat with a satisfying,

repetitive chorus that will be stuck in your head for the next month. “Trou ble” has a strong opening followed by a pounding bass and a catchy chorus that carries on throughout the rest of the song. “Brave” harmonizes each of the member’s voices, creat ing a unique merging of voices that strangely work very well together. “Gone” acts as the dark horse of this mini-album because of its sonic/ techno concept, which was integrat ed very well with the group’s tradi

own merchandise, including hats, stick ers and hoodies. If you’re interested in the weird yet intriguing, I recommend you take a trip over to Lakewood and see the store for yourself. The staff is incredibly friendly and will answer any questions that you may have. Items ro tate daily, so you might get to see some new additions. Even if taxidermy, can dles and antiques don’t fit in the college budget—or the dorm room aesthetic— it’s still a great place to get your spook on as the leaves begin to change. Who knows, you might just leave with some thing that everyone will always ask you about.

tionally cute style. “When We Were Kids” ends this album delicately and gently with strong vocals and beauti ful harmonies.

Overall, I thought TWICE pro duced a strong title track and minialbum with an incredible balance between concepts while still main taining their signature flair. This al bum offers a little bit of everything, and is definitely worth listening to on your favorite streaming service.

Matthew Chang Staff Writer

Cleveland Curiosities’ taxidermy animals are among the shop’s many unique antiques and oddities. Courtesy of Cleveland Curiosities

K-pop girl group TWICE has won over 100 awards since they first debuted in 2015. Courtesy of JYPE Studios

FX’s “The Bear” dishes out the heat and the drama of restaurant life

In the volatile, fast-paced world of a chef, even chaos needs to be orderly. Whether you’re broiling a beef shoul der, sautéing a medley of vegetables or emulsifying a variety of sauces, every move you make has to be on time and in line with the rest of the kitchen to keep the proverbial pot from boiling over.

But, with a myriad of ingredients in play, what happens if you add in a help ing of disorder to your staff, a smidge of economic turmoil to your restaurant and a dash of emotional trauma to your head chef? That’s what FX’s show “The Bear” examines in its eight-episode sea son.

The series, which came direct-tostreaming on Hulu in June, follows Car men “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a highly successful rising chef, as he returns home to his family-owned restaurant in Chicago after the previ ous owner—his brother Michael (Jon Bernthal)—had an untimely death. Left to Carmy in Michael’s will, the Italian sandwich shop called The Original Beef of Chicagoland, or simply just The Beef, is a failing, grimy mom and pop locale that mainly caters to the faithful residents of the local neighborhood, River North. And much like the clientele, the veteran staff members at The Beef are unchang ing in their ways and see Carmy’s recent takeover of the place as more of a threat than a new opportunity.

It doesn’t help, then, that from the start of the series Carmy is set on making something out of the restaurant and tries to implement his vast culinary knowl edge in the newly acquired kitchen. But this isn’t the only strain that’s put on the staff, as Carmy also brings on a new staff member, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), who shares a similar passion and cook ing expertise as Carmy, much to the dis may of practically everyone else.

With all of this dysfunction going on inside the shop, the underlying grief sur rounding Michael’s death and the im

mense pressure that’s put on Carmy’s shoulders carry over into everything else in the show. Now in charge of a rundown restaurant, Carmy is left trying to figure out the business side of things while also dealing with the sorrow that he and his sister, Sugar (Abby Elliot), feel about their brother. These sentiments are fur ther complicated by the fact that Carmy has returned to Chicago estranged from those who once knew him, and his cold, isolated demeanor—due to his own in ner struggles—continuously increases this feeling.

Now, aside from the premise of the series and the intrigue that it inspires, one thing that “The Bear” does master fully is capture what I imagine to be the reality of working in a restaurant’s kitch en. It’s full of high intensity, rapid action shots of the food sizzling to perfection as the staff darts in between stations. There are longer tracking shots that follow one of the characters as they hurry around the kitchen, constantly calling out some common restaurant lingo like “behind!” when they’re passing someone working at a station or “corner!” as they round a bend.

Equally well-voiced in the show is the slew of insults, yelling and profan ity that surge around the kitchen faster than the smells do. Most of these come from Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Michael’s long-time best friend and the de facto leader of the original staff, who is quick to voice his discontent with The Beef’s new regime whenever he gets the chance.

But it’s in this raw emotion and the speed at which everything is occurring that makes the show feel palpable. It’s this drive and passion for the way that things should be run that makes you feel how dedicated the staff are to the restau rant. And through all the conflict and the bickering, you can sense how close-knit and loving all of the characters are with each other; so much so that they genu

inely resemble more of a diverse, dys functional family than a kitchen crew.

At its core, “The Bear” dramatically shows how turbulent trying to run a restaurant can be in the face of both in ternal and external hardships. It’s in the nuance of the show—its acting and its situational complexities—that the dark comedic nature of “The Bear” appears in full force, causing you to both laugh

and despair within the same scene. And it’s by feeling these highs and lows that you get drawn into the storyline and find yourself binging the whole season in the blink of an eye. So, if you’re looking for a chaotic ride full of loud-mouthed char acters dealing with all kinds of tension in a deteriorating restaurant, then checking out “The Bear” might prove to be some food for thought.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” did not live up to its potential

The Case Western Reserve University Film Society showings at Strosacker Au ditorium have become a time-honored tradition for CWRU students interested in a more relaxed Friday or Saturday night. In the spirit of a new school year, last Friday, Sept. 9, students were offered a free showing of the blockbuster film “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” By 7 p.m. that night, the lecture hall was converted into a makeshift movie theater equipped with a large projection screen, surround system audio and a concession stand. Wide-eyed first-years and veteran CWRU movie-watchers packed the low er and balcony levels, excited to have this welcome break from classes.

It’s no secret that the Film Society does an incredible job setting the theater mood, but the movie itself is what we are here for. Unfortunately, despite glowing reviews from popular critics, “Every thing Everywhere All at Once” was not exactly what it set out to be.

The movie revolves around the fan tastical adventure of Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), a Chinese immigrant faced with the unimaginable challenge of protecting the multiverse by battling her own daughter. In doing so, a domes ticated Evelyn is taught to harness hid den powers by jumping into alternate dimensions and taking on the skills of other multiversal versions of herself. On its surface, the sci-fi elements display a wild and often humorous rendition of

what we believe to be the multiverse, going from the believable to the abso lutely absurd. But deep down, the movie captures the raw experience of being a Chinese immigrant navigating the new ness of American culture, traditions and processes. Showcasing relatable fam ily arguments and identity struggles, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” touches the audience through its accu rately flawed characters and troubled family dynamics. This level of complex ity was bolstered by performances by Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu and others who portrayed each character with such at tention to body language and facial ex pressions that you couldn’t help but keep watching.

In hindsight, my only complaints are with the pacing of the plot and the pre dictable ending that overshadowed any initial storytelling. While directors Dan iel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert were suc cessful in engaging audiences with quip humor, certain scenes felt drawn out and made watching a chore. For instance, battle scenes in the IRS office became routine and even “verse jumping” lost its charm. In addition, the ending, like many movies about family relationships, hinged on the importance of the abstract concepts of love and acceptance. Al though this message is often successful in cookie-cutter Disney films, “Every thing Everywhere All at Once” sets itself up as a unique experience that deserves

a much better finish. In my opinion, the ending dulled the power of this sci-fi drama crossover, drawing all attention to the slice-of-life plot line instead.

So, should you watch “Everything Everywhere All at Once”? Well, that re ally comes down to personal preference. However, I will say that while the movie was not exactly my cup of tea, the expe rience itself was something memorable.

Getting to enjoy concessions, the com pany of friends and the relaxation of a movie theater setting, I was still able to bring some fun to my weekend. Thus, regardless of movie quality, I implore all CWRU students to give Film Soci ety productions a chance. Take part in this campus tradition and experience the magic of movies from the comfort of our very own Strosacker Auditorium.

Alan Kronenberg

Shivangi Nanda Copy Editor

Combining the order of a restaurant kitchen and the chaos of human rela tionships, FX’s “The Bear” follows chef Carmen Berzatto when he returns to his family restaurant after the tragic death of his brother. Courtesy of Hulu

A medley of comedy, sci-fi and family drama, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” leads its own legacy as a movie about a vast multiverse. Courtesy of A24

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Read by Mulan Ma

The Magician (Upright)

Right now, everything is in your hands. Do with that what you will.

The Star (Upright)

There are some mysterious things happening behind the scenes, keep an eye on what doesn’t seem quite right.

Justice (Upright)

This card is not a card that goes to the favor of the querent, but instead works in true fairness to the universe. A situation will end with fair outcomes for both parties, likely a dispute.

The Emperor (Upright)

The figure on this card is an older man sitting on a throne. There is a strong need to conquer your goals this week, with the odds in your favor to do so.

The Tower (Upright)

A series of dramatic events may change your ability to overcome circumstances for the better.

Judgment (Upright)

This is a card of awakening and new beginnings. Take this as an omen of good fortune for a different path you plan to take.

Death (Upright)

Don’t be intimidated by this card, the upright represents the end to bring rebirth. The cycle has ended and you are freed from old obligations.

The Sun (Upright)

As it is the sun, good luck is shining on you.

Temperance (Upright)

Nick Jonas

Avoid extremes and strive for moderation to achieve happiness and accomplishment.

The High Priestess (Upright)

Omarion

Sometimes you need to look into your inner faith and beliefs to guide you in a confusing predicament.

The Empress (Upright)

Ricky Martin

There is an older woman or maternal figure in your life who wants to offer you genuine advice. It wouldn’t hurt to take it.

Paul McCartney

Wheel of Fortune (Upright)

This tarot card reminds you to let things be guided by the universe.

Michael Jackson

Aquarius

Pisces

Taurus

Gemini Cancer

Leo

opinion

opinion

Editorial: CWRU’s on-campus transportation must be reformed

On-campus transportation at Case Western Reserve University is unreli able, as we all know. Work has been done over the years to improve it but it is still not good enough. Students rely on the shuttles and Safe Rides that cir culate our campus but the systems are too lacking to be considered depend able. Therefore, to make transporta tion more accessible and reliable for the campus community, changes must be made.

One of the main issues of the trans portation system is the new Spartan Ride app. This is a consolidation of the previous Safe Ride and TransLoc apps, theoretically making it more convenient for students to get around campus without having to juggle ap plications. While we agree that this was a necessary move to make, this convenience has come at a cost. The app has several bugs; notably, differ ent routes available are often not ac curately showcased on the map. Even when a route is running, such as the GreenLink, the app frequently will not display stop times or show that the GreenLink is even operating. Sev eral instances of inaccurate stop times have also caused students to miss their rides since the launch of the new app,

including instances where the Green Link is reported to be on schedule by the app when it is actually behind on its route, causing people to be late to class. The app needs serious repair, with better syncing between the shut tles and the app itself.

The next issue, particularly when the cold weather of Cleveland inevita bly settles in, is crowding on shuttles. When it’s snowing or raining, students often take the shuttles across campus to their respective classes. However, getting on the shuttle in the middle of winter for a morning class can be a difficult feat. Room is sparse for all the students who want to board, which is understandable since it’s a small shuttle. However, the next shuttle usu ally ends up being a little too far away to wait for unless you want to be late for class. Additionally, when shuttles are at full capacity (and sometimes when they’re not), they will skip stops without warning, even when there are students visibly waiting.

The shuttle system being untrust worthy isn’t outright egregious, but there are students on this campus who rely on those shuttles—students who might have injuries, are disabled, are sick or are tired. Walking might be the

norm from one end of campus to an other, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt to have a reliable shuttle option for any one on any side of campus, especially for students with late-night classes or extracurriculars. It is not just a ques tion of convenience but also safety.

It can be dangerous to walk around campus at night, as evidenced by the number of armed robberies that oc curred during the last academic year.

At the beginning of President Eric Kaler’s tenure, he urged students to use shuttles more often as a means to reduce risk—but this is often not pos sible. The introduction of a GreenLink that runs at night—something that was pushed for by our Undergradu ate Student Government (USG)—is a good step, but the issue of reliability remains the same. Far more needs to be done.

However, the shuttle system isn’t the only unreliable transportation on campus. Another major problem with our supposedly guaranteed means of transportation is the recurrence of seemingly random Safe Ride can cellations and extreme delays when requesting rides. During busy late night hours, Safe Ride drivers—or the glitching app—will sometimes can

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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.

cel students’ rides, leaving students stranded and with no other means of getting somewhere safely. There are also issues with the app displaying impossibly long wait times for Safe Rides, including periods that would extend hours past 3 a.m. The uni versity has increased the number of Safe Rides available to students over the past year in order to reduce wait times, but these problems persist with the increasing student population. Despite having the new Spartan Ride app, it seems as if the issues students had with the previous Safe Ride app will continue with the new app. Safe Rides provide transportation between 6 p.m. and 3 a.m., and students—es pecially women—need a reliable tran sit system during these times more than ever.

Overall, we are lucky to even have a transportation system that operates both day and night, but it’s not the most dependable. Despite the imple mentation of a new app, more shuttles and Safe Rides, students are still fac ing issues. While we commend the steps CWRU administration and our USG has made, evidently there is still much to resolve if we are to have a safe and interconnected campus.

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executive editor & publisher SHREYAS BANERJEE director of print SARA KHORSHIDI director of digital media JOCELYN ORTIZ director of design TARUN SEPURI director of business operations KHUSHALI DESAI development editor BEAU BILINOVICH engagement editor MULAN MA news editor GRACE JOHNSON life editor JOEY GONZALEZ

opinion editor KARUNA LAKHIANI sports editor PUNEET BANSAL

social media editor SOPHIA POPKIN photo editor CLAY PREUSCH web editor COLLIN WONG copy editors SHIVANGI NANDA, LEXY JENSEN, RACHEL ALEXANDER, ELIE AOUN, KATE GORDON

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

LTTE: A response to The Observer’s Oct. 22 editorial on concealed carry at CWRU

Steven Sidik

I did not see the Oct. 22, 2021 edi torial by the Editorial Board until just today as I happened to DuckDuckGo my name. At the time I was no longer employed by Case Western Reserve University nor getting emails or ac cess. The university—Dean Joy Ward of the College of Arts and Sciences, in particular—decided that after nearly 50 years of teaching multiple statistics courses and years of provid ing university research teams with statistical consulting support, they would no longer renew the year-toyear contract I had held.

Since another election is upon us and the topic discussed will be a hot one for students to consider this year, I hope you would allow a rather dated reply.

The editorial was “The notion of concealed carry at CWRU.” It de scribed a letter I had written to Presi dent Kaler. It was pretty much as I had written to the CWRU Board, President Snyder and other CWRU administrators on the same topic over a period of years—that is, that the constitutional right to self-defense being infringed by CWRU adminis tration by not permitting students and faculty to choose to carry a concealed weapon for self-defense if they wish.

I am a champion of our Constitu tion and the Bill of Rights, in par ticular the First and Second Amend ments, and regularly included in my courses various references and examples where statistical concepts related to these freedoms; most poi gnantly, how a trial by jury of our peers is as an example of statistical hypothesis testing.

I had sent emails to multiple fac ulty committees, multiple adminis trators at various levels and multiple presidents over the years asking them sometimes pointed questions about many constitutional issues, primar ily related to the First and Second Amendments. One in particular was the request to bring the issue of con cealed carry to an open discussion of the Board. It appears that perhaps my letter to President Kaler being made available to The Observer was actu ally some sort of attempt at that.

A couple of rejoinders to the edito rial.

Regarding inaccurate claims: the issue of campus carry, and concealed carry in general, is a very difficult issue to judge. It is almost impos sible to draw meaningful conclusions from data on cause and effect be tween crime and concealed carry due to very many confounding variables that are almost always uncontrolled and usually erroneously adjusted for. In fact, I had at times posed this is sue as an extra credit exercise for stu dents to dig deeply into any article of their choosing and critically examine the statistical and sampling methods used to judge if any clear conclusions could be drawn. One professional study by the Rand Corporation con cluded that no conclusive decision on a relationship was possible.

The relationship to constitutional rights is clear.

The issue is not in fostering cam pus-wide carry, nor in training a mi litia nor in proving that concealed

carry reduces crime. It is rather that infringing on individual choice with respect to one’s self-defense is sim ply not right. I only advocated that individuals who would prefer to have the right to exercise their self-defense rights not be barred from doing so. I did provide some potential collateral benefits.

The outcome of my letter writing, by the way, was to be railroaded by a kangaroo court of the Equity Office into a trumped up charge of creating a “hostile environment.” I had mul tiple students confide to me, in con fidence, that expressing conservative views on campus was to bring ha rassment and ostracism upon oneself. When I started teaching at CWRU, it actually was a sort of balanced fac ulty and student body. But that was 1972. Now? Not so much. A shame for an institution that claims to teach critical thinking.

Steven Sidik

Former Professor of Statistics

For context, The Observer is also re-publishing our previous editorial referring to Professor Sidik, along with his original email to President Kaler.

Our original Oct. 22 editorial read as follows:

The notion of concealed carry at CWRU

Following several robberies on campus, President Eric Kaler was quick to respond with the imple mentation of new campus security measures via email. Since then, our new norm has become a heightened awareness when traveling at night on campus. Whether traveling a few dorms away or making the long trek from Southside to Northside, we are always on guard, hoping we aren’t the inspiration for the next safety policy.

One former Case Western Reserve University professor expressed that he does not think the university is doing enough to stop the robberies. In an email meant as a reply to Presi dent Kaler, former statistics profes sor Steven Sidik suggested arming students and faculty in order to deal with the “local bullies” terrorizing CWRU’s community. While he sup ported the implementation of addi tional security resources on campus, the former professor was adamantly against Kaler’s closing sentiments, which urged students to give up their material possessions in the event of an armed confrontation.

Throughout the email, Sidik criti cized university policy for prohibit ing students and faculty from carry ing a concealed weapon on campus. He recommended training and arm ing staff and students for self-de fense in order to scare off potential robbers. This would allow for the po tential use of lethal force by members of the CWRU community should they be threatened on campus. His approach to campus safety reflects tactics of dealing with a schoolyard bully, where the students of CWRU

can either stand up for themselves through armament or give the bully what they want by remaining submis sive. By Sidik’s logic, if members of the CWRU community were “permit ted by the university to be trained and armed in self-defense, the local bul lies would soon begin to realize that assaulting people on campus could result in their death.”

Sidik has shared thoughts like this before. Contributing to the Strongs ville Post, he expresses similar senti ments about gun violence and vigi lante justice in the United States. In 2013, Sidik expressed that he does not “generally condone vigilantes, but sometimes, that is the only way to secure public safety,” a notion ap parent throughout his email where he seems to believe firmly in the neces sity of wielding a gun in order to en sure campus safety.

Unfortunately, many—if not all— of Sidik’s claims are inaccurate or counterproductive.

First and foremost, studies have proven that Sidik’s enthusiasm for concealed carry is entirely baseless. In NBER Working Paper No. 7967, Mark Duggan shows not only that allowing citizens to carry concealed weapons does not reduce crime, but also that increases in the ownership and prevalence of guns lead to higher crime rates. In theory, as Mr. Sidik suggests in his email, concealed car ry deters offenders from instigating or participating in criminal activity due to the threat of death. However, if the presence of guns only increases the risk of criminal activity or the likelihood of a victim’s death, a rise in concealed carry may do little but encourage further crime and come at the cost of innocent human lives. In the context of CWRU, an increase in gun ownership on campus could escalate certain confrontations and, regardless of training, will endanger students more than it will deter crimi nals.

Additionally, the purpose of any university is to provide higher educa tion for students, not raise and train a militia. Students do not enter uni versity with the hopes—or even the thought—of having to participate in gun safety or self-defense training. Students should not be asked or ex pected to arm themselves or have to live in a gun-filled environment in or der to feel safe within their own com munity. The university cannot con done concealed carry on campus as a personal choice, as it places students at a greater risk of harm, whether in violent confrontations or simply through the presence of firearms. It is the responsibility of the university and its policymakers to ensure the safety and well-being of its students. The university has been and is cur rently working with trained profes sionals, many from several police departments, to ensure that students are safe on campus.

We, as students, understand the frustration regarding the conditions on campus. However, we cannot go so far as to arm ourselves or put our selves in greater danger in order to ensure campus security. Although it may be difficult, we have to trust our

university staff and policymakers to work with trained professionals to foster greater campus safety. In the meantime, students should continue to utilize the increased resources available to them, like Safe Rides and shuttles, so that we can avoid dangerous encounters when traveling at night. We must remain vigilant and exercise caution while the university works to ensure the safety and secu rity of the CWRU community.

The original email we were respond ing to in full:

“President Kaler, (assuming this is the correct e-m address),

Your message to students and fac ulty this morning is a mixed blessing. More resources to promote the pre vention of hostile assault on campus are welcome.

However, the last sentence of your message is an abject capitulation to cowardice and violation of our evo lutionary pressures to self-preserva tion and self-protection. Further it is both counter-productive to preven tion of further assault and an insult to those of us who have learned how to deal with bullies. Children on the playground faced with bullies tend to learn of one of two responses. One, leading to a submissive and fearful life is to capitulate to the bully. An other, leading to a self-assertive and fearless life is that bullies must be stood up to in order for peace to pre vail. Urging one to offer up what a bully demands simply feeds the bul ly. On the other hand, were students or faculty to be permitted by the uni versity to be trained and armed in self-defense the local bullies would soon begin to realize that assault ing people on campus could result in their death. They would look around for easier pickings.

Now I had already pretty much decided I would no longer return to a dangerous campus which denied me the right to self-defense—even though I had trained and satisfied Ohio laws allowing me to defend myself with a firearm if accosted near the Metro Rapid station—as just happened the other day. But the campus politics of “Equity” sealed the deal and I will no longer be teaching youngsters how to think for themselves. Your office of “Equity” is little more than a kangaroo court instituted to reinforce subjugation to the “woke” You should raise the is sue of permitting concealed carry on campus by duly licensed students or faculty and let it be subject to open debate and close scrutiny. I guar antee you will be surprised by the number of students and faculty who will stand up for this move. Many students have, in private, admitted to me they are disgusted with the cur rent politics of censoring and cancel ing, but are afraid of voicing their beliefs in public due to the bullying of the woke and politically correct mobs. It is unbecoming of a serious University.

Steven M. Sidik”

We’re not ready to trust CWRU on climate action

fight for a

Avi Horwitz Staff Writer

Last year, as part of a joint Student Sustainability Council (SSC) and Sunrise CWRU Campaign, I helped write an Undergraduate Student Government Resolution addressing necessary updates to Case Western Reserve University’s climate action plan. The passage of this resolution eventually led to the first-ever meet ing between students and CWRU administrators regarding climate action. This resulted in a commit ment from President Kaler to sup port a campus bike-share program, an eventual transition of the campus fleet to be fully electric/hybrid and “moving the needle” on energy ef ficiency—an extremely vague prom ise. While these are all encouraging steps, none will meaningfully reduce emissions or lay the groundwork for future action.

Then, over the summer, CWRU finally completed the first update to the University Climate Action Plan since it was originally written in 2011. But, instead of expanding or even providing details on President Kaler’s new commitments, it dou bled down on past failures by relying on greenwashing tactics and false solutions—such as manipulative ac counting of emissions, an emphasis on individual behavior change and a reliance on carbon offsets. Right now, there is no reason to believe that CWRU has an actual plan to make its campus more sustainable.

On the other hand, the SSC and Sunrise have a concrete initiative. On Sep. 6, the coalition delivered letters laying out five new climate action priorities to President Kaler, Provost Vinson, Chief Financial Officer John Sideras, Faculty Senate Chair Steven

New Deal for CWRU” continues

Eppell and the Director of the Office of Energy and Sustainability Stepha nie Corbett. I’m now going to give you a quick rundown on why each is essential to a CWRU fulfilling its role in combating the climate crisis.

You might be surprised to learn that 82.5% of the university’s emis sions come from the operation of its buildings. One big reason for this— and you wouldn’t know it from the common imagery of the wind tur bine on promotional materials—is that just 0.00009% of CWRU’s en ergy comes from renewable sourc es. There hasn’t been much effort to change that embarrassing fact. Schools like Butte College have suc cessfully integrated large amounts of solar panels into their campus. On our own Euclid Avenue, the Mu seum of Contemporary Art has its heating and cooling provided by un derground geothermal energy wells. There’s no excuse as to why CWRU has yet to conduct full-campus geo thermal and solar studies. They must do so and begin developing plans for the maximum capacity of these onsite renewable energy options.

The second largest share of univer sity emissions falls under the trans portation category, 38% of which is commute-related. The best way to substantially decrease this number is by incentivizing students and em ployees to use public transportation rather than individually driving and parking their vehicles on campus. While the university does offer sub sidized RTA passes to its undergrad uate students, nevertheless, graduate students and employees—the groups most likely to need to commute to campus—are left with other more

expensive and complicated options. CWRU must expand the RTA pass program to provide free or heavily subsidized transit passes to all stu dents and university employees.

The most essential aspect of suc cessful climate action is ensuring those impacted drive the decisions and implementation. CWRU out sourced the “refresh” of its Climate Action to a consulting firm, prob ably wasting money for that non sense. CWRU must recognize and give authority to a new community council to be co-led by students, fac ulty, staff and community members tasked with continually evaluating and making formal recommenda tions to the administration regarding climate action and its implementa tion at CWRU.

Currently, CWRU’s Office of En ergy and Sustainability (OES) only has two employees. Even though these employees don’t have the cur rent capacity to carry out actionable steps, it isn’t a good excuse for the inaction. CWRU must offer more support to the Office of Energy and Sustainability, and must identify and fulfill all additional hiring and fund ing to ensure that the university’s cli mate goals can be met promptly and effectively.

Let’s be clear: CWRU definitely can afford to take these necessary ac tions. When the administration puts their mind to it, they have shown they can raise the required funds for their desired ambitions. Exhibit A is the “Forward Thinking Campaign,” which surpassed expectations and raised approximately $1.8 billion between 2011 and 2019. By showing the same dedication, CWRU could

completely finance the essential sus tainability measures needed to de carbonize the university and its op erations without impacting tuition, research opportunities or employee benefits. As such, CWRU must es tablish fundraising for climate action as a key priority for the university’s overall efforts.

Right now, CWRU can begin to show that they understand the scope of the climate crisis and are ready to meet the moment by taking im mediate action on five main priori ties and laying the foundation for comprehensive climate action on our campus. And if they don’t, the coali tion is planning to increase pressure on the administration. SSC and Sun rise have given the administration a deadline of Oct. 26 to share how they’re going to take immediate ac tion and begin tackling these five ur gent priorities.

However, these five items are far from the end of the story for compre hensive climate action. Along with the letter, SSC and Sunrise also deliv ered the second edition of our Green New Deal for CWRU report—which contains over 20 additional action steps that we believe will be needed to decarbonize CWRU’s operations in a just and equitable fashion. The only way we’re going to realize this vision is by using an organized mass campaign of relentless pressure like the one that successfully forced a commitment by President Kaler to divest the university’s endowment from fossil fuels last fall.

CWRU students must be more aware and must organize to hold CWRU accountable.

Listen to music from around the globe

Why Americans need to broaden their music taste

Aambar Agarwal Social Media Manager

Just over a month ago, on a sun ny summer day, I was bewitched by Stromae. His song “Alors on danse” thrummed through the air from a friend’s phone, stealing my attention with its distinct, unforgettable beat. While lis tening, I couldn’t help but wonder how I had never heard of Stromae. The song was unlike any other I’d heard, and its rhythm resonated in my head for hours afterward. It was an unmistakable hit.

Yet, had my friend not shown me the song, I likely would have never heard of Stromae. Neither radio stations nor my Spotify playlists showcased his music. Despite his widespread success in Eu rope, the Belgian singer-songwriter is largely unheard of in the United States. But why?

The answer boils down to Americans’ preference for domestic acts. Aside from a few foreign anglophone artists and the occasional Latin or K-pop hit, Americans rarely listen to songs from outside their country. As a result, Stromae, along with many other foreign artists, are unknown

to Americans. Unless Americans change their ways, these artists will remain un known and Americans will continue to miss out on such striking talent.

American radio stations exhibit this preference quite well. The same set of songs is cycled through whenever I listen to the radio, endlessly on repeat. Every month or so, some songs will be replaced with new, similar pop songs; however, the basic sound seems to stay the same. The songs are nearly always by familiar names, such as Ariana Grande or Harry Styles, and they are practically always in English.

The playlists that Spotify curates and suggests to us are no better. For instance, the songs promoted in the “Discover Weekly” or “Daily Mix” playlists close ly replicate the music that I have liked in the past, and the other suggested playl ists contain songs that are very similar to each other and my old, liked songs. In these types of streaming platforms, there is no room for discovery; it’s a deadening loop of the same sound.

I believe these platforms need to al ter their system. They need to play and curate music from a variety of countries and cultures instead of relying on the same American or anglophone songs. This change could be as easy as playing the current top hits of different countries on the radio or including songs from multiple languages in Spotify-curated playlists.

But for radio stations and music streaming apps to change, Americans must first want to broaden their horizons. And why shouldn’t they? By listening to music from around the globe, they can experience new songs, different languag es and novel ideas.

For me, listening to Stromae has been an incredibly refreshing experience. His unique combination of hip hop and elec tronic music is so different from what I have heard before and is so delight fully catchy. Even without understand ing a word he says—as his songs are in French—I can feel the meaning behind his words. And looking up a translation of

A Broken Healthcare System

Latvya Chintada Staff Writer

The United States, for all it has to offer as a top industrialized country and a global superpower, cannot pro vide quality healthcare to a majority of its residents. The U.S. healthcare system suffers from many ailments, in cluding a shortage of healthcare work ers, poor workplace conditions and disconnected sectors. All this adds up to worse outcomes for patients, as the system leads to inconceivable costs, poor accommodation of patient needs and unequal access to care. The U.S. healthcare system is beyond broken, and many people are now starting to realize this.

However, something more concern ing in all of this is that we are the only major industrialized country with out universal healthcare, despite how much we spend on it. In fact, accord ing to an article in the National Insti tutes of Health, the U.S. spends almost twice as much on healthcare compared to other industrialized countries—such as Japan, Australia, Canada, etc.—but is unable to achieve the same standard of care. Why?

First, the U.S. has a complicated mix of both private and public insur ance plans. These include federal Medicare programs for the elderly, state Medicaid programs for children in low-income households, employerbased private insurance and individual insurance. These programs covered 91.4% of Americans as of 2020, but 8.6% of the U.S. population remains without insurance. While the num ber of uninsured Americans has gone down drastically since the signing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, mil lions still remain uninsured.

Uninsured individuals are less likely to seek medical care due to the costs as they are often charged the full price, compared to those with insurance who receive provider discounts. Additional ly, because of the lack of communica tion between specialties, patients may receive unnecessary charges that could have been avoided. For example, you could be getting a referral from your primary care provider to see a special ist, who then does a brief scan of you and asks to see you again for the actual procedure or exam. They may also ask for your previous labs and results from your primary care, which might take up to several weeks to get to the spe

cialist. Throughout this whole process, it may cost you several hundred dollars just to see them for each visit. These costs build up, which is why universal healthcare, as well as appropriate com munication between providers, is es sential.

Unfortunately, while universal healthcare should be considered a fundamental human right, it has been increasingly politicized in the U.S. Some clear partisan trends show that the Democratic Party favors expand ing public healthcare programs and employer-based coverage. On the other hand, the Republican Party advocates for a more market-based healthcare system, encouraging consumers to pay out-of-pocket costs while also increas ing those same costs. These stark dif ferences in healthcare solutions explain why federal legislation cannot even begin to repair the state of the health care system in this polarized country. Additionally, uninsured people are at a lower social advantage than the rest of the population, and they are less likely to vote on such issues or organize to advocate for themselves.

That being said, there are currently a few reforms in a couple of states aimed at improving the quality of health care by reforming provider payments. These reforms reward efficiency and quality patient-centered care in terms of monetary compensation. As a medi cal scribe at the Cleveland Clinic over the summer, I saw these reforms in ac tion. I was responsible for document ing a provider to ensure they were compliant with the healthcare check list, which included how much time a provider spent consulting a patient, if they demonstrated cultural competen cy and whether they conducted any de pression/social needs questionnaires. By documenting if the physician has touched base with the patient on all these matters and appropriately pay ing them based on their results, we can move from service-fee-based care to a more quality-based healthcare system.

While these reforms are taking place in various states, a more widespread reform is needed to put every hospital and private practice on the same stan dard. Ultimately, federal legislation is needed to ensure that this happens by overcoming various economic and political challenges. It is certain, how

ever, that this growing fragmentation of the U.S. healthcare system will only get worse in the future. With a grossly uncoordinated medical system, we are

his lyrics is always so rewarding. His lyr ics aren’t frivolous, and are instead rich with the stories of everyday experiences and emotions. Moreover, I’ve picked up quite a few French words thanks to his songs. For example, “Alors on danse,” which translates to “So we dance,” tells the story of why we dance—Stromae says it is to forget our problems. Despite these heavy themes, his songs remain perfect for dancing.

We can find many more great songs and truly expand our worldview by lis tening to global music artists. So, I urge Americans to forgo radio stations and streaming apps’ feedback loops. Instead, branch out and try diverse artists from different countries and languages; you might want to give the Spotify “Top 50” playlists from various countries a try, ask a friend for their recommendations or even start with Stromae. If so, besides “Alors on danse,” I’d recommend try ing out “Up saw liz,” “Dodo,” “Tous les Mêmes,” “Avf,” “Santé” and “Mauvaise journée.” You won’t regret it.

inadvertently accepting tens of thou sands of preventable deaths each year. If we hope to solve this, the time to start is now.

CWRU Film Society

Friday, September 9, 2022 7:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m.

The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

Rated G (94 min.)

Director: Frank Oz

With Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz

The Muppets graduate from college and decide to take their senior revue on the road. They hit the streets of Manhattan trying to sell their show to producers, finally finding one young and idealistic enough to take it. After several mishaps and much confusion, things begin to come together for them in this vintage Muppety musical classic.

Saturday, September 10, 2022 7:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m.

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Rated PG-13 (94 min.)

Cosponsored by Footlighters

Director: Frank Oz

With Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Steve Martin

The hit musical comes to the big screen! Seymour Krelborn works at Mushnik’s, a flower shop in urban Skid Row. He harbors a crush on fellow co-worker Audrey, and is berated by his boss daily. While Seymour is seeking exotic plants, he finds a mysterious unidentified plant which he calls Audrey II.

The plant’s growth is slow until Seymour discovers it perks up for a taste of blood. When it starts to flourish, Seymour gets fame and fortune, but at what cost?

General Admission $4.00

Strosacker Auditorium, CWRU Campus Quad

Free Parking: Lot 44 at Adelbert Rd and Murray Hill FILMS.CWRU.EDU

Spartan track and field teams achieve in the postseason

Puneet Bansal Sports Editor

Through the end of the spring semes ter, the Case Western Reserve University track and field teams showcased high level performances in the postseason.

At the UAA Championships in April, several athletes placed and earned points for CWRU, finishing fifth as a team with 29 points. On the first day, thirdyear Jack Begley placed third in the 10,000-meter run in 32:12.43, earning him his third All-UAA honor of the sea son. First-year Aidan Nathan earned fifth in the competition (32:27.36).

Other top performances included second-year Jack Wragan (fourth, 4.30 meters) and first-year Quaylen Lamarre (eighth, 3.00 meters) in the pole vault, fourth-year Ben Brisman in the hammer throw (sixth, 46.22 meters), third-year Keith Cartwright in the javelin throw (sixth, 47.50 meters) and third-year Liam O’Reilly in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (seventh, 9:41.16). First-years Nate Gil bert and Hans Holst and third-years Joe Jaster and Will Dehmler placed fourth in the 4x800-meter relay in 7:49.78, the second fastest time in program history.

The second day was headlined by Jaster’s second-place finish in the 5,000-meter run, finishing in 14:47.14 and earning his second All-UAA honor. Begley finished sixth in 14:54.37.

Fourth-year Logan Singer ran a pro gram record-breaking 3:51.39 in the 1,500-meter run, placing fifth. He also finished eight in the 800-meter race (1:52.82). First-year Nicolas Lende, third-year Will Dehmler, and secondyears Yusuf Shaaban and Brett Callow placed fifth in the 4x400-meter relay (3:22.86).

The women’s team was led by sec ond-year Adrienne Wachtman, who won the UAA title in the javelin throw with

a 38.18-meter mark. First-year Lauren Roskuszka also brought in a podium result in the event, finishing third-place in the event (35.19 meters). In the pole vault, third-year Victoria Zhao placed second with a mark of 3.37 meters, the fourth best in program history. Firstyear Amelia DiBiase placed eighth in the event (3.22 meters). Wachtman and third-year Tori Cohen placed eighth in the shot put (10.94 meters) and in the hammer throw (41.36 meters), respec tively. The quartet of second-year Grace Jackson, third-year Melissa Phung, fourth-year Susanna Henry and secondyear Jessica Kwasny placed fourth in the 4x800-meter relay (9:37.32).

For the second day, third-year Mia Vargo tied second in the high jump (1.58 meters) to earn the second AllUAA honor of her career. First-year Sara Ozeki finished fourth in the triple jump (11.41 meters), the second best jump in program history. Second-year Em ily Hopkins finished fifth in the event (11.28 meters). Ozeki, Hopkins and sec ond-years Elise Moore and Anna Zins ser took fourth in the 4x100-meter relay (51.17 seconds).

In their penultimate meet of the sea son prior to the NCAA championships, the team split to compete at the Harri son Dillard Twilight Meet and at the St. Francis Fighting Chance Meet. Singer set a school record in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:48.64 and placed sev enth, earning the Spartan Club Athlete of the Week honor. This time also earned him 23rd best in the country. Jaster also finished the event (3:53.60). O’Reilly placed eighth in the 3,000-meter steeple chase (9:37.44), Jackson placed seventh in the 1,500-meter run (4:43.13) and Ozeki placed eighth in the triple jump

(11.23 meters). Vargo cleared 1.67 me ters in the high jump, taking fourth place at the event and 20th in the country. Moore finished fourth in the 400-meter dash (1:00.35) while Callow took sev enth in the same event (51.99).

Two Spartans represented CWRU at the Mount Union Last Chance Meet, the final opportunity for the team to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships. Singer and Wachtman both finished third in their respective events. Singer ran the 1,500-meter run in 3:55.82 while Wachtman recorded a mark of 34.11 meters.

On May 20, Jaster was selected to compete in the NCAA Championships in the 5,000 meter run. He qualified at the Bison Outdoor Classic, running the distance in a school-record time of 14:14.74, earning him the 14th seed in

the championship.

Jaster traveled to Geneva, Ohio for the championships. He ran in the main group for most of the race and held third place 3,000 meters in. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep up the pace and fell to 19th, finishing the distance in 15:03.92.

In addition to the achievements on the field, many Spartan athletes earned season honors. Begley was named to the Academic All-District Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country First Team and the Academic All-America DIII Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country Second Team. Ozeki, Vargo, Wachtman, thirdyear Cecelia Zielke, Begley, Jaster and Singer received All-Academic Athlete Honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Both teams secured the All-Academic Team honors.

CWRU football drops season opener 54-14 vs JHU

Puneet Bansal Sports Editor

On Saturday, Sept. 3, the Case West ern Reserve University football team welcomed the Johns Hopkins Univer sity Blue Jays for their first game of the season.

With nearly 2,000 people in atten dance, the energy at DiSanto field ran high as spectators anxiously awaited the kickoff. CWRU won the coin toss and deferred to JHU, who elected to receive the kickoff. First-year kicker Ben Bar ney booted the ball to the visitors to of ficially get the season underway.

Though the Spartans were hoping to put on a show to start their fall cam paign, it was clear the Blue Jays had other plans. Second-year wide receiver PJ Scales immediately turned on the jets, returning the kickoff for a damag ing 60 yards and giving the JHU offense the ball just 27 yards from the CWRU endzone. Yet the Spartans defense held fast when it mattered, giving up 26 yards on 3 plays but forcing a turnover on downs with just a yard to go.

Pinned near their own endzone, the CWRU offense took the field and tried to get some breathing room. Though aided by a pass interference call that resulted in 13 penalty yards against JHU, the Spartans were forced to punt the ball, giving the Blue Jays midfield position. After a quick pass to fourthyear wide receiver Artie Collins, Blue Jays graduate student quarterback Ryan Stevens located Collins again for a 43yard touchdown pass to put the visitors

on the board. The Spartans had no an swer and punted again, once more giv ing JHU decent field position.

The ground game also proved to be effective on the Blue Jays’ subsequent possession, as fourth-year running back Danny Wolf picked up 25 rushing yards and a touchdown on 3 carries, while third-year running back Spencer Uggla got away from the CWRU defense for a 20-yard carry on the 63-yard drive.

Down 14-0, the Spartans desperately needed a score to remain competitive. Though another pass interference pen alty on JHU bought the Spartans anoth er 13 yards, they only gained 49 yards on the drive, ending in a turnover on downs.

The Blue Jays continued to slice through CWRU’s defense in the second quarter. The 74-yard drive was capped off by an 8-yard touchdown pass to run the score up to 20-0 in favor of JHU.

The Spartan offense struggled on all fronts, going 3-and-out to allow the Blue Jays offense to get the ball back in side Spartan territory. The visitors con tinued to have their way with the short field and scored another touchdown in just three plays.

Now trailing 27-0, it was all or nothing for CWRU. Fourth-year run ning back Antonio Orsini offered fans a glimmer of hope with a 26-yard run, but the offense found itself in a fourth down situation yet again. The Spartans attempted another fourth down conver

sion but failed, turning the ball over on downs.

Wolf, Uggla and Collins continued to wreak havoc on the CWRU defense, collectively accounting for 63 of the 72 yards gained on the subsequent JHU possession. Stevens once again found Collins with a touchdown pass to bring the score up to 34-0.

Though the Spartans came up empty on the next drive, Barney came up with an impressive 69-yard punt to pin the Blue Jays inside their own 10-yard line as the first half wound to a close.

As the Spartans made their way back onto the field for the second half, they only had one goal in mind: to score. De spite a nice 24-yard pass from fourthyear quarterback Drew Saxton to sec ond-year wide receiver Ethan Dahlem, CWRU punted again. The Blue Jays offense reverted to their running game, picking up 59 rushing yards en route to another touchdown.

Misery continued as JHU’s defense frustrated the home offense. Saxton was sacked on three straight plays before Barney punted the ball away, allowing the visitors to take the game into the fi nal quarter. Showing no mercy, Stevens continued to sling the ball, finding firstyear running back Geoff Schroeder for a 12-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 48.

Just when it seemed that a shutout was inevitable, the Spartan backups breathed life into the team with a 25-

yard touchdown run from second-year quarterback Ian Kipp. The drive also featured a 17-yard run by third-year quarterback Alex Fromberg followed by a pass from Fromberg to second-year wide receiver Noah Coyne for 30 yards.

Finally admitting their opponent was beyond salvation, the Blue Jays subbed Stevens out for second-year quarter back Bay Harvey. JHU went 3-and-out and the Spartans took the punt in stride, putting together a lengthy, 70-yard scor ing drive that ended with their second and final touchdown of the game. Kipp connected with third-year running back Dominic Wade on a 2-yard touchdown pass to control the damage taken.

Unfortunately, JHU had the final say, as Harvey threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to put the Blue Jays up 54-14 with less than a minute to go. The only excit ing moment for CWRU fans on the pos session was the blocked extra point at tempt, which was returned by first-year defensive back Osi Chukwuocha.

The whistle finally blew, and the Blue Jays went home victorious, leav ing the Spartans blown out and bewil dered. The Spartans will have a chance to redeem themselves on Sept. 10 when they play the Waynesburg University Yellow Jackets on the road. The bout with the Yellow Jackets will be the Spartans’ final chance at tuning-up be fore conference play kicks off at home against Washington & Jefferson College on Sept. 17.

Second-year Aidan Nathan was the team’s fifth finisher at the UAA Cham pionships and the 40th overall finisher. Courtesy of CWRU Athletics

Women’s soccer blasts to 2-0 start at home

Without missing a beat follow ing their legendary season last year, the Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team picked up where they left off with two wins to begin their fall 2022 campaign. The team defeated Capital University 4-2 in their season opener on Sept. 1 and Otterbein Univer sity 4-0 on Sept. 3.

As more than 200 fans cheered from the stands, CWRU opened the match putting immense pressure on Capital’s defense and attempting five shots with in the first 10 minutes. The nerves were clearly there as both teams struggled to find any kind of rhythm on either side. The Spartans concluded the half with three corner kicks, but strong defense from Capital prevented CWRU from gaining an advantage.

The second half is where it all went down. At 54:25, Capital scored from 30 yards out to take the 1-0 lead. The pres sure was on for the Spartans, but they were ready.

Less than five minutes later, graduate student forward Samantha Cramin sent a quick pass to graduate student forward Camryn Hartman on the break. Hart man crossed her defender and flicked in the goal to tie the score 1-1. The crowd, which was waiting to explode through out the first half, let out a thunderous roar as the Spartans crawled back into the game.

Capital was unfazed by this response and scored a goal from the top of the box four minutes later, taking the 2-1 advantage.

In a déjà vu moment, CWRU an swered right back. Second-year forward Carolyn Koutures deflected fourth-year midfielder Lexi Gomez’s corner kick towards the top of the box. Fourth-year forward Merry Meyer collected the ball and sent a strike to the back of the net to tie it 2-2.

From this point, the Spartans con trolled the game from both sides of the field. The stifling defense allowed only one more goal attempted while the of fense continued to roll.

In the 71st minute, Capital stopped a cross-shot but lost the ball, allowing Cramin to quickly tap it in to make it

the first game, the Spartans offense found immediate success.

In the 10th minute, third-year for ward Kati Davis received a pass from first-year midfielder Ceci Dapino. Davis fired a low shot into the net to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. Four minutes later, fourth-year midfielder Helina VanBib

edge of the box, dribbled towards the goal and slipped it in low for the 3-0 stranglehold.

Once again, Hartzler put the cherry on top of the offense clinic. In the 85th minute, Hartzler received a corner kick and took a curving shot that deflected off a defender into the goal.

In the 4-0 win, CWRU yet again outshot their opponents 21-8 with nine shots on goal. Storti recorded her 11th shutout of her career after saving four shots.

Head Coach Abby Richter, who re cently transitioned into this role, lauded the team prior to the season for their commitment through the many changes that come with a new coach.

“The team has adapted quickly to our style of play,” Coach Richter said in an interview with the CWRU Ath letic Department. “They’ve been open and accepting to the new coaching staff and our program philosophy. I’m very impressed with how they’ve embraced the changes.”

When asked about the makeup of the team, Coach Richter said, “I think there’s going to be a mix of experienced players and first-year players that are going to find time in the midfield. They all have different attributes, so we’ll see how they play together and complement each other. It’s about finding that bal ance.”

3-2.

At 73:16, fourth-year forward Aniya Hartzler scored the Spartan’s final goal off an assist from Cramin to put up the final score 4-2.

CWRU outshot Capital 26-9 and third-year goalkeeper Maggie Storti saved three shots to earn her first win of the season and the 17th of her career.

On a drizzling Saturday afternoon, CWRU took their second win of the season against Otterbein. Contrary to

ber sprinted after a pass from Dapino and netted the goal from the top of the box to double CWRU’s lead.

CWRU limited Otterbein to just two shot attempts in the first half, with Storti saving both. The Spartans meanwhile attempted eight to go along with two corner kicks.

For the second half, the Spartans at tempted another eight shots before net ting their third goal. Hartman stole the ball from an Otterbein defender at the

Moving forward, Coach Richter also pointed to the veteran presence of the team and added, “We have a strong group of leaders. The captains have re ally stepped up and made sure the firstyears and new players feel comfortable and welcomed.”

The 12th-ranked Spartans will hit the road for the next two games. The team will battle against Baldwin Wallace University on Sept. 9 and Kenyon Col lege on Sept. 14.

Cavaliers acquire All-Star Donovan Mitchell

Ishan Kulkarni Staff Reporter

In a surprise move, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired All-Star shoot ing guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in a massive trade package that consisted of players and future picks.

The Cavs traded away Lauri Mark kanen, Collin Sexton and Ochai Ag baji, three unprotected first round picks (2025, 2027, 2029) and two pick swaps (2026 and 2028) all in exchange for Donovan Mitchell. The Jazz were looking to trade Mitchell for the last couple months to focus on a rebuild following the massive haul of picks and young players they received in ex change for Rudy Gobert, their defen sive anchor and superstar.

Since the Gobert trade, the offsea son market had come to a standstill as teams began demanding higher returns for their superstars. Many believed Mitchell would go to the New York Knicks or the Miami Heat—these teams had the assets the Jazz sought. Nothing emerged from these talks, as the Heat were hesitant and the Knicks instead extended forward RJ Barrett, one of their young stars—the Jazz likely would have wanted Barrett in any potential trade.

Cleveland was never in the rumor mill for Mitchell, but this trade puts the team in a very interesting posi tion for this upcoming season. Though losing in the Play-In Tournament last season, the Cavs have immensely im proved since Lebron James’ departure in 2018. With the Mitchell trade, it’s clear the front office believes now is the time to win.

Of the players the team gave up, only Markkanen played a key role last season. Sexton, who was a rising star

with high potential, was sidelined with injury. Agbaji was the Cavs first round draft pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and could have provided good minutes but is still inexperienced. Sexton was traded via sign-and-trade as he was a restricted free agent and did not seem to get any other offers as good as the one the Cavaliers (and Jazz) agreed to.

This team looks like a strong play off team if the season works out in

their favor. With a backcourt of Darius Garland and Mitchell along with a po tential frontcourt of Caris LeVert, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the team has a good balance of defense and offense and as such might go far.

The team should also be getting back Ricky Rubio, who was playing some of his best basketball before he tore his ACL in the beginning of last season. Rubio along with Kevin Love,

Cedi Osman, Isaac Okoro and Robin Lopez can provide depth during the regular season and some valuable re lief minutes in a potential playoff run.

With preseason basketball begin ning in just a few weeks, the Cavs will be a team to watch out for in the East ern Conference and should be even more fun to watch as the electric and athletic Mitchell fits in with the team’s current young core.

Ball in hand, the Cavs’ new addition Donovan Mitchell on the court with his old team, the Utah Jazz. Courtesy of Alex Goodlett - Getty Images

Scoring her first goal of the season, fourth-year Helina VanBibber (pic tured) secured CWRU a 2-0 advantage in their game against Otterbein University. Courtesy of Tim Phills / CWRU Athletics