Volume XLVI, Issue 19 February 13, 2015

the

Case Western Reserve University volume xlvi, issue 19 friday, 2/13/2015

Observer

p u y a s w t i n O $20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

$20

0

$2 0

$20

$2

Provost announces tuition increases; new initiatives for upcoming academic year

Sruthi Meka Staff Reporter Big changes are coming to Case Western Reserve University this upcoming academic year. Unfortunately, though, big changes come with big price tags.

Provost and Executive Vice President William “Bud” Baeslack updated a small audience in Strosacker Auditorium on Feb. 6 about his proposed initiatives for the next academic year, mostly centered around enriching student living and educational experiences at CWRU. Baeslack also announced that the undergraduate tuition will increase by 3.25 percent to $44,160.

The hike in tuition, according to Baeslack, will provide the funds necessary for additional strategic initiatives, operating costs of new and current student facilities, and attractive salaries to retain faculty and draw new hires.

Room and board rates will also increase by 3.75 percent and 3.26 percent, respectively, in order to facilitate the maintenance and repair required by existing dining and residential facilities, according to Baeslack.

Although the tuition is set to increase, Baeslack stressed that the original financial and merit aid packages will remain the same for current students.

Baeslack also announced a number

{

of initiatives that will take place in the upcoming academic year. He spoke about new facilities, academic programs and advising services geared towards enhancing students’ experiences at CWRU. The new student-oriented facilities will include a new residence hall in the North Residential Village, the new Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center and a new location for think[box].

In terms of the undergraduate curriculum, new minors and concentrations, including creative writing, social justice and applied data science, are now available.

To keep up with the dynamic nature of academics at CWRU, there are also several changes to undergraduate advising that have been implemented. These changes include the enhancement of pre-professional career advising.

For students considering the pre-health track, there will be new interdisciplinary educational programs and more coordinated efforts to provide pre-health advising.

Another important investment for the upcoming academic year is the migration of the Student Information System to hosting

by AT&T, which will enable accessibility.

Other technological investments include the new collaborative workstation housed in the Freedman Center at the Kelvin Smith Library and the creation of active learning classrooms in Thwing and Bingham.

Tuition is set to increase next year by 3.25 percent for a second year in a row. That’s an extra $1,394, or about seventy $20 bills out of every student’s pocket.

However, the biggest increases have tapered off in recent years, hovering between 3.51 and 3.24 percent. Since 2002, the highest increase occurred in 2004 when it was 9.96 percent.

News

A&E

Opinion

Sports

pg. 3 SEC begins budget talks

pg. 9 Two thons in one weekend

pg. 6 Cleveland winter isn’t snow bad

pg. 19 Heartbreak: Basketball falls

news Couldn’t beat the odds

CWRU political science professor reflects on failed 2014 Congressional bid Mark Patteson Staff Reporter When Michael Wager decided to run as the Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives in the 2014 midterm elections, he thought that he had a serious chance to win. He described Ohio’s 14th district as the least gerrymandered and most competitive in the country. His Republican opponent, Dave Joyce, had fought a tough primary. Most importantly, he believed that he already had significant experience with the American political process.

Wager, an attorney who has taught judicial and urban politics classes for Case Western Reserve University’s Department of Political Science, once worked as a congressional aide and served as finance chair in Sherrod Brown’s 2012 re-election campaign.

Throughout his career, he held several appointed civic offices, including chair of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority.

However, he found that he still had much to learn about congressional elections.

“I thought I knew 80 percent with 20 percent to learn, but it was the reversal of that,” Wager said at last Friday’s Public Affairs Discussion Lunch presentation.

Running in district where the vote leaned four points in favor of Republican candidates, Wager said that he “started with [his] food in a bucket.” But even with the odds against him, Wager still hoped that his message to reduce income inequality would reach voters. Instead, he was frustrated by the centrality of financing his campaign.

Wager quickly found that campaign fi-

Andrew Hodowanec/Observer Political science professor Michael Wager lost the 2014 House of Representatives race against a Republican incumbent. nance was the “only measure” that journalists and the national Democratic Party cared about. Wager estimated that his campaign would have needed about $5 million to win the election. Initially, when polls still indicated that the 14th district would have a close race, the national party contributed funds and staff to assist Wager’s campaign.

However, Wager’s campaign simply could not keep up with his opponent’s financially. As experts shifted their outlook on the race from a battleground district to Republican-leaning to likely Republican, Wager found his campaign finance dry up and watched the National Democratic Party decide to spend its scarce funds in more competitive elections.

New residence hall to be completed in June, prices comparable to the Village Adithi Iyengar Copy Editor Upperclassmen will have another housing option in the fall.

Construction for the new residence hall in the North Residential Village is set to be finished in June. The building hopes to help house the increasing class sizes.

The room prices are slated to be comparable to the Village at 115 with townhouse rooms costing $12,000, and the cheapest apartment setups coming in at $10,800.

All these prices are tentative as the Board of Trustees still has yet to approve them.

This new building will add 290 beds.

There will be one-, two-, three- and four-person apartment suites. There will also be eight two-person town houses. It will consist of a common space for the whole Case Western Reserve University community, including a multipurpose room, which is an active learning classroom lounge.

“We hope to have classes there,” said Loretta Sexton, assistant director of Campus Living. The building will also contain a residents’ only space.

While this is upper-class housing, like the Village at 115th, there are quite a few differences.

“The difference between these two

buildings is how they’re built,” said Gerda. “[The Village] is a very diverse type of residence hall. In the new residence hall, all the floors are symmetrical.”

The floors are uniform to make it easier for the architecture and construction company, as well as have it built faster. There is also no basement, and there is one large laundry room in the complex.

The bedrooms consist of a double bed, a desk, a desk chair and a dresser. The apartments include a common area and a kitchen space. Unlike the Village, however, there will be no dishwashers.

“We went with similar furniture you would find with any upper-class housing,” said Sexton.

The rooms and apartments will also be smaller and be more space-efficient.

“The spaces are very compact,” said Gerda. “The Village was built in a different era, so these spaces are back on that theme of not having a lot of wasted space and efficiency.”

The building will have a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Certification, meaning that it is space and energy efficient.

“The major theme of this building is sustainability,” noted Janice Gerda, director of Residence Life.

With far less support from the national party and a five-to-one gap between his campaign and his opponent in television advertising spending, Wager became pessimistic about the outcome of the election.

“We got a sense by spring or summer that we were not likely to succeed,” Wager said.

His premonition proved correct. In November, Wager lost by a landslide, winning only 33 percent of the vote compared to his opponent’s 63 percent. A libertarian third-party candidate took the remaining four percent.

In retrospect, Wager decided that he had “bad odds” and likely could not have won the election except under extraordinary circumstances.

“I wasn’t disappointed,” Wager said.

In addition to the district’s Republican lean, he ran in a midterm year as a first time candidate belonging to the president’s party against an incumbent congressperson. The odds stacked up against him: first time candidates rarely succeed, incumbents win 90 percent of their re-election bids and the president’s party almost always loses congressional seats during midterm elections.

When asked if he would run again, Wager said, “I haven’t shut the door on it yet, but probably not.”

“I was a serious person, but the process isn’t serious,” Wager concluded with a bit of bitter humor.

CWRU gets SMARRTer about mental health

Aneeka Ayyar Staff Reporter

Case Western Reserve University’s Students Meeting about Risk and Responsibility Training (SMARRT) leaders hope to change the way people look at mental illnesses with an awareness campaign beginning Feb. 16.

“If someone was in a car accident, everyone would rush over to ask if they were okay,” said senior SMARRT leader Jordan Genovese. “If someone has mental health issues, I feel like people will just run away.”

Through the power of social media, the campaign will encourage members of the CWRU community to tint their Facebook profile pictures and Instagram pictures to a shade of green, the color of mental health awareness.

The pictures will have personal captions telling the world that they support mental health, followed by the hashtag #CWRUcares. The movement is part of the larger WeCare initiative, which recently expanded to Brown University as well as a number of other nearby schools.

Essentially, those who participate in the campaign are offering a hand to those struggling with mental health issues. Each participant in the campaign will be encouraged to invite more friends to the Facebook event page.

Genovese, the SMARRT Leader who first had the idea for this campaign, got sick of

hearing about people’s friends needing mental help and having no one there to help. She hopes the campaign will spread among students, faculty and student organizations.

Initially the campaign was supposed to be widespread, similar to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that raised a lot of money and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in August. It was later decided that they would first target CWRU to make an impact on the local community.

The SMARRT leaders contacted Greek Life, athletic teams and other student organizations to reach out for this program. They plan to assess how successful the campaign will be by checking how many people participate in the campaign. In addition, they want to check for an increase in the number of appointments made at University Counseling Services for mental health-related issues.

Genovese believes that, with an increase in these numbers, they can take these figures to administration to request an additional counselor.

Jamie Linn, coordinator of Greek Residential Programs and Culture of Care, is the faculty member leading this campaign. However, he is allowing the students to head the project.

“It is my hope that this campaign will help elevate the kind of dialogue we are having on campus, to help educate everyone on mental health, as well as how to be an ally,” said Linn.

news

observer.case.edu

3

Editor’s choice

SEC begins deliberations on student activities fee allocations

Estimated $790,000 to be divided between umbrella organizations at next meeting Kushagra Gupta Staff Reporter The Student Executive Council (SEC) came together for the first time this semester to review their budgets for the upcoming spring semester. The budgets are determined by the Student Activities Fee (SAF), approximately $156 per semester that each student pays on top of tuition.

The money is divided between the main organizations on campus, who met on Feb. 5 to discuss last semester’s successes and failures and their plans for spring.

As a quick refresher, the council is made up of executives from nine groups: the Class Officer Collective (COC), University Media Board (UMB), Undergraduate Student Government (USG), the Undergraduate Programming Board (UPB), the Interfraternity Congress and Panhellenic Congress (IFC-PHC), Springfest, Senior Week and Thwing Study Over (TSO). The Residence Hall Association (RHA) also serves as a non-voting member.

Last semester, the SAF totaled to about $790,000. For the spring semester, that number is slightly less because of students who graduated early or transferred from CWRU. What was expected to be a salvo of numbers turned out instead to be a lot more descriptive of the character of campus activities.

Taylor Gladys, SEC co-chair and USG president, kept time on her cellphone: three minutes for large-excel-spreadsheet-type budget presentations and two for questions. Broccoli Salad was her choice of alarm. Meanwhile, Victoria Robinson, SEC chair and RHA president, helped members load their excel files.

Each organization brought up their goals for the next semester and talked about how those would be reflected in their budgets.

Ryan Cleary, the treasurer of UMB, explained that the group had recently decided to make an auxiliary committee to ease the work on its executive board. He had two new organizations in the trial phase: a TEDx-like organization and Humans of CWRU, a play on Humans of New York.

USG Vice President of Finance Chippy Kennedy’s explanation of the budget included the new Sparta Center resource room. He also discussed the Student Life Improvement Grants, which USG is using to prevent rollover from this semester. According to Kennedy, student groups brought in $70,000 this year from fundraising.

COC President Colin Worden point-

What you need to know about the Student Activities Fee: Have thoughts on these totals? Let them be heard at the SEC’s next meeting: Thursday, Feb 19 in the Senior Classorom of the TVUC. ed out a blunder the organization made in a fall 2014 event designed to replace Halloween@Home. Another big event’s scheduling conflicted with it, so the event never happened. This resulted in a large rollover to this semester. He explained that there may be a structural inefficiency in the organization and wanted to meet with all organization heads to tackle the problem.

Later in the meeting, Rachel Sosnowchik, also from COC, suggested that a master SEC calendar be made for next fall to prevent large events from colliding.

Jordan Trump, vice president of finance for PHC, explained that they wanted to lower the amount of money that they allocated Greek Week, instead moving it to other parts of the organization.

Matt Drezdzon, director of finance for UPB, revealed that, while the fall concert and the spring comedian are the organization’s largest events, Thwing Tuesday’s budget was getting a slight boost. The organization is also hoping to do more co-sponsorship in the future.

The Senior Week Budget presentation took a sour turn. Questions were raised about last year’s disaster, when all events ran out of tickets. Members asked from where the data

Which groups are involved and how much do they want?

Main Groups

COC

$41,544

UPB

$205,564

Class Officer Collective University Program Board

“Off the tops”

Groups who are non-voting members, they receive money before its divided up between member groups

USG $188,985.60

Undergraduate Student Government

UMB $130,696.80

University Media Board

IFC/Panhel

$53,872

Interfraternity Congress/ Panhellenic Council

RHA

Non-financial member

Residence Hall Association

that the committee members used came and how many of the twenty committee members actually attended events themselves. It turned out that due to a fluke, all tickets had been released early. This year, there will be no early bird ticket sales.

Katie Kleinberg from the TSO committee said that they needed a boost. Last spring UPB helped TSO out by giving them an additional $2,000, because they were running over budget.

However, they had rollover to the fall, and, because of that they transferred some of their money to USG, leaving them with less money than normal. This problem was exacerbated by a surprise $900 cleaning fee, which the organization found out about on the day of their fall 2014 event.

This semester they want to increase their budget so that they have more of a buffer.

They also plan on increasing entertainment during TSO so that people will stay for the entire event, not just the food and giveaways.

Kleinberg also presented for Springfest, saying that they planned on using the extra rollover from last year on attractions, like inflatables, so that more students would want to attend the event.

“People don’t see that first meeting as

Springfest $78,750

Senior Week $34,580 Thwing Study Over $15,405

the time to necessarily be critical, but to just get the feel for what is being presented,” said USG’s Kennedy. “I have a whole list of questions beyond what [asking] what their budgets are.”

Kennedy, like all SEC members, will meet individually with the heads of other organizations before the next council meeting. He will look at every other organization’s budget and critique their spending, as they critiqued his.

Kennedy described how organizations rely on previous years’ data to create trends to predict the level of funding specific portions of their organization will need. To him this small difference can have sweeping effects.

In the midst of this difficult balancing act, SEC faces another problem: Students sparsely attend their open meetings, which occur on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. The next meeting is on Feb. 19 in the Senior Classroom of the Tinkham Veale University Center. At this meeting, they will begin discussing SAF allocations for next semester.

Students are allowed to ask members questions during the meeting, whether critiquing or for clarification.

“They can have their voice heard,” said Robinson. “The student activities fee seems to be the charge that no one understands.”

CWRU to participate with 27 other schools in survey about sexual assault climate Suneil Kamath Staff Reporter The ineffectiveness of sexual assault policies and procedures in postsecondary institutions across the nation has increased pressure on universities to find a proper way to deal with campus assault. Case Western Reserve University is among 28 universities across the U.S. that will survey its students about sexual assault.

This anonymous survey is an initiative of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group of 62 universities dedicated to maintaining a strong post-

secondary educational system in North America. Twenty-seven of the universities participating in the survey, including CWRU, belong to the AAU, while one other school, Dartmouth College, was invited to participate in the survey as well.

Some other AAU members participating in the survey include Brown University, Harvard University, the Ohio State University and Washington University in St. Louis.

“Our primary purpose in conducting this survey is to help our institutions gain a better understanding of this complex problem on their own campuses as well as nationally,” said AAU President

Hunter Rawlings III. “Our first priority, and theirs, is to ensure that students not only are safe but feel safe,” he added. “Universities will be using their data to inform their own policies and practices regarding sexual assault. We also hope the survey will help policy makers gain a better understanding of the problem and that it will make a significant contribution to the growing body of research on sexual assault.”

Experts from a few of the participating universities will help develop the survey, and it will be sent by each respective institution’s undergraduate and graduate students in April.

Stat snapshot

1in 5

women are sexually assaulted during their college career

4

news

Campus insider

Director of Greek Life discusses plans to improve, expand Miriam Ridge Staff Reporter This week, we sat down with Mark Starr from the director of the Greek Life Office.

Community The Greek Life Office is aiming to be more proactive when it comes to the campus community. First off, Greek Life is sponsoring a Culture of Care Summit, which is a conference led by Kim Novak, CEO of Novak Talks. The summit is being held on Feb. 14 and aims to discuss and encourage the development of a “culture of care” on college campuses. Several other campuses are sending representatives to sit in on the summit.

“The whole idea is that, instead of approaching it from a risk management angle, it’s focused on caring about people, taking better care of each other and being safer,” said Starr.

Greek Life is now requiring a bystander prevention training for all new Greek members with the ultimate goal of all Greek students going through an hour-and-a-half training session. To add to that, Greek Life also has a more advanced, full-day training program, accepting up to four people per chapter.

Pytte Cup The Pytte Cup, an annual evaluation of the Greek Chapters on campus, is winding down to the awards. The evaluations, designed to give chapters feedback on what they’re doing right and what they can do to improve themselves, end with specific awards. The chapters who have successfully passed through the interview round of the evaluations are ramping up for the presentation round, which begins on Feb. 16.

OrgSync The Greek Community is following several other campus organizations by switching to OrgSync. The benefits of getting all the chapters on the same page are numerous. It’s an ongoing process, and through the joint efforts of the Interfraternity Congress, Panhellenic Council and the Greek Life Office, it should be a relatively smooth transition.

Life After College The Greek Community Education Consultants (GCCs) are planning a “Life After College” program. The GCCs are planning on introducing some elements of the program this semester. The GCC’s aim is working with students to connect academics to careers.

“They don’t just focus on how you can do better—but how is what you’re doing going to prepare you for life after college?” said Starr.

Expansion Greek Life at CWRU is expanding rapidly. CWRU currently has 27 Greek groups, with the most recent additions being Sigma Sigma Sigma and Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the latter of which is returning from an eightyear suspension. The Greek Life Office hopes to see 51 percent of CWRU campus going Greek; however, it may not be long before we see that goal escalating to world domination, seeing as the 2013-2014 Greek Life Office Annual Report has nearly 39 percent of the campus population listed as already a member of the Greek Community.

2/13/15

Spotlight on research

Junior designs process to help researchers automate cell imaging Kushagra Gupta Staff Reporter Junior Dana Jeter always wondered why the little antenna that sticks out of a satellite dish is placed where it is. The answer is what got her interested in mathematics during a calculus class in high school.

“It’s the basis for all science,” she said. “I didn’t know where I wanted to go. If I stick with math, I can do anything.”

Still, even she may not have expected to do the work she has come across.

Last summer, Jeter designed a process that transformed scattered 3-D pictures of a cell’s insides into visualizations that showed the location and expression of genes inside. The researchers stacked still shots of cells, creating a colorful picture of dispersed dots blended together.

It was up to Jeter and a graduate student to make sense of it. While she has been working with the lab since her first year, she spent last summer exclusively working on the project. She remembered spending all day in Nord’s fourth floor computer lab. The work was taxing, so she tried to do eight-hour shifts, but many times worked into the night.

“The thing about research is it’s not like a 9-5 job,” she said. “You go home and you’re still thinking about it.”

The first step in Jeter’s process is to change the image’s intensity so that borders between cells are clearly labeled. Next, she would have to find seeds in the image using a technique termed graph cuts. This involves defining sources and sinks in the image.

Imagine looking at a mountain and canyon side-by-side from above. Relative to the ground, the canyon is a sink, the mountain a source. She coded the program to create the smallest line possible between the sources and sink which identified the seeds.

A different technique, called Fourier transforms, also does this. Depending on picture, she would have to choose one or sometimes even use both methods separate parts.

Next is watershed, a technique that defines the topology of an image. Jeter turned the colorful image into a black and white one, where a pixel’s shade of gray defines its intensity.

Tying everything together, she coded the program to drop a figurative water drop on the image, flooding sinks. This turns images full of blobs of gray into a crystal white and black one. After this, Jeter brought the color back, and the dye combinations classified

which cells had which genes.

After working with the data for a long time, she was able to develop a code to automate the beginning portion for the lab. Now, users simply have to click to make the seeds after the program has cleaned the image. Still, what she spent all day doing was strenuous, but she likes the colossal task over small work.

“I wanted to work with big data sets and get something out of these big data sets,” she said. “It’s really cool to have a whole group of numbers and interpret them.”

Taking a complete turnaround from what she has been doing, but sticking to her love of challenge, Jeter is working this summer at Key Bank. There, she is doing risk analyses on the loans that the bank gives out. The bank has models that show the state of the economy. She gave the example of how when gas prices dropped, pipe company loans became more risky, but shipping companies less so.

Back to what interested her in high school, she explained that the antenna is actually a focal point of the parabola that the dish makes. With math Jeter can always find something interesting in a range of disciplines.

“That’s what’s nice about math,” she said.

“You can do anything.”

CWRU students bring health club back to life Gabrielle Buffington Staff Reporter Case Western Advocates for Cleveland Health (CWACH) became obsolete in 2014, when all of the active officers graduated from Case Western Reserve University, and it would have remained that way if it weren’t for two meddling kids.

Anupama Cemballi, a sophomore studying medical anthropology, decided to restart the group with the help of Chiweoke Osigwe, after a casual conversation about organizations on campus and how much students are accomplishing.

“We recalled that during the student activities fair freshman year, there was a group called Advocates for Cleveland Health,” said Cemballi. “I looked them up on OrgSync and realized that all the officers graduated last year. We realized that they weren’t around anymore,

and as we walked into Rockefeller, we figured we could restart it.”

CWACH gives undergraduate students a chance to make a difference in the University Circle community through public health. The purpose of the club is to serve the community through medical screenings, educating community members and students about health disparities and teaching the public how to address health concerns.

If there are two things Cemballi is passionate about, they are community service and health education.

“My dad always says, ‘Charity starts at home,’ and what better way to follow that than to help out in a community that has become our home for four years?” she said. “I have been fortunate enough to have easy accessibility to healthcare and education. It’s important to me that it becomes easily accessible to everyone.”

The large pre-health student population—and anyone else interested in public health—is welcome to learn and become certified in medical screenings like blood glucose, blood pressure, BMI and cholesterol. The organization provides a great opportunity for pre-health students to gain exposure to working with patients and learning more about medical care. There will be a focus on cardiovascular diseases this semester.

Cemballi plans on taking the club to new heights by enlisting the help of experienced professionals in the future.

“I envision our club working with the public health department, running our own programs,” she said. “Hopefully we can get there before I graduate.”

The next board meeting for CWACH is on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. in the Student Engagement Room at the Tinkham Veale University Center.

On the beat

Protect your burrow Last week was Groundhog Day, everyone’s favorite rodent-based celebration.

After Phil was unceremoniously yanked out of his hole to decree that there are six more weeks of winter coming, he was stuffed back into his burrow for another year. Had Phil been a Case Western Reserve University-attending groundhog, we would have hoped he would have checked to make sure he still had his CWRU ID with him and that he ensured no one was tailgating behind him.

There was a popular movie in the 90s called “Groundhog Day,” in which the main character had to repeat the same day over and over. Sometimes campus policing can feel like that, as the same issues often repeat, such as theft of unattended items or students who have had just a little (or a lot) too much to drink.

Tailgating, which is getting into an access-controlled building by following behind someone, is one of those recurring issues. In past cases where CWRU PD has apprehended folks in our buildings and asked them how they got in, the answer is some variant of, “I followed behind someone.”

We have a good access-controlled system here, but it needs your help. If you live in a residence hall, hopefully by this point you recognize at least by face all of your fellow residents and would notice someone out of place or not accompanied by a resident.

If you are entering an access-controlled area like a lab and feel that someone has gotten in behind you who may not need to be there, call 216-368-3333.

CWRU students and staff are required by university policy to present their IDs when requested, and visitors need to be

able to state their business on campus when asked. If people are lost, we are happy to assist them, and if not we’ll figure out what happens next. We also urge you to report lost CWRU IDs as soon as possible so the card can be cancelled.

This is a big campus, and we can’t be everywhere, so access control is an area where the help of the campus community is vital to keep things running smoothly.

Let’s look out for each other, take a lesson from Phil and protect our burrows.

On the Beat is a weekly safety column written by Sergeant Jeffrey Daberko and Officer Mark (The Crossing Guard) Chavis of CWRU PD. We welcome questions, suggestions and gripes/groans/moans/ complaints about campus life at policecolumn@case.edu.

news

observer.case.edu

5

Creative entrepreneurship Cleveland Social enterprise workshop teaches CWRU women about starting responsible businesses

Katie Wieser Executive Editor One by one, they stood up and spoke.

The ladies of the Changemaker conference were all asked what big change they’d like to see in their community.

As a group, they discussed intolerance, mental health stigmas, sustainability and poverty with a passion that can only come through first-hand experience and the unique perspectives which are usually lost in discussions of business development and entrepreneurship.

These women didn’t come to the workshop to learn how to make money. They came to learn how to make a difference.

The Education Entrepreneurship Consortium (EEC) hosted the Changemaker workshop with 40 participants from eight different Northeast Ohio universities, including Case Western Reserve University.

The program was meant to inspire female students towards social entrepreneurship, a growing field of start-up companies which try to meet the needs of their communities as well as earn profits.

For CWRU student and participant Carey Feng, the workshop was a pathway to a whole new interpretation of what entrepreneurship means.

“I always thought of entrepreneurship as just being your own boss and making

money for yourself,” she said. “I never saw the social aspect to it.”

The shortfall of conventional programming for entrepreneurs is the common idea that entrepreneurship is only for tech geniuses and the wolves of Wall Street. The EEC was looking to create a program which would appeal to those looking to help better their communities.

“We’re noticing students today are more aware of and interested in social causes,” said Kay Molkentin, a coordinator of the event. “Teaching people to be entrepreneurial and use business models to respond to social problems is something that’s more sustainable [than non-profits].”

Feng signed up expecting a lecture on techniques and common practices in building a social enterprise. But this is not what she and the other participants received. The EEC teamed up with Tigress, a social enterprise, to help guide the students through the process of cultivating an idea, coming up with potential solutions and creating an action plan to bring that solution to life. Over the course of the eight-hour workshop, teams came up with solutions to mental health stigma, the lack of healthy food in urban environments, the sustainability of the fashion industry and the lack of local arts events.

The value of the workshop was not only this opportunity to help create cre-

ative solutions, but also the chance to learn more about social issues which exist and network with like-minded individuals.

“I thought it was cool how you come in not knowing anyone but you come out with business partners,” said Feng.

“Discovering that you’re passionate about something and finding that others are too. It was encouraging to find out that a lot of people are willing to help out—getting that support and being able to support others as well.”

CWRU is all about experiential learning, and the Changemaker workshop is definitely an experience.

Right before spring break, the teams will be checking in with Tigress to give an update on their progress. Molkentin is eager to hear the results, and Feng is equally anxious to see how her team’s venture, an effort to reduce the number of event- and group-associated T-shirts, fares in the next 30 days. But the value of the workshop goes far beyond the ventures that came out of it.

“I think when we shared the social problems that we saw in the world, [we got] something that a classroom couldn’t offer,” said Feng. “When people are actually experiencing those problems in the world firsthand and talking about it, you feel so much more involved than you do just reading about it.”

CWRU Police Blotter

Feb. 3 to Feb. 10 Feb. 3: Petty theft—cash taken from desk drawer, Mandel School Applied Social Sciences Building.

Feb. 4: Misuse of credit card—misuse of credit card reported by student at off campus locations, Triangle 1 Building.

Feb. 5: Petty theft— unattended computer tablet taken from common area, Storrs House.

Feb. 5: Petty theft—backpack taken from study area, Kelvin Smith Library.

Feb. 6: Underage drinking— no hospital transport, Thwing center.

Feb. 6: Inducing panic— student brandishing penknife in elevator, Clarke Tower.

Feb. 7: Underage drinking— hospital transport, Ford/ Hessler Roads.

Feb. 10: Underage drinking— hospital transport, Tyler House.

Feb. 10: Petty theft—cash taken from unsecured locker, Fribley Commons.

catch-up

Julia Bianco News Editor We boil down what happened in Cleveland this week.

Republican National Convention gets a CEO Jeff Larson, a Republican National Committee (RNC) staffer, was named the chief executive officer of the 2016 RNC, which will take place in Cleveland in the summer of that year.

Larson previously served as the CEO for the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul. He was also the Chief of Staff for the 2012 RNC. Before he began working for the RNC, Larson worked as a campaign staffer for George H.W. Bush and adviser for George W. Bush.

“The RNC has a lot of demands heading into the presidential cycle, and producing a successful national convention for our nominee is one of the most important,” added RNC Chief of Staff Katie Walsh to the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “I’m looking forward to the opportunities ahead and working with Jeff to organize a great convention in Cleveland, where we will nominate the next president of the United States.”

Superman flies in to Cleveland In honor of Superman’s Cleveland creation, a new statue of the hero will be erected near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum downtown.

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first created Superman in the early 1930s in Glenville, OH. “For years people have asked why Cleveland does not have a statue to commemorate the creation of Superman and honor local creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster,” Richard Pace, a founding member of the Siegel and Shuster Society, told The Plain Dealer. “Now we will.”

The statue will be sculpted in steel by David Deming, who has been working on it for six years. It will be painted “Superman blue,” but will also contain bits of red and yellow. It will be 12 feet tall.

“People will be able to walk around the statue and see it from all angles,” said Pace. “This will be iconic, representing a piece of Cleveland history and pop culture. Placing it between the science museum and the rock hall is perfect. Every kid is going to want to see it, and everyone will want their picture taken in front of it.”

There will also be three life sized-statues of Siegel, Shuster and Joanne Siegel, wife of Jerry and the inspiration for Lois Lane. The project will be financed through private donations made to the non-profit company Superman Statue LLC.

opinion Editor’s note

Shake off the winter blues There’s plenty to love as temperatures drop Last winter for the first time in almost ten years, I saw snow. Real snow.

Not the mountain-top frosting or frozen grass in the morning, but feet upon feet of rock-hard, gray, unforgiving and completely fall-on-yourface-able snow. I have to say, I was a little less than enthused as I found out the “winter” boots that had gotten me through four years of hiking in the red dirt of Hawaii and walking through the rain drenched sidewalks in northern California were hardly sufficient for the treks across campus.

However as I search Amazon for more sensible footwear and buy, like, 16 pairs of gloves, I find that I secretly love the Cleveland winter. The gray skies may make me forget what true warmth feels like, and the potholes may bring back the unpleasant memories of being driven in the back of cattle cars during basic training, but January and February in the 216 are where it’s at. For these 11 reasons and a million more, here’s why you should be grateful to be spending the lovely winter months here at Case Western Reserve University.

1. No awkward eye contact: Do you struggle with seeing people you kind of remember while rushing to class and feeling compelled to stop and chat?

Well no more. Heads down, everyone, keep the snow out of your eyes and get where you’re going.

2. Fun hats: Spring and summer are pretty limited in the area of exciting headgear. Winter is really the only time you can express yourself through dome coverage. So take advantage of your chance to slap on some ridiculous ear coverings and walk boldly. You are being practical.

3. Snow: Like it or not, it’s cool to see this fluffy white stuff around and, as some of our staff found out at a conference last week, some cities take all the snow out of the city for disposal. Screw that noise. If it’s going to be cold and windy, I better be able to go outside and hit someone with a snowball.

4. Brite Winter festival: Enough said.

5. Easy conversation starter: No longer do you have to flounder for responses when your barista or greenie driver tries to make small talk. Weather conversations may be boring, but they can

fill those valuable moments you spend waiting for your Case Cash to get approved.

6. The vent on the side of Mather Dance: It’s so warm you almost miss the cold. You also get some cool melting patterns. A little bit of joy on your path from the Mather Quad to Kelvin Smith Library every day.

7. Permanent ice heaps: That pile of snow that the plows put up on the sidewalk is going nowhere until March, but now you have something in the middle of a wide open space that you can use as strategic cover and concealment in the coming zombie apocalypse.

8. Networking: Science has shown that baristas are the coolest people in the world. They have tattoos. They wear aprons. Their hair is always fabulously disarrayed. Winter is the perfect time to get to know these beautiful creatures.

Hot chocolate and espresso await.

9. Toboggan rides: If you have not yet made your way out to the toboggan chutes in Strongsville, you are absolutely missing out. These slides—700 feet tall—are the coolest winter activity you can find for the price. You can’t find

that kind of craziness anywhere else.

10. Crowd control: No one wants to be outside in four-degree weather.

Except those who have no choice.

When you’re rushing to try to get to Starbucks before it closes, enjoy the fact that you are the only one crazy enough to be outside walking around.

11. Everyday heroics: There is nothing quite like witnessing someone completely wipe out on the icy sidewalks of campus, then see them just laugh like it didn’t hurt and proceed to walk to class. Falling on your face in public is pretty awful, but what a chance to prove your mettle to your peers and teachers.

Katie Wieser Executive Editor & Publisher

36 questions for the single and ready to mingle Sophomore slump Stephen Kolison It is painfully apparent that Valentine’s Day is this Saturday. My only loves in life have been Denny’s and DIY projects. I look forward to Feb. 14 for only two reasons: heart-shaped doughnuts at Krispy Kreme and half-off chocolate at Target on Feb. 15. I don’t think I need to try to be any more cynical to say that I am not a fan of Valentine’s Day, or even love itself. I’m more than cool with platonic and familial love, but romantic love has never made sense to me. Talking about love we use words like “crushing,” “falling” and “heartbreak.” Those are pretty violent ways to describe something that is supposed to be pure and gentle, and it scared me into thinking that I should just be like Oprah and marry my career.

Mandy Len Catron wrote a piece for the New York Times about how she and her acquaintance, who later became her boyfriend, asked each other 36 personal questions. This was based off a study done by psychologist Dr. Arthur Aron to generate closeness in two strangers, and the two strangers in the original study went on to get married six months later. I decided to recreate this study with someone that I barely knew because: 1.

Why not? And 2. Love can’t be studied

in solitude. With another person I was hoping to figure out why I couldn’t love someone else.

The first set of questions was essentially harmless. They reminded me of those really vague essay prompts colleges love to ask, like, “What would constitute a perfect day for you?” or “If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?” The questions then went full steam ahead as we were asked to relive terrible memories and say things that we liked about our partner.

I think we spend a majority of our lives rotating through the same five facts whenever we talk about ourselves to strangers. In order for him and me to get anywhere, we had to break that cycle and actually dig deep to find the answers to those questions. The questions were in a way very simple; they could have been answered in one sentence. We ourselves added layers to the questions and expanded them in order to fit our needs.

This was one of the few genuine interactions I’ve had with someone my sophomore year. During that time some of the strongest eye contact was made, and the outside world started to fade as we kept asking each other more questions. I don’t think I’ve poured my heart out to a complete stranger since freshman orientation, when I was so desperate to make friends. I genuinely cared

about his contribution to our conversation, and I would like to think he cared about what I contributed as well.

There I was sitting with someone who I only saw throughout my harrowing trips across campus or in Kelvin Smith Library, and we were both curious to see how different, yet still similar, we were.

We shared laughs and even awkward moments, and all of that built something for us. It’s odd how we both spent 20 or so years never knowing each other, forming different lives, but still found some mutual understanding between us. And even though this experiment was about a time of togetherness, I was still able to isolate myself from it all.

I found that my so-called “inability to love” came from my lack of self-worth.

When he shared the redeeming qualities that he saw within me that I did not see myself, I realized that I did not see that I was a decent enough person to be worthy of love. During that time together, I came to love myself a little more, and I thank him for that.

Like Catron I too wondered what would happen to the two of us once this was over. Were we going to become a nuisance to our friends by forcing them to go to our destination wedding in Barcelona? Or were we going to have a smaller wedding featuring a Beyoncé flashmob? I guess I have to answer the question that you all may be wondering: Did we fall in love with each other?

Well, no, we most definitely did not.

For those of you out there who were rooting for that Barcelona wedding, you’re probably thinking, “Maybe you didn’t try hard enough,” or “Maybe your eye contact game was off point,” or…maybe neither one of us wanted to fall in love—whether it was with each other or anyone at all. Catron sums it up best by saying that you can’t choose who falls in love with you. It’s so harsh, blunt and logical that it has to be true.

Forcing ourselves to form a serious commitment would not have been fair to either one of us. Love doesn’t just happen because you know the last time your partner cried in public.

He wasn’t The One for me, and I was sure as hell not The One for him, but we both built a foundation that night.

That foundation was too weak to hold something like love but strong enough to hold something like friendship. And who says I won’t ever ask these questions again? Catron’s original study promoted vulnerability. And through that, he also promoted the foundation of a loving relationship. But I’m only 20 years old, and I have about 60 more years of life left in me to find someone with whom to share those questions. So for now I’m just going to roll with the punches and see what will happen next.

Stephen Kolison is single and ready to mingle.

opinion 7

observer.case.edu

The struggles of commuting My commuter life

Abby Assmus At times during my undergraduate career here at Case Western Reserve University, I felt like I was living a double life. This is mainly because I am a commuter student and have been since my first semester. I live in Brook Park, a suburb of Cleveland right next to the airport, and depending on the day, it can take me between 20-40 minutes to get to campus.

I have never really felt like a college student because I have a vastly different life from people who live on campus. It can be frustrating, though, because I take the same classes as people that live on campus and should still feel like a part of the CWRU community.

According to Division of Student Affairs, a commuter student is “a student who generally does not live in a residential dorm and either drives, walks or uses public transportation to get to school.” Many people live in apartments close to campus and are therefore considered commuters, but there are also many people, such as

myself, that live at least a 30-minute commute away from campus. This commute can be rough, especially in the winter when even the Healthline buses get stuck in the snow. I typically have to wake up at least three hours before my first class starts just so I can quickly eat breakfast and get to the train station on time, in case there are any delays, as there often can be on the Red Line. Not many of my peers have been able to fully realize how difficult it can be to navigate the public transit systems in Cleveland, especially when I don’t just use them to hang out downtown, but to get to school.

I normally take public transportation since driving can also be a hassle with the innerbelt bridge construction and the added snow delays in the winter. A parking permit is also a huge expense, more than $300 a semester. Personally, I don’t feel safe on public transportation late at night, so I am not comfortable staying late to participate in clubs or activities and study groups. I’ve had group projects for classes before where the group has wanted to meet late at night, but it is nearly impossible for me, as a commuter, to do that.

It is hard to live at home. Sure, there are certain comforts like having a washing machine readily available and a room to myself. But living with your parents and a sibling is difficult when they won’t stop talking and you have about 200 pages of reading to do and an essay to write after working a six-hour shift in retail. I don’t get home-cooked meals like people sometimes assume upon learning I commute. My parents are usually busy with their own schedules, as I am with mine, so we rarely have time to sit down and eat together.

Commuters seem left out even from the university. There is a commuter lounge, but it is in the basement of Thwing, and not a lot of people know about it. If they do, many people do not like to use it because it is constantly cold, especially in the winter time, and somewhat run down. Even with the new university center open and more space in the upper rooms of Thwing, the lounge is still in the damp and dark basement. Most commuters pass through it and only use it to eat lunch quickly. It is hard to form a community of commuter students when everyone is busy with their

own classes and need to get back to their homes to go to their jobs after a long commute. Still, the closest friends that I will have from college are the people that I met in the lounge who also have long commutes, since I have only been able to feel accepted by them.

I made the choice to commute, and I don’t regret it because of the money I will save in the long run from not living in the dorms. However, I feel that commuter students should feel included in campus community and not be treated like outsiders.

With Cleveland and its suburbs, there are bound to be plenty of students that live in the city rather than on campus. Commuting is the only option for many students, but that should not mean that they are not considered a part of the campus community or have the same opportunities that those who live on campus or very close to it have.

Abby Assmus is a senior and a commuter student. If you have any questions about commuting or what it is like to be a commuter, feel free to email her at ala51@ case.edu.

Ignore this article High ground

Chandler Holcomb If you are reading this then you have ignored my advice. What compelled you to do so? I clearly was in a better position to judge the merits of this article, because you were still on the title, whereas I had written and reread the entire piece. So why did you ignore my wisdom? Perhaps you did not trust the title because it is illogical for people to publish writing they do not want people to read. Maybe it peaked your interest and you wanted to judge for yourself.

Or—and this may be a bit of a stretch— perhaps you enjoy a little defiance every now and then.

Let me explain. Certain types of people have an affinity for conflict. I am one of those people. I have found that while some may consider my choices irresponsible or wrong, I have gained a great deal from disobedience. I still remember and reflect on one of my first little acts of defiance.

When I was in elementary school, my peers and I would be released onto the playground for about half an hour a day. Right behind that playground, there was a small wooded area, and all the students were advised not to wander past the swings into the brush.

At first I thought nothing of it and followed the instructions like I was supposed to. But after a few weeks, I began to question the advice of my teacher. I often played in the woods behind my house and returned unscathed; why should these

woods be any different? I began to grow indignant until one day I disappeared into the woods. Returning just before recess was at an end, I bragged to my friends that I had ventured into the woods and returned in one piece.

Unfortunately, shortly after returning to class, my arms began to break out into a rash. I was sent to the nurse, where I confessed my actions and found that I had stumbled upon poison ivy in the very woods I was told to avoid.

You would think I would have learned my lesson that day, but my tendencies persisted as I grew older, far past my rebellious teenage phase. When I am told to do something, even if it is proposed in a harmless way, my gut reaction is to question the validity of the person’s authority. In fact I almost craved being given orders just so I could break them when I was so inclined. I was not alone in this.

A friend, not too different from me, would drag race at speeds of over 130 mph on the highway past cars that he could have easily hit. He stole planks from houses with unfinished construction for seemingly no reason at all. Trespassing and calculated disobedience were practically part of his daily routine. I will spare you the details of some of his more reckless endeavors, but they have often gotten him in trouble.

Eventually I had to ask myself why do we trend towards chaos in our lives?

Reflecting on the misadventures of my friend, myself and doing a tad bit of

The Observer is the weekly undergraduate student newspaper of Case Western Reserve University. Established in 1969, The Observer exists to report news affecting and/or involving students and to provide an editorial forum for the university community. Unsigned editorials are the majority opinion of the senior editorial staff. However, Opinion columns reflect 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 observerads@case.edu.

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

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 10900 Euclid Avenue, Suite A09, Cleveland, OH 44106. For policy and guidelines related to the submission of Letters to the Editor, refer to observer.case.edu/submit-a-letter.

research, I found a common narrative: a love of power and an overwhelming curiosity with rules and regulations that combined into a kind of confident (perhaps overconfident) skepticism that, in turn, compelled us to continue to challenge that which put up walls.

A study in the journal, Social Psychological and Personality Science, found that people who break the rules are perceived to hold power because they act the part. Rule breakers often act confidently which, regardless of whether they are right or wrong, can inspire others to view them as leaders. A man putting his feet on a chair, ashing his cigarette on the ground and ordering his food in an unfriendly way was seen as “more likely to get to make decisions” by onlookers. Those defying orders and conventions also perceive themselves as powerful.

Rather than sneaking out of my high school classes early for to go to a friend’s house or to the shore, for instance, I could have easily waited. Yet to me the power to choose an activity over class was like a reaffirmation of my own autonomy.

However, despite this undeniable rush, power alone is not quite sufficient to explain my actions—oftentimes consequences incurred reduced my autonomy. I got detention for skipping class, and in order to teach me a lesson my, parents often took away liberties. My actions did not make me feel or be perceived as powerful. That is when I think back to those woods and all the mystery they held. It was curiosity that

compelled me into those woods.

A healthy dose of curiosity and skepticism is important. It helps uncover truths and protect you from manipulation.

It encourages intelligent discourse and the inclusion of opposing viewpoints or minority opinions that otherwise may be marginalized. That being said, there is such a thing as too much curiosity. It has often put me in harm’s way.

When breaking the law or disobeying orders, there is always risk, and for good reason too, as discouraging harmful behavior is an important function of laws within society. I am sure some of you reading this do not condone my friend’s actions. But what I have landed on is moderation. I still love risk and acts of questionable legality, but I have clear lines I actively choose not to cross for the sake of myself and others.

I do not regret entering those woods as a kid. I have made many mistakes in my life, but they have made me the person I am today. Be your own person; make your own decisions even if sometimes that means breaking the rules. But always remember that your actions will have consequences.

Every day we make choices, but in the end our choices make us.

Who knows? Maybe a little danger will teach you something about yourself. It certainly did for me.

Chandler Holcomb is a Junior at Case Western Reserve University.

the observer

established in 1969 by the undergraduate students of case western reserve university executive editor & publisher KATHLEEN WIESER director of design MEREDITH DYKEHOUSE director of print MIKE MCKENNA director of web & multimedia JESSICA YANG director of business operations TAYLOR MORAN advertising & marketing manager COLE MORRIS account manager MARCUS GUTIERREZ news editor JULIA BIANCO a&e editor ANNE NICKOLOFF opinion editor AQUENE KIMMEL sports editor JP O’HAGAN advisor BERNIE JIM multimedia editor HARSHA CHANDUPATLA news layout CHRISTINA CHENG web editor JOE SATTERFIELD a&e layout ROBERT BROWN copy editors MARIA FAZAL sports layout AMANDA LI ADITHI IYENGAR opinion layout BETH MAGID

8

opinion

2/13/15

Letters to the editor In regard to the SEC initiative to create a board for diversity groups To the editor, We are writing this letter in response to how our campus has failed to fully support diversity groups that aim to enrich the community. After much thought regarding the systems in place to ensure that diversity-based groups succeed in their goals of enhancing the campus’ culture, we believe that the campus community is not doing enough. We would like to propose that an additional student board be created to oversee the activities of diversityoriented groups. This student board would cater to the needs of diversityoriented organizations and would be added as one of the organizations that represent the diverse populations on our campus on the Student Executive Council (SEC). There are several reasons why we believe that such a group is necessary: 1. The Undergraduate Student Government is unable to properly allocate funding to diversity organizations, as they do not have a good grasp on their needs. For example, the funding of only three events per semester puts a large limit on diversity programming and the programs that do get funding are not the ones that generate a campus wide impact. With the installation of a diversity board, there will be greater ability to access the needs and resources of these groups.

Therefore, more knowledgeable and equal funding allocations would be made to groups under this board’s supervision.

2. The installation of a diversity board would create a permanent and

sustainable group that will continue to work on diversity and inclusion issues in order to improve the campus climate.

Although there are several committees that are currently working on diversity and inclusion issues on campus, these groups are only temporary and do not fully address the problem. Diversity is fluid, constantly changing and requires an ongoing group to ensure the positive campus climate continues.

3. In light of fall 2014’s diversity and inclusion issues on campus, it is a necessity that minority groups have proper representation on SEC. There needs to be a level of relevance on SEC regarding diversity-oriented groups and the work that they do. It is hard for someone who does not have a thorough understanding of our experiences to know what we need, how to go about solving or alleviating any of the issues we face or even knowing what the real issue is. The current representatives can attest to the problems their particular groups face, but we as students of diversity-centered organizations do not have anyone to speak on our behalf.

Our voices get lost in the mix of larger groups.

4. To demonstrate our university’s commitment to promoting a diverse and inclusive community, there should be a group that focuses solely on this area.

This would allow the board to focus on diversity issues, unlike other groups who have several concerns. By designating one group to oversee student-based diversity initiatives, we will be showing alumni, the community and the nation that Case Western Reserve University is truly committed to diversity and

inclusion.

5. Prospective students and their families will feel more welcome, particularly students from culturally and religiously diverse backgrounds.

An undergraduate diversity board shows that CWRU will be a home away from home, somewhere students can grow not only as scholars, but also as agents of social change by becoming engaged in our community.

6. The overall CWRU experience will be enhanced through the enriching educational programs that our groups host. Students will benefit from learning more about people from different backgrounds. This can only be an asset in the global economy most of us will encounter in our professional lives.

The creation of an undergraduate diversity board is crucial to the advancement of the university’s goals in fostering an inclusive environment.

Such action will demonstrate that CWRU will not tolerate an environment of discrimination or hatred. We am calling upon the SEC, administrators and the undergraduate population to support this proposal. It is my hope that this board will be established before the 2015-2016 academic cycle so we can all begin our journey towards instituting positive, sustainable change within our society.

Sincerely, Brittany Chung, junior, and Precious Amoako, senior

In response to “A land purchase CWRU would like to forget” and “Juniper police headquarters to be torn down, replaced with new alumni wing” To the editor, Case Western Reserve University is a murderer. Now that you’re reading, let me clarify. CWRU has torn down a host of historic Cleveland buildings in its pursuit of architectural blandness.

One need only look to the Engineering Quad and notice the absence of buildings like Case Main or to North Side’s 1960s asbestos monstrosities known as dormitories to see what CWRU considers adequate architecture.

Against this already vicious attack on Cleveland’s urban fabric, the recent purchase of a Cleveland Heights home from disgraced Dean Mitchell is particularly cruel. CWRU apparently has the money to buy this home and consider

renting it out. For some reason this particular house deserves CWRU as savior.

The dozens of beautiful homes ripped down to build North Side and South Side as isolated pools of dead concrete and shabby grass, however, were apparently just collateral damage. Even the new North Side dormitory building carries on the same tradition.

On top of all this, it is even more ironic that CWRU claims to care about Cleveland at all. Its students disperse to suburbs like the Heights, or even to far corners of the nation. Its faculty often drives to work from places as far as Mentor-on-the-Lake. For every useful development, like Uptown, which finally fixed an embarrassing predicament of having acres of parking lots on historical Cleveland Main Street, we

get buildings like Tinkham Veale. And beyond “The Tink,” we get news that CWRU wishes to tear down yet another historical Cleveland building to build an expansion to the Alumni Center—an isolated, bland cube of an expansion at that. But remember that home in the Heights, that one CWRU will preserve.

Cleveland proper apparently deserves none of the care a corrupt official does.

Alumni will sit in their cube and wax poetic about “thinking beyond the possible” and then drive back to Lyndhurst in their SUVs past acres of destruction.

We’ll pay for that home in the Heights through tuition or donations, and Cleveland will continue to be trampled over.

Opinion Editor Aquene Kimmel weighs in on some of this week’s big stories

Tuition increases In this case it’s not the taxes that are too damn high. Rather, tuition has increased by about $1,400, not including similar increases in room and board.

While some of the changes they intend to make with this additional revenue seem useful and needed, this extra charge is still a little hard to swallow.

See front page

Drag Ball on February 20 This is CWRU’s 12th Drag Ball—to put that in perspective, RuPaul’s Drag Race is only in its seventh season.

This event, unfortunately scheduled on the same night as Snow Ball and my grandma’s birthday, promises plenty of glitter, cake and fabulous outfits, so I for one wouldn’t miss it (sorry, Gram!).

See Strut your stuff, page 11

Men’s basketball loses Baller was replaced with bawler this week when, in games against University of Chicago and Washington University in Saint Louis, early leads turned into disappointing losses. However, the team has great chances of going on to win many of its remaining games and place highly in the University Athletic Association (UAA) rankings. Plus, can you really feel that bad about losing a game to “the university where fun goes to die?” They needed it more than we do.

See Spartans drop weekend double against UAA rivals, page 19

Sincerely, Zak Khan, Senior

Preview: A Way We “Need” To Think?

The elephant in the room Andrew Breland This week on Tuesday, I was browsing through Facebook statuses when I came across one about an ethnic studies class. A student in the class, who identified himself as Asian, was lamenting that the class focused entirely on African American history.

The course was taught by an African American professor. A majority of the

students in it were Asian. “Asian is an ethnicity too,” the status ended.

The responses to the complaint were more subdued and civil than I have come to expect on a college campus. Besides one who tried to demand that African Americans have had it so bad that everything else pales in comparison, everyone else involved in the conversation were respectfully bringing up points about the perceived slight and the multi- and cross-disciplinary reasons for the class to be organized in

such a way.

However, I still cannot help but wonder, what if “Asian” in the original posting were changed to “White?” What if the student wanted information on all races and ethnicities? Independent of the subject matter of this instance in particular, there would be nothing wrong with a desire to learn about such a topic.

But the reaction would be far more brutal than this. One can easily imagine the masses ready to pounce on a perceived racist. Rebecca Traister,

in the New Republic, called these people “armies of unpaid but widely read commentators, ready to launch hashtag campaigns and circulate change.org petitions in response to the slightest of identity-politics missteps.”

Anyone familiar with the culture or militant ideology of such “reformers” will understand and appreciate her description...

Read the rest of this week’s column at observer.case.edu.

arts & entertainment Editor’s choice

Sleep-deprived tech inventions Virtual reality pancakes, resume-sender among Hackathon’s innovations

Over the weekend, techies united to work on their projects for 36 straight hours at CWRU’s Hackathon.

Nardine Taleb Staff Reporter Hackathon’s innovations last weekend were an assorted bunch; an Iron Man Simulator, an app called “Oh” that warns the user if their phone is still on when they approach a classroom, and an image processor that turns 2-D pictures from Google into 3-D models were among the highlights.

Though there wasn’t much sleep at this Hacker Society hosted event, the creativity was outstanding. Projects ranged from

games to helpful apps that could be used on the spot.

Michael Schaffer, Koby Picker, Michael Starling and Kai Smith, all CWRU students, were producers of Pancake Simulator 2015, a game where players look through an Oculus Rift (virtual reality headsets) and make (or burn) pancakes.

They won third place for their creation.

Shaffer’s favorite thing about Hackathon was trying new technology like the Oculus Rift for the weekend.

“I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity otherwise,” he said.

For CWRU student Kristina Collins, the best thing about Hackathons is the time dedicated to a project.

“I like that you have the ability to do your thing and spend some dedicated time for something that’s not for school, because it’s nice to know that you can stay up until 4 a.m. for your own reasons instead of somebody else’s,” Collins said.

She and her Hackathon partner Meaghan Fenelon created an app called “Algebrator” to help students with Algebra. Collins says she got the idea when helping her brother with math.

Ki Oh/Observer Tom Carlin, a senior from Ohio State University, got his idea for a helpful app while interning at Hyland Software. He noticed how complicated sending resumes to companies is. Using this as his inspiration, he created an app that sends an individual’s resume electronically to all companies and then records who receives them.

The first place prizes went to “Tale of Two Circles,” an aesthetic game where the controller tries to avoid a variety of enemies, second place went to “2D-3D” and third place went to Pancake Simulator 2015.

Editor’s choice

Dancers power though exhaustion, celebrate record-breaking fundraising effort Brian Sherman Staff Reporter

Harsha Chandupatla/Observer SpartanTHON’s dance marathon kept feet moving and donations increasing, and the event ended with more donations than ever before.

Over 250 dancers, charged with staying on their feet from noon to midnight, packed the Veale Center to raise money for kids at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital last weekend.

Throughout the marathon, they were encouraged by the stories of families who benefitted from their efforts in past years as well as by the exciting performances of various student groups. Several activities during the themed hours also kept the dancers busy. As the sun set, the participants danced on into the night, refusing to give in and sit down.

But perhaps the most excited moments of the night occurred right before its conclusion. After a energetic rave hour,

grand fundraising total was revealed.

Several participants went up on stage, each holding a number, and revealed the total amount, digit by digit, right to left.

First came three, then four and then a decimal point. Forty-three cents. Then came two, seven and two again. $272.43.

The anticipation was mounting for the thousands reveal. Three came first. One more digit to go. Several participants expected a four, which would have made a substantial increase from last year’s $28,860.14.

It was a five. $53,272.43. The crowd erupted in shouts of joy. Exhaustion and sore feet were present all around near those concluding minutes of SpartanTHON, but that didn’t stop anyone from getting excited at the sight of that final number.

a&e 10

observer.case.edu

CWRU Thoughts

Stephanie Kim/Observer

Maria Fazal Copy Editor The Case Western Reserve University community is known for thinking beyond the possible. Each week, this column aims to capture a slice of campus life.

Q: Why are you dressed up?

A: I had work earlier. I do orthopedics research at the Cleveland Clinic. I’m

working for this guy who is exactly who I want to be in the future. I want to be an orthopedic surgeon, possibly pediatrics.

Q: What made you decide to do that?

A: I like fixing things, so fixing people is pretty cool. I had an orthopedic issue in eighth grade, and that kind of killed my athletic hobbies for a while. I had to see a bunch of pediatric orthopedics, and I was like damn, I want to be just like them.

Dining halls continue Valentine’s Day special Jenny Jeon Contributing Reporter Fancy tableware, signature four course dishes and elegant decorations seems like a romantic scene in a fancy New York restaurant on Valentine’s Day, but this scene is closer than the Big Apple; it is actually set for Leutner Dining Hall on Case Western Reserve University’s annual Valentine’s Day event, hosted

by Bon Appétit.

The cost? Just two meal swipes, as seen in the name: Two-Swipe Date Night.

And as if that wasn’t enough, students will be able to choose from a wide range of delicious dishes, starting with mouthwatering appetizers, like bacon wrapped shrimp with a side of raspberry barbecue sauce, and ending not only on a full stomach, but also with a rich dessert that only connoisseurs could talk about in reviews such as the New Yorker. This includes a chocolate covered long stem strawberry dipped in grand marnier cream.

Bon Appétit will be hosting the event

from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 for Leutner Dining Hall and on Feb. 14 for Fribley Dining Hall. For Fribley, it will be its third year holding the event, and for Leutner, its second. The comeback was only natural—it was so popular that it sold out last year.

It wasn’t just the students who were enthusiastic about the well-liked event.

The staff of Bon Appetit, such as Marketing Manager Beth Kretschmar and Executive Chef Robbie Washington both presented their ardent love for the menus they created.

“The event was a great success, and everyone involved really enjoyed themselves. Our staff is very enthusiastic anytime we can do something special for the students. We are very proud of our menus,” Kretschmar stated.

The menus are not only fancy, but they also apply Bon Appétit’s everlasting motto for the food they provide for CWRU students. As Kretschmar says, “We always promote good health and well-being, especially when it comes to food.”

A sweet night KAH’s Chocolate Banquet sees sold out crowd Sierra Blanton Staff Reporter Going out for a fun dinner in the name of a good cause is pretty sweet, but adding chocolate to the mix makes it that much sweeter. Last Friday night, Feb. 6, Kids Against Hunger (KAH) and the Chocolate Club held their first Chocolate Banquet, and there was plenty of dessert to go around.

At 6:30 p.m., people started filing in.

Trussed up in splendid dresses and sharp suits, everyone made their way to the clothed tables, with Hershey’s kisses in the middle to give guests a taste of what they could expect later.

Soon, all the seats were filled and according to KAH Marketing Director Ann Payneau, they were sold out. Then, Kiran Bandi, KAH president, got up on the stage and started off the night by welcoming everyone. She introduced the guest speaker, Sandra Beard, from Greater Cleveland Food Bank (GCFB).

Beard went onto the stage and showed a video of GCFB in action and the people whom they help. There were some technical difficulties with the presentation after the video, but Beard went full throttle into the purpose and the efforts of GCFB. She described what they did and how they distributed food, explaining that $1 equated four meals. She ended her presentation by detailing the various ways that students could get involved in the organization’s effort to fight hunger.

Afterwards, Bandi announced that everyone could line up for dinner. Long tables with dishes of bread, pasta and salad as well as drinks were set up in the back of the room.

Energetic music filled the room, but conver-

sations rose as guests sat to eat their meals.

As the plates started to empty, the room grew tense as people kept watch of the long table at the front of the room, covered with trays of chocolate treats. Some chaos ensued when two people went up to the tables, and guests leapt up to line up for the desserts.

Unfortunately, they had to be called back to their seats. This only made people more on the edge of their seats, and they launched up again once the announcement was made a minutes later.

There was an array of chocolate cake, Oreo pops, s’more cake, cookies and much, much more chocolate to go around. People moved quickly through the lines, selecting various choices of chocolate delights. There was even a separate line for the chocolate fountain. Finally satisfied with their homemade baked desserts the guests returned to their seats to enjoy the sweet chocolate for a bit before ending the night.

With such an unexpected turnout, Payneau and Bandi hope to make this happen again.

“I think this will become our annual Banquet,” said Payneau.

The money helps go towards paying for their Spring Packaging Event in April, when KAH hopes to get a group of volunteers to help package 50,000 meals. They also hope that the banquet made people more aware and want to donate as well.

“Every penny counts,” said Bandi. “For [KAH], every 15 cents is a meal.”

That means that just one of the $8 tickets equaled about 53 meals. Each visitor created a difference in the fight against Cleveland hunger, by enjoying a night filled with delicious dishes.

The Observer’s Valentine’s Day Photo Contest Winner: James Ma

11

a&e

2/13/14

Powerful impressions Several professors share their thoughts on the importance of appearance Allison Duchin Staff Reporter While fashion may not be the most important aspect of making a good impression on professors, several Case Western Reserve faculty members noted that appearance can play at least a minor role in how they perceive students.

On self-marketing and presenting oneself best, most professors said that this something that they think best helps a student at the beginning of the semester.

Both Associate Dean Molly Berger of the History Department and Design and Innovation Assistant Professor Casey Newmeyer agreed that if there is time to put more effort in one’s classroom appear-

ance, it would be when classes begin.

Both professors recognized that they might be biased however. It can be inferred that the initial well-dressed look seems to give off the appearance of respect for the professor and raise interest in the general course information.

Berger also expanded her preference, showing that a student’s appearance is not a priority as long as it doesn’t influence their activity in class.

“If a student is doing well in class, I’m not offended by a rumpled just-rolled-outof-bed look, as long as they don’t continue their nap in class.”

Some professors do prefer a more professional look in certain situations. Physics Professor Rolfe Petschek explained

that in situations where a student comes to him with a specific interest or is giving presentations in his class, he prefers and sometimes requires students to dress in business casual. However, Petschek—like many of the other professors—focuses more on the ethical behavior of students in his class than their appearance.

In some instances, a bad appearance can have such a negative effect on the student’s impression that a good appearance can’t improve the professor’s perception of them. Petschek provided an anecdote of when a student’s attire was less than appropriate for a presentation, even in his casual class setting, which left him with a slightly more disinterested feeling towards the student.

“Professors write recommendation letters, have extensive networks and can be a vital resource for students seeking employment or graduate studies,” said Newmeyer.

She believes it’s important to make a good impression on every professor. This idea that professors are likely to be helpful to those students who have impressed them or maintained a good relationship with them was one that expanded across all who were asked.

Overwhelmingly, professors seem to care more about students’ active participation and interest in their class than their appearance, as it should be. However, it is clear that appearances and impressions— especially at first—can only help.

Strut your stuff Spectrum’s 12th annual Drag Ball sure to be a hit Temi Omilabu Staff Reporter Spectrum, the LGBTQA+ Allies student group, will be embracing the culture of drag on Feb. 20 at the Drag Ball.

A little known fact about drag is that it actually stems from fourth century B.C. Athens, where it was a common punishment for those who refused to conform to their societal gender roles. Over time, however, it morphed into a more positive expression, a way for all types of people to celebrate acceptance and tolerance. It provides for an arena of self-expression while serving as an outlet for creativity and self-exploration.

Spectrum’s Drag Ball seeks to stimulate discussion about drag culture and gender in a friendly, energetic environment. There will be games, performances and lots of genuine fun. Audience members will use monetary donations to vote for their favorite performers, and Spectrum will offer all donations to the Cleveland LGBT Center.

Lizzy Benway, former president of Spectrum, helped plan the night’s array of events.

“People can expect to see... students dressing in drag and strutting their stuff down the runway in Tink,” said Benway.

“At the end there will be a special professional drag performance from our very own Lady J. Martinez, a grad student here at Case Western Reserve University.”

Benway also mentioned that the audience can expect a runway walk and lip syncing, among other forms of entertainment.

“One of my favorite memories from Drag Ball last year was watching one of my good friends perform ‘Wrecking Ball’ as Miley Cyrus. He was hesitant at first to perform in the event but ended up having a blast and gaining praise from the whole crowd,” said Benway. “He has no prior experience with drag but left his fears at the door, went out there and had a great time.”

Benway and the rest of Spectrum encourage the CWRU community to attend this event and experience the fun for themselves.

Event: Drag Ball Location: Tinkham Veale University Center Date: Feb. 20, 8 p.m.

Price: Free

a&e 12

observer.case.edu

Playlist of the Week Teddy Eisenberg Staff Reporter

“Multi-Love”—Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Continuing to craft a unique blend of funky, psychedelic pop, Unknown Mortal Orchestra ditch their guitars for synths and brisk backbeats on “Multi-Love.” The heart-crushing and trashing story of this tune can in many ways be seen as a metaphor for vocalist and arranger Ruban Nielson’s principle talent: fitting together odd and broken pieces of music into succinct masterpieces. Look for this avant-garde gem on the forthcoming album of the same name, due out May 26 on Jagjaguwar Records.

“Don’t Wanna Fight”—Alabama Shakes “Don’t Wanna Fight” represents a big musical departure from the eternally restless Alabama Shakes.

Beginning with a plucky guitar groove that morphs itself into a deep, brooding funk, singer Brittany Howard trades in her signature Janis Joplin croon for the swagger of James Brown, spitting verbal challenges at the listener. This track isn’t meant to be intimidating, however—merely angry, searching for the beauty in uncertain darkness. “Don’t Wanna Fight” is an exciting a taste of what the four-piece is sure to accomplish on its new album, “Sound & Color,” out April 21 on ATO Records.

“Pay No Mind”—Madeon ft.

Passion Pit Teaming up with Passion Pit is just one of the many tricks up the sleeve of French producer Madeon on his debut album, “Adventure,” a record that also boasts collaborations with Bastille and Foster the People. Set for release on March 31, “Pay No Mind” offers a tantalizing glimpse into a world of glimmering pop and distorted keyboards. Also be on the look out for Passion Pit’s latest, “Kindred,” out in April.

“Head Over Heels”—J.D. McPherson J.D. McPherson has boiled his take on rock and roll down to the essentials on “Head Over Heels,” a song that is a slinky, midtempo instant classic.

So timeless are the musical elements of this tune that McPherson has solidified everything that feels right about rockabilly and old school R&B revival in just 288 seconds. “Let The Good Times Roll,” J.D. McPherson’s sophomore release, is available Feb. 10 on Rounder Records.

“Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)”—Father John Misty

Astute listeners will recognize Father John Misty (mastermind Josh Tillman from the Fleet Foxes) as one of the best folk rock acts to arise in recent years. With “I Love You, Honeybear,” Father John Misty continues to make a name for Tillman, as he imbues songs like “Chateau Lobby” with a bold and creative beauty, making a powerful statement about love in the 21st century.

Although we are only a month into 2015, this album is already sure to be one of the years best.

Retro Pick of the Week: “Such Great Heights”—Iron & Wine Love is an elusive and sometimes frustrating endeavor, embodying the highest highs and lowest lows that one can hope to achieve in life.

The Iron & Wine cover of “Such Great Heights” embodies that incredible complexity, channeling an honesty as delicate as Sam Beam’s voice and guitar playing. “But everything looks perfect from far away,” croons Beam. We would do well to remember these words. Happy Valentine’s Day.

Find all these tracks online with our weekly Spotify playlist at observer.case.edu Teddy Eisenberg is a third year programmer at WRUW-FM 91.1 Cleveland. He hosts The ’59 Sound, an exploration of rock music, every Thursday morning from 8-10 a.m.. and co-hosts the variety talk show Max and Teddy in the Morning at Night (Sometimes) on Mondays from 5-6 p.m. The crackle of vinyl warms him on cold Cleveland nights.

All photos courtesy pitchfork.com, redlightmanagement.com, amazon.com, & http://consequenceofsound.net

“Jupiter Ascending” entertains, but goes nowhere Roy Chan and Jonathan Freeman Contributing Reporters A great movie ties different storylines together, attaches you to its characters and expands on the creativity of its underlying idea. “Jupiter Ascending” does none of this and instead relies on the strength of its novel premise and stunning visuals.

As Lana and Andy Wachowski’s first science fiction film since “The Matrix” trilogy, “Jupiter Ascending” entertains, but disappointingly fails to live up to the quality of their previous work. There is a little bit of everything scattered throughout this messy roller coaster ride of a storyline—action, romance, cheesiness, plot twists, visuals—and although it is very stimulating, “Jupiter Ascending” lacks the substance to say anything meaningful. As a result, the Wachowskis have flopped on what could have been a stellar film.

The film stars Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis), a maid in Chicago who leads a modest life until a space soldier named Caine Wise (Channing Tatum) saves her from an alien attack. Jupiter slowly discovers why the Abrasax family—a powerful dynasty that owns the earth— is trying to hunt her down. They see her as a threat that stands between them and their empire, whose product is the most valuable in all of the universe: an elixir of life.

The movie hinges far too heavily on the fresh concept of earth’s life existing as a dispensable asset in an intergalactic business. Touching on Darwinist ideals, “Jupiter Ascending” does not provide any significant commentary nor grand conclusion on the ethical dilemma it presents. This lack of insight forced the Wachowskis to fill the void with visuals and a potpourri of action scenes.

Although visuals are not—and should never be—the most important part of a movie, they still prove to make movies all the more entertaining. Consider outstanding movies like Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” and James Cameron’s “Avatar,” which have visuals that elevate them to movie-of-the-

year status. In comparison, mediocre films with great visuals can also be enjoyable, and those who are able to disregard a shoddy plot in the presence of gorgeous space landscapes and impressive CGI reptilian extraterrestrials will enjoy “Jupiter Ascending.”

The elegant animal-inspired spaceships and the luscious Abrasax residence immerse us deeply in the film with every heart-stopping pan of the camera: This is a feat not commonly achieved in today’s science fiction movies. The Wachowskis spoil the audience with breathtaking panoramic shots of different planets, including Jupiter. We experience a sense of grandeur as the film takes us through the supermassive cyclone that is the Great Red Spot.

That being said, many of the action scenes were unnecessarily prolonged, while Kunis’ and Tatum’s romance scenes were cheesy and seemed disingenuous. Kunis and Tatum were acting as well as they can, drawing on spotty chemistry that never builds a strong enough bond for a catharsis at neither the climax or the end of the movie.

Additionally, while Jupiter’s Russian family is entertaining at times and have an interesting dynamic, they end up seeming unrealistic. These issues arguably arise from a script designed for the typical formulaic American action blockbuster. This leaves us feeling less invested in Jupiter and Caine, and therefore less emotionally involved in the movie.

Coming into the movie, we expected something among the likes of “The Matrix” and “Cloud Atlas”—both Wachowski creations—but were thoroughly disappointed. “Jupiter Ascending,” while spouting interesting ideas, is just another action blockbuster movie that had the potential to say so much more than it did.

Film: “Jupiter Ascending” Starring: Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum Rating:

Who won this year?

Grammys highlights include Cleveland winners Sanjana Krishnakumar Staff Reporter From Sam Smith’s four Grammy steals for “Stay with Me” to Sia’s breathtaking hallucinogenic performance of “Chandelier”, the 57th Grammy’s stunned viewers across the nation. The awards ceremony featured more extravagant performances and glamorous styles than ever before.

Musical mash-ups included “FourFiveSeconds” performed by Kanye West, Paul McCartney and Rihanna, “My Heart is Open” sung by Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani and “Cheek-to-Cheek” by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. Though the singers and dancers made the night an unforgettable one, the award recipients’ glowing faces lit up the stage in a special way.

In case you missed the show, here are some highlights: At his first Grammy’s ever, Sam Smith stole the show by winning Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year for his song “Stay with Me,” and Best Pop Vocal Album for “In the Lonely Hour.”

Two Cleveland artists won awards at the ceremony for their works in Classical music. Jason Vieaux, a professor at Cleve-

land Institute of Music, won a Grammy for the Best Classical Instrumental Solo for his CD, “Play.” Michael Bishop, the cofounder of Five/Four Productions, won a Grammy for the Best Engineered Album in the Classical category.

Much of the Grammy’s audience was surprised when Aphex Twin won Best Dance/Electronic Album for “Syro.” The strange noise-ish album beat out other contenders, but the band’s revolutionary techno experiments have made them a more obvious choice for the esteemed award.

Beyoncé received two Grammy awards even before she set foot on the red carpet during the pre-Grammy ceremony for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance for her song “Drunk in Love.” Later, she was handed the award Best Surround Sound Album. Receiving these three awards was a personal record for Sasha Fierce.

Producer of the Year award was Max Martin’s first Grammy. His work on “Dark House” by Katy Perry, “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift, “Break Free” by Ariana Grande, “First Love” by Jennifer Lopez and “Bang Bang” by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj helped him achieve this prestigious title.

13

a&e

2/13/14

suds...

More birthdays, Pass Atthe Brew Mentor less cancer CAC to host Power of Purple events next week Anne Nickoloff Arts & Entertainment Editor Next week, Case Western Reserve University’s Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) will push off the spring semester with a week of activities to support April’s Relay for Life event.

Power of Purple, a four-day series of events, is aimed to raise awareness about cancer and earn extra donations for the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Last year, CAC donated $60,000 to the ACS, and this year they’re shooting for $65,000. Though CAC has, in the past, put on early events to encourage donations to their mission, this is the first time the group is organizing an entire week of Power of Purple activities.

The activities start on Tuesday, Feb. 17, with a celebration theme, featuring a birthday cake and relay signups. This coincides with ACS’s mission of creating a “world with less cancer and more birthdays,” and celebrates people who have survived cancer.

A day of remembrance will follow on Feb. 18, where students and community can take a photo of why they decide to relay later in the year. They can also purchase a luminary bag for loved ones.

On Thursday, Feb. 19, the annual faculty and staff versus students basketball

game takes off. Last year, students won by a slim margin, but will face even tougher competition this year after the faculty and staff team was coached by Officer Mark Chavis.

Ending the week is a carnival, designed to encourage people to fight back against the devastating effects of cancer, on Friday, Feb. 20.

Everyone has their reasons for being involved with Relay for Life, with one collective purpose: to end cancer.

“Every year I find more people to relay for,” said CAC executive director Shruthi Srinivas, who has run in eight different relays.

Next week’s Power of Purple activities do more than just get students involved.

According to Srinivas, “it’s [CAC’s] official big spring push off to refocus people.”

Relay for Life itself takes place on April 18, 2015 at noon. Even though this event might be a few months away, next week is a chance for students and community alike to join in the fight against one of the world’s deadliest diseases.

Event: Power of Purple Week Dates: Feb. 17 - 20 Location: CWRU campus

A spin-off with a good start “Better Call Saul” breaks off from “Breaking Bad” Mike Suglio Staff Reporter Unlike movies, television has no sequels.

It has spin-offs.

The number of successful and critically acclaimed TV shows pales in comparison to the volume of “good” movies out there. This is due to the length of a series, the amount of people involved in making TV shows and frankly (that is, until the dawn of Netflix) TV shows were always known as “lesser” forms of cinema compared to films.

As we as viewers of TV help continue the current “television renaissance” that is often viewed on a computer, few can deny AMC hit series “Breaking Bad” as the Mona Lisa of television. It is no surprise that AMC and creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould would like to continue the “Heisenberg” mania with a spin-off.

Spin-offs can be rather hit or miss and always seem like a better idea than they usually end up becoming. Though many had doubts behind the concept of “Frasier,” a spin-off from “Cheers” centered on supporting character, Frasier, it proved to be incredibly popular and as equally entertaining as the original series. Then there is “Joey,” which of course was a tragically unsuccessful spin-off of the hugely popular cult favorite, “Friends.” Few at the time could argue that it would not be an instant hit, but sadly it did not have the same chemistry as “Friends.”

Like many, I had my doubts while tuning in for “Better Call Saul,” of course a spinoff to one of my all-time favorite shows, “Breaking Bad.” Thankfully, after watching the first episode at a Jolly Scholar viewing party, I am reluctantly hopeful about the series.

The series starts with a dream-like black and white flash-forward to Saul Goodman after “Breaking Bad.” It is eerie, quiet and basically reminds me of the opening from its parent show. After creating empathy for this

scummy lawyer, the series cleanly flashes back six years go to when Saul Goodman was Jimmy McGill.

Clearly, the series will take us through the transformation of McGill to Goodman, as we also experienced White becoming jaded and turning into Heisenberg.

Also like “Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul” had brilliant lighting and cinematography, which is not all that common for television, and made Gilligan’s work exemplary.

Gilligan throws in plenty of foreshadowing around props and, of course, offers plenty of violence.

At the time original for television, “Breaking Bad” has some seriously violent subject matter, and “Better Call Saul” will be just as dark. Goodman’s first defendants in the series are teens who violently defamed a corpse.

Without spoiling anything for those who have not watched it, I was surprised by the amount of cameos from “Breaking Bad,” and I can only imagine that will increase throughout the series. As a fan of the original show, I am extremely excited about this, but as a hopeful for this show, I am cautious.

One of the reasons “Frasier” was so successful was it was a standalone show that had little crossover from “Cheers” and in many ways had a completely different tone from the last show. If “Better Call Saul” hopes to be less of a gimmick, it will need to follow this same strategy.

With that, I am hopeful for “Better Call Saul,” as I am for most shows on AMC. If all else fails, just throw in some zombies, and the show will be fine.

Show: “Better Call Saul” Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn Air Time: Mondays, 10 p.m.

Rating:

Courtesy Mike Suglio Brew Mentor brings visitors into the beer-making process, among other beverage-making activities.

Mike Suglio Staff Reporter For craft beer nerds, Brew Mentor brewery is nirvana. The educational doit-yourself experiences allows you to sip new brews and learn how to make your own.

Located in my hometown, Mentor, Ohio, about 25 minutes east of campus, Brew Mentor was the first on-site brewing establishment to open in this Cleveland suburb. The brewery’s name is a play on words due to its location in Mentor, and also the fact that owners Brian Seelinger and Rick Mack will mentor you in the beer-making craft.

Brew Mentor sells all the supplies and ingredients you’ll need to start your passion project of brewing. They also offer all the supplies to make your own wine, mead and coffee from Rising Star Coffee Roasters. As Seelinger pointed out, “We start you off in the morning and finish you off at night.”

Seelinger opened this “brew school” in 2010, after years of brewing at home and winning awards in home brewing competitions. He provides weekly classes on basic to advanced brewing, wine making, kegging and coffee roasting.

But, besides being a retail shop, Brew Mentor also has a small tasting bar so patrons can sample some of Seelinger’s award-winning beers as showcase of what kinds of beers you can potentially make at home.

The first beer I sampled was the aggressive blonde ale, Headlands Blonde Ale. At 23 International Bittering Units (IBU) and 5.5 percent Alcohol By Volume (ABV) this easy-drinking, malty blonde ale had a noticeable and unique hoppy taste. The ale contains crystal hops, which are from the noble family of hops usually in Illinois Pale Ales (IPA), but Seelinger brewed what he called an “American version,” which tasted more like an American Pale Ale. Next was the Cardinal Red Ale, named after Mentor High School’s mascot, the fighting cardinal. This brew

was a crisp, roasty and red-colored ale, which I enjoyed despite typically not liking red ales. Similar to the Headlands Blonde, it was low in IBU and ABV at 25 and 5.25 percent.

After trying some of the “lighter” beers, Seelinger treated me to his heavyhitting flagship beers, which were fantastic. The Lakeshore Porter was simply one of the best smoked porters I have ever had. This dark and strong beer emits a smoky scent as you lift it to you lips. It is no surprise that this beer won Seelinger a gold medal at a home brewing competition. At 6.6 percent ABV and 36 IBU’s, this beer was my clear favorite of the bunch.

The Plaza Pale Ale was original in taste and smell. Brewed with the rare mosaic hops and at 5.9 percent ABV and 40 IBU, this beer has a floral-like aroma. The beer was incredibly cloudy and allowed me to create a mini-tornado every time I shook the glass. Despite being brewed with dry hops, the beer was incredibly smooth and was surprisingly hoppy for a Pale Ale. My final sample was the James IPA Garfield. Though Garfield’s middle name was Abram, IPA is a pretty cool middle name; I believe Garfield would have been proud to have this beer share his namesake. At a whopping 8.1 percent ABV and 81 IBU’s, this well-crafted beer was designed to match the ABV percentage and IBU’s to the same single year Garfield was president, 1881. Like the Plaza Pale Ale, this brew is made with mosaic hops and has a hoppy and floral taste, yet a much heavier and warming taste to it.

Though Brew Mentor is not a traditional brewery, it is a great place to start your own brewery and a fun visit for any beer nerd.

Brewery: Brew Mentor Location: 7295 Mentor Ave., Mentor OH, 44060 Price Range: $$ Rating:

14 | ad

2/13/15

fun

observer.case.edu

fun page | 15

COM IC S

Nutcase

Now, if it selectively kills cancer cells in a petri dish, you can be sure it’s at least a great breakthrough for everyone suffering from petri dish cancer. By xkcd

Crossword Puzzle Across 1. Apollo astronaut Slayton 5. Wash out with a solvent 10. F F F F 14. Poems 15. Scruffs 16. Hint 17. Instructions 19. Stringed instrument 20. Not on 21. Brass musical instruments 22. Cries 23. Schemes 25. Lofty nest 27. Confederate soldier 28. Expressive of contempt 31. Thin piece of wood or metal 34. Coming up 35. G 36. Study hard 37. Flooded 38. “Pow!” 39. Assist 40. Breaks

41. Pieces of insulation 42. Wetness 44. A parcel of land 45. Stop 46. Get hold of 50. ___-garde 52. Unsophisticated 54. Caviar 55. Mousses 56. A certain cut of meat 58. Leer at 59. Daisylike bloom 60. Small island 61. Homosexuals 62. Utilizers 63. Sleeveless garment Down 1. Blockheads 2. Enlighten 3. Notches 4. East southeast 5. Bury 6. Dens 7. Atop 8. Tautness 9. S 10. Cream-filled pastry 11. A boxing weight class

12. Roll up 13. Views 18. Bird sound 22. Engendered 24. Snip 26. “Sure” 28. Appearance 29. Tidy 30. Precious stones 31. Fraud 32. Threesome 33. Revolutionary 34. Cognizance 37. Rectum 38. Light bulb unit 40. Immediately 41. Silly mistake 43. Detects 44. Admirers 46. Made from apple juice 47. Got up 48. Spirals 49. Basic belief 50. All excited 51. Lyra’s brightest star 53. Initial wager 56. Letter after sigma 57. 54 in Roman numerals

16 | fun page

2/13/15

Horoscopes Aries

(Apr. 19 - May 13) Roses are red, violets are blue. You are amazing because you go to CWRU!

Taurus

(May 14 - Jun. 19) Repeat after me...Netflix is not my date. Netflix is not my date. Netflix is—oh who are you kidding?

Gemini

(Jun. 20 - Jul. 20) Whether you have a date or not, you should take advantage of the post-Valentine’s day chocolate sales.

Cancer

(Jul. 21 - Aug. 9) For Valentine’s Day, consider going cancaning.

Leo

(Aug. 10 - Sep. 15) You should avoid any garlicky foods. Smelly burps won’t fly too well on your date.

Virgo

xkcd

Mission to Culture

(Sep. 16 - Oct. 30) Treat yourself, 2015! Wine, Clothes, Fine leather goods!

Libra

(Oct. 31 - Nov. 22) Show your true capitalist spirit by celebrating this holiday with some pink heart-shaped merchandise.

Scorpio

(Nov. 23 - Nov. 29) You will end up going to see “Fifty Shades of Grey” this weekend. Just sit back and let your inner goddess enjoy the journey.

It can’t be very MUCH money… they apparently can’t even afford a sampler. I mean, with a little remixing, some of this could be kinda good!

Sagittarius

lean least little maybe moment others physician pound quart rate relate relish rids rill southeast speak their three tile trade wander

Wordsearch

across again become blocks break briar brighten cams cane chair comparative creek dozen emerald father field fresh gent heap heat honest lays

Ophiuchus

(Nov. 30 - Dec. 17) The time is right! Master up your courage for a confession this Valentine’s Day. (Dec. 18 - Jan. 18) <3 XOXO

Capricorn

(Jan. 19 - Feb. 15) Just pretend it’s Christmas instead of Valentine’s Day.

Aquarius

(Feb. 16 - Mar. 11) You’re going to do great on your test today! Actually, who am I kidding, it’s Friday the 13th, you’re screwed.

However, someone loves you.

Pisces

(Mar. 12 - Apr. 18) Valentine’s Day is so much more than romantic relationships. If you’re single, take the time to tell a good friend how much you appreciate them.

sports

observer.case.edu

The Jolly Scholar jolly.scholar @JollyScholar 216.368.0090 mpv3@case.edu MTW RF Sat. Sun.

11a – 12a 11a – 2a 12p – 2a 12p – 12a

Tapingo Deliveries to the Quad!

We are happy to announce our new delivery system starts March 1.There are two shifts: 11:10 to 11:30 and 12:10 to 12:30. More details are on the Jolly Scholar Facebook page.

Sports Standings

Tues

Trivia Night

Wed

Thurs

Karaoke Comedy & Grad Night Happy Hour

Fri

Sat

Sun

40’s & Fridays

Charity Late Night

All You Can Eat Wings & Football

Conference

Men’s Basketball

All

Wins

Losses

Percent

Wins

Losses

Percent

Chicago

6

3

0.667

14

6

0.700

Washington

5

4

0.556

16

4

0.800

Emory

5

4

0.556

15

5

0.750

Case Western Reserve

5

4

0.556

14

6

0.700

New York U.

5

4

0.556

14

6

0.700

Rochester

5

4

0.556

9

11

0.450

Carnegie Mellon

3

6

0.333

12

8

0.600

Brandeis

2

7

0.222

7

13

0.350

Conference

Women’s Basketball

All

Wins

Losses

Percent

Wins

Losses

Percent

New York U.

8

1

0.889

19

1

0.950

Washington

8

1

0.889

14

6

0.700

Chicago

7

2

0.778

18

2

0.900

Rochester

4

5

0.444

12

8

0.600

Carnegie Mellon

3

6

0.333

11

9

0.550

Brandeis

3

6

0.333

11

9

0.550

Emory

2

7

0.222

11

9

0.550

Case Western Reserve

1

8

0.111

7

13

0.350

Men’s Tennis

Wins

Losses

Percent

Wins

Losses

Percent

Brandeis

0

0

0.000

1

0

1.000

Rochester

0

0

0.000

1

0

1.000

Washington

0

0

0.000

1

0

1.000

Case Western Reserve

0

0

0.000

3

1

0.750

Carnegie Mellon

0

0

0.000

3

2

0.600

Chicago

0

0

0.000

3

2

0.600

Emory

0

0

0.000

0

0

0.000

New York U.

0

0

0.000

0

0

0.000

Conference

All

Conference

Women’s Tennis

All

Wins

Losses

Percent

Wins

Losses

Percent

Washington

0

0

0.000

1

0

1.000

Carnegie Mellon

0

0

0.000

4

1

0.500

Case Western Reserve

0

0

0.000

3

1

0.750

Brandeis

0

0

0.000

3

2

0.000

Emory

0

0

0.000

0

0

0.000

New York U.

0

0

0.000

0

0

0.000

Rochester

0

0

0.000

0

1

0.000

Chicago

0

0

0.000

0

1

0.000

Wednesday is Comedy Night

Calendar

17

Calendar Varsity Sport

Friday 2/13

Saturday 2/14

Men's Basketball

Away @ New York U. 8:00 PM

Away @ Brandeis 12:00 PM

Women's Basketball

Away @ New York U. 6:00 PM

Away @ Brandeis 2:00 PM

Swimming & Diving

UAA Championship Atlanta 10:00 AM/ 5:30 PM

UAA Championship @ Atlanta 10:00 AM/ 5:30 PM

Track & Field

vs. BW MidFebruary Meet 5:00 PM

Away @ All-Ohio Championship -Westerville, Ohio 12:00 PM

Wrestling

UAA Championship @ Case 11:00 AM

Women’s Tennis

@ Oberlin 9:00 AM

Sunday 2/15

18

sports

2/13/15

Arko’s Cleveland Corner

How to get the Dawg Pound barking again

Defensive tackle Suh, wide receiver Cobb among Browns’ potential offseason moves Joey Arko Staff Reporter The 2014 season for the Cleveland Browns was nothing short of tumultuous.

Although they finished with their best record (7-9) since they went 10-6 in 2007, they managed to finish the season on an extremely low note. Not only did they lose their final five games, their QB situation heading into the 2016 National Football League (NFL) season is somehow an even bigger question mark than it was entering last year, as is their situation with their general manager, Ray Farmer. He currently finds himself caught up in the middle of a texting controversy that could result in some rather steep penalties for the Browns (loss of draft picks, perhaps).

So the question stands: What do the Browns have to do this offseason to help right the ship and get the team back on track?

Here are a few suggestions as to how they could get the Dawg Pound barking again: First things first, despite the heavy overcast of negativity surrounding the team— from the players all the way up to ownership—bright spots do remain in regards to the team’s future. Even though they didn’t finish strongly last year, they still had one of the more successful seasons in recent memory. Rookie coach Mike Pettine showed immense promise and was even in talks for Coach of the Year candidacy at one point

during the season. However, two glaring team statistics stand out that must be addressed in order for the team to take the next steps towards making the playoffs in the perennial heavyweight American Football Conference (AFC) North Division.

One such deficiency that has to be improved upon is the rush defense.

In 2014, the Browns were, for lack of better words, the worst rushing defense in the entire NFL; and that’s not an exaggeration. On average, they allowed 141.6 rushing yards per game on 4.5 yards per carry for opposing backs according to teamrankings.com. That’s good for 32nd ranking out of 32 teams. Opposing teams frequently elected to run the ball right down the gut of the Browns’ defense and often found immense success doing so. As a result, the Browns’ defense would gradually wear down throughout the game due to the constant shellacking from opposing halfbacks, fullbacks and quarterbacks running game.

Solution? One way is to beef up the interior line in free agency.

Enter another bright spot for the Browns: they are approximately $50.4 million under the salary cap. Translation: They have a lot of money to throw at top free agents to help improve the team.

One such free agent that could help reinforce the interior defensive line is defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions.

Known for having a hot temper and recurring fines by the NFL, Suh is still very much a disruptive force on the defensive side of the football. In 2014, he compiled

8.5 sacks, despite facing frequent double teams and offensive schemes designed to prevent him from reaching the quarterback.

His 8.5 sacks would rank second on the Browns current roster, behind Paul Kruger’s 11 in 2014. Desmond Bryant, with 5 total sacks, ranked second on the Browns’ current roster.

Suh would improve all areas of the defense with his affinity for pass rushing.

Because of his ability to be a disruptive force, he would attract a lot of attention from opposing offenses, making his fellow defenders’ job easier. Offensive linemen would have to focus on both Suh and Kruger, leaving holes on the offensive line that Browns defenders could shoot through.

This would both apply heightened pressure on the quarterback while also filling in the run lanes, leaving opposing halfbacks with less space to run through.

The other side of the ball could use some work, too.

Last year, the Browns’ pass offense ranked 20th in the NFL, with an average of 216.6 yards per game and 12 total passing touchdowns on the year. In all actuality, the Browns received corps exceeded expectations, but now that superstar Josh Gordon will be serving a one-year ban from the league— and the Browns reportedly have now decided to move forward without Gordon being in their future plans—the time is now to add some talent to the receiver position.

Randall Cobb could be the answer to the Browns’ troubles. Last year in Green Bay, Cobb totaled 1,287 receiving yards off of

91 catches, and hauled in 12 touchdowns by himself (which equals the Browns’ passing touchdown total last year). He is a versatile, multi-talented receiver that can play the slot and is lethal in intermediate routes. He can also beat you over the top with his speed and athleticism.

Essentially, he is everything the current Browns receivers are not, and he would certainly fill a need if the Browns were able to sign him in free agency. However, NFL drafts have been notorious for having talented wide receivers—look no further than last year’s draft, which included instant stars such as Odell Beckham Jr. and Mike Evans, amongst others—and so the Browns could elect to go that route and use their draft picks on receivers.

Either way, the Browns may be down, but they are by no means out. Even with the negative blemishes recently cast upon the franchise, they have the options and tools necessary to fix some of the major problems that have been holding the team back.

Hopefully, they’ll give the fans something to cheer for next season.

Joey Arko is a current senior at Case Western Reserve University working towards his degree in English with a Marketing minor.

Aside from The Observer he also writes for CavsNation, submitting articles pertaining to the analysis of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Born and raised in a suburb just outside the city, his love for Cleveland transcends beyond just it’s sports teams. He also really loves Cleveland bars.

Intramural hockey headed to flourish David Hoffman Staff Reporter The weather outside might be cold nowadays, but the action in the intramural floor hockey league is really heating up.

With just four teams left standing in the playoff bracket, the time is near to crown the league champion. Additionally, the consolation bracket is also seriously picking up steam. Let’s review the tournament so far, and preview the upcoming action.

In the second round, #FISHTANK edged out Snakes and Vests by a 3-2 score, while No Ra-Gretzkies mauled the BME SunDevils 16-2 to advance to the next round. Delta Upsilon kept their title hopes alive with a 10-3 victory over The Sports Fiesta. SigEp shut out Delta Chi 14-0 to move on. Zeta Psi advanced with an easy 12-2 win against Phi Kappa Theta. Beta Theta Pi crushed Alpha Chi Omega 13-2, while Dental Dynasty held off Phi Delt 5-3 to advance. Phi Kappa Tau defeated Phi Gamma Delta to stay in the title hunt.

The quarterfinals saw No Ra-Gretzkies defeat #FISHTANK 6-2, while SigEp doubled up Delta Upsilon 8-4 to advance to the next round. Zeta Psi scored an easy 9-2 victory over Beta Theta Pi, and Dental Dynasty dominated Phi Kappa Tau to the tune of a 16-1 final.

The consolation bracket is also starting to heat up as more teams get eliminated

from the playoff bracket. The quarterfinals saw Snakes and Vests defeat Delta Iota Kappa, while Delta Chi shut out Alpha Chi Omega 5-0 to advance. BME SunDevils took care of business against Phi Kappa Psi, defeating them 8-2. Finally, The Sports Fiesta emerged victorious over Phi Kappa Theta.

The semifinals for the playoff bracket are just around the corner, and the games appear to be incredible showdowns, at least on paper. No Ra-Gretzkies will take

on SigEp in a matchup featuring a pair of juggernaut offenses, with both teams tallying 22 points through their first two games in the bracket. Meanwhile Zeta Psi will square off against Dental Dynasty in another game that promises plenty of offense. It would appear that, in this tournament, the best defense is a great offense.

Whether or not the trend will continue remains to be seen, but it will be very thrilling to find out. Don’t miss it when the games get more intense and, eventually, a

league champion is crowned.

Of course, we can’t forget about the consolation bracket. The consolation semifinals offer some intriguing matchups to come, with Snakes and Vests slated to square off against Delta Chi and BME SunDevils set to square off against The Sports Fiesta. Both games should be instant classics, with the victors primed for a showdown in the consolation finals.

Check back next week for a review of all the action.

Intramural Floor Hockey 2015 Finals

Thurs. Feb 12, 9:30pm Court 2, Veale Center

No Ra-Gretzkies

No RaGretzkies

#FISHTANK

Snakes & Vests

#FISHTANK

#FISHTANK

BME SunDevils

Phi Kappa Psi

Semifinals

SigEp

No RaGretzkies

Delta Upsilon

Delta Upsilon

The Sports Fiesta

SigEp

Delta Chi

Zeta Psi

Beta Theta Pi

Zeta Psi

SigEp

Phi Kappa Theta

Zeta Psi

Zeta Psi

Dental Dynasty

Beta Theta Pi

Delta Chi

Alpha Chi Omega

Dental Dynasty

Dental Dynasty

Phi Kappa Tau

Phi Delta

Delta Iota Kappa

Phi Kappa Tau

Phi Delt

Phi Gamma Delta

19

sports

observer.case.edu

Basketball blues

Editor’s choice

Spartans drop weekend double against UAA rivals Aaron Shang Staff Reporter A gym packing home crowd pumped up from the Provost’s Pizza Night, Neon Weekend and free smoothies from the Jolly Scholar could not prevent the Case Western Reserve University’s men’s basketball team from dropping a crucial double against conference rivals University of Chicago and No. 12 Washington University.

The losses drop the Spartans back in the hotly contest University Athletic Association (UAA) race, with five games left on the schedule. To have a chance of finishing at the top of the UAA, the Spartans’ best shot

now is to win out—something definitely within the realm of possibility, with more manageable opponents such as New York University, and Brandeis University on the immediate horizon. At 14-6, the Spartans still have a good chance to break the school record for wins (17), needing to win four of the final five in order to break the mark.

Against tough Chicago and Washington squads—teams recently ranked as highly as No. 17 and 7 respectively—the CWRU men played with terrific effort, but just could not finish against their resilient UAA foes. Against the Chicago Phoenixes, the Spartans hung around with hot shooting and tough defense until the final minutes,

when Chicago pulled away with unlikely crunch-time baskets and ruthlessly efficient free-throw shooting. Five Spartans ended with double figures, led by an outstanding effort from point guard Jimmy Holman, who recorded 18 points and 8 assists on 7-13 shooting from the floor. Against Washington (Mo.), however, the Spartans could not replicate an upset effort from when they knocked off the Bears in St. Louis. Despite pacing with their opponents for much of the first half and stretches of the second period, CWRU could not remain competitive down the stretch, when the Spartans hit a cold stretch from the field and the Bears remained hot. In the game, the Spartans al-

Men’s Basketball

lowed their opponents to shoot 54.8 percent from the field, including a decisive 50 percent from three-point range.

Looking ahead, the upcoming road matchups (Friday, Feb. 13 and Sunday, Feb. 15) against lower-ranked New York University and Brandeis University are essential must-wins in the midst of a tight conference and NCAA chase. Further in the future looms No. 14 Emory University, a potential upset target that the Spartans would no doubt love to pull off. The final weekend includes “Throwback Weekend” events as well as Senior Day against archrival Carnegie Mellon University, all of which promise to be fun-filled student events.

CWRU

75

Washington

94

CWRU Player

PTS

AST

REB

BLK

TO

MIN

#

Player

PTS

AST

REB

BLK

TO

MIN

42

B. Klements

2

1

0

2

3

17

11

D. Fatoki

13

6

0

0

3

29

44

D. McLoughlin

11

1

4

0

2

27

50

C. Edel

7

0

3

0

2

22

20

L. SilvermanLloyd

17

2

5

0

5

33

2

J. Holman

7

2

2

0

2

26

34

N. Burt

19

7

7

1

1

30

M. Palucki

17

4

6

0

2

34

J. Person

24

4

7

0

3

33

35

3

C. Zucker

0

0

0

0

0

1

52

M. Styczynski

20

1

5

1

0

29

4

A. St. Germain

0

0

0

0

0

1

10

K. Kucera

0

0

1

0

0

1

5

J. Dean

2

2

0

0

0

12

14

C. Hooks

2

1

2

0

0

5

11

M. Clark

5

0

1

0

0

8

24

K. Lacob

0

1

2

0

1

10

32

P. Rankowitz

0

1

0

0

0

7

33

A. Sanders

0

0

2

0

0

2

40

B. Staffeil

6

0

2

0

0

7

M. Highsmith

1

1

4

0

0

12 1

10

15

D. Black

7

0

3

0

0

19

21

E. Black

6

0

3

0

1

14

22

E. Bees

0

0

0

0

0

1

24

Andrew Hodowanec/Observer Junior Matt Clark tries to find the open man in the Spartan’s loss against the University of Chicago Maroons.

Washington

#

S. Boyd

4

0

0

1

0

17

32

M. Hartman

0

0

0

0

0

1

50

34

Tj Duckett

0

0

0

0

0

1

54

75

10

23

3

13

Team Totals

D. Schemlter Team Totals

0

0

0

0

1

94

23

36

2

12

Spartan struggles Women’s basketball unable to jump start its offense Women’s Basketball

JP. O’Hagan Sports Editor The Spartans continued their slide as the women’s basketball team dropped its sixth straight.

The Case Western Reserve University squad was unable to upstart their offense this weekend, as they lost to the University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis, both for the second time in as many weeks. The pair of losses drop the Spartans to five under .500 and to 1-7 in University Athletic Association play.

The Spartans kicked off the weekend in front of a packed Horsburgh Gymnasium for Neon Night, complete with pizza and smoothies. The women’s squad fell by a score of 63-44 to the visiting University of Chicago Maroons.

The Chicago defense held the Spartans to a season low in points on Friday night as the high scorer for the CWRU squad was sophomore guard Jessica McCoy who put up nine points.

The Spartans, while unable to mobilize their offense did spread the court, as both freshmen Kara Hageman and senior Brooke Orcutt managed to add eight points each. The Maroons on the other hand had three players in double digits.

The Spartans fell behind after Chicago rattled off eight in a row to jump to a 16-7 lead. The Spartans had two long stretches of scoreless action in the first half, totaling over seven minutes of play without a bucket. Despite the rough start, the Spartans put

CWRU

65

Washington

89

CWRU

Andrew Hodowanec/Observer Rachel Beaty brings the ball up court against the visiting Chicago Maroons. up the last seven points of the half to gain a little momentum and head into the locker room at a mere 11-point deficit.

The Spartans pulled as close as three possessions, down by seven, as the Orcutt hit a nice jumper. However another shooting drought followed and a 9-2 run gave the Maroons a solid led and the eventual win.

The Maroons dominated the Spartans in the paint, outscoring CWRU 38-16, and the Spartans continued their high turnover rate, which has hurt their squad, giving up the ball 24 times.

Looking to bounce back, the Spartans faced off against the Washington University Bears. The Spartans were able to score 21 points more than their previous outing but still fell to the high-powered offense of the Bears by a score of 89-65.

Hageman put up 15 points and a dou-

ble-double to lead the Spartans in the loss, career high numbers for the freshman.

Hageman pulled down 10 boards off the glass to complete the double-double. She was helped by Laura Mummey, who also scored in double-figures with 12.

The Bears, who sit tied atop to conference and are nationally ranked—a disputed 6th or 9th in the nation according to separate polls—played at a higher level than the Spartans, who struggled to keep up.

The Bears led by 21 at the half, with the Spartans down 44-23. The largest lead of the game was 31 for the Bears, as their offensive might was too much for the Spartans to overcome.

The Spartans now head back out on the road to face off against New York University tonight, Friday Feb. 13, and then take on Brandeis University on Sunday.

#

Player

PTS

AST

REB

BLK

TO

MIN

12

L. Mummey

12

4

4

0

1

32

35

B. Eppard

4

4

1

1

2

34

22

J. McCoy

4

0

3

0

3

27

24

A. Germer

4

2

1

0

2

23

41

B. Orcutt

3

2

5

0

2

39

2

K. Hageman

15

1

10

0

2

21

5

M. Dziak

3

0

0

0

0

20

E. Reynolds

8

0

3

0

1

8

23

A. Roth

0

1

3

0

0

3

33

A. Smith

3

1

2

0

3

43

R. Beaty

9

1

1

0

0

Team Totals

65

14

30

1

13

13

Washington #

Player

PTS

AST

REB

BLK

TO

MIN

21

M. Gilkey

13

1

7

3

1

23

12

K. Biewen

7

5

3

0

3

21

15

A. Johanson

13

3

4

0

0

25

22

J. Thompson

7

4

2

0

0

22

23

M. Scheppers

12

1

4

0

3

18

3

A. Mort

0

2

0

0

0

6

5

C. Thomas

4

0

2

0

0

5

10

A. Keane

0

1

1

0

0

5

20

N. Orr

9

2

3

0

0

22

24

E. Hunt

8

0

2

0

1

20

31

A. Martinez

2

0

4

0

4

9

40

L. Yucknut

0

0

0

0

0

5

51

P. Naig

4

0

1

0

2

7

55

S. Vukotic

10

1

3

1

2

12

89

20

36

4

16

Team Totals

sports Three records fall

Spartans to host UAA

Spartan track and field excels in multi-team showdown Championship

Evan Rose Staff Reporter Case Western Reserve University track and field took part in the University of Mount Union’s Jim Wuske Invitational on Feb. 7. The Spartans competed against a mix of teams, ranging from familiar schools such as John Carroll University to even a few Ohio State University athletes.

Senior Mark Kulinski was the standout athlete of the meet, shattering his personal best and the school record to finish first in the pole vault. Kulinski set a mark of 4.91 meters, bettering the previous record set in 1990 by NCAA champion Kevin Luthy. He has recorded the sixth-highest vault in the nation so far this year. Kulinski, also the Spartan captain, was named UAA Athlete of the Week for the performance.

Case also broke another relay record, with the team of junior Jonathan Freeman, sophomore Nathaniel Wahner, senior Josh Malone and freshman Adrian Cannon breaking the 4x200 meter relay record with a time of 1:33.23. That record was nearly as old, set 21 years ago, and their performance earned the team a second-place spot.

The final event winner of the day on the men’s side was freshman Aidan DeSanto, who won the mile run with a time of 4:26.70. Two other Spartans finished in the top five, with sophomore Joe Ledger and junior Gabe McLeod finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.

For the women’s squad, although there were no first-place finishes, several athletes made it into the points, placing in the top 10.

Sophomore Ashley Leyden recorded the highest finish for CWRU, finishing

Wrestling returns to the mat to face powerhouses Chicago and New York JP. O’Hagan Sports Editor

Harsha Chandupatla/Observer Spartan runners round the turn in the Veale Center during the Battle of the Obelisk meet against Carnegie Mellon University. third in the triple jump with a distance of 10.19 meters, the width of the average three-lane road. Two other Spartans, freshmen Rachel Willard and Mareshah Sowah placed fourth and ninth, respectively, with Willard clearing the 10-meter mark.

The two final high scorers for the team were freshmen Marie-Louise Kolste and

Hayley Yocum, who both finished sixth, in the 500 and 5000 meter runs, respectively.

The Spartans return to competition this weekend, at two separate meets. The team’s top athletes will travel to the AllOhio Championship in Westerville, on Feb. 14 at noon. Meanwhile, the rest of the squad will compete in Berea the night before, at 5 p.m.

Andrew Hodowanec/Observer Spartan Captain Mark Kulinski clears the bar. Kulinski broke a 25-year old school record in the meet.

The Spartans are will return to the mat this weekend to face off against their conference competition.

Case Western Reserve University is hosting the University Athletic Association (UAA) Wrestling Championship on Saturday, Feb. 14 in Horsburgh Gymnasium.

The UAA only has three member schools with wrestling programs. In addition to CWRU, the other members are the University of Chicago and New York University. The Spartans will be hosting the Maroons and the Violets in the first direct matchup of any of the rivals.

The Spartans have had their strongest season in years as they stand at 6-6 on the season. The Spartans finished last year at four wins and 12 losses in dual meets, and that was two seasons removed from a winless campaign in 2011-2012.

The squad is headed in the right direction, riding on the success of the young wrestlers who have rejuvenated the program. However, the Spartans will face a tough challenge as they host their UAA rivals. Last year the Spartans were swept in the championship and will be hardpressed to improve this year.

The University of Chicago Maroons are coming off a hot streak, having put together a seven-win streak after dropping their first three dual meet matchups.

The Maroons will excel at the highest weight class, as they are led by Mario Palmisano, who has provided the winning points in their past two meets. In addition the Maroons tout junior Brennan King and freshmen Nick Ferraro, who are coming off strong outings in their last meet at the 165 and 174 weight classes, respectively. Palmisano, Ferraro and sophomore Michael Sepke have all earned UAA Wrestler of the Week honors this season and will prove tough competition for the Spartans.

The New York University Violets, however, are likely the team to beat. The Violets are ranked 24th in the nation at the DIII level and have put up an impressive 18 and three record. The New York wrestling squad is led by sophomore Matthew Coppola and junior Brian Anderson. The pair have both won UAA Wrestler of the Week honors this season while competing at the 149 and 197 weight classes, respectively.

This is the Spartans’ first home meet since Nov. 19, when they hosted and lost to Baldwin Wallace University. The Spartans have one more home meet next weekend before NCAA competitions wrap up the season. Come out and support the squad as they host the UAA Championship. The action starts at 11 a.m.