The Observer, Volume LV, Issue 24, 04/05/24

Observer The Case Western Reserve

Housing lottery disappo

i nts rising second-year

students Observer The Case Western Reserve

Téa Tamburo News Editor

From March 21-29, Case Western Reserve University’s returning students, who submitted their housing application by March 18, participated in the housing lottery to select their 2024-25 academic year on-campus housing assignment. For many current first-year students, this lottery would determine their housing assignment for the next academic year as they are required to live on campus. They could choose from single and double rooms in the new South Residential Village (SRV) Buildings, existing SRV locations (fourand six-person suites on Murray Hill or Carlton Road) and a limited number of four-person apartments in Stephanie Tubbs Jones Residence Hall (STJ).

With the new SRV buildings expected to open in fall 2024, this complicated the room selection process for some rising second-year students. Despite the university’s excitement about the new dorms, its anticipation was not reflected amongst the first-year students who would be their inhabitants.

Accounting and finance major Merry Ding said her four-person group was hoping to select a suite in STJ.

“Because I am a business major, the majority (if not all) of my classes are [on the north side] in [Peter B. Lewis],” she said. “Thus living on north-side would be extremely beneficial for my morning commute to classes.”

The Office of University Housing sent an email on March 26 informing first-year students that suites in Murray Hill or Carlton Road were almost filled and followed up with an email after the lottery that waiting lists would open the week of April 1 for

time I had no choice but to choose between three double rooms in the new Hall 2 on south-side,” she said. “At that point I was too tired of the whole thing to care.”

Majoring in biomedical engineering, Christy Li also had a March 29 time slot. After receiving the email from University Housing, her group chose to separate.

“I ended up in a double. I am upset that I didn’t get a choice to choose whether or not I would be living in SRV nor the amount of money I would be spending on housing next year,” she said. “I don’t think it is fair for there to be a lottery process that will only benefit a select few students that get lucky, and then basically screw everyone else over on their living arrangements for a whole year, and not allow us to live off campus.”

Liu said that some members of her original group went through the housing accommodations process with Disability Resources (DR) to be assigned a single room.

“The fact that they reserve a lot of the rooms for disability accommodations is being severely abused by students, and it is also limiting the amount of rooms for all of the other students to choose from,” she said.

Mentioning DR’s process in reviewing each accommodation request, Rogers said that University Housing will work to place approved students in housing that meets their needs.

“We understand concerns about the potential misuse of housing accommodations,” he said. “This process includes verifying a documented disability and determining how a specific housing accommodation would address the documented need. We are committed to upholding these procedures to ensure fairness and equity in our housing system.”

Physics major Chloe Meyer needed a wheelchair-accessible dorm. She said that getting housing accommodations is a somewhat difficult process.

“You have to get extensive documentation of your disability from a physician for Housing to even consider your request,” she said. “I don’t think it’s right to file with DR simply because you want a single, but there are a lot of reasons why someone genuinely needs one for accommodation reasons. There may be some people abusing housing accommodations, but I don’t think it is a widespread issue and it’s unfortunately an issue that already occurs with accommodations in general. There are people with legitimate needs for housing accommodations, and abusing these accommodations makes it harder for those who truly need it to receive their accommodations.”

University Housing places approved students into rooms that satisfy their accommodations prior to the lottery.

“I don’t think that it’s right that students with disabilities have no say over which dorm they can choose. Students without accommodations at least have some say in where they stay, but we don’t get any choices,” Meyer said. “My dorm is [$1,750] per semester more than the cheapest dorm option for sophomores. I think it’s odd that I have to pay so much extra to just even get a dorm that I can live in, especially when I get no say over the process.”

Housing lottery from page 1

Rogers believes there are several reasons for higher demand in Murray Hill and Carlton Road suites.

“Price and the configuration of private bedrooms are likely factors students consider. Additionally, some students may feel more comfortable with familiar, established housing options compared to a brand-new building where the experience is still unknown,” Rogers said.

Several students expressed frustration with the 2024-25 academic year price of SRV doubles, which are $7,000 per semester, compared to $6,250 for a Murray Hill suite or $5,500 for a Carlton Road suite.

Referencing that the first-year buildings’ cost is $5,335 per semester for a double room in 2024-25 academic year, Liu believes it’s unfair for the uni-

versity to require the majority of second-year students to pay $1,665 more to live in SRV double rooms.

“I feel like the only perk is that it’s a new building and has air conditioning, and shouldn’t warrant it to be so expensive.” she said.

Ding highlighted the lack of choice students felt in regard to their room and board rate.

“This loss of ability to choose I’m sure was a huge distress factor for many people since we are already paying so so much for housing,” she said, referencing some students’ inability to choose a less expensive housing option.

While not partaking in housing selection, Meyer believes the lottery process causes a financial burden for students with later selection times.

She said, “A student may not have

the extra $1000+ per semester to pay for an SRV dorm but are stuck with it due to their place in the lottery line.”

Rogers said that University Housing offers options at a range of price points and that the office is working with students who have financial concerns to relocate them to less-expensive options as availability opens.

“We offer second-year housing options at a range of price points to accommodate different budgets, including lowering the price of existing housing options,” Rogers said. “Our secondyear housing prices reflect the amenities and value provided within each housing option. Revenue from housing fees is directly invested in maintaining and enhancing our residence halls.”

With the cost of living increasing for the majority of rising second-year stu-

dents, some students, including Liu, have contacted the Office of Financial Aid.

“They don’t really care about the price increase, and the housing people just defer you to financial aid,” Liu said.

Acknowledging students’ disappointment, Rogers encourages students to “remain open-minded” and to favorably consider the amenities provided by the new SRV buildings.

“Case Western Reserve has a variety of living spaces, and we’re excited about the new residence hall coming online!” he said. “This building offers fantastic amenities, creates a new hub of activity on the south campus, and will be a vibrant community for the second-year experience. We’re confident that students living there will have an exceptional experience.”

CIM fires viola faculty member, spurring dissatisfaction among students

On March 27, students at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) received an email from Provost and Executive Vice President Scott Harrison stating that Mark Jackobs, a member of the viola faculty at the institute, is “no longer employed” by CIM. The move led to widespread student dissatisfaction and even protests. CIM’s action against Jackobs follows pushback regarding the administration’s handling of the Title IX investigation into former Principal Conductor Carlos Kalmar and his lawsuit against the institute for $260 million.

In a lengthy Facebook post, Jackobs indicated that he received a separation letter from CIM by courier over spring break and that “no reason [was] given for my separation.” He remarked that the decision to terminate him now, in the middle of recital and audition seasons, is an “unforgivable act by CIM administration.”

Given the lack of information, rumors started to swirl as to why Jackobs was fired. An anonymous student, Student A, explains the most common one: “This is just speculation, but I believe that to be because he has been very vocal about advocating for his students and keeping their best interests in mind and fighting for a safe learning environment for them. And I think they just finally got sick of dealing with him and cut the cord.”

In his Facebook post, Jackobs noted that he can “only imagine that my separation has to do with me voicing my opinion when I believed that either the students or faculty would be hurt by various actions taken by the administration,” which he accused of implementing “cost cutting measures.”

CIM students are paired with a single faculty member to work with during the course of their education. Consequently, students develop deep relationships with their assigned faculty and cohorts in the faculty’s studio. As a result, those who reported to Jackobs were not only left without a teacher but also left without their assigned faculty member, and therefore had to establish relationships with different professors. CIM advertises how students can work individually with their professors, thus throwing the promise of the institution into disarray.

Many students are drawing an ex-

plicit connection to Jackobs’ termination and the case of Michael Sachs, the former head of the trumpet department. In a Facebook post last fall, he revealed that he decided to resign when he received an email from “HR and CIM’s lawyer” and that “[t]his email asserted that I had made a statement which I have never made.” Sachs then “inferred from the remainder of the email that they were threatening me with legal action.”

This led students to fear that “if two teachers can either be removed or forced to remove themselves from our position, then it could happen to any other teacher at the institution reasonably.” noted Student A.

“Seeing how other students are suffering … it’s just not fun,” said Student A. “It’s not a conducive learning environment anymore … I’m genuinely afraid that one day, my teacher will just be fired for no reason. And then I’ll just have to find another teacher.”

Student A noted that this worry is driving students to be “actively applying to schools to transfer to or have just decided that they’re not coming back to CIM, that they are going to take a break to transfer to another school or figure out what they’re doing.”

“In the case of one of my friends, he’s just not taking lessons anymore. And like, they’re just letting him pass because he doesn’t want to study with anyone else,” said Student A regarding how the scandal is impacting students’ learning and their ability to function.

These student worries can be best expressed in the Instagram account @ whosnext.cim, which was created one day after Jackobs was fired. This anonymous Instagram page allows current and prospective CIM community members to share their current fears caused by Jackobs’ departure.

One post reads, “I spent a whole year of my life working to get into this school just to be afraid that my teacher will be fired.”

The timing of Jackobs’ separation is set against the backdrop of recent protests against Kalmar, who was the subject of a Title IX investigation that students claim was dismissed to allow him to stay. Since the student uproar, he was placed on administrative leave and is no longer actively working with students, but many in CIM still feel distressed. Now, Kalmar and his wife are suing CIM for upwards of $260 million in federal court.

This—in addition to Sach’s departure—is causing many students to put

the blame on the higher levels of administration and wish for more transparency. Student A remarked, “I would just want admin to tell us what the f*ck they’re thinking right now.”

CIM students are not the only ones who are criticizing upper administration. In early March, CIM’s faculty senate voted no confidence in both President Paul Hogle and Harrison. In the resolution, faculty members cited increasing staff turnover, Hogle’s $111,282 raise which coincided with CIM posting a deficit and an overall lack of credentials and leadership from both individuals. Against Harrison, the faculty senate specifically found fault with CIM’s handling of Title IX complaints.

In October, Chair of the Board of Trustees Susan Rothman sent a letter to faculty and students stating that a “public campaign designed to damage CIM is being waged by a small group of people who oppose the evolution of the institute.”

Much of this emotion culminated in the March 28 CIM orchestra concert. When Hogle stood up to address the crowd, students can be seen on the

livestream standing up and turning their backs to the speaking president. They were promptly escorted out of the building.

That same evening, CIM announced recent new funding to transform and renovate the Kulas Hall, leading to online ridicule by students for CIM being out of touch with both faculty and students.

The institution continues to display the strides they are making in terms of the hall renovation and new faculty members without publicly addressing the concerns of its community. As current and prospective students begin to look for different education options, it remains unclear what CIM’s next move will be.

Even if CIM is a smaller institution, the waves of public opinion are directly related to the welfare and experiences of many at Case Western Reserve University. Not only do CIM and CWRU students freely take one another’s courses, but the tides of student experiences and feelings easily permeate through to both institutions.

CIM has not responded to repeated requests for comment.

Zachary Treseler

Total eclipse 2024: How to watch it around Cleveland, CWRU

The solar eclipse is nearly here. On April 8, the eclipse will cross over Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. This year, Cleveland is in the path of totality, set to experience nearly four minutes of complete darkness in the middle of the afternoon. This path of totality is typically 1,000 miles long but only 100 miles wide, and it encompasses the area where the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun and causing the sky to darken. Cleveland won’t be in the path of totality again until 2444, so parties across Case Western Reserve University and the local area are maximizing opportunities to witness this natural phenomenon.

The eclipse itself will start at 1:59 p.m. and reach totality from 3:13 to 3:17 p.m. It will end at 4:29 p.m. Classes are canceled for the day, albeit all student-facing facilities such as libraries, dining halls and recreational areas will be open as per usual.

lens, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer—the concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury.” Leading up to the event, CWRU will be providing one pair of eclipse glasses to all students and employees. Individuals can pick up these glasses at various locations on campus starting April 1 with the use of their CWRU ID.

In regard to eclipse activities, students can take part in educational seminars about the eclipse through the Office of Events and Programs. On the day of the eclipse, the University Program Board and Students for the Exploration and Development in Space (SEDS) are hosting a watch party from noon to 5 p.m. on Freiberger Field, where students can enjoy an evening of science-led activities, performances, food and more as the eclipse occurs overhead. Students will also have the opportunity to view the eclipse from various fields around campus, such as those in East Bell Commons and the Nord Family Greenway. Any open space that faces southwest with a clear line of sight is ideal, while many say finding locations with minimal street lights will enhance the experience.

and Roll Hall of Fame will be hosting a four-day SolarFest where rock and roll fans can enjoy live music, trivia contests, a curated eclipse soundtrack and other musical activities for a $35 ticket. The largest of the events, The Great Lakes Science Center and its partners NASA’s Glenn Research Center and The Cleveland Orchestra will be hosting Total Eclipse Fest 2024, a threeday celestial celebration in downtown Cleveland. This free event boasts live music, hands-on science activities and programs from local partners, including CWRU.

An estimated 200,000 visitors are expected to visit Cleveland for the total solar eclipse. Reporting from the Cleveland Plain Dealer shows that airfare to Cleveland has increased by 109%, and 1500% more people searched for hotels in the city of Cleveland. Local University Circle hotels for two people the night between April 7 and 8 range from $250 to over $1,000.

As a result, there are many fears of both traffic and communication issues. In anticipation of increased tourism, Manager of Cuyahoga County Emergency Management Mark Christie advises people to “plan ahead … make an emergency supply kit [and] an emergency plan.”

Hospitals. City officials are encouraging visitors and residents to take the RTA instead of personal vehicles in fear of large traffic jams that will disrupt flow.

In 2017, during the last total eclipse in the continental United States, traffic jams of more than 12 hours were reported by state transportation officials in the path of the eclipse. As such, areas such as Summit County are advising their residents to stay home and not travel far to view the eclipse.

The most important consideration in viewing the eclipse is safety. Except for the few minutes of complete totality, it is unsafe to view the eclipse directly with your eyes. When watching the partial phases of the solar eclipse, individuals must make use of specialized eclipse glasses. According to NASA’s website, individuals must also not “look at the sun through a camera

Off-campus, University Circle and The Cleveland Museum of Natural History have partnered to host the “Total on the Oval: Eclipse Watch Party.” Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., The Cleveland Museum of Natural History will offer special programs and activities, and afterward the party will move outside to Wade Oval for the actual viewing. A bit further away, the Rock

To allow for the smooth movement of people, the City of Cleveland released an updated map on both streets and highway ramps in downtown Cleveland that will be closed for eclipse festivities and the countless others that will be closed for parking and stopping. Pertinent to the CWRU community, this includes a section of Euclid Avenue outside of University

Seeing the large influx of visitors, the Ohio General Assembly approved $1 million in grants available from the state’s emergency management department to support local first responders. Governor Mike DeWine also signed an executive order promoting all state agencies to create a plan for the expected spike. Officials are recommending that visitors instead plan to stay in place well after the eclipse has passed to minimize immediate traffic jams. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has released a forecast map, predicting traffic on local highways and major roads across the state, including various routes in downtown Cleveland. Even with ODOT’s lowest predictions, major roads around campus such as Euclid Avenue are expected to be fairly congested at best, if not completely blocked should visitor numbers increase.

The 2024 Solar Eclipse is set to make Cleveland history, so make the most of it. Create a plan ahead of time, scope out interesting locations and if traveling, plan on leaving early and returning late. Zachary Treseler News Editor Shivangi Nanda Executive Editor Executive Editor Shivangi Nanda eclipses Director of Design Auden Koetters. Make sure you wear protective glasses when viewing the eclipse on April 8! Clay Preusch/The Observer

Sigma Psi, CWRU’s oldest and only local sorority, to close at end of semester

Vote to close follows post-pandemic membership dropoff

Zachary Treseler News Editor

On Feb. 20, Sigma Psi, Case Western Reserve University’s oldest and only local sorority, announced their intention to close at the end of the academic year. Their announcement was met with a mix of heartbreak and resilience from both their current and former members as well as the greater Greek community at CWRU.

“To best align with our expectations of the organization and to honor our legacy and our history, we have decided to close the collegiate chapter at the end of the semester,” Sigma Psi posted on their Instagram.

Sophie Bruch, a second-year history and theater student who is also the president of Sigma Psi, noted that the decision to close the chapter was made two weeks before their announcement on Instagram, and alumni of the organization were informed hours before. The announcement occurred minutes after the Giortaste Awards, CWRU Greek Life’s annual awards ceremony.

“There were a couple of days that were kind of hard, but I would say our bond as sisters has actually improved greatly,” Bruch said regarding active members’ vote to close the chapter.

“Since then we’ve been able to just focus on being friends and doing fun things together. The energy in the house is so much better and so different than in the past couple months. It is really nice … we can close out the collegiate chapter on a high.”

Hannah Shindler, a third-year neuroscience student and vice president of membership development of Sigma Psi, said, “It was difficult to operate the chapter with the amount of people we had; everyone was burnt out and it was difficult to focus on academics.”

She also emphasized the effects of COVID-19 and how the pandemic negatively affected Sigma Psi’s membership. She said, “It could have happened to any sorority, but we were just a casualty of it all.”

The formal announcement on their Instagram post corroborates this sentiment, pointing out that post pandemic, “the size of [their] chapter has dwindled and [the] chapter has had to adapt considerably. Earlier this semester we realized that we as an organization are not able to operate at the standard we hold ourselves to given our current chapter size.”

An analysis of recruitment group photos further illustrates this trend. For example in 2016, there were 60 members at their formal recruitment

1985 Mr.CWRU Contest

1990 Greek Week

Sigma Psi as an institution has been around since 1897 and is rich in history and traditions. Shindler notes that Greek Life started originally as a study group. She said, “It had stemmed off of a group that literally met for the study of Greek. Eventually, our founders broke off and founded Sigma Psi.”

Sigma Psi is one of the oldest local sororities in the world. Over their existence, Sigma Psi has endured several recruitment-related challenges. In the 1977-78 academic year, there were only two sororities left on CWRU’s campus. The decline in sororities was

Delta Phi Upsilon, which started out as a local sorority and later became Phi Mu in 1985. Starting in 1979, Delta Phi Upsilon began to look at going down the national route, while Sigma Psi stayed committed to remaining local to CWRU.

The first 1897 initiation ceremony occurred on the roof of Clark Hall. “To celebrate the first pledge class beyond the founders, they set off fireworks off of Clark Hall, which almost burnt the building down,” Shindler said. “There’s a room named after Sigma Psi in Clark Hall, too.”

Psi’s traditions is that new members are given a s’more-scented candle that’s labeled “Clark Hall” and has a daffodil outline.

Members and alumni of Sigma Psi highlighted their love for the Sigma Psi community.

Sigma Psi Chapter Advising Chair Emily Pestello, a Sigma Psi alumna who graduated CWRU in 2017, said, “it didn’t matter like what your major was or like what kinds of things you like, it was just a group of people who wanted to get to know other people and create connections and relation ships … We really have always trail blazed and done what we thought was best to best support the students who might want to be in the community with us.”

Many members see Sigma Psi’s legacy as accepting students for who they are, with an emphasis on provid ing a space in Greek Life for LGBTQ IA+ students.

2023 Flapper Party 2014 Formal 2013 Greek Week

1985 Yearbook Photo

you so long as you are welcoming of other people who are themselves. So it’s not just gender and sexuality, but it includes gender and sexuality,” Bruch said.

dents in Sigma Psi want to continue as part of CWRU’s Greek Life.

gender inclusive sororities and frats sometimes, and Sigma Psi without nationals is a much more gender in-

CWRU and elsewhere in the United States, follow the rules and guidance of their national organization when it

Sigma Psi’s recent main event called Mx. CWRU, inspired by the Mr. CWRU event from the 1970s, highlights their inclusivity. Pestello explains that it “started [as] a male beauty pageant, kind of to call out the ridiculousness of the female beauty pageant world where organizations would sponsor someone, they would do a talent, there would be a question and answer period, the audience would vote and eventually someone would be crowned Mr. CWRU.”

1897 Founding Members

“The specific wording could determine if a previous member of Sigma Psi is eligible for membership in their NPC sorority,” Mott said. “NPC sororities can’t give bids to those who were previously initiated into another NPC sorority, but sometimes these NPC sororities don’t recognize a local chapter.”

Bruch and Pestello spoke of the logistics of closing the sorority, such as clearing out their house and planning a goodbye party for the next academic year.

Until the end of the semester, Sigma Psi is still a functioning sorority, where many bonding trips and other activities are planned.

“We’re still going to be active and planning events and doing things and raising money and all that kind of stuff that we already are doing,” Pestello said. “But losing the undergraduate chapter, I will miss that mentorship and advising role that I’ve gotten to play the last several years.

The Observer reviews Matteo Lane

On March 29, University Program Board’s (UPB) annual Spring Comedian returned to Severance Hall. This year, the Case Western Reserve University community welcomed Matteo Lane, who lit up the stage with humorous anecdotes, bits and significant audience engagement, telling students everything from where Yonkers, New York is to relationship advice for the romantically confused. But before Lane even took the stage, fourth-year student opener Lisa O’Brien started off the night strong with her relatable CWRU humor, which even included a shoutout to The Observer. Following O’Brien, comedians Marie Faustin and Sydnee Washington were up, giving the audience advice on how to navigate young adulthood with a massive dash of humor.

The Observer sent various members of the editorial team to review the openers’ and Lane’s performances.

Overall, The Observer’s Editorial Board greatly enjoyed UPB’s Spring Comedian. Even if small issues were raised with Lane, his overall accessibility and engagement with the audience made him shine bright on the Severance Hall stage. We cannot wait to see how next year’s Spring Comedians

Having never heard of Matteo Lane before, I entered Severance Hall with no expectations, only the hope that this year’s show would be better than the last. I was there for Lisa O’Brien, the student opener whom I already found hilarious from her silly quips and antics in IMPROVment. Naturally, O’Brien did not disappoint, and her jokes about CWRU lit up Severance Hall. (I especially appreciated her comment about being misrepresented in The Observer). The following two openers, Faustin and Washington, also killed it—although they were at first taken aback by the uniqueness of CWRU life, they soon became accustomed to it and even played into the audience’s humor.

And of course, Matteo Lane. My one grievance was the UPB welcome email that made a reappearance and was read out aloud during the beginning of the show—already having heard it and similar jokes made during last year’s show made me very apprehensive about what was to come. Luckily, my uneasiness was proven unwarranted, as Lane went on to deliver an incredible set of jokes, meticulously integrating crowd work with bits about his friend Nick, other countries and theater.

At no point during the show was I wondering when it would end, which is an improvement from last year. Lane’s crowd work was exceptional, especially as he was able to bring a lot out of some of the awkward questions he was asked. One question was particularly uncomfortable: A student asked about how much of Lane’s work was repeated, and even after Lane generously provided an overview of the stand-up writing process, they doubled down on hearing his “Paris joke in the first three videos that popped up after searching his name.” This type of rudeness once again eerily reminded me of last year’s show, where students again asked unprovoked and uncomfortable questions. Luckily, Matteo never lost his flow, and his set continued to draw laughs from everyone in the audience. All in all, it was a wonderful performance that I am so glad to have attended.

I have only seen three comedy shows in my life, and all three of them have been the CWRU Spring Comedian. As a result, because Matteo Lane was by far the best comedian that I have ever seen—it was an incredible experience.

Unlike CWRU’s previous comedians—for example, Colin Jost—Lane’s set was actually engaging and entertaining, mostly because it seems like he came prepared to do a standup comedy show—very radical, I know. His jokes were accessible, and when they were not, he provided the context and backstory needed.

Now I must address the elephant in the room: Lane’s audience engagement, which in my opinion was perfect for a college show. As one of those individuals with the (unfortunate?) pleasure of being picked on, it was still hilarious, and his ability to distill audience comments into comedic bits was amazing. It made him feel more accessible. My one hot take: stop asking if everyone is gay.

My half-point deduction came from Lane’s first bit, which consisted of reading from the CWRU information sheet that the UPB organizers provided. While not his fault, the sheet was the exact same one that Jost used last year, even down to the old logo appearing on the bottom of the second page. As a result, that bit left a sour taste in my mouth as it reminded me too much of last year’s disappointing show.

Lastly, I’d like to give a special shoutout to the openers for not only being beyond hilarious and funny but also being so real with the audience. And a double shoutout is owed to Lisa O’Brien for an excellent opening act, and I’m happy the Observer got some air time.

As someone familiar with the musings of Matteo Lane, it relieves me to say that the Chicago-born comedian did not disappoint. Admittedly, I did not have high hopes when I settled into my seat on the balcony of Severance Hall. It wasn’t his comedy that made me concerned nor his ability to connect with a CWRU audience. Instead, it was the lackluster showing of last year’s comedian Colin Jost, who, despite being a veteran on the iconic Saturday Night Live, was incapable of filling the entirety of his set and had little to no control over a college crowd.

Lane opened his set the same way as his predecessor: reading aloud the blurb of CWRU’s history and “fun facts.” However, the moment Lane took center stage, it became abundantly clear that the bit was the only thing the two performances had in common. Lane came out the gate hot, his delivery quick like his wit. The pace of his performance never floundered, and every quip was met with giddy laughter and thunderous applause. Lane commanded the crowd with the ease and affection of a seasoned comic, a natural storyteller whose performance was a testament to the nightclub cellars that crafted and refined him like a bottle of fine wine. No topic was off-limits, as Lane touched on the absurdities of international audiences, celebrity encounters, hair woes and the cartoon-like personalities of his inner circle.

Additionally, Lane showcased his infamous crowd work—and I think it’s safe to say that the CWRU community made a lasting impression. Side-pieces, swingers, boyfriend collectors and gay awakenings were a few of the highlights, and one bold audience member even called out his use of older material. Without missing a beat, an unphased Lane answered her question with a cheekily humorous response while also weaving in a callback to a previous question. Needless to say, last Friday’s performance was a night to remember, and hopefully, next year’s stand-up comedian will be able to match Matteo Lane’s operatic high note.

As someone who can spend hours watching comedy specials, UPB’s Spring Comedian is probably my most anticipated event of the year. And I am happy to report that this year was a success. Student opener Lisa O’Brien was the perfect first act, warming up the audience with CWRU-centered jokes that were painfully relatable. The two guest openers who followed kept up her momentum, spicing up the atmosphere with raunchy jokes and a unique flair. Upon Matteo Lane’s entrance, I initially groaned at the sight of another reading of the CWRU fact sheet—the same facts from last year, might I add—but his charisma surprised me. After Colin Jost’s disappointing appearance last year, I think all of us needed a dose of Lane’s humor. And he came prepared, ready to knock the audience’s socks off with jokes, stories and characters who were actually funny. I even appreciated his Q&A session, which, in true CWRU fashion, was filled with oddballs. Still, Lane handled every query well. Naturally building one story off of the next, he created an atmosphere of togetherness where everyone could just let go and enjoy the hilarity of good comedy and audience stupidity—I don’t think I will ever forget being a bystander to Aiden’s gay awakening.

Although Colin Jost is the only in-person standup comedian I have seen to base my opinion off of, I can confidently say that my experience with Matteo Lane was undeniably more entertaining and less cringe-inducing by comparison, despite a few personal gripes along the way that were no fault of his own.

The unnecessarily harsh information sheet of last year’s show made a reappearance, much to my chagrin, but Lane’s magnetism and capacity for empathy toward the maligned crowd was a refreshing change, as basic as those attributes may appear.

As for the humor, this may depend on your taste. While portions of Lane’s humor and audience interactions might be more niche to some, particularly to a queer audience, there is still much fun to be found in Lane’s anecdotes, from his best friend Nick to his apparently receding hairline.

Perhaps the awkwardness on the crowd’s part could be avoided by considering a more neutral source of information and leaving the brutal realism of life at CWRU to student opener Lisa O’Brien, who was truly a joy to watch. Faustin and Washington both provided a zesty level of humor that left many in stitches, whether you were a New Yorker or otherwise.

Overall, the show was an entertaining way to spend a Friday night, and perhaps an enlightening one if your name happens to be Aiden or Deb.

Chaos theory on screen: Random, unnecessary changes to the Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” are its downfall

Darcy Chew Copy Editor

On March 21, Netflix released all eight episodes of its highly anticipated show “3 Body Problem,” based on the Nebula Award-nominated and Hugo Award-winning book of the same name and its subsequent trilogy, “Remembrance of Earth’s Past,” by Chinese author Liu Cixin. The Netflix show was created by famous TV show writers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss from the popular show “Game of Thrones,” in partnership with Alexander Woo.

In the original novel, “The Three-Body Problem,” the story is split into two parts—the first following Ye Wenjie, an astrophysicist working on the covert military initiative Red Coast during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and the second following nanotechnology professor Wang Miao and detective Qiang Shi (nicknamed “Da Shi”) as they investigate the murders of renowned scientists around the world and their ties to an organization called “ETO” in the 2000s.

Earlier last year, Tencent, one of China’s largest media companies, released their live action series following the first novel. The series, titled “Three-Body,” was 30 episodes long and faithful to the novel to a fault, making it feel incredibly drawn out. However, despite this major flaw, there were still many aspects of the show that I appreciated and felt redeemed its atrocious pacing. One of them is the fact that it built suspense for those who haven’t yet read the novel, creating a mystery out of the work Ye Wenjie was tasked with in Red Coast and the threat of what was awaiting the world.

The Netflix adaptation took a totally different approach than Tencent’s version. First, they rearranged the timeline, allowing for all characters in the trilogy—even characters who don’t show up until the second and third books—to live during the same period. This was an interesting choice since books one and two are set centuries apart from book three. Because of this change, it is honestly difficult to compare the series to its source material. Second, Netflix also rewrote many of the characters. One of the biggest changes included splitting Wang Miao into two different female characters, Cheng Xin and Augustina “Auggie” Salazar, played by Eiza González and Jess Hong,

respectively.

Personally, I think it was admirable that Netflix wanted to change the cast to make it more diverse, and in theory this would have reflected the international scope of the series. However, this change was not justified by its execution, and fell flat because the rewriting of all the characters made the story seem to take place amongst a group of friends. Moreover, Netflix’s choice to race-swap the most exciting characters in the series was definitely interesting, to say the least.

Hollywood already suffers from a lack of Asian male representation. The Oxford Five, the Netflix adaptation’s main protagonists, did not contain an Asian male despite their novel counterparts all being Chinese and mostly male. And it begs the question: Why? Why this erasure of Asian male protagonists? It’s not like current American media is saturated with Asian male protagonists. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It seems, dare I say it, Sinophobic to change the race of some of the most beloved characters in the series while keeping the villain (Ye Wenjie), the foil (Cheng Xin) and the comedic relief (Da Shi) as the only Chinese characters in the Netflix adaptation. Even then, most of Da Shi’s personality was removed, leaving only a shell of his original endearing character. Furthermore, the random decision to make Ye Wenjie be in a relationship with Mike Evans was uncalled for. Their relationship contributed nothing to the story. Instead, it just reinforced the common trope of Asian female-White male relationships that is already so prevalent in Hollywood.

Another one of my biggest gripes is that despite all the removal of Chinese culture which heavily influenced the story, the one major part the adaptation kept and specifically advertised was its uncensored scenes of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Ye Wenjie’s experiences with struggle sessions and reeducation camps were the basis for her cynical views of humanity, ultimately leading to her decision made in the Red Coast. However, Netflix’s adaptation just seemed to use Ye Wenjie as a stepping stone to further the story and get to the more “dramatic” moments of the series. In fact, even though the Tencent version toned down some of these scenes due to censorship, it was still better able to capture the hardships Ye Wenjie faced and her complexity without having the

Netflix’s newest international thriller, “Three-Body Problem,” inspired by the critically aclaimed novels by Liu Cixin, falls short in its screen adaptation. With a lack of Asian representation and excessive use profane imagery, the series highlights Hollywood’s obsession with westernizing media. Courtesy of Netflix

explicit violence—something Western media can learn from. Both the young and older versions of Ye Wenjie played by Wang Ziwen and Chen Jin in the Tencent series were well-written and phenomenally acted—inciting compassion for an otherwise detested character. In comparison, the writing of Netflix’s adaptation made Ye Wenjie just seem like a naive, senile cult leader. At the story’s core, “The ThreeBody Problem” is not just a book about science fiction and interesting theories about the universe—it is also a commentary on humanity. And I think that the biggest flaw in the Netflix adaptation is that it for-

gets to add depth to its characters. The creators seemed more focused on the drama and action scenes from the source material that they forgot to include its complex depictions of human nature.

Despite all my critiques, the story is still a compelling one. But I think there is a paradox to enjoying the Netflix series. If you want to better understand the science and nuance behind the thoughtprovoking story, you should first read the books, but if you want to enjoy the show without constantly comparing its inaccuracies to the novels, you need to watch it without any expectations.

Falling in love with Fall Out Boy

Beau Bilinovich Opinion Editor

Growing up, I was always a huge fan of rock music; whether classic rock, the grunge rock of the ’90s or the alternative rock of today, rock bands have always had a place in my heart. So when my friends asked if I wanted to go to a Fall Out Boy concert in Columbus, Ohio on March 29, I quickly said yes.

I wouldn’t say I was an avid fan of Fall Out Boy. I’ve heard most of their popular songs—such as ”Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” “Centuries” and “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)”— but I never actually did a deep dive into their discography. However, I wanted to try something new and take a break from the slog that is an education at Case Western Reserve University. To say that I was blown away doesn’t even cover how amazing the concert actually was.

The concert, part of the band’s So Much For (2our) Dust tour, was scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at the Schottenstein Center. I left campus with my roommate after he finished successfully defending his master’s thesis and picked up my other friend from my hometown in Wadsworth, Ohio—and then we were off. Of course, we all listened to Fall Out Boy the whole car ride. The hard-hitting guitars, drums and vocals were enough to

hype us up and fulfill our craving for rock.

We arrived in Columbus at 6 p.m., checked in at our Holiday Inn and then drove to the concert venue. What seemed like thousands of people filled the streets, young and old alike, all gathering for hours of dancing and fun. We parked, checked into the venue and immediately bought some admittedly expensive, yet cool, shirts. Next it was time for the concert.

The venue was huge and it was quickly filling up with fans. My friends and I got seats in a balcony to the side of the stage, close enough to still see the acts and set pieces. The first act was CARR, a rebellious and edgy punk rock artist that was a perfect fit for the night. Her set was short yet intensely fun. She played her new single “Hot Dad” as she threw a blowup sex doll in the audience which everyone proceeded to crowd surf. Already we were getting a preview of what was soon to come.

The second act was Hot Mulligan, a self-described post-emo band from Lansing, Michigan. The band’s music was heavy and chaotic and I found myself nodding along as the meaty sounds of the guitar, bass and screaming vocals filled the stadium. They reminded me of many other heavy metal bands that also give me an unstoppable rush of energy.

Right before the headliner came

Jimmy Eat World, another emo band that became famous for their hit album “Bleed American” in 2001. Their music was just as energetic and exciting as the other openers, and everyone in the audience was dancing and shouting along. About halfway through their set, their lead vocalist, Jim Adkins, pulled out an acoustic guitar, which was a surprising yet nice change of mood for the concert. And of course, their set wouldn’t have been complete without the song that everyone knows and loves, “The Middle,” which everyone stood up for and sang along to. In that moment, I felt part of something much bigger than myself. It was a euphoric feeling to be at the concert with my friends and fans of the music that I love and listen to, a feeling that I won’t soon forget.

Finally, it was time for Fall Out Boy. Before they got on stage they played their recorded cover of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start The Fire”; almost immediately, everyone started screaming and shouting, ushering the band from out of the shadows and onto the stage. And then, bowing to the demands of the crowd, they walked up. After hours of waiting we finally got our chance to hear the band that was the obsession of many of us when we were younger.

Waves of fans rose from their seats as soon as they started their first live song, “Love From the Other Side.” Right after, they played “The Phoenix,” a song I quickly fell in love with on the car ride over. My friends and I danced along wildly until, out of nowhere and to our surprise, a firework was set off in the stadium. At first it sounded like a gunshot had gone off, making me flinch. I will admit: I wasn’t initially fond of the fireworks. The closed venue meant that the sound reverberated off all of the hard surfaces, turning up the volume from 10 to over 100; but they were spread out over the setlist, meaning you could time the fireworks perfectly with every chorus break and brace yourself.

Next, they performed their throwback hit “Sugar, We’re Goin Down”—also with fireworks—and the crowd, again, went wild. The words “loaded God complex, cock it and pull it” echoed throughout the crowd, which at that point had become one united force all in celebration of the dearly beloved band. At one point in their set, a person even ran up on stage dressed in a bunny costume as an early Easter celebration. Amidst the hard strumming of the guitars and the angsty vocals was some lighthearted fun, which was refreshing to see after a semester of many late nights and long work sessions.

The band’s set pieces were also incredible and unlike anything I had ever seen before. In honor of their most recent album, “So Much (For) Stardust,” which features a dog on the cover, a giant inflatable dog head appeared from behind the curtain. At this point the event transformed from a concert into an expertly choreographed and directed theatrical performance, and I loved every moment of it.

superb. He brought out a piano and sang a cover of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” followed by Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin.’”

What was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen at a live concert was when thousands of people in the crowd took out their phones and turned on their flashlights, which shined red with a special filter.

ory that I will remember for many years to come. As their set came to a close, Fall Out Boy surprised the crowd and played “Fourth of July,” a song they apparently had not played in a while—and yes, there were fireworks. They ended with more fan favorites—“My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up),” “Dance, Dance” and “Centuries.” All were songs that I grew up with and still cherish to this day. Hearing them live was an otherworldly experience, especially with the whole crowd singing and shouting.

Observer

Halfway through the show, the rest of the band members left except for their lead vocalist, Patrick Stump, who informed the crowd that he unfortunately had fallen sick. That made no difference, though, as his singing remained

This was only my second concert and third live music experience ever; needless to say, it more than surpassed my expectations. For just a few hours, I was able to let go of all of the worries and stress related to school and life. For just a few hours I could relax and exist in the moment with my friends. If there’s any way to enjoy my final semester as a CWRU student, it’s by making the most of it at events like these. So, to my friends, the thousands of other fans and Fall Out Boy, I have nothing else to say except “Thnks fr th Mmrs.”

Thousands of Fall Out Boy fans light up Schottenstein Center during a soft cover of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” for an intimate moment during the otherwise energetic rock concert. Beau Bilinovich/The

Dolly in the CLE: CWRU Footlighters’ production of “9 to 5”

Madeline Golya Staff Writer

Seemingly coordinated with both Pitbull and Beyonce’s recent music releases featuring Dolly Parton, last weekend Case Western Reserve University’s on-campus musical group Footlighters presented four charming performances of Parton’s musical “9 to 5.” The show is based on the smash hit 1980 movie of the same name, also starring Parton.

From March 28-30 in Eldred Theater, Footlighters delighted audiences with spectacular costumes, exhilarating choreography, endearing comedy and genuine heartfelt sentiments that will not soon be forgotten by attendees.

Set in the late 1970s, the musical’s story follows three working class women: Violet Newstead (Keira Celebuski), Doralee Rhodes (Daphne Brown) and Judy Bernley (Katie Frick). The three struggle under the oppressive systems of masculinity and misogyny that run rampant in their workplace. When the girls decide that rather than pitting themselves against one another, they can work as a team, they end up biting off a bit more than they can chew. They kidnap their misogynistic boss, Franklin Hart (Christopher Tipton), and hold him captive for a

month, all the while implementing new measures under his name that better the working environment exponentially for everyone. When Hart eventually escapes and finds his way back into the office, he is astounded to find that the place is up in productivity a whole twenty percent. When confronted by the higher-ups, he is tricked into taking a job away from the office, leaving the three women to manage it—much to their excitement.

Director Milana Sacco, a fourthyear theater and business major, was able to capture the feminine joy that radiates from the script and music and present it with satisfying pacing and staging. Her vision for the production is evident in the obvious work done with the actors’ voices, the emotional arcs of the characters and the endearingly whimsical technical aspects of the show.

The Footlighter’s production of “9 to 5” boasts an incredible amount of talent. From the lovely blend of Violet and Joe’s (AJ Williams) voices, to Roz’s (Daniela Richardson) unbounded comedic abilities and Judy’s incredible belting, the show overflowed with joy and was a prime example of the fruits of student-lead theater. The love that has been poured into every crevice of this show radiates from each dance

The Footlighters’ joyously feminine production of “9 to 5” was directed by Milana Sacco, a fourth-year theater and business major. The cast dazzled with their dance numbers and harmonies, exhibiting strong voices that radiated emotion.

step and harmony, just as Parton intended it to.

Almost 45 years later, the story of women standing together against workplace oppression still unfortunately resonates with audiences. The tune of Parton’s hit song remains

popular as well, capturing listeners whether they’re humming along to the radio on the way to work, walking to their next class with the tune playing in their earbuds or gazing up at the stage where actors spin and step in time to “9 to 5.”

UPBroadway: A night to remember with “Annie” at Playhouse Square

Gloria Liu Staff Writer

Tiffany Tsai Contributing Writer

Spoilers ahead for “Annie” on Broadway.

Courtesy of the University Program Board UPBroadway lottery, we embarked on a trip to the beloved Playhouse Square on March 21, hitching a ride on a yellow school bus with our tickets in hand. Excitedly, we skipped up the stairs to our balcony seats at the Connor Palace, which offered a splendid view of the stage and even part of the orchestral pit.

As avid classical music devotees, we immediately distinguished the trumpet, piccolo and violin amongst the accompaniment. The harmonies served a dual purpose as they were, somehow, both melancholic and hopeful. Perhaps our background from previous “Annie” productions served as a cognitive mold for these musical theatricalities.

Taking place in 1933 in the wake of the Great Depression, the onset of economic disaster in the play affects just about everyone in New York City. At the Hudson Street Orphanage run by Miss Hannigan (Stefanie Londino), Annie (Rainier Treviño) and her friends find solace in one another. Miss Hannigan’s inhumane treatment of the orphans, which only gets worse with the trying times, is hard to bear—although Londino’s enigmatic temperament infuses a mysterious charm to her character. Annie remains boldly hopeful that she will find her mother and father one day, holding fast to her letter and locket—the other half presumably residing with them.

Act 1 (December 11-19) begins by introducing us to orphan Molly (Jade

Smith), whose explosive energy and sly comebacks were already enough to put smiles on our faces. Treviño embodied the true heart of Annie as she sang “Maybe” with the vocal stability of a longstanding professional singer despite being just 11 years old. The execution of her line, “Their one mistake was giving up me,” was a real gut-wrenching moment. Following the classic “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” Annie escapes from the orphanage and finds herself face-to-face with a stray dog, Sandy (Seamus), who is drawn to Annie at first sight. This potentially foreshadows a parallel of the events to follow as Oliver Warbucks’ (Christopher Swan) secretary, Ms. Grace Farrell (Julia Nicole Hunter), knocks on the orphanage’s door, looking for a child to be sponsored by the billionaire Mr. Warbucks for the Christmas season. Annie’s devious schemes convince Ms. Farrell to choose her. As Annie is hastened away to the Warbucks Mansion, the other orphans cheer her on while Miss Hannigan suffers from unreasonable agony.

In “N.Y.C,” Hunter’s soprano tone is polished and clear as a whistle, allowing her to maneuver melodies to her advantage. Her motherly presence pairs well with that of Mr. Warbucks, who seems outwardly stern but really does have a heart of mush. As Annie finds family amongst those who aren’t her biological parents, she inevitably enters uncharted, puzzling territory.

At the orphanage, a plot hatches between Miss Hannigan’s delinquent brother Rooster (Jeffrey T. Kelly), his high-pitched girlfriend Lily (Samantha Stevens) and Miss Hannigan herself to impersonate Annie’s parents. Kelly encapsulates Rooster as both naïve and dangerous—a rigorous combination to achieve, but one accomplished nonetheless, as confirmed by audible gasps in the audi-

ence. Furthermore, the remarkable ability of Stevens to switch between her speaking and singing voice is impressive and annoying at the same time. As the three gleefully sang and danced to “Easy Street,” we knew we shouldn’t have been grinning, but they just seemed like such a happy family.

We were then whisked to Act 2 (December 21-25) where Annie and Mr. Warbucks plead her case to the nation through a radio channel, offering a $50,000 reward for her parents. The monotone delivery of Mr. Warbucks’ script was all too hilarious, bringing levity to the scene. The Boylan sisters (Savannah Fisher, Kaylie Mae Wallace and Caroline Glazier) showcase a lovely rendition of “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile” while immaculately dressed in 1930s evening gowns; their voices meshed together beautifully, resembling the chirps of birds in the morning.

Mr. Warbucks fully flexes his government affiliations to find Annie’s parents, even bringing Annie to Washington, D.C. where they meet President FDR (Mark Woodard) during a cabinet assembly. The session quickly devolves into frustration, to the point where FDR insists everyone sing a reprise of “Tomorrow.” After all, what could be more endearing than public officials breaking out into song? With this newfound optimism, FDR and the cabinet members triumphantly declare the New Deal. Never in our lives have we seen such buoyancy in a bureaucratic decision. Despite the incentives, the search fails, and Annie reluctantly gives up. Mr. Warbucks, having developed such fondness for Annie, asks Annie if he can adopt her. “I Don’t Need Anything But You” is a tribute to their relationship and was an absolute tear-jerker for us, especially when the viola joined in to blend

with Swan’s solemn baritone timbre.

Thankfully, Annie accepts Warbucks’ adoption request, and the entire mansion staff hold an impromptu celebration. Admittedly, it was odd at first to enter the festive holiday atmosphere in March, but it was quickly embraced as the exuberant decorations and outfits reeled the audience into the Christmas spirit. But just in the nick of time, a highly favorable trajectory utterly plummets. “Mr. and Mrs. Mudge” (Rooster and Lily in disguise) make an appearance with a convincing story and the other half of Annie’s locket—the latter of which completely tips the scales in their favor.

Though the tide is nigh, Ms. Farrell’s vigilance saves the day. By the next morning, the “Mudges” and Miss Hannigan are incriminated thanks to Mr. Warbucks’ elaborate law enforcement networks. We breathed a huge sigh of relief—though we were already aware of the ending, the consistently phenomenal acting roused our emotional investment for the entirety of the show.

For the finale, Annie is revealed as Annie Bennett … although she also finds out her parents had passed away long ago. However, her maturity enables her to accept their deaths and cherish the time she has now with her friends and family—a lesson we can all learn. Mr. Warbucks’ line sums up “Annie” and his own character arc well: “I don’t need sunshine now to turn my skies to blue.”

Everything about “Annie” was sensational, including the costume and set design, comedic exclamations and even the integration of implicit societal dilemmas. Playhouse Square is set to announce their 2024-2025 KeyBank Broadway Series schedule on April 16, and we highly encourage you to indulge in a show if you’re able to—we certainly didn’t regret a single moment of this experience.

Courtesy of Ashley Rosinski/Footlighters

Spring into a Mad Lib

It's _________________ [adjective] springtime at Case Western Reserve University, and the _________________ [noun] are _________________ [verb ending in ing] with excitement. Students _________________ [verb] outside during breaks, soaking up the _________________ [adjective] sun. In the _________________ [adjective] courtyard, colorful _________________ [plural noun] _________________ [verb] proudly, while the _________________ [plural noun] sway gently in the breeze. _________________ [Adjective] flowers bloom along the _________________ [noun], filling the air with their sweet _________________ [noun]

During _________________ [adjective] classes, teachers incorporate _________________ [noun] lessons about the _________________ [noun] of spring. Students eagerly learn about the _________________ [noun] of plants and _________________ [verb] with _________________ [plural noun] in hand.

The atmosphere is buzzing with excitement as admitted students _________________ [verb] onto campus for _________________ [adjective] days of panels and tours. The campus is _________________ [adjective] with anticipation, and everywhere you look, there are smiling faces and eager _________________ [noun]

In the _________________ [adjective] auditorium, presentations are underway, introducing future ________________ [noun] to the rich _________________ [noun] and vibrant _________________ [noun] of campus life. Admissions counselors _________________ [verb] enthusiastically about the _________________ [adjective] opportunities available to incoming students.

During campus tours, prospective students _________________ [verb] through the _________________ [adjective] grounds, marveling at the _________________ [noun] architecture and lush _________________ [noun]. They ask questions about _________________ [noun] majors and _________________ [adjective] extracurricular activities.

As the school day ends, students __________ [verb] home with a skip in their step, looking forward to more [adjective] spring days at CWRU.

Photos of the week

Overheard CWRU

Compilation of out-of-pocket things heard across campus

"You are my USBae."

"Help me decide, drink or Tylenol?"

Q: "Yeah but I only had a bagel and an apple today."

A: "Ok, so you deny that ... "

"Was Zendaya The Terminator?"

Singing "He looks like I just had sex tonight." - CMA

"This man is so white."

"They're not a ceramics club then. They're a clay club!!!"

"It's piss yellow! You can't make the front page piss yellow!"

Shivangi Nanda/The Observer Zachary Treseler/The Observer Auden Koetters/The Observer

Tyler Vu/The

The USG spending horror show must be fixed

Editorial Board

Getting funding as a student organization is hard enough, but getting funding from the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) has countless times proven to be a disastrous nightmare. While USG itself is replete with numerous other issues, such as a lack of transparency and advocacy for students, it frequently encounters issues with allocating spending to all of the organizations under its umbrella.

First, there is a drastic disparity between the total amount of funding requested from all student organizations and the amount that was actually allocated. According to USG’s funding tracker, student organizations requested a total of $692,369.51, 196% more than the $353,000 of funds that they made available for budgeting. However, only $370,071.12 was actually allocated to organizations, which is still 104.83% of their total funds.

For anyone not well versed in the headache of USG’s budget, allocating more funding than is available seems strange. The reason for this, though, is that USG still has rollover funds from the previous year, meaning that they did not allocate all of the funds that were made available. So these “extra” funds can be used this year. From the most recent Student Executive Council Allocations Committee (AC) audit re-

port, USG had $136,441.93 of remaining rollover funds in the spring 2023 semester.

But this is just a small part of the problem. The issue becomes even more complex the deeper you look.

Let’s take a look at the specific organizations that are receiving budget cuts—hint, it’s all of them. Every single organization received a 33% budget cut in the third round of review. The funding cap for all organizations is $4,000, which for some might not be a lot to work with. Competition clubs, for example, amass higher budgets due to travel, lodging and equipment expenses. For example, Case Western Reserve University’s Ultimate Frisbee Club requested $11,230 in funding but only received $2,680. Obviously, there was no way they would have received all of their requested funding with the cap, but many clubs have to resort to over-requesting to get how much money they actually need because USG will inevitably make budget cuts.

CWRU’s Ice Hockey club, too, saw an immense cut. They requested $9,102 but only received $2,762, a $1,237 cut from the max funding allowed. Interestingly, the Ceramic Art Club requested $8,718 and received $1,069.24.

To add another layer to this confusing mess, USG undergoes three rounds of review during the budgeting process. Many clubs saw budget cuts before the final round. Club Badminton, for in-

stance, saw a $1,483 cut in the second round of review, bringing their allocation for that round down to $2,080, before dropping again in the final round to $1,476.10.

So, we know USG is making immense budget cuts to student organizations, but where are these cuts actually being made? For this we can look to USG’s line item tracker. This report shows even more puzzling decisions. The Ceramic Art Club is one of the more confusing clubs on the list; they requested $1,080 for firing—an essential element in the making of ceramics—yet received absolutely no funding for that budget item. The group did get funding for various other art supplies, but to not get funding for such an essential part of ceramics making is confusing to say the least.

This same decision making continued throughout the report. The Tennis Club requested $1,600 for lodging for travel, yet they only received $1,072, which is enough of a decrease to cause significant issues in plans. Case Crew requested $600 for membership; USG dropped their spending to just $91.12.

Another facet of USG’s budgeting involves automatic allocations. These are the bare minimum funds that are given to organizations that USG cannot cut, capped at $250 for older, well-established clubs and $500 for new clubs. Every organization is allocated this money, regardless of how they use it.

This, however, opens up another headache in the budgeting process. There are currently 210 organizations under USG’s administration. A minimum of $250 for each organization totals $52,500 just for automatic allocations. With $353,000 to allocate, these funds take up a significant portion of USG’s budget.

Herein lies one of the most damaging problems: There are simply so many organizations that USG is not able to fund all of them, especially with the automatic funds. As a result, clubs are forced into deep budget cuts, completely gutting their abilities to operate. These organizations are also completely unregulated in their activities, and USG, thus far, has been ineffective at auditing them—that’s a power often entrusted to the AC. What we end up with is a complete mess of a budgeting process, one that is simultaneously chaotic and extremely strict. How any organization is supposed to operate under these conditions is entirely uncertain.

The budgeting process does not have to be this confusing. If USG took greater initiative to regulate organizations and see which ones actually have enough members to be considered a full organization, then we would avoid many of these problems. Until then, however, we are forced to deal with this horror show, and students are left to suffer with the mess.

The unhappiness factor: Why are young people in the US unhappy?

Aambar Agarwal Social Media Editor

Last month, the World Happiness Report for 2024 came out, with Finland crowned as the world’s happiest country for the seventh year in a row. Followed by neighbors Denmark, Iceland and Sweden, the top five is dominated by Nordic countries. Meanwhile, the United States dropped out of the top 20 for the first time ever, now No. 23 on the list.

When adjusted for age, a concerning statistic emerges. The U.S. is No. 10 for those over 60 but not even in the top 50 for those under 30. Ranked at No. 62, young people’s scores were low enough to push the U.S. out of the top 20. Australia, New Zealand and Canada follow a similar pattern despite still being top 20 countries. In the past, happiness was the greatest among young people. Why is our generation so unhappy?

Many point to the aftermath of COVID-19, climate change and political polarization as reasons behind our unhappiness. The COVID-19 pandemic isolated us as we entered adulthood, keeping us from our daily in-person interactions at school and work. Weather and climate disasters are rising in frequency and intensity, painting a bleak picture of our future. Global conflicts and ever-increasing polarization make the political environment unbearable.

However, happiness has been decreasing for all age groups since 2006 to 2010—particularly for young people. Back then, COVID-19 had not yet happened, climate change was still in the background and Donald Trump was far away from the presidency. Instead, a different series of events

occurred. Facebook opened itself to the public in 2006, and Apple began selling the iPhone in 2007. By 2011, a majority of Americans were on Facebook and by 2013, most used smartphones. Internet use soared.

This is no mere coincidence. Happiness is falling due to the rise of social media.

From Facebook to TikTok, 84% of Americans aged 18 to 29 use social

Lucas Yang/The Observer

media regularly, in contrast to 45% of those over 65. And platforms are eating away at our time. We are sleeping less, exercising less and socializing in person less. Social media is fueling a loneliness epidemic, with rates of loneliness at the highest among young people. It creates unrealistic expectations of how our lives should be, fostering an environment where we continually compare ourselves to

others. It amplifies the global problems we face, throwing headline after headline at us. COVID-19 only heightened social isolation. Climate change and world conflicts affect us so much because of the constant bombardment of information. Political polarization has been made worse by platforms’ echo chambers. The generations before us all dealt with their own political and global worries, yet they were still happier. It is undeniable: Social media is the root of our generation’s unhappiness.

But it does not have to be this way. Globally, young people have experienced improved and now stable life satisfaction since 2006. Excluding North America, Western Europe, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, the rest of the world has seen a rise. In fact, those in the developing world are particularly optimistic—they have hope that their circumstances will improve, unlike those in developed countries. Research has found they also have stronger family and community bonds.

So, how can we become happier? First, we need to limit our time on social media, especially passive scrolling. Instead, we should use social media in the way it was intended—to stay connected with our friends and family. Second, we have to connect more with people in real life, face-toface. Making plans with friends and chatting with the people we encounter during the day are the best ways to boost our moods. And lastly, we cannot lose hope. We have the power to shape our futures and change the world little by little.

Let us all prioritize our happiness—it matters.

A cargo ship, a doomed bridge and the reason I’m a civil engineer

Milo Vetter Staff Writer

On Tuesday, March 26, at about 1:30 a.m., a cargo ship about to pass under Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge lost power, causing it to collide with one of the bridge piers. “Collide” is probably the wrong word; a better word might be “obliterate.” The bridge collapsed almost instantly, and the ship even continued to move until it was eventually stopped by debris falling on and around it. Although highway patrol did have enough notice to halt traffic onto the bridge, the road crew fixing potholes on the bridge deck were tragically not notified in time, leading to six deaths among the crew.

As a civil engineering student, I’ve been asked a few times by my classmates, friends and family to weigh in on this disaster. The most common question they ask is “could the bridge have been designed differently in order to prevent this disaster?” Well, let’s do some analysis.

Pundits have discussed the use of structural “dolphins”—basically, structures near piers that can redirect or stop ships. But this specific ship was traveling directly towards the pier so it’s likely that the ship would have bolted straight through a hypothetical dolphin. There’s also the simple fact that the ship is absolutely gigantic. Let me put it this way: The boat was traveling at about 9 miles per hour when it hit the pier, and yet it was carrying more than half the kinetic energy of a fully loaded passenger jet at cruising speed. If you were to look at an aerial view of the collision, you’d see that the bridge never stood a chance, nor would almost any bridge.

Now, it’s certainly possible to design for this type of collision. Add concrete dolphins, make the pier thicker, add more piers and so on. But we can’t necessarily predict where the next ship will be—it’d be shortsighted to make just the next bridge over the Patapsco River shipproof; we’d want to do the same to every other bridge at risk of collision. And who would pay for those costs? As it is, every infrastructure project on the scale of a new bridge has to fight tooth and nail to get properly funded; how would these new, ship-proof bridges ever break ground?

Thus, we’ve reached the defining trait of civil engineering. There are exceptions, but in general, there is no such thing as an impossible civil engineering challenge. There are only challenges worth solving, challenges not worth solving and challenges that you can circumvent. I remember being shocked when I first learned this from my structural engineering professor. When he was talking about designing for forces from wind he didn’t talk about the worst possible hurricane; instead he talked about designing for, say, a 50-year storm, a hypothetical storm likely to be the strongest in the range of any given 50 years. Estimating design requirements is not a question of possibilities, but rather it’s a question of probabilities.

But why can’t we design for the worst-case scenario? Well, this phenomenon exists in all types of engineering, but it’s especially important in civil engineering. What sets apart civil engineering from other fields is scale and magnitude. Whereas other types of engineers use metal alloys and specialized polymers, we design with concrete and steel, the most

used materials in the world. A small difference in widely accepted design makes a massive difference in the amount of resources the planet uses, and the money we spend.

The sheer scale of civil engineering is sometimes hard to explain to others. Here’s an amusing little anecdote: Once I talked to a professional engineer in roadway construction, and she brought up the COVID-19 pandemic. She told me that when some of her friends remarked at the time that shelter-inplace meant that the roads could finally get fixed, she had to laugh. She told me, “It’s not about inconveniencing drivers, or even about logistics. It’s about funding, funding, funding.” It’s hard to describe the breathtaking amount of work and money that goes into the dozens of overpasses you drive under every morning. Or, as my structural engineering professor said, if we were to design for the worst possible storm, we’d all be living in underground bunkers. And who’d pay for that?

Some people might look down on this trait of civil engineering. Other engineering students definitely like

to joke about civil engineering being the most boring type of engineering. And on its face, I get it; calculating how much reinforcement steel a concrete beam needs is not quite as glamorous as using cutting-edge materials to minimize the weight of a rocket frame. But personally, I prefer the constraint of a budget and politics over the constraint of a mass-to-fuel ratio.It incentivizes us to come up with solutions that minimize our budget while strictly meeting code requirements. More importantly, It keeps us accountable to the public and gives us an interest in politics and ethics.

Speaking of ethics, it’s tragic that this bridge collapse happened. The economic fallout has already interfered with the jobs of thousands of dockworkers in Baltimore, and the six deaths among the road crew should not and cannot be ignored. But if another disaster like this is to be prevented, it will not be with structural dolphins and thicker concrete. It will be prevented by improved safety inspections and power redundancies on cargo ships, or it will not be prevented at all.

LTTE: What the administration has not done yet

Jeremy Bendik-Keymer Professor of Philosophy

The administration of Case Western Reserve University continues to fail CWRU’s student body and the faculty. They have not been adequately transparent and responsive in their discussions and announcements about the suspension of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). The administration owes the student body and the faculty this level of accountability: to publicly, in print, clarify the competing narratives and to rectify any inaccuracies. Just as they expected SJP to come to meet with the Office of Student Conduct, the student body and the faculty have a moral right for the administration of CWRU to meet the concerns raised with a transparent and clear public state-

ment.

Here are the main things that have not been clarified:

1. The possibility that the administration was using SJP to get at members who acted outside the authorization of the club, i.e., not as members in that instance. If the administration did this, then they are committing a wrong: using a club to get at people for whom, in that instance, the club simply is not responsible.

2. The possibility that the administration failed to communicate with SJP proactively and in a timely fashion, leading into the suspension once SJP had counsel. There are competing narratives around this point. The administration should clarify them and respond to the narrative in The Observer’s main investigative journalism of the issue.

3. The reason for the interim suspension of SJP was that the group failed to meet with the Office of Student Conduct. However, if 1 and 2 were true, then SJP’s reticence and confusion at meeting would be understandable. Perhaps this is behind the charge that the administration failed to exercise a just process. Was SJP in effect set up to be intimidated?

These three matters must be clarified. An administration that suspends a student club, intimidating them for ulterior purposes (1), and does not communicate professionally with them (2), is acting arbitrarily. This is a violation of the moral rights of students to have a safe and professional space to learn through self-organizing their clubs.

Likewise, an administration that acts in such an arbitrary manner undermines the faculty’s mission

to provide the best educational environment that we can to students.

Moreover, the administration fails the basic norms of the Faculty Handbook—to the extent that administrators are also faculty—to treat everyone with dignity and consideration.

Finally, the administration behaves imprudently in not being responsive and accountable in a public and clearly seen manner that is recorded in print. They allow competing narratives to take root and the student body to become cynical. This hurts the entire school down to its alumni connections in the future. It could even conceivably spin out to affect this university’s rankings or accreditation in some instances.

Jeremy Bendik-Keymer Professor of Philosophy

“Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse” by dullhunk is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.

Cleveland’s vision of a “15-minute city” is great for new graduates

Jessica Kwasny Staff Writer

On March 15, the Cleveland City Planning Commission unanimously approved two policies that are meant to improve the city’s walkability. By modifying zoning codes and public transportation design standards, the updates are intended to help the city become more friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists, making it more accessible to those who don’t have or prefer not to use cars. The idea is to make Cleveland a “15-minute city,” meaning that a person should be able to reach most of their daily necessities with just a 15-minute walk, bike or public transit ride. From the perspective of a soon-to-be college graduate, this type of change is encouraging to see.

A city’s walkability—or lack thereof—is one of the things I remember hearing previous students troubling over as they made their post-graduation plans. By moving to a less walkable area physical activity would become harder to fit into their schedule and it would be harder to find friends without the casual social interactions of seeing familiar faces on the way to class. I, too, share these concerns, and I believe they highlight the unsung importance of walkable cities for graduates.

One major challenge that new graduates face is the re-establishment of a sense of community once they leave campus. Most universities make an effort to provide students with opportunities to feel as though they belong to the campus community. Take Case Western Reserve University as an example, which refers to housing as “residential communities” and has over 200 student organizations.

But after college, finding those types of communities can be difficult in cities that lack free, accessible and enjoyable public spaces where people can run into others without having to plan it out first. Separated from others by highways and overpasses, a person seeking social interaction has to intentionally arrange meet-ups with others. This makes it difficult to develop the easy, low-stakes friendships which research suggests are an important component of a person’s social network and sense of belonging.

Furthermore, an infrastructure system in which nearly every person is expected to own and use a car to get around is expensive for everyone involved. The federal govern-

ment spent $52 billion on highways in 2022. According to the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, the average American spends roughly 16% of their household income on transportation costs, with 93% of that expense being used to purchase a vehicle, its fuel, motor oil and maintenance. In comparison, the average European citizen spends about 11% of their household income on transportation costs. For recent graduates who are just starting their career while simultaneously trying to pay off student debt and save for the future, buying and maintaining a car is an enormous financial burden that could be mitigated by cities being more accessible.

Walkable cities have a long list of other benefits as well. They promote active lifestyles, create less pollution from transportation and have more green spaces. A mixeduse land zoning model allows residential and retail areas to overlap, bringing people physically closer to the resources they need, such as pharmacies and grocery stores. The extra foot traffic can help small businesses engage with more customers. Additionally, well-designed infrastructure helps reduce incidences of car and bike accidents involving pedestrians.

Currently, Cleveland is considered to be fairly pedestrian-friendly, earning a top-20 spot among all U.S. cities in Smart Growth America’s 2023 Foot Traffic Ahead report. In fact, based on the report’s Social Equity Index alone, Cleveland is listed as the best city in the nation. This title reflects the city’s relative affordability and the fact that walkability is not as clearly segregated along racial and socioeconomic lines as in other cities. Even so, this is a relative ranking. Cleveland’s walkable areas are still largely concentrated in Downtown and University Circle, leaving much to be desired in terms of interconnecting the rest of the city. While significant change won’t happen overnight, the existing pedestrian and public transit infrastructure has potential, especially if urban planners continue to focus on developing it further.

At the end of the day, movements in city planning that prioritize pedestrians and quality public transit systems are a step in the right direction. Recent college graduates are one group among many who would benefit greatly from these designs, and it’s exciting to see Cleveland taking measures to implement them.

Auden

Auden Koetters/The Observer

CWRU baseball defeats Emory

Angelina Minaya Staff Writer

The Case Western Reserve University baseball team went on the road to play a four-game series against Emory University in Atlanta this past weekend from March 29-31. Previously, the Spartans took a full series sweep against the University of Chicago, in which Head Coach Matt Englander attained over 400 career game wins, well above the program record.

The Spartans started off the first game strong after third-year center fielder Logan Andreyko was hit by a pitch, followed by a double by graduate student catcher Jack Anderson, affording two runners on base ready to score. Graduate student third baseman James Powers drove in the first run of the game with a single to left field, and a one-out sacrifice fly from graduate student first baseman Dane Camphausen allowed Anderson to bring in another run, putting the Spartans at 2-0 lead for the first two innings.

In the top of the third, Anderson doubled again and scored on a groundout by Camphausen. Emory responded in the bottom of the third and was able to score a run. Due to two errors in the top of the fourth by Emory, CWRU scored an additional two runs to extend their lead to 5-1. The Eagles attempted to comeback scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth but the Spartans extended their lead in the seventh and eighth innings with a combined total of seven RBI hits from Powers, Camphau-

sen and first-year second baseman Tyler Stillson, in addition to four twoout runs resulting in a 12-5 victory.

The Eagles got on the scoreboard first in the second game, with a run in the bottom of the second. This was met with Camphausen hitting a three-run home run in the top of the third inning, allowing the Spartans to lead until the bottom of the fourth in which Emory scored four runs, making the score 5-3. After starting off the fifth with a base hit from Andreyko and getting a base hit and Anderson’s third two-run home run of the season, CWRU was able to close the gap between Emory and tie the game.

The Spartans and Eagles then went back and forth on the scoreboard between the fifth and the seventh, but the Eagles went on to score three in the bottom of the inning to lead 139. CWRU responded by scoring five runs in the top of the eighth as a result of doubles from Powers, firstyear pinch hitter Carson Walker, and graduate student left fielder Franco Alonso that put the Spartans ahead 14-13. This lead was short-lived, as the Eagles answered with three runs at the end of the inning. As a result of not being able to score in the ninth, Emory won 16-14 and put an end to CWRU’s seven-game winning streak. CWRU started off the third game with a 1-0 lead from an RBI groundout by third-year right fielder Nick Harms, but the Eagles responded by scoring three runs in the second for the 3-1 lead. These runs scored by Emory were the only three allowed by second-year right-handed pitcher Archer Stankowski during his seven

innings played, in addition to scattering seven hits and three walks. Overall, Stankowski struck out six batters, and after the win, improved to 4-1 on the season with a 3.27 ERA.

The score remained the same until the top of the sixth when CWRU rallied to get ahead 4-3 after a baseclearing triple from second-year center fielder Matt Trout. The momentum continued into the seventh inning as the Spartans scored five runs to extend the lead 9-3. Emory attempted to answer back by scoring four runs in the ninth, but this campaign was cut short after Anderson recorded a strikeout and a pop-out to obtain the first two outs of the inning. The 9-7 win for the Spartans was then sealed by second-year catcher Sean Donahue when he threw out a runner for Emory that tried to move up on a wild pitch.

The Spartans took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the fourth game after a two-run home run by Harms, but Emory also got on the board by scoring a run in the bottom of the second. In the top of the third the Spartans scored two more runs from an RBI groundout by Camphausen and a run-scoring double from Alonso to lead 4-1. The Eagles attempted to respond with a run in the bottom of the inning and loaded the bases with one out, but Stillson initiated a double play to end the inning and prevent Emory from scoring. In the top of the fourth, Camphausen hit a threerun home run to left field, extending the CWRU’s lead to 7-2. The Eagles battled back with three runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to get back within a run, 7-6.

At the top of the sixth, the Spartans scored 11 runs from seven hits and six walks, affording an 18-6 lead. This was made possible by a pair of runners scoring at home base by hits from Camphausen, Harms, Anderson and Powers. The score became final as Emory was unable to score for the rest of the game.

Most notably, Powers was named the UAA Hitter of the Week after the series against Emory for going 9-for-18 with a double and recording 10 runs scored, nine runs batted in, three walks and three stolen bases on as many tries. Powers slugged .556 with a .571 on base percentage for a 1.127 OPS. Powers hit safely in all four games at Emory and drove in at least two runs in each contest.

Additionally, Camphausen was named Spartan Club Athlete of the Week after the series for going 6-for10 with 13 runs batted in, four runs scored, two home runs, two doubles and a walk. Camphausen finished the series slugging 1.400 with a .583 onbase percentage for a 1.983 OPS.

Overall, CWRU won three out of the four games in the series, improving to 17-6 overall record, while Emory fell to 14-12 with the losses. The Spartan series win, combined with a loss by the Washington University in St. Louis to New York University last weekend, allowed the Spartans and the Bears to tie for first place in the league standings.

This weekend from April 5-7, the Spartans will be aiming to regain their win streak as they face off in a series against the 4-13 Brandeis University Judges this weekend at Nobby’s Ballpark.

Courtesy of Tim Phillis/CWRU Athletics

No. 7 CWRU Softball Sweeps UAA Opening Weekend vs NYU

ning but found themselves unable to catch up. The Spartans had quickly

sulting in loud cheering from the stands. The game concluded as the

March 31, 11 a.m. (14-2 Game)

score with 3 unearned runs from Potts, Jagoda and Durham, re-

In the concluding game of CWRU’s four-game series against NYU, the Spartans started off strong with fourth-year pitcher Jenna Jaklich

NYU responded with their sole run of the game in the following in-

Darcy Chew

Darcy Chew/The Observer

Women’s tennis crushes the Blue Gray Invite

Puneet Bansal Sports Editor

From March 23-25, the Case Western Reserve University women’s tennis team competed in the Blue Gray Invite hosted by the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Spartans came away with three dominant wins. CWRU then traveled to Gambier, Ohio on March 29 to play against Kenyon College, defeating their fellow Ohio rival narrowly 5-4. Now riding a four-match win streak, the Spartans currently stand at 10-3 for the season.

The Spartans kicked off the invite against Southwestern University on March 23. Third-years Hannah Kassaie/Lily McCloskey won first doubles 8-0, with their flawless play setting the tone for the rest of the match. Fourth-year Pallavi Goculdas/third-year Anna Kan took third doubles 8-5 while third-year Radha Patel/secondyear Katalina Wang finished the doubles sweep with an 8-5 win in second doubles.

For the singles matches, Kassaie went on to earn yet another perfect win, going 6-0, 6-0 in first singles. Second-year Elsa Syed followed with a 6-1, 6-4 win in sixth singles. Wang took third singles 6-4, 6-4, McCloskey earned the second singles victory 6-1, 7-5 and Patel defeated her opponent in fifth singles 6-1, 6-3. Kan finished off the 9-0 sweep with a comeback win in fourth singles 3-6, 7-5, 10-7.

The following day, the Spartans were met with a little more resistance. The Spartans played against the host team, starting off the match with a sweep of the doubles. Patel/ Wang kicked off the match with a victory in second doubles 8-1. Kassaie/McCloskey also notched a win in first doubles, going 8-4. Wang/ Goculdas wrapped up the sweep with a close 8-6 match in third

doubles.

Once again, Kassaie took over the first singles with her elite play, giving CWRU a 4-0 lead with a 6-1, 6-1 victory. This win was the 61st of Kassaie’s career, launching her into second place in program history in singles victories. She needs just four more wins to tie former Spartan Surya Khadilkar for first.

In sixth singles, second-year Asha Shukla clinched the match by winning 6-2, 6-2. Patel and McCloskey notched the final two wins for the Spartans, with Patel taking fifth singles 6-4, 6-1 and McCloskey earning the second singles victory in three sets 4-6, 6-3, 10-8. Mary Washington earned wins in third singles and fourth singles, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Spartans, who came away with the 7-2 win.

CWRU played in their final match of the invite against Gustavus Adolphus College, coming away with the 9-0 win to finish the Blue Gray Invite 3-0. Kassaie/McCloskey took first doubles in perfect fashion, defeating their opponents 8-0. Patel/Wang added an 8-1 victory in second doubles while Goculdas/Wang took third doubles 8-5. Kassaie earned yet another perfect win in first singles, going 6-0, 6-0 to increase the Spartans’ lead. Kan won fourth singles 6-0, 6-1, Shukla took fifth singles 6-2, 6-2, fourthyear Chloe Ku won sixth singles 6-3, 6-2 and Wang won a thrilling third singles to complete the sweep with a 6-4, 5-7, 10-8 victory.

The following Friday, the Spartans hit the road again to take on Kenyon. Though Kenyon at the time stood at 5-5 overall, they forced the Spartans to truly earn the win. This time, the Spartans did not sweep the doubles matches. CWRU lost second doubles 4-8, but Goculdas/Kan evened the score with an 8-4 win in third doubles. Kassaie/McCloskey put the Spartans on top with a tiebreaker in first doubles, taking the 8-7 (3) win.

Third-year Lily McCloskey went undefeated at this past Blue Gray Invite. McCloskey and fellow third-year Hannah Kassaie kicked off the invite by securing a win against Southwestern in first doubles 8-0. Courtesy of Tim Phillis/CWRU Athletics

Kan finished her singles match first, taking the 6-4, 6-3 victory in fourth singles to give the Spartans a 3-1 lead. The Owls, however, responded with a win in third singles. Kassaie brought the Spartans one step closer to clinching the match with a 7-6 (1), 6-3 win in first singles. The Owls pulled off a 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 win in second singles, but Patel clinched the match for the Spartans with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 win in fifth singles. Kenyon finished the match with a win by retirement in sixth singles, giving the Spartans the 5-4 overall win.

The Spartans will get to play on home court for the next weekend as they host Division II opponent Walsh University on April 5 and conference rival the University of Rochester on April 6. Both matches will take place at the Mayfield Village Racquet Club.

Scores and Upcoming Games

Baseball

CWRU at Emory

Game 1 (3/29) - W 12-5

Game 2 (3/30) - L 14-16

Game 3 (3/30) - W 9-7

Game 4 (3/31) - W 18-6

CWRU vs Brandeis (Nobby’s Ballpark)

Game 1 (4/5, 3 p.m.)

Games 2 and 3 (4/6, noon, 3 p.m.)

Game 4 (4/7, 10 a.m.)

Men’s Tennis

CWRU vs Wayne State (3/29) - W 4-3

CWRU at Northwestern Ohio (3/29) - W 4-1

CWRU vs Kenyon (4/5)

CWRU vs Otterbein (4/5)

CWRU vs Rochester (4/6)

Women’s Tennis

Blue Gray Invite

CWRU vs Southwestern (3/23) - W 9-0

CWRU at Mary Washington (3/24) - W 7-2

CWRU vs Gustavus Adolphus (3/25) - W 9-0

CWRU at Kenyon (3/29) - W 5-4

CWRU vs Walsh (4/5)

CWRU vs Rochester (4/6)

Softball

CWRU vs NYU (Mather Park)

Game 1 (3/29) - W 10-4

Game 2 (3/29) - W 11-1

Game 3 (3/30) - W 6-5

Game 4 (3/31) - W 14-2

CWRU vs Emory (Mather Park)

Game 1 (4/5, 3 p.m.)

Games 2 and 3 (4/6, noon, 2 p.m.)

Games 4 (4/7, 11 a.m.)