observer the
friday, 11/09/12
volume xliv, issue 11
Battles of the heart:
Star from “The Big Bang Theory” speaks to CWRU students on her Jewish faith, acting career >>mikeMCKENNA research&innovationsREPORTER<<
How a Marine Corps veteran redefines the meaning of strength shannon snyder / observer Berl Jones, 75, continues to exercise three days a week at Eliza Bryant Village on Cleveland’s East Side. The former Marine deserved to hold a world record in the deadweight lift during his youth, but racism kept his name out of the record books. >>tylerHOFFMAN editor.inCHIEF<<
M
arines are trained to fight in battles, and Berl “Dee” Jones, 75, has fought his fair share. But not once did it cause him to travel overseas or lift a weapon. “I remember my first day of basic training [in South Carolina],” Jones says with his gleaming eyes fixated on the corner of his small, sparse apartment. “There was a water faucet...that said ‘Whites Only;’ the other said ‘Blacks Only.’” Though more than 50 years elapsed since Jones served as a stateside Marine in the Korean Conflict, he recalls his introduction to the United States Marine Corps and a Jim Crow South as if not a single day had passed.
“I never saw anything like that before. I’m from Cleveland. I didn’t know about that black and white stuff. I couldn’t fathom...it just couldn’t register,” he says as his chiseled features momentarily reflect the shocked countenance of a younger self. Dismissing the entrenched segregation, Jones attempted to steal a sip from the fountain when a white drill instructor stopped him. But Jones ignored the instructor’s racism, and the resulting fight left the young recruit facefirst on the pavement surrounded by an audience of his peers. The drill instructor said “get on up, I got some more for you,” he recalls. “I said that’s alright...I got enough...sir.” to JONES | 3
President Obama wins reelection, campus groups respond after year of campaigning >>victoriaROBINSON student.affairsREPORTER<<
“Four more years, four more years” chanted the Case Democrats and fellow supporters. Screams and shouts of excitement stirred throughout the Jolly Scholar as CNN declared President Barack Obama’s victory. “When the news networks projected Obama the winner of the election around 11:15, I, as well as the rest of the room, was overwhelmed with a sense of excitement and joy, but also a sense of relief,” said Dwayne Coleman, the public relations chair for the Case Democrats. “We had been working so hard for the past
months and it was great to see that it all paid off.” At the end of Tuesday night, Obama had won a total of 303 electoral votes, while Mitt Romney had taken 206. A key part of Obama’s win was, as it usually is, the state of Ohio. “Ohio was critical in the election,” said Brylan May, a member of Case Democrats. “This was evident by the fact that both candidates have visited repeatedly in the past few months. Ohio is always a battleground state and is always critical in determining who will run this country.” As it turned out, when Presi-
to ELECTION | 3
Last week, Case Western Reserve University had a bit of star power – actress Mayim Bialik, best known for her role as Amy Farrah Fowler on “The Big Bang Theory,” presented a talk entitled “Neuroscience and Acting: How I Got to Where I Am Today.” With a frank sense of humor, and none of the awkwardness reminiscent of her character on “The Big Bang Theory,” Bialik spoke to a crowd of several hundred people in Strosacker Auditorium. While she did extensively discuss her acting career, including her current work on “The Big Bang Theory,” the main focus of Bialik’s talk were the seven things that keep her sane while working in the rigors of Hollywood. As the event was organized through CWRU’s Hillel Foundation, the school’s Jewish group, Bialik discussed her Jewish heritage, and said that many of her points are rooted in her Jewish faith. However, she noted that she was not promoting one belief system over another and was hoping that the audience would “look past the differences and see the larger points” in her talk. Bialik began the “teaching” portion of her talk by discussing the importance she places in “super complex relationships.” She says her Jewish heritage values these interactions, and her weekly studying with a partner of the complex relationships found in the Torah, Judaism’s primary holy book, allows her not to be swept up in the world of show business. “Anyone who has read the Old Testament knows that the stories of betrayal, and exile, and marrying two sisters come very soon after you start reading,” Bialik said. “I love that I come from a tradition that’s not afraid to deal with those super complicated relationships.” Bialik then addressed the need for routine in life. Her personal example was her strict weekly observance of the Sabbath, where she unplugs from electronic devices, and makes everything wait. She
to BIALIK | 5
index
austin sting / observer The reelection of President Obama was announced shortly after he was declared the winner of Ohio’s 18 electoral votes around 11 p.m. on Nov. 6.
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